Art & Inspiration You think buying stuff is hard

A business is much different than a swapmeet, for sale ad, etc as you alluded to.
But that said you can bargain some at retail places on goods. But definitely not labor.

 

And then there’s the ones after a few emails, some more pics, and now doing phone calls show up, and want to bargain the price you come down to, because “I drove all this way”.
“Have a pleasant drive back”.

 

I had an OT little Italian sporty car roadster that I hadn't driven in over a year. It ran good, cornered like it was on rails but the wife didn't want to go anywhere in it because I wanted to cruise with the top down and she didn't like getting her hair messed up. Got tired of walking around it in the garage and posted it for sale. First guy came out with a friend to look and was telling me all about the 15 or so same brand little Italian cars he'd owned and driven. He talked a good game so I let him take it around the block. I figured when he couldn't get it shifted while he was leaving that something was up. I was sure of it when his friend drove it back in. No sale.

Second guy made me an offer over the phone after reading the ad and looking at the pics. He comes along and I take him around the block to make sure he knows how to shift. Halfway along, we trade seats, and I could not get him to do anything more than lug it. Little engine really liked 4000 RPM, but this guy wouldn't get it over 2500. My thinking at the time was if he buys it, he can run it anyway he wants. I'd already taken a grand off my original asking price because I knew it was going to need a new clutch. When we get back to the house, he wants to know if I'll take another $500 off of HIS original offer. He must have realized he'd screwed up because he turned red and got all tongue tied. He puked the clutch on the way home and called me wanting me to give back some of the money he'd just paid me so he could get the car fixed. He was really surprised when I told him "No". He already knew what he was going to have to do for the car but when he first saw it, he could only talk about the new speakers he was going to put in it. Some of these people just don't have a clue and I've given up feeling sorry for them.

 

It's a crap shoot selling but it seems desirable items sell quickly. Example-40 Ford nose piece/latch--listed two-sold 2 days but they are out of production. Grilles sell quickly too IF you are inclined to sell them.

 

offered to sell a NOS flathead block to a dude i didn't know, and I was a SOB for insisting on local pickup!

 

I was selling a 64 impala for parts no motor or tranny black and red interior for $500 guy wanted it but he wanted it for free because it was a 3 hour drive to come get

 

I will say that one of my O/T cars a guy drove four hours to come look at, never even spoke with him more than a few words. He seemed very impressed with the car but not enough to make an offer (which is where it sits now; anything that covers the few expensive bits I bought for it) and I kinda felt bad about his long trip for nothing but a look over. I got my asking price on my Jag frame and the giuy slipped it under a t-bucket and sold it on. Good for him; after it left my hands it was none of my business any more!

 

I've had great luck on Facebook Marketplace for selling stuff. I list stuff at very reasonable price and that's the bottom dollar. Sure you have to weed out some dummies, but the average time my stuff takes to be sold is less than 24 hours which helps. I'm downsizing and not looking to win the lottery selling stuff. Biggest pain is shipping if need be and I always list stuff that shipping costs are on the buyer. Your results my very....

 

I once had a business associate who said : "An idiot can buy more in 30 minutes than a smart man can sell in 30 days.".

 

The thing that really cracks me up is, can I make payments? Well sure you can, but I keep the item till it’s paid for, that doesn’t seem to go over so well

 

I tell them, "Yes, I take payments, one."

 

I once had a set of 180 degree stock car headers that a local wanted. It went like this: "You don't have to have the money right now, do ya?" "No....you don't have to have the headers right now, do ya?". "Hey, I gotta run this weekend!" "Not with my sponsorship, you don't!".

 

I've been seeing the opposite in a lot of ads....high end build is extremely rare they want $80,000 only two bad pics and half a sentence description. emiail for more pics and info.

 

Yep, seems like the higher the price, the lower the effort to sell. I will admit that I used a catalog picture of my bead roller but without actually having it set up for use, it's very awkward to photograph.

 

It has been my experience that I do pretty good selling parts for what they are worth but not if I ask too much.

 

What else you got?

 

PLEASE, No LowBallers. No car flippers, No trades, cash only sale or Bank Wire transfer, No, I don't need/want any help selling this car. Please, No texts or messages, Calls only. All of these terms were in my hobby car ads and then I added, IF you need to consult with your Banker, Wife or Mommy, Please Do Not waste my time and yours, Thank You ! Now you would think that would have covered it, trying to eliminate all the BS calls, texts, messages, it did help some. My last hobby car sale, my 51 Mercury was an experience dealing with today's buyers, will say in a lifetime of buying, selling whatever, interesting/very interesting times we live in and the "Art" of making a deal is dead IMO.

 

It is pretty much a buyers market. Less and less people even know how to use the tools that are for sale, and they take up real estate in the shop. There are unfortunately more and more estate type sales where they just want to empty the buildings so they can sell the place. That is tough competition for the normal buy/sell marketplace. The best experience is when you buy something from someone who genuinely wants to sell it, and then after you are done with it, use the internet to move it to someone who genuinely wants to buy it. Not everything increases in value. When I get ready to make an offer, I ask if they have left any negotiating room in their asking price. Then I say it is worth X to me today. Generally we can come to an agreement. I like when they say I just want my money back. Since when is it my responsibility to save you because you made a bad choice or over paid for something you wanted in the heat of the moment. I buy all year long and sell at a general flea market that runs twice a year, lots of work, lots of storing and pricing and packing and unpacking. I find the general public is a lot easier to sell to than the hard scrabble lot at the swap meet.

 

I put a couple things online locally for free last night, and two guys actually phoned up and came over today to pick them up.

I was on the roof doing some shingling, so had to take a break, come down and talk about car stuff and junk for half an hour each time.
I really enjoy meeting people and talking about their hobbies and listening to their stories, almost as much as making ten or a hundred dollars selling something. Usually we can agree on a price, rarely the interaction is unpleasant and results in a no sale. In which case it is annoying for a few minutes, then passes. Then life is enjoyable again.

I find it interesting that some people are anxious about listing a phone number. I always include that in my ads and am not constantly bombarded with scammers and stalkers. Yes, I do get the regular "Credit Card is compromised" and "Windows Security" recorded scam messages, but no more so than anyone else, it seems.

 

I always list mine too. Spammers already have my shit, it doesn't matter.

 

People in general seem to think being rude and inconsiderate is standard operating procedure now a days, nothing you can do about it, I have a few projects in storage that the plan was to build and flip like I have done the last50 years. But considering cost of parts and materials now days. I will attempt too past them on as is. The thing is I go online and see what similar projects are priced at for reference, THEN, I ask myself, would I pay that?! I will price them to move at a price that the flippers will think is too good to pass up. They will be gone and if someone else figures out how to get more, then more power to them. and if they don't sell, then I guess they are scrap metal anyhow. Larry

 

I have gotten to the stage at swap meets when i have something priced low to sell,
and some one really low balls me i pick up said item and throw it in the back of my car
and when they ask what am i doing i simply tell them that part is not for sale.
the look on their face is worth it.

 

When items are priced really low at swap meets. I just pay the price. The people look at me funny when I hand them the cash.

 

If I see something I want, and I think the seller has the best price already on it, I'm not interested in haggling with them, I just buy the thing. If they have what I think is an outrageous price, I just pass it by. I'm not wasting time and energy arguing over price. I price my own stuff pretty reasonably IMHO. YRMV.

 

If the price is fair, there is no need to haggle as far as it goes with me. Been a long time since I tried to sell a car and I feel for anyone trying to sell a car let alone parts. From the guys who insult your intelligence, act like they are doing you a favor, and don't bother to show up at all, and it almost seems to be getting worse as years go by. Or maybe I'm just turning into one of those crusty old guys I used to avoid at the swap meets and car shows.

 

A friend from my car club passed away and left a SHIT TON of cars, parts, and tools his wife had to deal with. So I offered to help her sort out and sell a bunch of his "stuff". Yes, he had a lot of good stuff and certain people came sniffing around making VERY low ball offers before we even had a chance to find the items they wanted. Others seemed like they wanted to case the shop so they could come back and steal stuff. The biggest problem was the widow that had a price in her head because her husband told her something was "valuable" and it really wasn't. It was a very frustrating experience and after several sales she still has a bunch of left over stuff that really needs a lower price or a trip to the scrap yard. It's been two years, stuff is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

Similar to nosford. I am trying to help a friend sell vintage car stuff as well. Health problems are the reason. Have had some success but so many tire kickers and he is 150 miles from me. My daughter put alot on facebook (I don't belong) and has helped get rid of several cars and a lot of parts but she has to sort out the looky loos. and low ballers.

 

I've started to downsize since I'll be 72 next year. My son has no interest in anything in my shop. My wife says that if I go before her she plans on opening the shop doors and tell anyone to come take what they want for free. I told her there are thousands of dollars of tools and remaining parts so she may change her tune. Luckily I have the son of my old mentor that will take whatever he wants and then advise/assist my wife with disposing of what's left.

 

It's a crapshoot dealing with many of these innernuts, but I've met a lot of nice people as well. Made some very good money from some items ,lost some money on some others, and had a couple of people steal from me. Still, all in all.........I find the benefits outweigh the negatives because I find things that I never would have known about.
Things that don't sell or even get inquires about one time, and then the next time I list it .....I have a bunch of interest. The one trend I have picked up on is that people interested in Model A parts are usually the cheapest ba****ds on the internet.
Jus Sayin (Errr, present company excluded of course)

 

I have a truck on the net as we speak. I say in the ad that the engine is bad, won’t run. I had a guy actually ask me if it ran before? Seriously!






Bones