PSA: My uncle Bob said sell the car as-is on Craigslist after the paint job failed

He told me last summer after I spent 3 days painting my 2003 F-150 in the driveway in Austin and it started peeling in a week. Said stop dumping money into a $1500 truck and just list it with honest photos at $1800. I thought he was crazy. Three people offered full price within 6 hours. The buyer even laughed and said he'd repaint it himself. Has anyone else had family give you that one crazy piece of advice that actually worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

blake3221mo ago

Honest photos is the KEY" - see I actually think thats a trap in most cases. posting pics of peeling paint and rust spots might get you a buyer who thinks theyre getting a deal, but it also screams to scammers that you're desperate. I've seen people get lowballed hard or ghosted after being too real with the listing. Uncle Bob got lucky with that F-150 because trucks sell fast no matter what, especially in Texas where everyone needs one for work. Most normal cars with obvious flaws just sit there or attract tire kickers wanting to haggle down to nothing. Honesty works best when the market is already hot for what you're selling, otherwise you're just painting a target on your back.

simon_coleman2mo ago

Honest photos" is the KEY - I did that with my old Jeep and got offers in two hours flat.

the_john2mo ago

Three people offering full price in six hours? That's nuts, I don't think I've ever sold a vehicle that fast in my life. Uncle Bob must have some kind of magic touch with Craigslist. So the buyer basically told you to your face he was gonna fix your mess and still paid top dollar.