As the nation continues its economic troubles, people are desperate for any and all discounts, deals and markdowns. My family is in the same lifeboat as everyone else. No one likes to pay full price and with the invention of sites like “Craigslist”, and “eBay “we are seeing a universal garage sale, with any and all services available to the highest bidder, including sex and stolen merchandise. I have succumbed to the promise of discounted goods myself, through eBay and Craigslist (except for the “massages” and “personal” escorts of course.)
I have purchased items on these sites, not completely sure if the items were genuinely purchased, or some crackhead broke into his neighbors’ house at 2 a.m.
The issue is how do you know what is a legitimate purchase or just some guy fencing stolen property? The truth is you don’t. The old lady having a garage sale is selling her antique “Desert Inn” ashtray from 1955? The one she pilfered from the hotel room. Is this not the same as selling “The Sopranos” DVD series for 50 bucks?
Once I bought a set of used golf clubs from a friend. I never asked where they came from. For two years I played with that set of clubs, never playing well with them, possibly due to the karma that was inflicted on me for playing with stolen clubs. Or maybe it was the stiff shafts. Either way, I got rid of them soon after and bought a set myself from the store and all was forgiven.
So, are sites like Craigslist and eBay avenues for the average Joe to make some cash selling his prized Partridge Family lunchbox? Or is it a pawn shop for disorganized crime? I would prefer to think of it as a lot of good people just trying to pay the mortgage and the rest who want to use these sites to promote their crimes of theft and prostitution. Shame on them for taking advantage of people during tough times. Just like the criminals in the credit business who preyed upon the weaker of us, promising easy monthly payments and houses they could not afford.
Karma is going to get you, folks. Selling stolen goods and promoting prostitution in the guise of “garage sales” and “personal” escorts is just another way of taking advantage of your fellow man. And in these tough times, that is inexcusable.
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