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walkitoutToday was the very first person on FB Marketplace who interacted with me in a way that really raised some questions in my mind.
As soon as someone expresses interest in an item I’ve listed free for local pickup only, I give them my address and tell them that if they give me a date and approximate time I will mark it pending for them to pick it. If they give me a date, and no one else is currently interested / has already ghosted me, I don’t insist on the approximate time. I’ll just mark it pending and tell them to give me an eta when they have one. This works well, and while sometimes I’m ghosted (sometimes repeatedly) it does move things along with the absolute minimum amount of communication on my part. I have some frequent flyers who if they ask if it’s available, I immediately mark it pending for them and tell them I’ve done so. They come pick up after they’ve got a half dozen or so things waiting for them and one of them brought me cookies when they did.
There are certain items, usually the kind of thing that a stereotypical guy might like (multi tool, incense burner, Guinness glasses), I tend to get a lot of Is This Available and then zero followup. I just let those sit, because sometimes they’ll follow up days later and if it’s still there, they can have it. But if someone else claims it, I don’t necessarily tell the people who asked about it that it has been claimed. I used to, but they rarely responded so I just don’t bother for the most part. I’ll bother if I list, multiple people express interest in a few minutes, and someone meets the provide a date criteria. Then I’ll tell everyone else that it’s been claimed but I’ll let them know if I’m ghosted.
Last night, someone wanted the Guinness but didn’t want to drive from Brookline MA to get it and wanted to know if I would leave it somewhere for them. I didn’t respond (“local pickup only” is the criteria). Several other people did the Is It Available and then nonresponse, and finally, someone said they’d get it Monday (two days from now). I marked it pending for them. The Brookline guy asked if I marked it pending for him, and I said no, someone else gave a date and it’s marked for them, and he put an angry face emoji. I thought about that for a while, and the fact that he had my address, and then I thought about the fact that he hadn’t wanted to drive from Brookline to here to pick up some Guinness glasses. I blocked him, and if he rolls up to harass me in person (unlikely, but possible), I’ll decide how to deal with it at the time.
In recluttering, last December at Epcot I saw a woman wearing cargo pants. She was built like me, and I asked her where she got them and she said what I should have expected (amazon). I found them on Amazon, and then wait, but can I get plus sized cargo pants in purple? I could! I did! And then I realized I really needed a belt. And I also really hate taking belts off going through security. So I’ve been shopping for metal free belts, and I started with Arcade, but they don’t make their extra long ones in the narrow width. The wider width just barely works, and is a hassle to get through the loops and back out, and I’m afraid it’ll wear at the loops. (Which is fine, but also I don’t want something to break while I am traveling.) (Nor do I want to travel with a sewing kit, which I’ve done in the past, but never actually needed.) I went looking for a narrower width and found the Invisibelt, which I initially dismissed until I realized their plus size really was long enough. I got it, and it does work, altho I have no idea how I feel about the buckle on that. Today, a Thomas Bates one arrived and I initially thought it wouldn’t work, but it’s actually great and super minimalist, rolls up tiny. I am very happy about this.
As soon as someone expresses interest in an item I’ve listed free for local pickup only, I give them my address and tell them that if they give me a date and approximate time I will mark it pending for them to pick it. If they give me a date, and no one else is currently interested / has already ghosted me, I don’t insist on the approximate time. I’ll just mark it pending and tell them to give me an eta when they have one. This works well, and while sometimes I’m ghosted (sometimes repeatedly) it does move things along with the absolute minimum amount of communication on my part. I have some frequent flyers who if they ask if it’s available, I immediately mark it pending for them and tell them I’ve done so. They come pick up after they’ve got a half dozen or so things waiting for them and one of them brought me cookies when they did.
There are certain items, usually the kind of thing that a stereotypical guy might like (multi tool, incense burner, Guinness glasses), I tend to get a lot of Is This Available and then zero followup. I just let those sit, because sometimes they’ll follow up days later and if it’s still there, they can have it. But if someone else claims it, I don’t necessarily tell the people who asked about it that it has been claimed. I used to, but they rarely responded so I just don’t bother for the most part. I’ll bother if I list, multiple people express interest in a few minutes, and someone meets the provide a date criteria. Then I’ll tell everyone else that it’s been claimed but I’ll let them know if I’m ghosted.
Last night, someone wanted the Guinness but didn’t want to drive from Brookline MA to get it and wanted to know if I would leave it somewhere for them. I didn’t respond (“local pickup only” is the criteria). Several other people did the Is It Available and then nonresponse, and finally, someone said they’d get it Monday (two days from now). I marked it pending for them. The Brookline guy asked if I marked it pending for him, and I said no, someone else gave a date and it’s marked for them, and he put an angry face emoji. I thought about that for a while, and the fact that he had my address, and then I thought about the fact that he hadn’t wanted to drive from Brookline to here to pick up some Guinness glasses. I blocked him, and if he rolls up to harass me in person (unlikely, but possible), I’ll decide how to deal with it at the time.
In recluttering, last December at Epcot I saw a woman wearing cargo pants. She was built like me, and I asked her where she got them and she said what I should have expected (amazon). I found them on Amazon, and then wait, but can I get plus sized cargo pants in purple? I could! I did! And then I realized I really needed a belt. And I also really hate taking belts off going through security. So I’ve been shopping for metal free belts, and I started with Arcade, but they don’t make their extra long ones in the narrow width. The wider width just barely works, and is a hassle to get through the loops and back out, and I’m afraid it’ll wear at the loops. (Which is fine, but also I don’t want something to break while I am traveling.) (Nor do I want to travel with a sewing kit, which I’ve done in the past, but never actually needed.) I went looking for a narrower width and found the Invisibelt, which I initially dismissed until I realized their plus size really was long enough. I got it, and it does work, altho I have no idea how I feel about the buckle on that. Today, a Thomas Bates one arrived and I initially thought it wouldn’t work, but it’s actually great and super minimalist, rolls up tiny. I am very happy about this.