Giving something away on Craigslist or How To Weed Out Your Responses Responsibly

In prep for my new garage doors, I bypassed the $300 dismantle and dispose fee and listed the old ones on craigslist.  This is how I weed the emails out. 
I posted the ad with a picture of the doors.  I only use the craigslist response email, I do not give any personal info, no phone, no email, no address in the body of the ad. Here is the ad.
"Three garage doors, two mahogany, one I don't know. Four paneled doors, all with glass panels, approx 8 x 7.  Ca. 1970's. They are being replaced with metal garage doors.   Use them for gardening? Building a chicken coop? Your own creative object d'art? Sometimes I am looking for weird stuff on craigslist that I know people are getting rid of, so I thought I would see if anyone is looking for these! "
  The key thing is I am going to have them work (they had to dismantle and take the doors) so I want to make sure they know there is a reason I am giving them away.  That they have all the information they need.  I do not hide problems with the item and hope they don't notice when they get here... that wastes my time and theirs.  The only big problem with this ad is I did not give dimensions.   Here is how I navigate responses. I edited and changed the following emails and names to protect the innocent. Ha.


1. This guy totally legit, since he is emailing from work (bad employee!) and gives his full name.  Since I wanted to get rid of the whole thing, I passed him by for other folks who wanted all three.

From: Dean F <deanf@autoparts.net>
To: -3077420896@sale.craigslist.org
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:24 AM
Subject: GARAGE DOORS

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

I need 2 to 3 wood panels, and no glass. Are your new doors up. I can pick the panels up at noon if they are.

Dean 

2. The following three I never respond to other than to tell them they are gone.  Many people just surf the free section and don't even really need the item, they just look at it as a resale.  This first guys problem is lack of intelligence, and I prefer not to have strangers over that miss such key information. Such as it is an item priced as free and listed in the free section.
Sent from my iPad

CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

How much?


Cecil


3.  These are what the free surfer dudes look like. I guarantee when you call him he will have no idea what you are calling about and you have to remind him because he responds to anything he can resell.  I have found these fellows to be inconsistent (not always showing up) and uncareful in removal(since it is not for their own use).
Sent from my iPhone
Very interested please call me . Aaron 360-611-


4. Do NOT EVER ask this. Just don't. Say you are interested, you can pick it up soon, that you have a way to transport it, why you want it.... but never this.
Sent from my iPhone
Do you still have the doors?


5. This is who I ended up giving it to. He wanted it for a fixer upper he just got from the bank. He had a large truck, was so courteous and careful, and regaled me with stories of Hollywood and the house he just bought. He was a fellow ole house lover! He also was persistent (two emails) had a real email and name (not hotmama69@yahoo.com or spacyfrieddude@msn.com)
and used capitals in his sentence. I know that the youngsters probably would not blink if someone didn't use capitals, but it is just one more sign they have a semblance of wherewithall to know if you are sending an email out into the ether because you want something for free, and someone is going to trust you to come to their home... well you can throw a little punctuation and capitals in that sentence.

From: Phil D 
To: 3077420896@sale.craigslist.org
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 2:57 PM
Subject: garage doors

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

I emailed you earlier, wondering if they are still available and that I can come and get them as soon as I here from you..I can sure use them..Thank You..Phil at 425-

From: Andrea blueshoefarm@gmail.com
;
Subject: Re: garage doors
To: "Phil" <phil.@.com>
Date: Friday, June 15, 2012, 3:18 AM

Hi Phil,

You understand I am replacing them... so they are definitely not perfect? Andrea

Yes thats fine.Where in poulsbo,and what time tomorrow would work best for you?thank you,Phil

To finish it all off be courteous and let the responders know your item has been given away, and take the ad down from craigslist when it is gone.

xyz@bye.com
Re: Garage doors

Hi, They all got picked up today. Thanks for your interest.

Andrea

Minneapolis

This is a window from the Lutheran church between my hotel and the convention center.  I didn't want to interrupt a service and gawk at the building, so I dodged up this tower and sat and listened to the music out of sight--and took a pic of a fantastic window.  I am telling you, if they had built churches in Seattle like the ones I saw in Minneapolis, we wouldn't all have the reputation of being such agnostic heathens and humanists.  I would go to church anyday in these stunning buildings!

Window detail

Personal pet peeve.  You tear down a building and put something else up... what do you do the the highly skilled stonemasonry work from the building?  Put it on the ground, in a teeny area, outside the new building.  These were designed to be high on top of a building, not below navel gazing level.  Similar to laying Michelangelo's David on the ground... the perspective would be all off.  Stepping off soap box...
I guess this is better than them being in the landfill or a private garden out of view.

Historic photo of the park superintendent's office, Loring Park

Lovingly restored!  There was a sign that it is now used for the dressing area for performers/concerts in the park.

I loved this picket fence-like siding detail.  You can see that it was on the original structure, too.

Minneapolis-St.Paul

I am finally putting up pics from the museum conference I went to over a month ago. We ended up at many museums (duh) and it reminded me that I don't go to museums enough!  Besides being exhausted exhausted by the end of each day, it was also a fantastic town.

This was the biggest damn flag... inside a mall connected to skywalks throughout the city. Even when the weather gets (HOT!) and (COLD!) those residents can keep moving through Minneapolis on these elevated walkways.  

At the Walker Art Center (www.walkerart.org )... this was a 2-D art installation of a dolphin that talked with you by keyboard. You typed, he answered on a screen.  He'd also swim and look cute.  Excellent engaging art!

Again at the Walker, a room of dripping gooey changing color things.   It was very visceral. Definitely an experience, not a necessarily a good photo op.

This painting was huge. And it was actually a photo of a model town and I was fascinated by the detail- and that its model perfection was somehow  realistic.  (James Casebere)