Top O' the Mornin' to Ya!

Unless a leprechaun woke you up this morning and handed you a gas card, you’ve got bigger fish to fry than worrying about what shade of green is most flattering.
You’ve seen the gas prices:

There are options, though. You can actually hold out for a pot of gold or change your vehicle. This may be a thinker. Let’s lay it on the line, shall we?
Waiting for a pot of gold

• You may have to Google map where one is
• It may actually cost you $$ to drive around looking for said pot of gold
• You have to spend time figuring out the leprechaun’s riddles before he hands it over to you
• There is no hybrid between a leprechaun and a genie and tooth fairy. None of these saves energy.
• The leprechaun with a pot of gold doesn’t exist.

Finding your car on BONQO

• Each car listing comes with a map and location
• While you may have to shell out some cash initially, a HYBRID car will save you money
• BONQO has no secrets. Our ads provide every bit of information the seller wants to provide
• A hybrid car combines electrical motor with a gas powered engine. This combo results in lower emission, better mileage, and a nice easier-on-the-wallet feeling.
• Hybrids for sale exist right now on BONQO

There you have it. The choice is yours. Made up your mind, yet? On a day like today, no one would blame you for actually waiting for a pot of gold. Good luck with that.

When BONQO Stops Being Polite and Starts Getting Real: Pet Scams

Here at BONQO, we love showing our sunnier side and being a positive platform for people to buy, sell, rent, find, and promote anything they want. In fact, it’s the best part of the job: being happily confident in knowing that what we are doing is safer. Therefore, we can humbly say we are a better classifieds.
But it isn’t enough to just be safer. Regardless of how much of a personal touch we put into creating this safer haven for users to list their items, there will always be someone out there in the universe hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce on anyone who is seeking something online.
While we do our part to manually screen every single potential listing, most scam artists are so good at what they do that they take intricate steps to avoid being caught. However, with BONQO’s efforts and yours, we can ward off predators on our site.
One of the more popular scams found online is the pet scam. One variation of this scam is where the scam artist lists an ad for puppies. They list the ad in an area local to you. When you inquire, they claim to be in another state. With this, they insist that you meet their requirements for taking on a much loved pet. This may or may not create a distraction as a need to meet their standards of a pet owner in you sets in. Once your guard is down, you will be asked to send a check to them to cover costs of having the animal shipped to you.
The truth is that there is NO PET! Meanwhile, your money is gone.
We want our users to be be educated about the many scams there are out there. Guarding yourself and using your best judgement is your best defense at the end of the day. BONQO does its part in regards to monitoring potential ads. We are confident that every ad we list is legitimate. We would like to gain a reputation for being vigilant in our efforts to ward off potential scammers so that they don’t even bother trying to list on our site.
Thanks to our BONQO users reporting potentially fraudulent listings, we act immediately to keep our site clean and safer. And to potential scammers: take it somewhere else.

Hair Did? BONQO Do.

One of the great things about BONQO’s services section is the ability to peruse the various hair salons, stylists, options, and locations in your area. Hair stylists need to promote their business and in order to do that, they put their best work (or head of hair) forward.
If you have been going to the same stylist for years or if you’ve been wanting to try out a new look, live a little, branch out, you know, get something that will just stand out from the crowd, why not hop on our classifieds and check out what some of our services section users have to offer.
These are a group of talented individuals who want to provide their services to anyone who is in need of a new look or a pick-me-up. And the talent ranges!
BAXTER’S Hair Salon in Thousand Oaks:


MOMOBABY’S MO’ HAIR located in San Diego:


Sophie in LA JOLLA:



…and so much more.
Oh, yeah. If you see tickets for the west coast production of HAIR the musical… post ‘em on BONQO!

The Rose Bowl Flea Market

The Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market. It boasts up to 2,500 vendors and 15,000 to 20,000 potential buyers every month. Celebrities go, sellers go, buyers go… so you know who had to show up!
BONQO.
Determined to get A) good parking 2) a nice booth spot up front and III) the proverbial worm that all early birds seem to catch…BONQO was on dawn patrol at 5 o’clock. Never mind the whole daylight savings situation, we were up and ready to go. Although, it was a bit chilly at that hour, so we bundled up while we set up the booth.

Manning the booth was Michelle. On foot patrol telling vendors (and any buyers within earshot) about the great new thing that is BONQO were Taylor, Jenny, Aimie, and Jordon. We definitely made our presence felt in that massive arena of sellers of unique and not-so-unique goods as well as buyers of all kinds.
What BONQO loves about a flea market is that it’s a living, breathing online classifieds! Folks from all over who were there to make their business grow, clean out their garage, or find a curious item for sale were out and about. That’s always great. Along that same avenue, BONQO proudly offers a platform for everyone and anyone to do the very same thing with us online.

Overall, it was a success. The day was perfect for it. We wouldn’t be surprised to see our friend, Michael, listing his items on BONQO soon!

p.s.
Be sure to check out more pictures of BONQO doing our thing at the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market coming soon….

TAX Season on BONQO

Tax season has been extended to April 18. That is about the pique of excitement when it comes to tax season for most Americans. Although, many accountants will tell you differently.
“This is the most exciting time of the year. For me, at least!”
- one accountant
“I just switched from decaf to full strength. Oh, taxes.”
- another accountant
Here on BONQO, though, we have a pretty extensive services section. As it is tax season, full of new regulations and the rest, we are happy to provide a place where you can find a service like Evans Tax Business Services Inc. So, while you are spending all of your time perusing the online classifieds, you can stumble across a service that you use in the immediate future. That is, someone who can help you file your taxes.
It may not be Mardi Gras, but it is definitely something to enjoy. You know, if you like this type of thing.

BONQO Coffee Making

BONQO Barista: We Have an Espresso Machine for Sale!
Give or take a few bucks and depending on what you order after waiting in line at the local coffee shop, you could save about $650 a year if you shell out a few dollars for your very own espresso machine. Can you believe? Neither could we. However, being the coffee lovers that we are here at Team BONQO, we actually had our talented Engineers stop counting codes and start counting beans (literally) (okay, not literally) to figure out the cost some of us pay for that amazing latte or cap early in the morning.
Sure, there is the social aspect of having a cup of coffee. Although, it’s hard to feel social when you’re scrounging quarters together for that expensive cup down the street. Some might say you’re better off enjoying a nice foamy latte in your own kitchen, made the way you want it, with a little cash to spare at the end of each week.
Have you seen the price at the pump, lately?
Of course, nothing can replace the old standby request of, “Want to meet up for a cup of coffee or something?” You’ll always have that. Realistically speaking, though, wouldn’t it be grand to make your own cup at home with your own amazing machine?
To make your very best espresso ever follow these BONQO Barista Rules:

1. Have the right equipment (check our For Sale category; go to kitchen/dining)
   
2. Have good water. Don’t underestimate the importance of good water.
   
3. Grind. Keep it fresh.
   
4. Dose & Tamp. This takes a bit of practice. Less is more, more or less.
   
5. Pull Espresso. 23 – 28 seconds. Again, this takes practice.
   
6. Check the crema. Look for that rich caramel-like topping on the shot.
   

Enjoy and be proud of the money you saved.

Yesterday, the BONQO team jetted off (well, hopped into the BONQO mobile and drove down the 101) to The Garment District in Los Angeles. The goal was to visit with the local store owners and tell them about our site.
Did you know that BONQO has an amazing way for store owners to showcase their items online? Selling is very easy with BONQO whether you’re a store owner or an individual. Present your items on a clean, friendly, easy-to-use layout and you’ll be surprised at how well your online store with BONQO does.

BONQO went up and down the alleyways of the Garment District, chatted with shop owners and even let individuals know about the great ways to sell their items with us. One thing some members of Team BONQO would love to see more of: handbags. It was tough to leave the many aisles of handbags at the garment district. Oh, but we’ll be back.

Nobody Puts BONQO in the Corner

The genre: romantic / rom-com.
The location: San Diego.
The materials required: 1 box of Kleenex, 1 box of chocolate, 1 comfy snuggie, 1 couch.
Ever since this whole Valentine’s Day fiasco (it happens every year, the fiasco meaning, it happens at all) folks have been doing away with their romance movies. Off of their shelves, into boxes, onto the backs of trucks to sell to anyone who wants them, the owner of said movies screams, “Everything must go!”
Have a heart, though. Drive slowly so that they can watch you pull away while they quietly utter the phrase, “No, wait” then, in between sobs, they whisper, “Go. Just go.”
Oh, the drama is intense when it comes to someone making the choice to sell their beloved movie gems. Everything from The Notebook, Titanic, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones’s Diary to Armageddon and The Wedding Planner are all here on this BONQO user’s “Leftover Love Sale”.
You have a passion for unrealistic story lines, well BONQO has a listing for it. Check this and much more out on BONQO.com before it is just too late… don’t let your BONQO movie romance end this way.

Club BONQO

There is nothing like the LA Nightlife. Pre-party mode starts at 11p.m. You get to the club at midnight. You leave at 1p.m. You go to an after-party at 2. These are the rules that a party-goer abides by, generally speaking.
The rules are completely different if it is your nightclub, though.
If you have ambition and a keen eye for the nightlife and how to promote, BONQO has an amazing deal in our Business/Industrial section. Right now, there is a fully restored, historic building for sale. Does it have what it takes to be a successful nightclub?
That depends:
Can you see entourage after clique after entourage teaming up around a moveable bar, 4 wells, 24-foot ceilings, massive dance floor, space for live performances, 9 x 12 movie screens, and “global” lights?
Can you see the valet hard at work parking cars off of Sunset and Vine?
This may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Although, all of these perks do not alone make a nightclub go off. The owner has to properly bring it. Yeah. We just said “bring it”.
Wait, you use BONQO. You know a good thing when you see it. You’re off to a great start already. So for all intents and purposes, it’s already been “brought”.

No. Wire. Hangers!

Do you love clothes? I’m sorry, perhaps you didn’t quite hear me. I say, Do You Love Clothes? Do you respect them? Honor them? Name them and never wear the same outfit twice?
Are you infatuated with the seams of your grandfathers old grey trousers? Do you have them in your possession? Are you wearing them right now because you don’t have a proper storage place for them?

Do you pause and reply over and over again the scene from the movie Titanic in which Rose watches as her trunks of items go up onto the ship? A trunk just like this.
Well, what would you do if we told you that this is actually Rose’s trunk from the actual Titanic ship?
You’d roll your eyes because it simply isn’t true. However, this is a real mid 20^th century trunk for sell on BONQO and you can have it. You can store your precious items in it and show it off. Tell everyone that this particular mid-20^th century piece was given to you by a man who spoke like Yoda and knew the martial art of Kung-Fu.
Actually, you can say whatever you like because for 250 clams, it’s all yours. Check this and other antiques and retro goods on our For Sale section right now!

In Bed With Dann & Kelly

Peas and carrots. Steak and eggs. Dann and Kelly. These are just a few things that go together well. Better than “well”, some would say. These two just click and their fans love watching them.
 
BONQO is a place where you can sell your items, buy items, and of course find out what is going in your community. What’s a community? That’s simple: it’s a place where a group of people live. It takes all kinds to create a community and boy, what a boring place to call home if we didn’t have exciting characters like Dann & Kelly making entertaining videos to share. They explore their community of Los Angeles and gab about it. These videos are just something to enjoy while you drink your morning cup of coffee. Perfect for lazy Saturday mornings.

After watching a few of these videos, BONQO is happy to have Dann & Kelly list what they have to share in our Los Angeles events and community section. If you have something you are working on and wish to share it as a special event within your community, please do so! BONQO would love to see it.

A Psychic Knows You're Reading This

Are you stuck between a rock and a hard place? Are you at a cross roads? BONQO feels your pain. Instead of sitting on a park bench plucking petals off of a flower asking if a certain person loves you or loves you not, get thee to a psychic!
In the city of angels, nestled off of the 110 Freeway, you’ll find the office of Dr. Mark Star, a psychic with more than 34 years of experience. Having worked in Miami, Dallas, and New Orleans, Dr. Star provides his services to anyone seeking answers about their love life.
Go on, ask Dr. Star anything. It has to be love related, though. Much like Jeopardy, you must formulate your question in a certain way. After all, Dr. Star is a love psychic.
For example: “Will I love it when I win the lottery?”
There are tons of other questions that you may wish to ask. Like, will BONQO be the next big thing in online classifieds?
Sources say yes.

iBroken iPhone?

“Arrgghhh!”
We’ve all been there before. The technological love of your life has just been dropped or sat upon, leaving a scar across its beautiful, gleaming touchscreen. Or, while speaking to someone as you brush your teeth when in the restroom, as you do, your precious has taken a giant swan dive into the toilet or sink— water damage.
Sure, the phone can still function. But it functions with a cosmetic flaw that almost makes you want to look away from it when you dial. You can’t even be bothered to use your weather app because of that crack. How dreadful.
BONQO has help. Check out our technical services page for Los Angeles where you can find the help you need for your iPhone. With fast, cheap, and easy screen and water damage repair, you have no choice but to take your phone to this place today. BONQO doesn’t want to see you look away from your iPhone. We want to see you admire it and show its screen to the world!
Be sure to see what other technical services BONQO has to offer you right now. And remember: leave your iPhone out of the bathroom. That’s just asking for trouble.

NASCAR FANS: You're Going to the Track

Let’s say BONQO is a big orange Genie who has just granted you 3 wishes.

1. To go to a NASCAR race!
   
2. To go on club passes so you can sit in the shade right at the starting line!
   
3. To have 2 passes to the Roll Bar to meet Kevin Harvick!
   

Imagine you and your nearest and dearest NASCAR buddy throwing a few back, cheering for your favorite driver, feeling the rumble and vibration of the stadium. This may be the best deal in town for a long time to come for NASCAR tickets. The owners are sad to lose these tickets but just can’t make the race. Looks like you’re the Lucky Dog!
Now, let’s just say that you’ve requested another wish (most Genies frown upon this but we’re BONQO, not your typical Genie.)
You want more. Well, we can give you free gifts at the door, 5 drink tickets, breakfast and lunch. Actually, NASCAR provides that.
NASCAR fans, we’ve just flashed the Caution Flag and are offering 2 club passes to a NASCAR race in Phoenix. Check out the other tickets we have on BONQO.com and be sure to grab this pair of tickets on BONQO, you Lucky Dog!

Wanna Live Here? BONQO Does.

Lounge with BONQO friends who only wear the color yellow and eat Lemonheads in this room.

Chill with entourage BONQO who only wear the color red or eat spicy foods in this room.

Create a BONQO souffle in this kitchen.

Gather an orange clad posse for your soiree in this area. BONQO loves donning this color.
You’ve seen those home makeover shows a million times. You know you’ve become inspired to change your space at home into something luxurious. The folks on the shows seem to get it all done quite quickly, don’t they?
Your eyes slowly scan the walls of your living room- why so plain? The stools at your kitchen counter are boring, it seems. The carpet under your feet should be wooden floors or paneling at the very least.
What do you do? Why, you go to the do-it-yourself hardware store, of course. You get the supplies. You get mid-way through the project and decide: I should have left it to the professionals. That, or, “I need to get into this ALTA Hollywood Loft!”
Both are sound pieces of advice. Right now, you can check out these new loft spaces in Hollywood, California and throughout all of the metro Los Angeles areas. All units are modern and stylish. Exactly where you want to enjoy your time while living and working in Hollywood. We at BONQO are still working on that list of interior design professionals for you. In the meantime, this is the closest thing you can get to having your own home makeover show. Bring a video camera and shoot yourself moving into this amazing unit.
We have lots of other rentals. Some more glamorous than this, some less. All amazing finds on BONQO.com, though!

It's Not a Bicycle, Baby. It's a Chopper Bicycle.

The year was 1950something.
In SoCal, folks were chopping up their cars and welding them back together with custom parts. They used bits and pieces from other vehicles and created an entirely new one. This “chopped” up vehicle was directly inspired by the recent Kustom Kars, Hot Rods, and T-Buckets of popular culture. It was no surprise that soon, motorcycles would follow.
Then, the coolest of the cool, the Chopper was born.
So, why wouldn’t kids try to emulate this in their neighborhoods? With old junkyard parts, bought parts, and a little creative energy, kids would take apart their little bicycles and turn them into something a bigger, badder, better kid in the neighborhood would be riding. The Chopper Bicycle is a completely homegrown staple in youth culture from the 60s onwards.
With most things underground, the mainstream will want a piece of it. In 1963, a designer over at Schwinn heard about the new “chopper bikes” out in California. He checked them out and of course loved them. The Schwinn Sting-Ray was created to emulate the look of the Motorcycle Chopper. These Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycles with their ready-made “chopped up” look flew off the shelves.
In the Chopper Bicycle community, a Sting-Ray is not a real Chopper until it is chopped up. While it’s still an icon, it was a mass produced bike made to look like a Chopper bike. BONQO has got that little snag solved. Check this little beauty out: Schwinn Sting-Ray Chopper Bike designed and “chopped” at Orange County Choppers. This is a rare find and hopefully, the seller will find a good home to give it to. The price is negotiable and the listing description is honest and up front. Check it out and get on your Schwinn.
Notice, if you will, how we’ve even chopped up the image for further authentication.

Your BONQO is Lovely Hubbell

Sometimes, we have to bid adieu to those things that no longer work for us. Be it relationships, space heaters, bags with holes, square-shaped bowling balls, or even certain online classifieds with a shady history.
In the movie, The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand plays Katie. She had to say goodbye to Hubbell (played by Robert Redford). They seemed to so right together, didn’t they? Turns out, they just weren’t.
Years later, she would see him on the street only to wish him and his new relationship well with the famous line, “Your girl is lovely, Hubbell.”
Ver clempt!
And so it goes. We at BONQO realize that it may be hard to say goodbye to old habits. Eventually, it must be done. Moving on to better, safer, newer things is exactly what Katie did. (Actually, the credits start to roll, so the audience is left to assume that she went on without that Hubbell quite easily). Katie did it and chances are in her new life, she wondered: “Was that guy’s name Hubbell, John, Craig…?”
We are BONQO. We are the newer, safer, easier classifieds and to show you we do care about the way you were… here’s something for our Barbra Streisand fans out there.

 Circa 1976, 48 x 48, Acrylic on canvas, used as promotional artwork for the album THE WAY WE WERE. In great condition. Signed by artist.

Sneakerheads Rejoice: BONQO Sells Jordans

It’s gotta be the shoes.  At least, that’s what we’ve been told.
Since the 1980’s, most notably, since Michael Jordan created his very own sneaker, having the right shoes on your feet, and safely on your shelf, is how one becomes a sneakerhead. Often, a sneakerhead won’t realize that they are a sneakerhead until they actually take a moment to check out their collection.
As you carefully display each pair of sneakers on the floor, safely in their opened box, you proudly say, “Look. At. All. Of. My. Sneakers!”
Congratulations. You are now a sneakerhead.
No longer just a staple in the athletic and hip hop scene, the “right sneaker” is something that a sneakerhead collects. They display it. They answer the call of, “Hey, man. Where’d you get those shoes?” The obsession has even transferred over to brightly colored sneakers beyond the go-to brands of Nike and Adidas.
Let’s get specific. The Air Jordan 10 was the first in the line of Air Jordan sneakers that Michael Jordan did not actually approve. This tidbit of information is interesting enough to make this a valuable shoe in the Air Jordan dynasty. The Air Jordan 10 was created during MJ’s brief departure from the NBA. When he returned, he rocked these…along with his new number, 45.
The Air Jordan 10s are one in a lineage of classic sneakers. Any sneakerhead worth his/her weight understands that you can’t have 9 or 11 without 10.
Bonqo wants you to find that missing piece to your Air Jordan family of shoes. We’ve got a pair of Air Jordan 10s. The question is: do you?

If you are in the market to complete your collection, these are up for sale. Go on, put in an offer. 9 & 11 will thank you.

BONQO Mic Check One Two One Two

What is Turntablism?
Some believe it is merely “hip-hop”. Some would be right.
However, it is so much more than that. Turntablism has roots that date back to the 1930’s where composers and musicians sampled various recordings to accompany other composers and musicians.
From there, it was purely experimental. That is, until the 1970’s where, as we know it today, hip-hop came onto the scene.
What was once a subculture of basement party scratching on vinyl and soon break-beat Djing is now a world-wide phenomenon. From a humble start driven by pure creativity to the genre that it has become today, turntablism is a unique part of musical culture and history.
The San Diego Turntable Institution is a well recognized school for those who have never touched a turntable but want to. It is also a great place for local turntablists to sharpen their skills and become even better at what they do.
If you are interested please check out Bonqo.com’s services section. Everyone’s invited to try it out. Who knows, you may be the next Afrika Bambaataa.

Heart-Shaped BONQO

Today is the day. Dun Dun Dun.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Bonqo.com is full of amazing options for creating a memorable day. Why, look around the site, friends! You’ll see flowers, fancy restaurants, and deals on romantic getaways. You can even get creative and sign you and your lovebird up for mixed martial arts classes. How romantic!
The sky is the limit with Bonqo.com on this day. When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie (or when a cherub strikes you with an arrow)… that’s amore!
Look around and you’ll see that there are oodles of options. Even if you don’t buy into the whole, “Valentine’s Day” thing, you can still use this an an excuse to create a nice night out or weekend getaway for someone that you care deeply for. Why not?
Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you can’t be romantic or creative with Bonqo.com
Think of it this way: Happy Monday! Hope you like this bouquet of papers to file! Love you!
There. That ought to keep the forced romance out of it.
Happy Monday Day!
Bonqo.com

Abraham Lincoln's Middle Name was BONQO

Facts you should know about Abraham Lincoln:

• Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.
• He was called “Honest Abe” because of his schoolboy honesty.
• He was fond of pets.
• He was the tallest U.S. President (6 feet 4 inches).
• He created a national banking system, responsible for today’s standard currency.
• He enjoyed perusing the safer online classifieds.

Wait. What?
Sure, he was born in a log cabin, but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t online classifieds savvy. The guy shopped around. And on this February 12^th, for his birthday, we at BONQO think it would be best to celebrate a bit of online classifieds shopping around. After all, why wouldn’t “Honest Abe” use the safer, more honest online classifieds available?
We can’t imagine anyone choosing a log cabin over this, but to each their own.  
Also, one should never walk the streets without their proper attire. Even if their boots don’t exactly match their stovetop hat. Bonqo.com has boots. Mr. Lincoln stored items such as notes and pens in his hat. You could probably do the same with these boots if you were so inclined.
Abe Lincoln would have loved this section of Bonqo.com: the “Everything Else” section of our “For Sale” items listed. See, he enjoyed tinkering. Taking apart and putting back together gadgets. Abe was a fan of all things novel and machine-like. He even tried to be an inventor at one point. Oh, the things he could have purchased on Bonqo!
An honest man for an honest site. How appropriate. Now, good day, sirs. Good day.

Melrose Moving on Up to Bonqo

When watching re-runs of Melrose Place it is difficult not to become so entranced by the characters and storyline that one somehow believes, if even for a nano-second, that their apartment complex is eerily similar to that of the well-crafted 1992 soap opera.
Your neighbor in #4 is Billy. Your neighbor in #9 is sweet Jo Reynolds. The similarities are too close to ignore.
So, okay, you don’t have a Heather Locklear or Andrew Shue type prancing around in fierce 90’s attire gossiping about a thing called “world wide web”. You do, however, have your own set of drama to contend with. Bonqo can help you make a dramatic exit (stage left, even!) when you check out the services section. Yes, we’ve got a section specifically created for your moving needs right here. Get this: it is called Melrose Moving.
They say: “We move you to the future” and perhaps that’s what you are looking for. A move away from all the ridiculously good-looking people who congregate in that awesome complex and its well appointed atrium. Since Billy and Rhonda moved out, it’s just so full of drama.
Check out Bonqo’s services section and find the movers and storage people you want now. Melrose Moving and other services at Bonqo.com are at your service now!

How to Catch a Bonqo Fish

Have you ever been sent to the store to pick up bread or milk only to come home with an Elephantnose Fish? Do you worry that you won’t be able to pick up rabbit food at the local pet store without resisting the bright colors of the Clown Loach? Finally, have you graduated from a small bowl where a lone goldfish circled its castle to a wall-sized aquarium in which all of your colorful friends happily swim?
There is help. You can now find all of your aquarium needs including thousands of tropical fish right here in one of our Bonqo.com stores. Think of it: you could name them clever things like Jaws, Jaws II, Jaws III, and of course, Nemo. There are limitless things you could do! Like, for example, marvel at their ability to continuously swim through the same castle over and over again and never tire of it.
More importantly, having a fish tank full of these gorgeous fish will bring you a sense of tranquility when you come home from a long day at work. A study at Purdue University shows that by watching fish before something like, say, surgery, one could actually reduce their muscle tension and lower their blood pressure. How ‘bout that!?
Check out Tat Tropical Illusions in Ventura and of course right here on Bonqo.com

BONQO Photography for Shutterbugs

There’s a reason why you don’t have a flashy camera yet. Your friends and family are fearful that you’ll do this to them. Over and over again but with a fancier camera.
Fear not, shutterbug.
Bonqo.com loves a great photographer and we want to give you a chance to find the right tools on your path to photo stardom or at least becoming the designated family photographer. You’ll get no complaints from family and friends when you have the right equipment at a reasonable price. Check out the services and stores that we offer on Bonqo.com. More specifically, check out  Samy’s Camera in Santa Barbara. This is the place you need to go to for those pictures you just can’t afford to mess up. If it needs to be printed, scanned, or processed under the best qualities possible, their workshop offers you reasonable prices. You’ll learn the basics, terminology, some tricks of the trade, and before you know it, you’ll take presentable pictures.
We at Bonqo are thrilled to offer Samy’s Camera as one of our Bonqo.com stores. With images like this of Team Bonqo’s Lauren, we’re sure that you’ll see the need for services like Samy’s.
Click. Click. Flash. Click.
Happy Listings!

BONQO L'Amour!

Ah, l'amour...the relationship day of reckoning is upon us all.

Valentine's Day is coming up and with all of the local drug store aisles bombarding you with cheesy cards, stuffed animals, and boxes of chocolates, it's easy to forget to remember. The day will soon be here, whether we like it or not. While pushing a holiday created by greeting card companies is not what we do here, we want to let you know that BONQO does in fact have a few options for you if you feel like participating in an event that is the ultimate in “No, really. It's not a big deal / It's so a big deal” non-verbal ping-pong. Allow us to, at the very least, provide you with options.

When one thinks romance, one doesn't typically think of online classifieds. But wait. Perhaps there is something to this whole, free online classifieds thing. Take, for instance, the romantic garage sale. Yes. Helping your loved one clean out their closet, garage, or storage is right up there with Tiffany's. Providing them with a free platform to sell their items is right up there with greatest love stories ever told!

For those who may not find that having a garage sale is the most romantic scenario, it may be best to use Bonqo's services section to create a fast, easy, and romantic Valentine's Day.

1. In our services section, you can find the flower shops services you need. Fast. Don't forget, flowers love company in the form of a box of chocolates and balloons. Go all out.
2. In our travel/transportation section, you can take a tour or book a trip.
3. Under general services, you can also create a lovely, luxurious gift basket.

These are merely suggestions. There are so many other options on our Bonqo.com services section. Wine tasting, boutique shopping, restaurants and so much more are just the tip of the iceberg. If none of the services mentioned seem to do the trick, we also have motorcycles and tutoring available. You know, for those days that aren't designated as Valentine's Day days.

Craigslist Apartment Scam & The NYT Writer

The news of scams on Craigslist is, frankly, old news. These stories seem to go hand in hand with “use at your own risk” when it comes to a particular online classifieds site. Once again, though, another fraud has claimed another user. This time, the user was a professional travel writer for The New York Times. Seth Kugel had used the site many times in the past for similar services. This time, however, he let his guard down.
The owner of the apartment that Kugel found on Craigslist wanted Kugel to wire money directly into the owner’s British bank account. They owner didn’t allow Paypal or a credit card. Still, Kugel felt comfortable in doing this.
Then, a story about how the place was no longer available as the owner was arrested. The money was long gone.
To his credit, Kugel has learned a lesson and is willing to share what so many savvy users of the internet already practice:

• Use online classifieds and rental sites are reputable and tested. Bonqo.com is a monitored site. There is always someone on staff who manually checks out the validity of each ad before it is published on the site.
  
• Check for previous scams on the site you are about to use. Nothing is 100% these days, but there are of course sites with terrible reputations and sites with pretty clean reputations. You should go with your instinct.
  
• Use the most secure payment options possible. If a seller wants personal information, banking information or a (very) fast wire of funds directly into their account, you must know it’s a scam. It is encouraged to use cash or PayPal transactions because they are real, legit, and safer.
  

Nothing is every fool-proof, but there are always way to protect against fraud and scams. This goes for online and off. To learn more about this story and stories like it, check out this link: http://bonqo.tumblr.com/post/3032557710/automobile-scam-on-craigslist-again and http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2011/01/a_professional_travel_writer_g.html

The Early Bonqo Special

When one thinks of the phrase, “early bird special” one usually thinks of breakfast deals or garage sales. It’s fair enough that these images are also lovingly thought of when describing the early morning rituals of our community elders.

What one doesn’t think of, however, is the dedicated use of the internet when a senior wants to sell something online. The internet, especially when it comes to buying and selling items, is something a senior will typically steer clear of. 

As more and more Baby Boomers settle into their golden years, their use of gratuitous items diminishes while, sometimes, their ability to buy more items on a whim increases. This is how a garage sale is born, folks!

Look around. So many items are stored in basements, garages, and even in extra storage somewhere in the back of their homes. The bottom line is that a senior citizen has a great need to sell their stuff.

If the senior has a need to get rid of everything, they may find themselves grabbing a newspaper and trying to list items. How 1985! They could take forever to clean out their space if they go that route.

Nowadays, seniors are turning on their computer and selling their items with online classifieds. It’s faster, easier, and completely free. Rather than open their garage door and spending all day monitoring strangers who rummage through their things, they can simply upload pictures of the things they want to sell. Then, when someone wants to buy their Japanese figurines from that holiday they took 22 years ago, they’ll get an email or call from someone who has cold hard cash right now.

Not all classifieds are created equal, though. If you know of a senior who wants to get rid of their items, make sure they look into the safer online classifieds out there. This way, they won’t be turned off by all online classifieds just because they ended up on a seedier classifieds site which promotes distasteful materials.

Before you know it, your Baby Boomer relative will have their own Bonqo.com store and will be selling their items faster than you could have imagined. The freedom of selling safer is out there for you and your internet savvy, aging family member.

Happy Listings!

Get Your Motor Running...Harley-Davidson Now on Bonqo

The Great Depression, overseas competition, and over 100 years later, the bike is still one of the best images of freedom on the open road. There is a sense of pride for a Harley-Davidson owner. A sense of status. A sense of rebellion.
And these feelings remain well into any biker’s golden years. Why shouldn’t they?
The bike can - and will – ride circles around competition out there when it comes to machinery, style, history, uniqueness, recognition and the following. The bottom line is that whether one rides the bike or has never seen one up-close, it is well respected and appreciated by civilians and HOGs alike.
Santa Maria Harley-Davidson is a one-stop bike shop located north of Santa Barbara and dead-center of some of the best roads to cruise in America. The good news is that they’ve just opened a Bonqo store with us. The better news is that you can check out their bonqo.com store right here. 
We appreciate a great bonqo.com store like we appreciate a great bike.
Here are tips on how to become a better Bonqo biker:

1. Be born (to be wild). 2. Check out the Bonqo store for Santa Maria Harley-Davidson. 3. Using caution, safety, and proper California driving rules, you should head out on the highway. Also, be sure to show proper driver courtesy and respect all motorists on the road…or not.

2008 H-D® FXDL Dyna® Low Rider®

2005 H-D® FLSTC/FLSTCI Heritage Softail® Classic