No response- not even scammers- from CL ads; what is my issue?

[bassteban]

I put a bass and amp up FS on Craigslist- got a couple of scammers on the bass, but after renewing, nothing. Suggestions?

[mjac28]

Try here I love this community I don't do the list don't want people coming to my home and seeing my other goodies

[bassteban]

I've had both items up here for months- poor market ATM I guess. I always meet in a highly-public & neutral location.

Edit: What I meant was *is there something I may have done to make it impossible for potential buyers to contact me*? I recently sold a bicycle via CL, so I know it was functioning.

[hdracer]

Check your spam folder.
For some reason they end up there a lot for me.

But the Viagra and hair growing ones find my in box.

[bassteban]

Nothin special there- legit ads & boner pills

Edit: Thanks for the tip(no pun)

[Bassamatic]

It may be the headline - not clear. I see them all the time - "guitar for sale" (and it's a bass) with no real description inside so the search engine cannot find what it's looking for.

It may be the price - I just saw an ad for an SX Jazz bass for $150 that was described as a "hand-made custom bass". And it was a P bass.

I am not saying you are doing this, but just some examples of ads that probably got no offers.

When I have stuff on CL that I really want to sell, after 2-3 weeks, I start to lower the price every week by 5% or so until it gets stupidly low or someone bites. It took me 2 months to sell my Squier VM fretless. Started at $250 and sold it for $160. Times are tough.

ALSO - you have to have 2 ads going - one on Saturday morning and the other on Wednesday morning and keep renewing them. People are too lazy to scroll through all the ads.

AND - GOTTA HAVE GOOD PHOTOS!!!! I never bother if they don't have photos.

Good Luck!

[two fingers]

Well, pretty much the price of everything has dropped a bit other than really high-end boutique stuff. So, if you are asking the same price you would have four years ago you are probably pricing yourself out of the market. I don't know that to be the case. Just a guess.

Also, I get completely turned off by ads with a lot of lectures in them. If an ad ends with "Go away if you are a scammer." "I don't need the money so don't bother low balling me!" "Tire kickers will be thrown in the pond!" (That's an actual quote from a recent ad here.) ....or any other lecture that assumes I am some sort of child, I don't bother to respond even if the item is something I really want. Those kinds of things let me know that dealing with you will be no fun at all. Again, I haven't looked at your ad. I am just throwing things out there.

Generally, ads should be short, to the point, positive, informative, and include GOOD PICS. If your ad is already like that, and you still haven't gotten any hits, it's either an item nobody in your area wants, a bad market overall, or you have priced it too high.

Good luck.

[bassteban]

I don't think my price is out of line- at the very least I'd expect some lowballs, but no- also, I believe the title/description is fairly clear and accurate- you tell me: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/msg/3342161915.html

The amp: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/msg/3342153499.html

Again- I am not so much asking for advice but rather if anyone knows of a technical issue/glitch/bug that may be preventing communication from prospective buyers(or scammers )

[oniman7]

I always get at least a couple scammers... what's your secret?

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by oniman7

I always get at least a couple scammers... what's your secret?

That's what I wanna know! I could bottle and sell it

[Balog]

I've noticed a marked dropoff in spam/scam emails from CL postings in the last few months. Can't think of the last one I got.

As for the lack of response, probably a market thing.

[pica]

Don't feel bad. I'm selling a sweet Fender Jazz bass dirt cheap and have only gotten two responses.

[MarkA]

If you're worried that it might be a technical issue, have a friend try to respond to your ad through CL. See if you get the response!

[hdracer]

CL must have put in better spam filters or something.
I have five things listed and have not got one spam email in a week.
No low ballers ether.
Very few responses though. I do have a guy coming over today to check out my Spector.

It does seem you have to have your gear listed dirt cheap to get any kind of response.

[jeffbonny]

CL is a waste of time unless you have something at least slightly out of the ordinary or you're willing to give it away. The only hits I've had on a mint Genz cab less than a year old that I've got listed for less than half the cost of a new one are two paypal scammers and a very persistent lo-baller.

[Matthew_84]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I have a bass up, that I believe is priced well. I'd only take $50 off of the asking price before it's not even worth it for me to sell it, and there are no biters, no one even trying to negotiate. I'd just list as $50 lower and mark it as FIRM, but people will still always ask.

Drives me nuts.. I need the bread

[dalkowski]

CL is for buyers. TB is for sellers (and buyers). Coffee is for closers.

[bassinplace]

Your links are telling me "posting has expired". So either you took them down or they're not working on my side. Sorry I can't be of more help than that, just fyi.

[bassteban]

Hey, thanks for the recent input; I'd forgotten this thread... sold the bass, decided to keep the amp. Sold a bicycle and frameset via CL, both were near-giveaways.

[bassinplace]

Oops! Sorry! (dang! suckered in again!) Glad you sold your stuff, anyway.