What do you say when a seller asks why youre buying it?

[Junk_Puppet]

I have a standard answer - 'I have 100 of these and I will die with 99 of them" A discussion killer that works every time

 

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[Ryans Rust]

Good question. A older thread but interesting.

Few times I've said I have a store and such and they would lead me to other items. So many times though it kills the chance of any profit. They instantly become an expert on everything and all of their prices are a steal in their mind all of a sudden. Even when I tell them I've sold 10 of those gaming consoles and for x and they want y. A few times I've offered very close to retail just to obtain a unique item but they feel they were still being taken.

So basically now we quickly get a feel for the person. Ask about their situation first. Need to sell from a death in the family, moving, lost job...Boom here's my card. I can buy it all. Cleaning out the garage and they don't appear to need money..."I buy and sell and collect a few things" toss out a joking "Don't call that hoarders show on me" to quickly divert attention from the "I sell". Throw out a "Billy collects these" to my wife here and there. It's a fun game.

Although my town is large (800k) I've ran into quite a few customers. Most recognize me first and that's why I never just lie and say I collect.

All in all we've done better by telling the truth and networking. But it's those rare situations that bug me where they feel I'm the bad guy. I'm not out to rip anyone off. Unlike me, they don't have to pay local sales tax, pay Uncle Sam, insurance, lease, employee wages, utilities, and so on.

One lady was yelling at me at a yard sale. She had gaming consoles. Told me to make an offer. I told her I had a store and what I could pay and get for the one I was interested in. I told her the retail prices on all the others as a friendly gesture. We do that a lot. She said she wants the price I can get. She now loudly says to her friend, "Hear this? He's trying to make money off me". Uhh lady it's capitalism. I make money because I've done my homework. You had no idea what you had. You own your belongings from work (I assume). I'm working. Wish I said all of that to her. I just walked off. Come to find out a week later she posts on my facebook about a rocking chair we were selling that my wife bought from her yard sale the day before I went. She said " Oh I had one just like that". lol

 

[clovis97]

Good question. A older thread but interesting.

Few times I've said I have a store and such and they would lead me to other items. So many times though it kills the chance of any profit. They instantly become an expert on everything and all of their prices are a steal in their mind all of a sudden. Even when I tell them I've sold 10 of those gaming consoles and for x and they want y. A few times I've offered very close to retail just to obtain a unique item but they feel they were still being taken.

So basically now we quickly get a feel for the person. Ask about their situation first. Need to sell from a death in the family, moving, lost job...Boom here's my card. I can buy it all. Cleaning out the garage and they don't appear to need money..."I buy and sell and collect a few things" toss out a joking "Don't call that hoarders show on me" to quickly divert attention from the "I sell". Throw out a "Billy collects these" to my wife here and there. It's a fun game.

Although my town is large (800k) I've ran into quite a few customers. Most recognize me first and that's why I never just lie and say I collect.

All in all we've done better by telling the truth and networking. But it's those rare situations that bug me where they feel I'm the bad guy. I'm not out to rip anyone off. Unlike me, they don't have to pay local sales tax, pay Uncle Sam, insurance, lease, employee wages, utilities, and so on.

One lady was yelling at me at a yard sale. She had gaming consoles. Told me to make an offer. I told her I had a store and what I could pay and get for the one I was interested in. I told her the retail prices on all the others as a friendly gesture. We do that a lot. She said she wants the price I can get. She now loudly says to her friend, "Hear this? He's trying to make money off me". Uhh lady it's capitalism. I make money because I've done my homework. You had no idea what you had. You own your belongings from work (I assume). I'm working. Wish I said all of that to her. I just walked off. Come to find out a week later she posts on my facebook about a rocking chair we were selling that my wife bought from her yard sale the day before I went. She said " Oh I had one just like that". lol

Very well said!!!

 

[clovis97]

Interesting story:

Many years ago, there was an estate auction of a fairly well known family in town. They had lived there since the 1950's, and by the looks of it, never threw anything away. I didn't know two people could store THAT much stuff in a house of that size.

For whatever reason, the public didn't turn out in droves for that auction, which surprised me. Most of the typical auction going crowd left with several hours to go in the sale. At the beginning of the sale, it was almost impossible to get anything bought, but that changed after the crowd left.

At the end of the sale, the crowd was made up of almost only dealers and resellers. If the dealers hadn't been there, that family would have been giving things away or calling a dumpster, especially at the end of the sale.

I bought so much that I had to make several trips to haul it all home. On one of my return trips, one of the nosy neighbors (that I happened to know) came out and spent 20 minutes ranting about how the dealers had flocked to this auction, and was complaining how they had made money off the family.

I tried to explain that the dealers propped up the prices all day long, especially at the end of the sale. This nosy neighbor just didn't get it, and walked away still mumbling about how wrong it was.

FWIW, this family was a well-to-do family, having inherited a serious chunk of change, and working at a top paying factory with unbelievable retirement benefits.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

.................'So the Feds will have someone else to investigate when I use your _______________ to aid my child pornography business"............

You should probably get out of that biz ....

 

[dejapooh]

How's this for an answer... "Why did you buy it?"

 

[Beachkid23]

I may take a picture of my neighbors garage that is completely full of stuff. Show them the photo, say I collect just about anything and I think I have room for this one right about here! (Point to a small area on the picture) most people will get it, their garages are a lot of the same!

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Tell them you feel sorry for them and consider this purchase charity, and will be putting it on craig's list free stuff soon if they want it back