Whatever!!!!!!!!! Gearhead-EFI Edition

**sherlock9c1** · 08-06-2014

So give me your advice on this: You list some heavy or bulky stuff on CL. You don't want to have to pack it or ship it because nobody seems to want to pay for that. Somebody hits you up and asks you for a price shipped to zip ABCXY. Do you actually bother to run the numbers or just post your zip, the weight and the dimensions and let them do the homework?

**steveo** · 08-06-2014

type it into some postal service or courier website for a rough estimate, then mark it up slightly to cover your time to ship it.

**RobertISaar** · 08-06-2014

if you know the weight and dimensions already, it only takes ~5 minutes for a USPS quote.

**1project2many** · 08-06-2014

If you tell them to get the quote, how do you know they won't short the weight or dimensions slightly so you end up covering some of the postage?

**sherlock9c1** · 08-06-2014

All of what you guys said is true... but it's when you get 10 different people asking for "price shipped to XYZ" - then you're looking at a half hour spent with no guarantee of a sale.

Case in point - I put a heavy HF tool on CL, used 4 times, 50% off sale price. Had a couple of hits. Some guy almost 2 hours away emails and says he wants it. Says he won't come to get it but he'll meet me halfway. It is not worth my time to drive to this guy so I suggested shipping it. Well with the weight, it's another 25% of the sale price, so OF COURSE what's he say? "Well, for that price I might as well buy it new." Duh.

If somebody actually paypals me, THEN I'll doublecheck the shipping weight and make sure they didn't short me. But before then, no way.

I'm also at the point where if somebody on a forum calls dibs, I need payment in full immediately via paypal and THEN we can figure out shipping. They don't lose any money paying paypal twice. If the shipping turns out to be a dud, I can refund their money instantly. Some people are balking at this, but if I've got the same item listed locally on CL, no way am I holding something for somebody when cold hard cash is on its way.

BTW to JeepsAndGuns - if you see a good deal on CL, you need to drop everything and go immediately with cash, GF or no. Your other option is what I did for long-distance CL items - wait for something nice but overpriced and then work them down to a reasonable price after it doesn't sell for 3 weeks. You have to be patient, but it works.

**steveo** · 08-06-2014

just generalize it then. figure out what it takes to postal service a heavy-ish package then a light-ish package halfway across the country. take that *1.75. quote that for shipping on everything. if they're willing to pay, then profit!

**steveo** · 08-10-2014

some teenage girl ran an uncontrolled intersection yesterday in the oncoming lane, and wadded my camaro... hard.

her plastic japanese car folded like paper, the door on the oppisite side where she hit me wouldn't even open afterwards.

due to the sheer weight of my overweight steel boat, i walked away unscathed, and at the time, it looked alright, figured it for a hammer and bondo job, so i got some insurance info and drove off like nothing happened.

unfortunately it was bent so badly under the hood that when i popped it in reverse, the serpentine belt hit a bolt on the steering shaft or something and ripped it apart.

so she's done for

guess that ends my investment in $4D tuning

**sherlock9c1** · 08-10-2014

Anything particularly special about that Camaro?

**steveo** · 08-10-2014

every fbody i've ever owned is special, but this was just a cool beater that i bought to learn more about tbi.

which i did.

so it accomplished its goal.

that's all that made it special i guess

goldstream by rfesu, on Flickr

**jim_in_dorris** · 08-10-2014

That is a serious bummer

**JeepsAndGuns** · 08-10-2014

Man I hate to hear that. Sorry about losing your car.

**ony** · 08-10-2014

if you are interested in older cars, there is a article on yahoo this morning about an old chevy dealership in Nebraska that is going to have a auction in September.