CO_Steve

So I have to admit in the past I was a pretty lazy Craigslist shopper. If it wasn't nearby and not well documented with lots of pictures I didn't pay attention.
A couple of years ago I moved to rural western Colorado. Things tend to be further away here. Finding what you want is hard. Sellers can be lazy.

Examples:
I bought two bikes this year. First, I was looking for a carbon road bike. I found an ad for a Giant TCR. Little description, one picture, a close up of the crank. It was an hour away.
When I got there I found a full Ultegra bike with upgraded Mavic wheels with 134 miles on it for $1k. Like new.
Second: Shopping for a fat bike. Answered an ad for a Salsa Mukluk. One picture of non-drive side. Two hours away. Little description.
When I got there the guy was an ex-racer. Bike had $2k worth of upgrades. King, Juicy, XO-1, tubeless, new everything else. Included pack, fenders, tool kit. $750.

I would have never chased these bikes before but my current situation makes it necessary. Maybe I got lucky, maybe they're out there all the time.

chezzy79

You get what you put in

Brocephus

You're in a target-rich environment out there in Colorado, pickin's are generally slimmer around these parts ( a good bit better up around Atlanta,though).
Also, the classfied sites like Craigslist and Armslist don't have a feedback system, and there seems to be a high ratio of complete jerk-offs on them, so I'm very reluctant to travel far, unless I get a REAL good vibe from them (after speaking on the phone).
Anyway, sounds like you made some killer scores !!

Lazyass

I'm from DFW with is CL heaven. I live in a very rural area of NC, and Charlotte and Raleigh are both about 100 miles away. So for most of the good stuff I have to make a 200 mile round trip. The good part is I can go out my front door, be on country roads with no traffic and sometimes can do a 2 hour ride without ever having to come to a complete stop.

TakingMyTime

I really don't buy big ticket items off of C/L. Since most of the items I'm looking for are spares and components. I always have to add in the cost of transportation to get where the item is. Many times I've seen exactly what I've needed but when something is selling for $45 and it's going to cost me $35 in gas... I'll usually pass.

wingless

When I'm looking for something, I used both Craig's List and Offer Up.

The search includes looking at much older listings, many pages down, not just the ones posted that day.

Many items I need are located on eBay.

surlyprof

surlyprof

wipekitty

I generally do not do a ton of work to buy bikes from CL. These days, I use it primarily for low-dollar items, like old mountain bikes. Living in such a small community, the bikes and parts I've purchased turned out to be either from people I know or people who know people I ride with The local cycling FB group is, in many ways, an even better source than CL.

Otherwise, there are just not a ton of nicer bikes in my size nearby, and to hit larger markets would require renting a car and a 300 mile round trip. I've had luck with Ebay, though!

J.Higgins 

I use the search feature in my CL account to keep informed of the bikes I am always looking for. This emails me when something new is posted. My set of rules is such that its got to be a killer deal or something that I want really bad for me to drive over an hour to get. My best advice: Patience.

CliffordK

I have too much stuff, so I get a little picky about what I buy. Also, in a small city which limits what is available somewhat.

I also am essentially car-free, so it limits the range of how far I can go to pick up bike parts. Which is actually quite far. My last ride was about 180 miles RT (for a BF purchase).

I have had some issues with Portland sellers that refuse to respond to me which can be frustrating, especially since I'm regularly up there.

Guest User 1923242

I`ve had very good luck with CL with buying and selling...In one situation there was an ad for a NEW ( old stock ) Dahon anniversary bike ( single speed ) in Tucson....I don`t have a car and asked if they traveled to Phoenix...Long story short the young couple delivered the bike to me for 1/2 the original cost...it never hurts to ask...

J.Higgins 

My personal creed when dealing in CL is this:

If I'm selling something, and the customer wants me to meet somewhere in the middle, I'm firm on the price. If he's coming to me, I'll be somewhat flexible or toss in something to sweeten the deal.

If I'm buying I put the above statement into reverse. If I'm driving to the seller's house, I'll try to get a lower price. If meeting somewhere, I'll give the asking price. This of course, is subjective as anything else.

Its a game. Its fun!

indyfabz

I was riding a trail-trail yesterday. About 5 miles from the trailhead I saw up ahead of me a group of people, including one person running while pushing a bike. Slowed down to see if I could be of assistance. Learned that the left pedal had sheered off. Crank arm was totally stripped. The owner had bought the bike of CL the day before.

mstateglfr 

I have everything I need right now.

so Craigslist is checked periodically for something interesting. Just picked up a '91 specialized road bike with a 105SC group for cheap. Keep some of the parts, sell the rest and the frame, make a bit of $.
that sort of thing.

Over the last 18mo, finding something worth working on has been rare.

I'll reply to a poorly designed listing regardless of if I'm looking for a bike. If the bike in the picture is worth the price, I'll respond to it. I dont care if the seller is lazy and takes a non drive side pic with 2 fingers covering part of the picture.

thumpism 

Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances. One of us would have put the bike in the stand as soon as we got it home, and certainly before doing a ride of any distance.

CO_Steve

That's too bad. It's also why I have a box or two of spare parts. When I'm paying $.30 on the dollar I expect to have to fix a few things. If not, so much the better.
My fat bike wouldn't stay in one gear on the cassette. I adjusted the shift cable but today it would still try and shift out of one gear, the rest were fine. Upon inspection that gear was bent. I bent it back and it seems to work now but maybe I need a new cassette. No big deal.

Metieval

CL is a dangerous place to spend time! as is EBay etc.....

I don't care how good of a deal it is, sometimes you just have to avoid "Happy hour", just because.

J.Higgins 

Its an addiction. I'm addicted to many things. Ebay. Amazon. Craigslist. One time I had to check myself into rehab because I was addicted to Lord of the Rings and couldn't kick the hobbit...

ed4406

It's the fuzzy pictures that make it interesting. About 10 years ago I bid on an Ebay bike with a single fuzzy picture, 99 bucks with free shipping. I was the only bidder. A pristine Trek 460 with Suntour Cyclone derailleurs and an Ofmega Mistral crankset arrived at my door a week later.

Last month a single fuzzy picture of a Schwinn mountain bike from the 80's caught my eye on CL. For 10 bucks I headed out on a 45 minute drive. The owner called me on the way and said he had to leave, so the bike was out front and if I liked it, leave the ten spot in his mailbox. A crusty rusty mess awaited me but I picked it up anyway - the frame was chrome moly and I needed the shifters for a friend's bike. I donated the bike to a bike shop that helps teach repair skills and provide bikes in southwest Detroit. Glad I saved it but those became pretty expensive shifters.

I'm trying to decide right now whether to drive 45 minutes to check out a beaten up early 70's Fuji Finest. Part of the thrill is the one fuzzy picture.

Guest User 1923242

I got back with bikes about 1987 when I sold my last car...It was a garage sale bike, a red 3 speed Schwinn, and it required a ton of work...After this experience, I was hooked and started picking up trashed bikes for parts...CL, eBay, newspaper ads, and trash piles furnished me with the raw materials...In my personal experience, I find it necessary to check out the bike new or used and always have a good set of tools on hand...I wouldn`t like to let other mechanics work on my bikes...

Juan Foote

TBH, I think a lot of the better sellers have gotten away from CL due to various reasons, including the danger and spamming. Atlanta CL is a terrible place to try and find a reasonably priced bicycle. There are some good things to be found, but nothing I would consider a deal. In some cases that changes if you can get anyone to answer....so on to that....

I work only with the email relay to initiate contact with a person through CL. So many of the ads are merely fronts to get lists of new phone numbers calling. Almost without fail you call some number that no one answers and all of a sudden you are on the home security call list, or car warranty...you get the point.
The issue is that so many other people see some random CL relay email come in and don't bother to answer.
For me it's mostly a waste of time.

Flip Flop Rider

he's here all week folks!

J.Higgins