I figure since generally speaking we're all mostly in different areas, that it wouldn't hurt to share your strategies for scoring in the "Free" section of Craigslist.

Is there anything you can say to the person who posts a free (insert scrap here) to get them to hold it for you specifically?

The reason I ask is because I often see ads posted that say "first come, first serve, don't email or call, etc etc" but 5 minutes later the ad was removed by the author...which tells me that either someone picked it up extremely quick OR an experienced scrapper convinced them to hold it for them. Are these scrappers bribing them (offering a few bucks or something?).

Any tips would be great and appreciated by everyone I'm sure. Thanks!