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My wife and I love to get rid of stuff. However one challenge using free cycle or free Craigslist is it seems to attract people with a hoarding problem. People

My wife and I love to get rid of stuff. However one challenge using free cycle or free Craigslist is it seems to attract people with a hoarding problem. People that jump on any free thing without a sense for how they would use it. So I feel better giving things away for free when they say how they’ll use it or show specific gratitude for the item. Or give them to a thrift store where they enable a charity. Does anyone else notice this or have this issue?

CharlesW 6y ago
> Does anyone else notice this or have this issue? Personally, it hadn't even occurred to me that this is any of my business.
- softwaredoug 6y ago
  I don’t feel good enabling another persons problem. Just like I wouldn’t feel great inviting a person with an alcohol problem to join me at an open bar
- kortilla 6y ago
  Depends really on if you are patting yourself on the back for helping folks out when you give it away. If you’re just giving it away as a free disposal service, then sure it doesn’t matter.
  - ip26 6y ago
    Wait, so if you think you are helping people you are a smug asshole and if you’re not doing it to help people you’re a self-centered asshole?
    - lazyasciiart 6y ago
      No - if your goal is helping people then knowing the recipient is a hoarder may make it questionable whether you are meeting your goal. If your goal is getting rid of stuff then knowing about the recipient doesn't change whether you are achieving it.
    - kortilla 6y ago
      I said neither of those things.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    > If you’re just giving it away as a free disposal service, then sure it doesn’t matter. For my wife and me it's not just free disposal (I can handle my free disposal by going downstairs and dumping it by the side of the trash container). It's about ensuring a working item doesn't get trashed, but will continue being useful for someone else. In all my wife's giveaways, there's one or two people out there who are regular, repeat "customers". But we can't tell whether they're hoarders, or whether they just happen to need all the stuff they get from us, or whether they pass that stuff on to their family and friends. Or hell, maybe they resell it. Doesn't matter, as long as we're somewhat confident someone will make use of it - because that's someone who saved their money, and that's one less item being bought.
- akudha 6y ago
  If you are getting rid of unused things at your home by giving them to a hoarder, you are only shifting the problem from your home to the hoarder's home, isn't it? I guess we could debate it either way. It comes down to personal preference.
- rconti 6y ago
  We leave plenty of stuff out by the curb for folks to take for free. We've got a hoarder couple 3 doors down who have been running a yard sale for about 5 years straight now. I can't say I particularly care who gets the stuff we're giving away, but my wife and I definitely roll our eyes at each other when they see the hoarders attempting to sell something we left out for free.
ocdtrekkie 6y ago
My mom is one of these, can confirm.
ridaj 6y ago
Yes and for this reason I now only sell on Craigslist even just for nominal amounts. The point of separating from stuff is for it to be more useful to other people, it's not great if it's just going to sit in a hoarder's house instead of my storage.
prawn 6y ago
Beyond enabling a hoarder, it can also attract more hassle than giving away a free item is worth. People who won't keep an appointment, people who ask you to deliver a large item across town for free, who show up with a trailer but no ropes and want to take yours, etc. An alternative is listing very cheap and then declining their money and giving the item away.
- bombcar 6y ago
  Now I’ve an idea for a Craigslist free type app that only shows you free items in an X block radius - like Pokémon Go or similar.
fred_is_fred 6y ago
Yes absolutely. I've found that putting up microbarriers solves this. In your message ask them to reply with what they will use it for and a specific time they will be over to pick it up. This stops the emails I used to get that just said "WANT" and also the "my second cousin may drive in 3 weeks from now can you put it outside under the full moon next to the Starbucks store that's 27 miles from your house" type replies.
humbledrone 6y ago
The problem I have had more with "free" on Craigslist is that I get a lot of super-flakey people who reply immediately and then don't show up to take the item after a bunch of coordination effort. I've stopped listing items for free on Craigslist, and I either (1) list it for a more-than-fair but nonzero price, or (2) put it out on the street with a sign that says "free' (only for items that will obviously disappear quickly). Adding the price on Craigslist seems to weed out the worst flakiness-offenders.
- bombcar 6y ago
  Street-for-free is key. If it won’t disappear quickly it’s probably not worth anything. (Smaller items I give to Goodwill as it can be hard to see what they are on a drive by)
- PascLeRasc 6y ago
  I don't know how I didn't think of this. I was just wondering if there was a way to filter Craigslist down to just local (<2 mile radius), but street-free works perfectly.
  - humbledrone 6y ago
    I've lived places that weren't dense enough for it to work. But in a fairly urban environment, provided that the item is not total crap, it tends to go fast. I have had cases where I found a taker after I left my front door to take the item out but before I had set it on the sidewalk. :D
- dspillett 6y ago
  I've had a fair amount of such hassle. I find delivering the things, assuming they are small enough as I have no car so it will be done by cycle or by taking a detour on a run, at a time if my choosing works. I also ask directly in the listing that people let me know approximately where they are without me having to ask, and I ignore anyone who doesn't - this weeds out the people who just mash "can I have this" or "is this still available" without actually reading the listing, who are most likely to be time wasters in my experience. For higher value items in the current C19 climate, insisting I deliver locally also stops people taking unnecessary journies between risk areas, and puts me in more control of my risk profile.
londons_explore 6y ago
> seems to attract people with a hoarding problem Are you sure these people aren't collecting all the free stuff in the neighbourhood, then selling anything of value and hoarding the rest? Those hoarded items are usually unsellable in their current form, but with a bit of restoration could become sellable. Some items are faulty, but are still hoarded for parts to help repair other items. Overall this behaviour is probably very good for the planet - many items end up seeing far more use than they would otherwise. It's questionable if its good economic use of these people's time though. Is it worth them spending all day collecting and repairing a $150 TV, when they could have gone to work in a factory that can turn out a new TV every 30 seconds for far fewer dollars?
- agumonkey 6y ago
  I did that a bit. Some people do that more .. some do it daily.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  > It's questionable if its good economic use of these people's time though. It may not be, but the problem usually is that the market can't make a better use of those people's time. I don't think many people would work such high effort, low pay tasks if they could actually get a better job.
- bombcar 6y ago
  I think many THINK they will (or are) doing that - and perhaps even did at one time - but the ability has slipped away. The collection continues, however. I have to catch myself in some areas doing the same thing.
- AniseAbyss 6y ago
  If you have the skills to repair a TV you can get a good job. There are electricians making more than lawyers here.
politelemon 6y ago
Yes, I do like giving things away but it matters to me that it will be useful to them. I generally give away my tech (gpus, keyboards, computer parts, kindles, headsets) to friends and coworkers, which usually means through previous conversations with them that I know they'll use it. I think that's the motivation for me. It's also a good way of introducing them to tech that they wouldn't normally get for themselves. The best example is mechanical keyboards; most people don't think they want one until they've used it regularly. And kindles.
- veggieburglar 6y ago
  How do you have multiple kindles to give away?
agumonkey 6y ago
I have the same need. I have some stuff I keep because it has value to my eyes.. I'd give it to someone who would take care of it.
jzwinck 6y ago
Hoarders love regular CL too. I sold a huge and somewhat expensive 21" CRT monitor on CL and the buyer asked me to deliver it. When I got to his door, he cracked it open and said just leave the monitor in the hall. The apartment was completely jammed with stuff. Making people who need your stuff pay you in stories or "gratitude" does not appeal to me anyway. Even if I have a $5 item to give away and someone just flips it for profit, that is time they spent and I did not, so the item is still gone from my home and someone who actually wants it gets it. The fact that one other person also benefitted doesn't bother me.
- taurath 6y ago
  Money makes it a competition. Trading or giving makes it a relationship
  - ISL 6y ago
    One can still build a relationship while exchanging money for goods and services.
    - taurath 6y ago
      Yeah but like the people who are hustle Facebook groups and Craigslist generally are not
  - dspillett 6y ago
    When I things in this way I'm not looking for either. I'm generally trying to minimise my environmental impact via landfill. Helping others at the same time is a bonus. I'm not looking to make money or friends/community. Not that there is anything wrong with people that are of course. Different folks have different priorities.
    - KozmoNau7 6y ago
      Yeah, if I'm giving something away, it's because I have decided it doesn't really hold any value for me anymore, nor would it be worth the time and hassle to try and sell it. So I'll give it away and if anyone thinks it's worth the time and effort to sell it, that's not for me to decide. Once it is out of my hands, it is no longer mine.
PascLeRasc 6y ago
It bothers me too. I've learned that listing something for free on Craigslist attracts the people who will demand they you wait for them to drive 4 hours your way or complain that it's not in perfect condition. But listing a table for $10 instead makes regular people think it's a great deal while filtering out some of the hoarders.
- squeaky-clean 6y ago
  I do the same, and then will just tell the person to not worry about the $10. "Really, you sure?", "Yeah, I'm just looking to get rid of it, but if you list it as free people treat you like crap and often don't actually come to pick it up." I don't do this often, but every time the person has understood exactly what I meant.
Gustomaximus 6y ago
I've noticed 'free stuff' people often dont turn up. Even if I'm happy to give something away I put 5 or 10 dollars on it to avoid these people.
SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago
I have found it almost pointless to try listing stuff for less than $50 because you get loads of non committal people messaging you and then not picking up the item. I tend to just list stuff for a price and then accept any counter offer requested. Filters out the hoarders and selects only the ones who actually want it.
kolencherry 6y ago
We’ve had a lot more success with avoiding no-shows by giving things away and selling things on Nextdoor.

CharlesW 6y ago

> Does anyone else notice this or have this issue? Personally, it hadn't even occurred to me that this is any of my business.

softwaredoug 6y ago
I don’t feel good enabling another persons problem. Just like I wouldn’t feel great inviting a person with an alcohol problem to join me at an open bar
kortilla 6y ago
Depends really on if you are patting yourself on the back for helping folks out when you give it away. If you’re just giving it away as a free disposal service, then sure it doesn’t matter.
- ip26 6y ago
  Wait, so if you think you are helping people you are a smug asshole and if you’re not doing it to help people you’re a self-centered asshole?
  - lazyasciiart 6y ago
    No - if your goal is helping people then knowing the recipient is a hoarder may make it questionable whether you are meeting your goal. If your goal is getting rid of stuff then knowing about the recipient doesn't change whether you are achieving it.
  - kortilla 6y ago
    I said neither of those things.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  > If you’re just giving it away as a free disposal service, then sure it doesn’t matter. For my wife and me it's not just free disposal (I can handle my free disposal by going downstairs and dumping it by the side of the trash container). It's about ensuring a working item doesn't get trashed, but will continue being useful for someone else. In all my wife's giveaways, there's one or two people out there who are regular, repeat "customers". But we can't tell whether they're hoarders, or whether they just happen to need all the stuff they get from us, or whether they pass that stuff on to their family and friends. Or hell, maybe they resell it. Doesn't matter, as long as we're somewhat confident someone will make use of it - because that's someone who saved their money, and that's one less item being bought.
akudha 6y ago
If you are getting rid of unused things at your home by giving them to a hoarder, you are only shifting the problem from your home to the hoarder's home, isn't it? I guess we could debate it either way. It comes down to personal preference.
rconti 6y ago
We leave plenty of stuff out by the curb for folks to take for free. We've got a hoarder couple 3 doors down who have been running a yard sale for about 5 years straight now. I can't say I particularly care who gets the stuff we're giving away, but my wife and I definitely roll our eyes at each other when they see the hoarders attempting to sell something we left out for free.

ocdtrekkie 6y ago

My mom is one of these, can confirm.

ridaj 6y ago

Yes and for this reason I now only sell on Craigslist even just for nominal amounts. The point of separating from stuff is for it to be more useful to other people, it's not great if it's just going to sit in a hoarder's house instead of my storage.

prawn 6y ago

Beyond enabling a hoarder, it can also attract more hassle than giving away a free item is worth. People who won't keep an appointment, people who ask you to deliver a large item across town for free, who show up with a trailer but no ropes and want to take yours, etc. An alternative is listing very cheap and then declining their money and giving the item away.

bombcar 6y ago
Now I’ve an idea for a Craigslist free type app that only shows you free items in an X block radius - like Pokémon Go or similar.

fred_is_fred 6y ago

Yes absolutely. I've found that putting up microbarriers solves this. In your message ask them to reply with what they will use it for and a specific time they will be over to pick it up. This stops the emails I used to get that just said "WANT" and also the "my second cousin may drive in 3 weeks from now can you put it outside under the full moon next to the Starbucks store that's 27 miles from your house" type replies.

humbledrone 6y ago

The problem I have had more with "free" on Craigslist is that I get a lot of super-flakey people who reply immediately and then don't show up to take the item after a bunch of coordination effort. I've stopped listing items for free on Craigslist, and I either (1) list it for a more-than-fair but nonzero price, or (2) put it out on the street with a sign that says "free' (only for items that will obviously disappear quickly). Adding the price on Craigslist seems to weed out the worst flakiness-offenders.

bombcar 6y ago
Street-for-free is key. If it won’t disappear quickly it’s probably not worth anything. (Smaller items I give to Goodwill as it can be hard to see what they are on a drive by)
PascLeRasc 6y ago
I don't know how I didn't think of this. I was just wondering if there was a way to filter Craigslist down to just local (<2 mile radius), but street-free works perfectly.
- humbledrone 6y ago
  I've lived places that weren't dense enough for it to work. But in a fairly urban environment, provided that the item is not total crap, it tends to go fast. I have had cases where I found a taker after I left my front door to take the item out but before I had set it on the sidewalk. :D
dspillett 6y ago
I've had a fair amount of such hassle. I find delivering the things, assuming they are small enough as I have no car so it will be done by cycle or by taking a detour on a run, at a time if my choosing works. I also ask directly in the listing that people let me know approximately where they are without me having to ask, and I ignore anyone who doesn't - this weeds out the people who just mash "can I have this" or "is this still available" without actually reading the listing, who are most likely to be time wasters in my experience. For higher value items in the current C19 climate, insisting I deliver locally also stops people taking unnecessary journies between risk areas, and puts me in more control of my risk profile.

londons_explore 6y ago

> seems to attract people with a hoarding problem Are you sure these people aren't collecting all the free stuff in the neighbourhood, then selling anything of value and hoarding the rest? Those hoarded items are usually unsellable in their current form, but with a bit of restoration could become sellable. Some items are faulty, but are still hoarded for parts to help repair other items. Overall this behaviour is probably very good for the planet - many items end up seeing far more use than they would otherwise. It's questionable if its good economic use of these people's time though. Is it worth them spending all day collecting and repairing a $150 TV, when they could have gone to work in a factory that can turn out a new TV every 30 seconds for far fewer dollars?

agumonkey 6y ago
I did that a bit. Some people do that more .. some do it daily.
TeMPOraL 6y ago
> It's questionable if its good economic use of these people's time though. It may not be, but the problem usually is that the market can't make a better use of those people's time. I don't think many people would work such high effort, low pay tasks if they could actually get a better job.
bombcar 6y ago
I think many THINK they will (or are) doing that - and perhaps even did at one time - but the ability has slipped away. The collection continues, however. I have to catch myself in some areas doing the same thing.
AniseAbyss 6y ago
If you have the skills to repair a TV you can get a good job. There are electricians making more than lawyers here.

politelemon 6y ago

Yes, I do like giving things away but it matters to me that it will be useful to them. I generally give away my tech (gpus, keyboards, computer parts, kindles, headsets) to friends and coworkers, which usually means through previous conversations with them that I know they'll use it. I think that's the motivation for me. It's also a good way of introducing them to tech that they wouldn't normally get for themselves. The best example is mechanical keyboards; most people don't think they want one until they've used it regularly. And kindles.

veggieburglar 6y ago
How do you have multiple kindles to give away?

agumonkey 6y ago

I have the same need. I have some stuff I keep because it has value to my eyes.. I'd give it to someone who would take care of it.

jzwinck 6y ago

Hoarders love regular CL too. I sold a huge and somewhat expensive 21" CRT monitor on CL and the buyer asked me to deliver it. When I got to his door, he cracked it open and said just leave the monitor in the hall. The apartment was completely jammed with stuff. Making people who need your stuff pay you in stories or "gratitude" does not appeal to me anyway. Even if I have a $5 item to give away and someone just flips it for profit, that is time they spent and I did not, so the item is still gone from my home and someone who actually wants it gets it. The fact that one other person also benefitted doesn't bother me.

taurath 6y ago
Money makes it a competition. Trading or giving makes it a relationship
- ISL 6y ago
  One can still build a relationship while exchanging money for goods and services.
  - taurath 6y ago
    Yeah but like the people who are hustle Facebook groups and Craigslist generally are not
- dspillett 6y ago
  When I things in this way I'm not looking for either. I'm generally trying to minimise my environmental impact via landfill. Helping others at the same time is a bonus. I'm not looking to make money or friends/community. Not that there is anything wrong with people that are of course. Different folks have different priorities.
  - KozmoNau7 6y ago
    Yeah, if I'm giving something away, it's because I have decided it doesn't really hold any value for me anymore, nor would it be worth the time and hassle to try and sell it. So I'll give it away and if anyone thinks it's worth the time and effort to sell it, that's not for me to decide. Once it is out of my hands, it is no longer mine.

PascLeRasc 6y ago

It bothers me too. I've learned that listing something for free on Craigslist attracts the people who will demand they you wait for them to drive 4 hours your way or complain that it's not in perfect condition. But listing a table for $10 instead makes regular people think it's a great deal while filtering out some of the hoarders.

squeaky-clean 6y ago
I do the same, and then will just tell the person to not worry about the $10. "Really, you sure?", "Yeah, I'm just looking to get rid of it, but if you list it as free people treat you like crap and often don't actually come to pick it up." I don't do this often, but every time the person has understood exactly what I meant.

Gustomaximus 6y ago

I've noticed 'free stuff' people often dont turn up. Even if I'm happy to give something away I put 5 or 10 dollars on it to avoid these people.

SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago

I have found it almost pointless to try listing stuff for less than $50 because you get loads of non committal people messaging you and then not picking up the item. I tend to just list stuff for a price and then accept any counter offer requested. Filters out the hoarders and selects only the ones who actually want it.

kolencherry 6y ago

We’ve had a lot more success with avoiding no-shows by giving things away and selling things on Nextdoor.