What are your opinions on buying from an individual, like from a Facebook group or Craigslist?
Facebook groups are made up of known people. Hard to hoodoo someone in a group like that. Others will call them out. If the group member has been on there for years, and has sold cattle on there several times, then he is probably safe to buy from. And the same is true with people on here. Quite a few on here that I would buy from, sight unseen, based on what I have seen from them, and what other CT members have said about them. I don't want to try to list them all, because I would surely forget somebody , but if I were in the market for Simmental, or a client was, I would buy form @Jeanne - Simme Valley or @simme, or would refer someone to them , with 100% confidence. Or for Angus, @gizmom. Someone in Texas asking about Brahma or Brahma crosses, @Caustic Burno and @Brute 23 is who I would send them to. Just 3 examples. Don't ever think a question you have is a dumb one to ask. The most succesful cattlemen ( and women) on here, were at one time wet behind trhe years like you. You are going to make a lot of mistakes and bad decisions starting out, and that is ok. That is how you learn. In an interview 20 or 30 years ago, the journalist asked Malcomb Forbes the key to his success. He said " Making good decisions" So she asked, " And how did you learn to make good decisions?" He said " Experience." So she asked " And where did you aquire this experience?" He said " From making bad decisions".