it's all about safety

[le noun]

Safely learn on a 8m 2003 kite gear...
According to the ad, you can even just get a board and jump right into the water!
I'm sad I didn't get to see this deal before I got lessons and proper instruction on how to maneuver a kite, I could have saved so much cash...

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/spo/4759500072.html

[WindMuch]

Awww, rats! The "kit" comes with a size L harness and I'm a M, otherwise, I'd be all over it!

;^)

Kirk out

[Aloha]

The pitch is decent - small kite on short lines is great for "first big kite" practice as we all know, but still no replacement for initial kite skills on a trainer (read as: possibly dangerous replacement for initial kite skills on a trainer)

Yeow!

[yojimbo]

The other issue here, apart from this person selling potentially dangerous equipment that is wildly outdated, is the exorbitantly high price he is asking for this set-up.

Pretty much every classified post I see on craigslist, et al, the prices are wildly high. There is a name for this syndrome, whereby you think your shit is worth way more than it is cause you have a sentimental attachment to it. Then you can't figure out why it won't sell. Its a wonder stuff ever sells on craigslist. I have a theory that there is tons of unsold equipment sitting in people's garages, that people just can't bear to let go of unless they get some imagined fantasy price.

This guy, James,is a perfect example. That antique has been sitting around since 2003. James' wife probably told him to clean out the garage or else she was going to kick him and his equipment to the curb.

If you check out the classified section on this site, its clogged with ads that having been sitting there forever, unsold. There should be some sort of time limit. One week and nothing then drop the price 25%, and so on every week, or your ad gets bumped from the site.

[Kyle]

yojimbo, you're absolutely right about a cluttered classifieds section but it's a tough balance. People always ask more than others are most likely willing to pay. It's even more evident in other sports like mountain biking, where guys will try and recoup 80% of the value of a $6,000 mountain bike that's been beat to $*(^& because they think they got a good deal on it and that no one else could possibly have access to good deals:) Kiting is no different. I think it's really up to the buyer to make offers and negotiate, and be comfortable with "No" in response. A lot of people may be willing to sell for cheaper, but you have to ask. In fact a lot of sellers probably expect to sell below asking, which is why they start high.

I will be clearing out the classifieds section every January. I'm also trying to find the right duration for ads... 30 days was too short for some but I think 6 months is too long. I'd like to make some bigger changes but it's on the longer-term timeline right now.