auction is a go

My Mac Pro is on eBay.

Mac Pro, 24-inch Cinema HD display and speakers - eBay (item 150350275083 end time Jun-13-09 10:20:38 PDT)

I really (really ... really ... really) hope that I can get enough to afford a 17-inch MacBook Pro. I don't want to be computer-less while we're doing our gypsy-thing, and I want to be able to continue running my photo processing/organization software, Aperture, which needs high-end hardware to run well. I've just started to make a bit of money from sales of photos through Getty, as well as the art dealer, Farmboy Fine Arts. It would be kind of silly to walk away from that opportunity. Besides, the travel may give me an opportunity to build up a more diverse portfolio.

And really, could I live without my blogging and tweeting and Facebooking and Flickring!?

Craigslist scam

I posted my computer on Craigslist yesterday, despite the warning from the folks at the Apple Store to skip it and go straight to eBay. I've received a couple of inquires, one of which was simply, "Is this item still for sale?" I responded in the affirmative, and about an hour later received the following email:

Hi Seller, I am serious in buying this item that you listed and i want
you to remove the advert from craigslist,i have much interest in it
and want it to be sent to my son abroad who is currently in his final
year in school in ancient university in west Africa, and i am willing
and able to buy the item through my paypal account, so please kindly
get back to me with your paypal email address so that i can pay for
the item and i will include $220 for the shipping via (EMS) GLOBAL
EXPRESS MAIL USPS.Please if this is acceptable to you,kindly send your
full name and your contact information and PayPal email address so
that i can proceed with the payment via PayPal.

i live at 37 Stonehenge CirApt 8, Pikesville Md 21208,

Thanks i will be looking forward to hear from you.

kelly handsome

I know this is a scam, but I'm just not sure how. If they put $3000 plus the $220 for shipping in my PayPal account, how are they scamming me? My guess is that it would probably cost around $200 - $300 to ship it to Africa, so they aren't making any money that way.

What's the deal here? How does this work in their favor? Do many people fall for "Hi Seller" (especially when receiving a response to an email they signed their name to)? What's up with "this item?" Doesn't that just scream SCAM!?

Has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing?

Mac Pro for sale

Mac Pro for sale
Originally uploaded by Ben McLeod

I'm selling my computer (and monitor... and speakers).

It's an Apple Mac Pro with 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon, 3GB RAM (expandable to 16 GB) and two 500 GB hard-drives.

It has two DVD-RW "SuperDrives," a bunch of USB and Firewire ports, WiFi and Bluetooth (the mouse and keyboard are Bluetooth).

The display is a 24-inch Apple Cinema HD and is beautiful. It also has a bunch of USB and Firewire ports.

The speakers are JBL Creatures and match the aluminum finish of the computer and display.

I love this computer (I polish the monitor and aluminum at least once a month with iKlear...), but if our gypsy thing is going to work, I need to downsize. My plan is to sell this set up and buy a 17-inch MacBook Pro.

I'd really like to sell it to someone who will love it and care for it the way I have.

Interested? Send me an email. I'm going to list it on eBay in a day-or-so, but I thought I'd see if anyone in my "social-networking" circle was interested first.