So after my little rant the other day, I thought I’d update you on my little craig’s list adventure. Mr. Chess set guy did come back to me with a price that was $5 lower than his original offer. Due to sheer laziness (he was in town and the others were a drive), I decided to go with the local guy. Since it would be hard to get a decent new set at this lower price, I decided to go with him after all and I’m so glad I did.
The guy is a young Russian immigrant and an avid chess player. He got laid off from his job last year and is moving to Canada with his wife because he finally landed a new assignment. He had been coveting this particular chess set for some time and when he finally got around to buying it for himself, his wife ended up buying the exact same one for him as a surprise gift. He said he started playing at age 7 and was in tournaments by age 12. I’m so glad that I bought it from him instead of a big retail store. It was a win/win situation. I’m also glad I didn’t give him unsolicited advice about his statement around losing money. He was a very nice guy and I’m happy I didn’t ruin my chances of doing a sale with him.
In the end, I did end up finding the exact model he sold me and it’s retailing for $70, so it is indeed a good deal at $25 for the size set it is and it’s still brandy new in the box.
Lesson learned. I’ve got to remember that not everyone is in my situation. Yes, some people are using Craig’s list for de-cluttering but others are doing it to raise money they desperately need. Some people are parting with cherished possessions to be able to pay the bills. The whole transaction was humbling. From now on, I’m going to try to be a little more empathetic. I’ll still try to get a deal, but with a little less edginess.
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