Craigslist.org -- the nation's garage sale is bargain central

You may have noticed that the used furniture ads in your newspaper have all but disappeared, the jobs section is shrinking, and there are no 'roommate wanted' pleas either. Where have they gone?

Many have segued to Craigslist.org. An outgrowth of perhaps the first large online community, the Well in San Francisco, this umbrella bulletin board/garage sale/social network site has become the open market for 450+ of the nation's largest cities. It even has active sites in 50 foreign countries.

I check my local Craigslist daily in my search for the perfect chair. In Columbus, Ohio, where I live, around 100-200 posting appear daily of people looking to sell used furniture, often at killer prices. Of course, like any internet-based business, there are trolls,in this case hawking mattresses and such, so caveat emptor in spades.