So I would guess that a lot of land lords like me scour craigslist trying to get things 50% of new / retail.

But Craigslist can be a bit dodgy.

Just the other day when i was trying to source just the right sized fridge, I found an older lady on Craigslist who had such a fridge that she was unloading from an estate from her recently deceased mother. We ended up meeting twice: first for me to measure and pay for the fridge, second time for me to come and get it. The second time she told me that she had a concealed weapons permit but that she wasn't armed now (implying she was the first time we met).

Another time a few years ago, I found a great deal on Craigslist for one of those configurable aluminum ladders. I went to pick it up on a Sunday morning and was met by a very anxious looking guy without a whole lot of teeth. Further, he had a roommate that kept repeatedly opening the door of a bedroom, checking on our progress, and then shutting it.

My instinct told me that this guy was tweaking/jonesing and needed to sell the ladder for cash for drugs. I got really nervous and then it dawned on me that this ladder seemed 'out of place' for this guy--likely it was stolen. But I was in his apartment, I had cash--which he knew--and the best thing to do was to give him the cash and take the ladder and be gone. On the way out the door he said "Keep my number, I can get things."

But the worst and strangest experience was when I responded to and ad for some oak cabinets in a well-to-do neighborhood. I get there and they are still installed. The guy appears to be moving out of the house. We start dismantling the cabinets and I ask him what is going to go in their place--thinking he is renovating the kitchen or something as part of a sale. He doesn't really give me a straight answer. I am swing away with a sledge hammer, and poke a nice hole in the dry wall, and he doesn't seem to care. After ripping those out and cutting my forehead with a shard of tile and thus needing to wrap my head in a bandage to stop the bleeding, I load the cabinets in my truck and drive off. About a mile down the road, a cop pulls me over.

He asks me, "Where did you get those cabinets from? I told him and he says, "they weren't that guys to sell. Follow me back to the house so we can get this straightened out." Remember I have this bandage on my head as well at this point.

So I head back to the house and there are about 4 other cop cars there.

After 30 minutes, the cop comes back and says "You are free to go" (with the cabinets)

Hmmm. I think I seriously need to consider paying full retail price for more things.