apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

nice bed

What do you think is a fair price for items on craigslist? If they are in very good condition, 60% of original purchase price? Do you have an informal formula in your head that tells you whether the price is fair or how to set prices for your items?

when buying on craigslist, i try to get 50% of original price for used but in-good-shape furniture. of course everything is relative with original price and the age. if you list 60% but note you are willing to negotiate, i think that can spark a response. hopefully.

on a different topic, i want to know how the jubilee furniture co. visit went in Carol Stream, IL. is it worth making the trip from north chicago this weekend?

in response to the question about Jubilee. A resounding yes! My wife, my son, and I were there this past weekend, and surprisingly met SarahC there as well. We made out with 7 chairs (dining & lounge) for only $91.00. We live in Rogers Park, so it was about a 50 minute journey there (be sure you have GPS, unless you're familiar with that suburb). Well worth the visit. Great volunteers.

I think the price very much depends on the item - how desirable it is, what condition it's in, etc. If I were selling on Craigslist, I'd go to Ebay and search under 'Completed Items' to get a sense of what people are willing to pay.

I have got to go to Jubilee next time I'm in Chicago! It sounds like it would be worth the shipping charges to NY.

I have been taking sewing lesson for the last three weeks. I bought silk material for bedroom curtains last year but it was too expensive to have made. I started sewing the curtains yesterday and am going to continue with them this weekend. They are lined.
Any tips?

I've been inspired by others who have shown off their projects and have begun a major decluttering. I started shredding old financial records last night. When that's done, I'm going to sort through books.

@ cricketchirp - make sure you use a sewing machine needle compatible with your silk and if it is a large project you may want to change out the needle part-way through to keep using one that is really sharp. Watch the pins you are using also so you don't get "pulls" in your fabric. Happy sewing! I applaud your determination.

I am also in the middle of a major decluttering and cleanout. We're giving some things to our soon-to-be-married friends who have no furniture, and the rest to people on Freecycle. Aldyth--I also just spent some quality time with the shredder. It's somewhat cathartic, I think. :)

cricketchirp: in addition to the very good tip about sewing needles, also be sure to check the instructions for your sewing machine to see what the tension settings (and any other settings your machine has) should be. Some types of fabrics do better on certain settings. But if you practice on some scraps and don't have any problems, then you should be fine. Good luck!