No Smart Phone / CL App = No Deals !!

ScumBum

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I don't have a Smart Phone with the Craigslist App , what are my chances of getting any game deals ? I feel like I'm screwed till I get a smart phone , but I don't want one !

Anyone else living in the stone age but still trying to get game deals on Craigslist ? I like the old days before smart phones .
 
I don't own a cell phone, haven't for 5 years. Long story but my job didn't allow me to have it on, so I dumped it.

Anyway, I'm not here to say I get them all or even a lot, but I get my fair share.
 
Honestly, being able to go out and get stuff in the middle of the weekday is way more important to snagging deals than the smartphone apps. If you can do that then you will be able to get all sorts of deals.

The smartphone app is definitely inferior to "I can come get it right now". For some reason a huge number of people who sell games list them on weekdays.

Otherwise just check frequently, email/call immediately and offer a paypal deposit on anything you don't want to slip away.
 
Most guys do use an app (myself included) and you can save your search, search multiple locations at once, have the option to receive notifications and email/text immediately.

Though seeing it first doesn't guarantee you the game, it does allow you to be one of the first to respond. But as we all know, that doesn't guarantee anything either.

It's about being at the right place at the right time and cash is king. Or in my case recently, having a friend who was willing to check it out and grab it.
 
I don't use any CL app on my iPhone. But I do check online through Safari on my iPhone. It's set up for just a click of one button.

I like to search for "Arcade -xbox"

Steve
 
You can still get good deals without the apps on a smart phone. You just have to network with the collectors in your local area.
 
I used to beat the guys with the apps to the punch all the time doing it the old fashioned way. I just got too many games and stopped looking at CL for the most part. An obsessed collector will beat out any app any day.
 
The old lots of open windows and refreshing bit seems to beat the apps guys in arcades but I got a garage full and I am happily restoring them.
 
Ya, the deals are there, you just have to be ready to act right away.
As someone said...being able to get there in the middle of the week helps.
Even better is getting there within a few hours.
If you're looking for a slightly better way to check craigs....use
something like http://www.searchtempest.com/
I'm sure the are others,but I find it helpful without an intelligent phone.
 
speaking of, what program do most of you guys use for craigslist? CLGENIE is pretty good but it only sends emails to specific cities etc..any way to send one for specific states? I know I can just do a new search for each, but it seems to just flood my box!

Edit - Wow nice reading Jason..the guy above you just answered all your questions haha
 
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Yeah, I don't have a smartphone app, but like others have mentioned, the two things that have worked out well for me have been:

1) check craigslist often during the day (old school way).
2) Be willing to go out and get things during the middle of the day on a workweek, bring cash, and make sure you tell the seller you are willing to do this in your response.

Overall, I have gotten most of my games just this last year on Craigslist this way...
 
If you don't have a smartphone you can buy an iPod touch which works exactly like a smartphone when it is connected to wifi. You could probably also use a tablet or maybe a kindle fire. You could also look for a used iPad 1 which are pretty cheap these days and would likely be sufficient for using the CL app. You will need wifi at home though or whatever location you are using the app from. All are examples of probably the cheapest ways to enter the app world without having to pay for an expensive phone plan. The iPod touch is very reasonably priced these days but be warned there is gonna be a new model this sept.
 
This works on the cheapo android tablets also. I have a viewsonic one and it will run the craigslist apps.

If you don't have a smartphone you can buy an iPod touch which works exactly like a smartphone when it is connected to wifi. You could probably also use a tablet or maybe a kindle fire. You could also look for a used iPad 1 which are pretty cheap these days and would likely be sufficient for using the CL app. You will need wifi at home though or whatever location you are using the app from. All are examples of probably the cheapest ways to enter the app world without having to pay for an expensive phone plan. The iPod touch is very reasonably priced these days but be warned there is gonna be a new model this sept.
 
So I don't need a smart phone to get good deals , Awesome !! I didn't know so many people don't use one . All my deals in the past have been the ones during the week , when the AD is first posted and I jump in the truck and get it with lighting speed !
 
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Honestly, being able to go out and get stuff in the middle of the weekday is way more important to snagging deals than the smartphone apps. If you can do that then you will be able to get all sorts of deals.

The smartphone app is definitely inferior to "I can come get it right now". For some reason a huge number of people who sell games list them on weekdays.

Otherwise just check frequently, email/call immediately and offer a paypal deposit on anything you don't want to slip away.

So what protection is there when using Paypal to pay for games on CL ?

I've been wanting to use Papal , tell the seller I'll pay you right now for the game and then pick it up later the same day , but I'm worried once I pay the seller he will keep my money and some how screw me , give me a phony address , not answer the door , not answer my emails . If he try's something after I pay him is there a way to get a refund from Paypal ?
 
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So what protection is there when using Paypal to pay for games on CL ?

I've been wanting to use Papal , tell the seller I'll pay you right now for the game and then pick it up later the same day , but I'm worried once I pay the seller he will keep my money and some how screw me , give me a phony address , not answer the door , not answer my emails . If he try's something after I pay him is there a way to get a refund from Paypal ?

It depends on how comfortable you are handing a complete stranger money, without seeing what you're buying, and depending on Paypal's buyer protection feature.
 
I don't have a Smart Phone with the Craigslist App , what are my chances of getting any game deals ? I feel like I'm screwed till I get a smart phone , but I don't want one !

Anyone else living in the stone age but still trying to get game deals on Craigslist ? I like the old days before smart phones .

No smart phone or internet enabled phone here. I seem to have done pretty good these last many years.
 
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