I've been looking to buy 35L here on FM, but no luck so far.
And someone was nice enough to PM me to refer to the craiglist.
Is it a reputable place to buy?
While on the subject, what is a reasonable price for mint used 35L?
Should I just go to B&H? (It's only 6 blocks away.)
Sorry for the many questions....
"Craig's List" is neither reputable or dis-reputable. They only provide a venue for sales, barter, etc. Unlike e-Bay, there is no attempt to offer buyer protection on Craig's List.
The good thing about Craig's list is that you can filter the entries by location. That lets you pick only local sellers (if you want). Dealing face-to-face with the seller increases the chance of a happy outcome.
The DC area craigslist has a guy from Fairfax wanted to trade a 35L. Where the hell was he five days ago before I ordered one. Craigs is good because you can meet the person before you buy the item.
Only if you are going to be picky about that kind of thing. Honestly, I don't know the codes on any of my own lenses--just doesn't matter to me.
Back to the original question, yeah Craigslist can be a good place to find deals. It's just an online classifieds, so is definitely up to you to protect yourself (as a buyer or seller--only nibble I got on one listing was an obvious scam ). Your best best is to only go local & do a face-to-face cash deal so you can check out the gear before handing over any money.
I have never been a user of Craigslist, have heard good and bad about it. I have however, bought from B&H lots of times and never been disappointed. I would suggest if you're buying any type of camera equipment to do the same thing. Although i'm sure there are some reputable sellers on there, my opinion is that if you're spending that much money, then buy new from B&H where you're safe and protected by a warranty. So what if you save a few dollars initially and then end up with problems? Have you really saved money or cost yourself money? Sounds like a "no brainer" to me! Good Luck in your buying!
I buy and sell all the time. Keep the transaction face to face and cash base only. I have bought and sold camera, lens, gadgets, toys and etc. It's a good community commerce but there are a few bad apples out there to ruin it for you if you don't watch yourself. Just keep it local.
I have bought and sold lots of things via craigslist and overall the results have been positive. You have to realize what you are getting involved with, though. CL is absolutely not ebay or FM for that matter. There is no method of references or reputation history. This is as much of a detriment to the buyer as to the seller. You could be a great person selling lots of stuff on CL, but each new ad you run is as anonymous to buyers as the one from the scam artist running next to it.
These are cash and carry deals so be sure you know what you are buying. Be clear with sellers that you expect to show up with lenses and a laptop to shoot images and review them before handing over the cash for a camera body.
Safety is an issue. When I sell things (typically furniture and other big things I odn't want to be involved with shipping) on CL I tell buyers to come to my home to pick it up. Now you are inviting an unknown individual into your home and that carries certain risk. No different than running an ad in the local paper, but something to consider. Many people prefer to meet in some neutral location like a coffee shop to conduct their CL business. Just remember that once you part ways with this person you may never see them again and you really have no idea where to find them if you have an problem with what you bought. I certainly wouldn't buy a 1Ds from someone who wanted to meet behind the dumpster at Walmart.
When buying you need to be equally cautious. I have bailed out of pending purchases on CL when the seller seemed a little too fishy to me. Consider that you are telling someone you know nothing about that you will be showing up at such and such place and time with a bunch of cash in your pocket.
). Your best best is to only go local & do a face-to-face cash deal so you can check out the gear before handing over any money.