For three weeks, Elias had been locked in a silent standoff over a mid-century modern credenza. The seller, a woman named Barb from Marion, knew what she had. Elias, a man with a tiny apartment and an even tinier budget, knew what he wanted.
Five minutes later, the credenza was strapped into the truck bed. As Elias pulled away, he saw the SUV driver staring at him with pure, unadulterated Marketplace envy. cedar rapids buy sell trade 2
Barb looked at his beat-up pickup truck, then back at the sleek SUV. She seemed to weigh the soul of a DIY-er against the convenience of a soccer mom. For three weeks, Elias had been locked in
He got home, hauled the heavy teak piece up three flights of stairs, and set it against his wall. It was perfect. He took a photo, the late afternoon sun hitting the wood grain just right. Five minutes later, the credenza was strapped into
Barb was waiting in the garage. She looked exactly like her cat. "You're the one who messaged first?"
The drive from downtown Cedar Rapids toward the suburbs was a race against the "Other Interested Parties." On the Buy Sell Trade boards, "Interested" was a threat. It meant there were ghosts in the comments section waiting to snatch your prize.
He pulled up to a neat ranch house just as a white SUV slowed down in front of the driveway. Elias didn’t wait for them to park. He hopped out, waving his phone like a white flag.