Honestly got burned the same way last year, drove an hour for a "professional dress form" that was literally a duct tape body with a pool noodle for a neck. Learned my lesson and just sucked it up and bought a new one on sale, way less stress than playing roulette on Marketplace.

Used to think asking for money upfront would scare clients away, like they'd think I didn't trust them or something. Then I ate a $600 loss on a website build because the guy kept saying "the check's in the mail" for two months. Now I tell folks it's simple, half down or a flat deposit before I touch anything, and if that's a dealbreaker we just aren't a fit. Funny thing is, the good clients never blink. It's only the ones who were gonna be a problem anyway that argue about it.

Swallowing fiberglass can hurt you inside, so it's smart to be careful.