I live in Nebraska, not exactly a hot spot for vintage cycling goodies so I shop CL anywhere the action is good or anywhere I have friends or family who are willing to indulge my interests. In the last couple of weeks I've purchased an Trek 400 from Madison, WI (thank goodness I wasn't gently told to keep my business in Nebraska), a set of NIB Shimano 600 36-hole hubs from Philadelphia, and a really nice Brooks B-17 with Sakae seatpost from Boulder. I'm polite, considerate and use full disclosure when I contact sellers in remote geographical locations and find that 75% don't even bother to respond, but the ones who do frequently sell with no qualms to out-of-town buyers. I've never been stiffed, but maybe that's cause I also tell everyone I work as a security admin in support of local law enforcement. The guidelines posted earlier and all the advice has been excellent and if followed religiously can make shopping CL a worthwhile experience. I've got several folks I exchange emails with all over the country after having purchased something from them.