Here is my go to course of action for buying off Craigslist.

1.) The first I do is inspect the ad, take a more in depth look, read between the lines. You can usually tell if someone is a hobbyist or just some guy who has had the machine in his basement untouched for the last 10 years after inheriting it. The description of the game and pictures alone can tell a lot. A description such as, "doesn't turn on, don't know how to fix it" can tell you a lot already.

2.) After seeing the ad, I will contact the seller. Usually I will email them, or text if they leave their phone number. After a few texts or emails I will usually call them or FaceTime them (even better in my opinion.) Again, you can tell a lot just by a phone conversation. Read between the lines here again, by now you should have a really good idea of who you're dealing with.

3.) I find that asking someone to pack up their game and haul it to meet up in a parking lot somewhere doesn't really work. They want someone to come take it off their hands, they don't want to do all the extra work. So I agree to meet them at their house or wherever the game is located.

4.) After obtaining their address, I will look it up on google maps. Not just to get directions, but to check out the general area. I turn on the satellite function and take a look at what the general area looks like. I also go into street view to have a look around the neighborhood. Again, you can gain a lot by these simple map views to see what area you'll be driving into.

5.) By this point I am very confident in my ability to gauge what kind of situation I'll be going into. If everything looks good, I proceed with the purchase. If there is a red flag anywhere I can at least call the seller and try to get any uncertainties cleared up. If they are willing to work with you, they are usually a stand up guy. If they don't want to work with you, you can always walk away.

If you are surprised by that, you may be surprised at the amount of armed people in the general public. When you go to the store next time, look around and imagine to yourself that 25% of people you see are carrying a concealed handgun. You'd never know it though, and for some people, that ignorance is bliss.

Sorry, I should have clarified. My previous post is not based on a real statistic, but rather just something to think about in your own mind. As in, just look around and imagine to yourself a few people around you carrying a handgun. When previously you went into the store, it never would have crossed your mind. You assumed you were in a safe place without even a hint at someone being a "danger to you" just because they had a concealed handgun. If you reverse your thinking and mindset, suddenly the store maybe looks a little different. That John Smith over there before had no affect on you and you don't even give him a second look. Now if you imagine that same John Smith with a gun on his hip, does your perception of him change at all? He's still the same law abiding citizen he was if he wasn't carrying the gun.

I hope my message is coming across, sometimes it makes sense in your head but is hard to type out. In any case, I don't want to get into a big thing here. Just something to make you pause and think about.

I have come to find that most petty criminals are opportunists. They are looking for an easy target and something they can get away with quickly. When they are faced with adversity and resistance, they seem to suddenly become very cowardly. The notion that these criminals have orchestrated an elaborate scheme via months of planning to rob you is ill founded in my opinion. We see it a lot on TV and in movies, but of course real life is not always like the movies.

Here is a video as an example of some opportunists who are faced with some adversity:

In the video, two robbers enter a store and appear very well armed. Suddenly, unknowingly to the robbers, an elderly gentleman draws his concealed handgun and fires at the crooks. As you will see in the video, the criminals try to escape the store at the speed of light. They were looking for an easy score and did not want to encounter the resistance. The elderly gentleman is out numbered and out gunned in this situation. But even still, the act of fighting back has sent these two robbers heading for the exit.

There are a number of videos on YouTube where a law abiding citizen has had to draw their firearm in similar instances. Most outcomes are very similar in that the criminals are headed for the exit and don't want any part of it. Of course not every single case has the same outcome, but I think the majority of these kinds of videos end in the same fashion.

Yes, there is always the other side of the spectrum. The guys in that video give good advice though, "Involving yourself in a third party incident is generally speaking not what you want to do."

Each situation is different from the other. Always be aware of your surroundings and what's going on around you, assess the situation.