Craigslist unrealistic?

[Straegen]

I live in the Atlanta area and have been watching Craigslist the last couple months for killer deals, but all I have found is used equipment that doesn't look to be in good shape and is way overpriced. Is this just something local here or is this something common all over?

I figure some of it is people overpaying at an LDS and trying to get a chunk of that money back, but at least to me a lot of diving gear looses value after its first use simply because I don't know where it has been or how well it was maintained.

Anyway I was just curious.

[kong]

From what I have seen, most of it looks like people who got into diving many years ago, dove once or twice, put the stuff in the garage, and are trying to sell it for close to what they paid for it.

Every once and a while there will be a good deal, but most of the time it is overpriced and too old to be of any use. Not that old gear is bad, but gear that hasn't been cared for or tanks that can't pass hydro aren't really of much use.

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

Used is ok for some items, not for others. I'd buy a used tank if it looked decent, I wouldn't buy a used external catheter no mater how good it looked.

[FishFood]

Ive been watching your Craigslist too... (CraigslistHelper)

I agree. No good deals lately. Of course, I don't *NEED* anything so that would affect my definition of a good deal.

[ReefHound]

I used to watch Craigs for dive gear and found the same thing. Now I don't even bother anymore. Almost none of the sellers seem to be active divers with any understanding of gear or it's value. Many of them don't even bother with a picture or detailed specs.

I think the biggest problem with Craigs is it costs nothing to list an item. Sounds good if you're a seller but it gives the seller no incentive to be realistic and serious. They got no skin in the game. Some of them are just fishing for a fool.

[Vegas]

I have had tremendous luck on Craigslist out here....
of course it seems it's only one in 500 listings under "scuba" that something turns out to be great....

but just over a year ago I picked up a couple of not very old AL80's for $20 each. They still had air in them. The guy was a diver and "just had way too many" (I saw his garage and he wasn't kidding). One needed a hydro, that was it.....I still have em!

But the real steal I picked up back in January.

Just mulling about, I see a lady seling a drysuit. uh, huh, - another drysuit for sale - so I call (you never know right?)..... Her custom made suit has four hours of dive time on it. She is EXACTLY my height (to the 1/4 inch) and almost exactly my um, "shape". The long and the short of it is that I now own a wonderful Mobby's drysuit that fits like it was tailored to me, complete with hood, hose, (NICE) undergarment, and bag, - virtually brand new (in fact, in four weeks I have probably almost tripled the dive time on it)...
Total cost? $580

SWEET!

[chicken]

The Atlanta listings are hot and cold. Every now and then a smoking deal will come along. The key is patience. I just found my new dive mobile at almost half of kelly blue book...2005 GMC Yukon SLT 4x4. I have been waiting almost a year to find the right deal and one morning there she was!

[USF_Diver]

Not just a atlanta thing, Ive see alot of old BCDs not worth 30.00 going for 150 lol

My friend did get a killer deal on some al80 tanks like 20.00 or something

Just gotta watch for the deals

[Vercingetorix]

I watch the Dallas listings, mostly for tanks. So far, they've all been over-priced. When I consider that I can drive 15 minutes to ScubaToys and get a brand new, in-hydro, viz-checked AL80 with shiny new valve for $135 (after discount), then I wouldn't pay more than $50 for a used tank that I have to hydro.

Sellers just won't sell for that little.

[JCAT]

Heck, the "OLD" gear is what I'm looking for!!!!!

Pre-1970s, if you happen across any regs of this era.

cheers