CL dreamers make me smile in the morning

[Buckeye_Sean]

http://columbus.craigslist.org/sys/479311827.html

*It does come with keyboard, mouse and install disk!

[spacescape]

Well... Some people don't realize that prices don't hold like they used to...

[Markiscool]

Step 1:Call him up and ask if it is the hockey puck mouse.

Step 2: No matter what the answer is, act like that was the deal breaker.

Step 3. Laugh.


(Wow...I'm having a "mean" day!)

-M

[Jimmypoo]

if there was an email there, I'd send off links to ebay and ask if he meant "$27.5"
and if so, would he take $20 -- and could he deliver it.

[Don Kiyoti]

http://tucson.craigslist.org/sys/478549243.html

[tortoise]

Contrary to what you might think there are willing buyers for a unit like that. Example, elder client (in his eighties) who has been using identical machine for over eight years and when his video died recently all he wanted was another one exactly like it. He had absolutely no interest in a newer machine and expressed total refusal to even consider moving to OS-X. I purchased a used unit off Craig‘s list for similar price, moved his drive into the new machine and he is happy as a lark to be back with what he knows and likes. For many older people the thought of changing OS is just not an option, they have been using OS-9 for years and it meets their limited needs and works just fine.

I fail to see the humor or purpose of all these CL dreamers posts, while it might seem an outrageous price to your particular needs, you seem to forget the market has a lot of different folks looking for a lot of different machines for their own peculiar reasons. You might be surprised how many of these units actually sell for close to asking price.

Not to throw water on the fun people get from ridiculing various CL adds but if you expand your horizons a bit you might realize there are circumstances where a buyer will be happy to pay the “dreamers” price.

[raz]

[quote tortoise]Contrary to what you might think there are willing buyers for a unit like that. Example, elder client (in his eighties) who has been using identical machine for over eight years and when his video died recently all he wanted was another one exactly like it. He had absolutely no interest in a newer machine and expressed total refusal to even consider moving to OS-X. I purchased a used unit off Craig‘s list for similar price, moved his drive into the new machine and he is happy as a lark to be back with what he knows and likes. For many older people the thought of changing OS is just not an option, they have been using OS-9 for years and it meets their limited needs and works just fine.
Just as a data point, I swapped my (70+ y.o.) Mom's rev C iMac out two years ago. She learned where her browser and mailer shortcuts were (in the dock, now) and where her games were.

I did get a call three months later when the cleaning woman pulled the power plug. She was greeted with the login window, and didn't know what to do. Apparently, it hadn't crashed in all that time.

[Buckeye_Sean]

[quote tortoise]Contrary to what you might think there are willing buyers for a unit like that. Example, elder client (in his eighties) who has been using identical machine for over eight years and when his video died recently all he wanted was another one exactly like it. He had absolutely no interest in a newer machine and expressed total refusal to even consider moving to OS-X. I purchased a used unit off Craig‘s list for similar price, moved his drive into the new machine and he is happy as a lark to be back with what he knows and likes. For many older people the thought of changing OS is just not an option, they have been using OS-9 for years and it meets their limited needs and works just fine.
You're telling me you honestly bought an imac for approx. $275 and swapped hard drives for a client? Then you charged him what...$300-$400 for the service? I find that hard to believe when the 233 models can be had for virtually free nowadays. (Either that or you just plain took advantage of the old chap.) But even with his criteria, why wouldn't at least get him a nice slot load imac which would run OS 9 even faster? I'm not saying your scenario is impossible - but it certainly makes no sense why you would do that to a person.

[quote tortoise]I fail to see the humor or purpose of all these CL dreamers posts, while it might seem an outrageous price to your particular needs, you seem to forget the market has a lot of different folks looking for a lot of different machines for their own peculiar reasons. You might be surprised how many of these units actually sell for close to asking price.
Why is it humorous? Surely you jest. A quick search on ebay or even CL will give you a guideline for what "most" of them go for. Matter of fact I was offered 3 skids of slot load imacs for roughly $12/ea no less than a month ago. Honestly, I didn't have the room or the belief I could sell enough of them to make it worth my while.

[quote tortoise]Not to throw water on the fun people get from ridiculing various CL adds but if you expand your horizons a bit you might realize there are circumstances where a buyer will be happy to pay the “dreamers” price.
Again I'll argue that those people are very few and far between. Maybe 1 in 10,000?

[ka jowct]

I find these optimitic prices somewhat amusing. I also have some scruples. I would not try to sell an ancient iMac to someone who doesn't know what those models are worth (meaning what they sell for 99% of the time) for that kind of money.

[tortoise]

I am only trying to point out that the viewpoint of someone in business providing services and computers to the general public is much different than bargain hunters. When a client is without a computer and states they want another OS-9 machine just like the one they had my alternatives are limited and I search CL and eBay for a solution to my immediate problem. After ten years in this business I know my business and my clients needs and have to turn down work to avoid working 24/7 and I certainly did not take advantage of the old chap as suggested. I wonder how many of these posters are actually in the computer business serving the public and how many are just wage earners with their own limited experience based on their personal computers?