A Craigslist template for getting free urban-dori

[boonefrog]

All, I've used CL the past couple months to get some of my favorite pieces. I posted in the "free" forum and offered to help folks get rid of shrubs, hedges, weeds. It works really well! I get about 20-30 replies every time I post (have waited 3 weeks or so between postings), and I'd say 1/3 of replies have desirable material. All this is to say: I thought I'd share my text/script in case any of you want to try it in your own communities. I also find that random generic pictures of shrubs, etc help. Enjoy!

Title:
Got old hedges? Overgrown bushes or vines? I'll dig them up for free!

Post body:
Looking for all kinds of woody plants: hedges, bushes, shrubs, old vines, smaller trees, even woody weeds like dogwoods that you've cut back year after year but can't seem to kill. If you have anything like this you want out of your yard, please let me know!

I make bonsai trees as a hobby and I like to use old landscape material as a starting point. If you have something that you want gone and you think might fit the bill, let me know! I'll come check it out and if all goes right I'm happy to dig it up for you free of charge. I have all my own tools (shovels, sheers, pruners, chainsaw, hand saws, safety equipment, etc.)

I'm interested in most anything, but in particular: Privet, Yew, Boxwood, Azalea, Maple, Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Juniper, Grape vines, Dogwood, Apple, Wisteria, Sweet Gum, Honeysuckle, etc.

Feel free to shoot me and email with any questions or opportunities and thanks!

 

[_#1_]

Great proactive way in searching for urban-dori!

And all this time I just hound the free section.

 

[M. Frary]

I just go dig them up.
At night.

 

[sorce]

Been thinking about doing this....
Nice to hear it works.

Sorce

 

[BunjaeKorea]

I just go dig them up.
At night.

That's what I do........

 

[sorce]

That's what I do........

Naked with Glowinthedark paint!

Sorce

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Naked with Glowinthedark paint!

Sorce

Oh darn it.....you saw me?!?!

 

[peh3]

I've read alot to avoid mentioning "bonsai" when asking for permission to dig stuff up, because people seem to think that you're rich because of that somehow.
Any such experiences?

 

[sparklemotion]

I have a Craigslist alert set for the word "dig" in the "Free" section. Nothing promising showed up since I started looking last fall, but I am hoping for a few contenders come spring.

 

[yenling83]

Nice, I like it

 

[M. Frary]

Naked with Glowinthedark paint!

Sorce

The glow in the dark paint only goes on one part right?

 

[boonefrog]

I've read alot to avoid mentioning "bonsai" when asking for permission to dig stuff up, because people seem to think that you're rich because of that somehow.
Any such experiences?

Not in the slightest. But then again, I'm not exactly doing A/B testing or creating a control group, so who can say for sure?

What I can say is that I've gotten 50-60 emails over the last month and I decided to limit the scope/raise the bar for participation with this last post asking for pics/limiting commute time: https://newhaven.craigslist.org/zip/d/got-old-hedges-overgrown/6554059970.html

 

[Victorim]

The glow in the dark paint only goes on one part right?

The Darth Sidious and Darth Maul meme I made of you and Vance last year just got ugly :/

 

[M. Frary]

The Darth Sidious and Darth Maul meme I made of you and Vance last year just got ugly :/

Just got real.

 

[boonefrog]

Ad just netted me this sweet score. The grammar's not all there, but I'll take it!

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/zip/d/got-old-hedges-overgrown/6554059970.html

Hey what's up I'm sure you got a lot of responses considering you're going to dig up the bushes yourself, I can pretty much get you whatever your looking for as much as you need an you dig anything up, I was just on here cuz I was bored and saw your post and I don't like to see things go to waste especially there's somebody that would like to have them, I work at an organic refuge and recycling facility basically landscapers gardeners Tree Guys a lot of nurseries dump log brush branches and in your case bushes and small trees a lot of which were hand-dug to be replaced with something different or smaller whatever the case we have a bunch accounts that service big commercial properties and are constantly replacing four different seasons or whatever the case nurseries come with nice stuff still in the pot that are perfect just not up to their standards I get truck loads of everything all day every day, I have overly landscape my property and my families and I hate seeing the stuff go to waste and if you have a use for it I run the excavator and sort and separate everything that gets done and no big deal for me to kick it off to the side and make a pile for you I'm not getting anything out of it or looking for anything. I load up 5 to 10 18 wheeler trucks everyday so whatever would want won't make a dent so if your interested let me know you could tell me sizes or different species and I'll do my best your best bet is just take a picture I mean I know boxwoods I know most bushes and plants but you just take a picture to size parameters of anything and everything you want n how many and send it to me. But either way I figured I'd just let you know thanks Justin

 

[pweifan]

Wow is Justin the man! I'd love a local connection like that. Congratulations

 

[Sn0W]

Ad just netted me this sweet score.

Sounds like one hell of a score, also gives me and I'm sure everyone else, a new avenue to pursue. I spoke to a guy at the local tip but he wasn't interested in anything I had to say. Will look up some kind of recycling plant for organics

 

[boonefrog]

Yeah I actually had no idea this was a thing/type of business, but of course it is. B2B stuff is often really surprising to me

 

[Solaris]

I just go dig them up.
At night.

I used to live in Texas, where "He needed killin'" is just this side of being a legal defense.
I'm still not brave enough to try using the midnight bonsai collection club's techniques.

 

[ponderingsage]

Thanks, This was nice to use as a template. I've had mixed success on CL, but sometimes come across a gem.