As has been mentioned several times on the FSS, I am bad broke. Completely insolvent. This is more or less my natural state so I am not really troubled by it except when I need to purchase something, like food, education or stereo.
So the latest problem was that I decided I needed a new amp, the T-Amp we already spoke about here on the farm is good for digital information but it sucks miserably if you want to listen to records or tapes. So I went where the desperate go. Directly to Craigslist.
I love Craigslist. For its reliability. If you are in the market for stuff like golden showers (either offers or requests that border on begging), dodgy job opportunities (“I need a box delivered to Queens. Do not look in the box, do not shake the box, do not put the box down. Please reply with resume attached”), Ponzi schemes originating in Ghana, and all manner of creepy encounters, Craigslist is your place and will not disappoint. If however you want something of either value or use you gotta have luck. And I rarely do. Cept sometimes. I hit upon an ad of some guy in South Jersey wanting to get rid of a massive Harmon Kardon amplifier and an Infinity 3 point speaker system for the grand total of 105 dollars. Now, I didn’t really need 3 speakers. And I sure as hell can’t spare 105 dollars (ask Brother T, I owe him 3 bills). But fuck, if the offer was genuine, and I wasn’t sure it was, I had to jump at it. So I made the arrangements and had my brother drive me an hour and a half south to pick up the stuff from the Shamrock Apartments, Long Branch, USA.
The Shamrock Apartments look like a crime scene, the classic 2-story motel set-up you see along seedy highways everywhere. This did not fill me with confidence as I got out of the car and approached the place. I turned a corner and a middle-aged gentleman wearing no shirt, shorts and a Budweiser cap asked if I was buying the amp and speakers and I said yes and he asked me to follow him. In my head I cursed Craigslist and prepared myself to either fight or run. Shirtless opened a door and ushered me in to get my equipment and I saw in his crummy little pad more hi-fi than I have ever seen. Marantz amps piled 4 feet high, speakers everywhere, cabling snaked all over the place and my stuff bundled up and ready for me to go. I handed over the cash, took my stuff and left Buffalo Bob to his lotion and electronics. They work flawlessly and appear brand new. I can’t understand it.
So what is the moral of this story? You can’t judge a book by its Budweiser cap? Craigslist is a safe and recommendable venue for all sorts of transactions? Nope, the only moral is sometimes you luck out.
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