Agreed.

Any time I've posted something for sale on CL, I've always been good on any committments that were made. If we agreed on a price and it was "sold" pending their picking it up, I've held it at that price until the agreed upon time. If 12hrs passed and they haven't showed, though, its back on the block and I'm phoning up the next person who expressed interest and telling them that the first guy bailed.

As a buyer, I've been fortunate enough to not get screwed by sellers who've just taken the cash and sold it to the next guy who called. Best example of this was when I picked up my Chexx bubble hockey... I phoned within minutes of it being posted, told him I'd take it sight unseen, where can I come get it. Only problem was... that day I had the kids w/me and it wasn't going to fit into the truck at the same time as their car-seats. Told him this up front, but that I'd come by right away and pay him the $200 cash he was asking for it to seal the deal. Showed up, handed him a fist of cash, and he offered to help deliver it if I could wait until tomorrow. Was fine w/me; I had the kids in the truck and knew I couldn't fit it in then anyways. Next day, met him at his place at 5p, and we loaded it into his truck and he delivered it. While chatting w/him afterwards, he said that he should've asked more for it; after I'd dropped off the cash he got several calls from other people offering him more, but he didn't feel right pulling out of the deal... we had an agreement and shook on it, and to him that was a done deal.

I consider that one of my best scores, if for no other reason than him being and honest bloke.

I have a few saved searches in "cPRO" on my iPhone, and it keeps an eye on things for me in the regions I can get to. That said, though, the best scores I've ever had were just from happening to open it up in my browser at just the right moment.

As for "how far from home", I search anywhere within ~150-200 miles from here. However... that's really just "anywhere on Vancouver Island"; it costs a freakin fortune to take the ferry over to Vancouver (~$100 each way, not incl gas). I have been tempted to grab a U-Haul and make a trip over to pick up a few machines all at once, but I'd have to fill the truck to make it worth the rental, gas, and ferry costs.

Thinking about it... the best Craigslist scores I've had were also ones that were in my own town. Lol... mebbe I shouldn't be searching so far out across the island....