Ok, here’s a way to raise some extra money (finance a record?) and make the most of your “band assets”. In most cases, “band assets” include a beat-up tour van and some amount of collective free time.

Before we get down to business, a brief history…

Way back at the turn of the century, aka the late 90s and early 2000s, before the housing bubble went the way of the Hindenburg. If he had money and lived in Chicago, he probably invested in real estate.

If you weren’t a major player with a TON of dough, you may have been involved in a tactic known as “Flipping Condos”. I’m sure many of you know exactly what this is, but for the sake of thoroughness, this involved buying a condo, living in it for a very short time, fixing it up, and selling it for a profit.

Now, I’ve never owned a place (yes, I still rent), but I’ve spent many years struggling to finance my music…taxi driver, delivery jobs, etc.

This is a great way to earn some extra money with that tourist van.

1) Go to craigslist.

2) Check out the “Free” section where people are giving things away.

3) Try to find 6 or 7 items that seem to sell AND fit in your truck.

4) Post for those items in the regular section, give them a price ($50 – $150 range) and include the word “DELIVERED”.

5) Wait…

6) When you get a bite from someone looking to buy one of “your” items, immediately contact the person offering it for free.

7) Arrange to pick up the item for free and deliver it to the buyer.

8) Collect the cash.

9) Keep it for recording/equipment only!

This particular business is all about timing. You need to get the stuff for free before they’re gone and you need to give it to the buyer before they change their mind. It’s also great if you can line them up so you’re not sitting in the van waiting all day.

Tip: When talking to the buyer, it’s often good to emphasize that you’re not going to negotiate on this. Price is price and you only accept cash.

If you can line up a few of these rides in one day, you can actually earn a decent payday. Sometimes it feels like you’re in a weird craigslist video game. You are going to meet some strange people and you are going to be in some strange settings, write a song about them.

If for some reason something doesn’t sell, throw it in your practice space storage (or wherever) and repost it on craigslist next week.

Writing good craigslist copy is also another great skill.

What are you waiting for? Put on a tank top and earn some money!