Parts lot sale etiquette

[auburnseeker]

Just got back from a parts buying mission and came home empty handed.  As usual had a pocket full of cash but there were unmentioned strings attached that I discovered after arriving.  

I drove 2 hours today one way to look at some parts I got a hot tip on from a guy looking for a finder's fee.  I told him not a problem if I made a substantial purchase.  

I called the seller's (a living estate type of deal) and set up to go their early this morning.  I got there and looked everything over.  I figured no problem filling a truck here after a quick look.  Then I tried negotiating a price.  No numbers were exchanged and I was informed at that point another guy who had been buying from the family for years was coming in a couple of hours and we could figure it out then.  What???

When I asked well how do you want to do it? Make an offer where everything was, put a pile together? Well you can start filling boxes I was told.  But I'm suppose to wait for the other guy who basically has first refusal.  

Well of course the other guy shows up,  wants to buy exactly what I do.  no numbers are exchanged between the seller and him but he goes in and starts filling his truck and boxes.   I'm told we'll call you and let you know what he doesn't take,  then you can come back and buy that stuff.  Well obviously there will be nothing of any real value except the random trinket he dropped and overlooked.  

That's a raw deal.  Tell me up front someone else is coming first and has first refusal,  then call me when they are done. 

(In reality, though I'm not a pushy guy,  Since I was there 3 hours earlier,  I should have loaded my truck made a quick deal and left before he even showed up.)  Unfortunately that's not the way I work.  Nice guys finish last right? 

Similar deal happened 2 years ago.  I looked at the contents of a Chevy dealership (a small town one with probably a pickup load of parts at best)  Nothing stellar,  lots of odds and ends, all scattered through a large building,  Someone in heaps and some the roof had leaked on and ruined.

  I made an opening offer of 3,000  and said I could probably up it,  if we could put everything in a big pile and go over what is and isn't ruined.  This was a similar type of day where the seller had several people in and out, not being able to devote much time or thought to our deal.  The seller said that would be fine and he would call me as he was too busy that day to even get anything together. He actually liked the idea as he said he didn't want to sell me a bunch of stuff if it was ruined.  I said I could even get free help to haul the stuff down the rickety stairs from the attic just to get everything centralized whether he sold me anything or we didn't come up with a deal. 

  3 weeks later after no call back,  I called him.  Everything was sold the week earlier to another guy that came up and got everything together found a lot more stuff and offered him 5,000 for it.  Well of course I could have went higher if I knew there was more and it wasn't all ruined.

   Tonight I get another call from a guy only 20 miles from where i was wasting my time today with another load.  Hasn't been picked and first time offered.  After probing the seller though,  well,  he did take a pile of the NOS mopar to Hershey last year and did good selling that. (I actually think I bought stuff from him)  Then someone came in and bought all the hood ornaments,  but it has never been picked remember?  

  Finally,  looked at a bunch of cars crammed in a basement and a couple of garages all for sale as well as a pile of parts.  Some NOS.  I was probably the first guy to look at everything.  The prices on the cars were atleast double plus what they were worth in good running order (most hadn't turned a wheel in 10 -20 years) 

  I told them atleast get them out so I can walk around them and I would take another look and I would be interested in the parts regardless of whether I bought a car or not. I even went around Identifying parts for the family so they would know what they were and if they went to any of the cars.

  Well they got them all out never told me and sold them all off for less than 1/2 of the prices I was quoted.  

  Now I got a call,  they want me to come down and look at all the parts nobody else wanted.  (they have been selling parts as well)

  I'm really getting sick of being clean up guy.  Don't call me until you are ready to sell.  When I come to look,  I want to make a deal and fill my truck.  So if you are selling parts especially in lots,  exercise a little etiquette and only schedule one guy at a time and plan to deal with him.

  I guess my money isn't green enough.  If you don't like my offer,  counter or tell me up front it's not going to work.  Better yet,  have a number in mind.  I'm not going to shoot high right out of the gate. 

  Sorry for venting,  just getting really discouraged at being the cleanup guy who is dumpster diving, after you sell all the cream off the top, for enough trinkets to pay for my gas money.  

[intimeold]

Yes, I have had similar occurrences happen to me basicly like that. Some details have been different.

 

I end up frustrated, mad and feeling like I was used, by the seller. Mostly I think the seller the the "other buyer", are working together.

 

This is a different scenario than you experienced; but I will never forget this one.

One such case involved a 1936 Indian Chief motorcycle. No matter what I offered, cash in hand, right there at the motorcycle; it had to be approved by this other guy.  Just for brevity, I will jump to the end.  It took a while to get the story straight.     Anyway the "other guy" owns the bike and after a few years the story came out that it was on a fraction what I offered.

 

The original owner and I hit it off Very well, no problems at all. And she said the bike would be at home in my collection.  But what happened I don't know.  I never met the buyer until many years later. And he bragged he stole the bike.  I am still pissed at that.  Oh that buyer was a dealer in PA and I will never go into his place ever.

[F&J]

every guy who is out there buying for resale has these bad moments.....but we often don't take time to recall the very pleasant and decent priced buys.

 

Did you ever line up 3 more pickups with 3 trailers and 3 drivers for a 7AM departure, then get the call from the seller at 7:15AM, cancelling out in a panic...because "so and so says ....".

 

It balances out, or a person bails out...for a new hobby.  I say hobby, as many I have met, honestly don't realize that they really like dealing....not only just chasing a buck.

 

I'm out of it.  The market is changing for a long spell, and I'm stuck in the old days when determining what something is really worth "now".  Some stuff "ain't worth what I remember".  And, I don't enjoy it anymore.  I want to work on my prewars instead...and get to drive them.   

[auburnseeker]

Unfortunately with parts I can probably count the deals on one hand where I really felt good after the buy.  Most were a lot of work to make a buck and even more luck.  As I said above,  I'm rarely the first guy.  I usually get to buy the stuff from the guy that bought it from the guy, that bought it from a friend that actually bought it from the dealership, having already tried hawking it at every show in the North east for years,  then giving up and storing it in their damp basement for the next 20. 

Someday maybe I will get lucky.  Of course I would probably have better luck playing the lotto. 

[30DodgePanel]

Whenever there's "another guy" involved in having the final say I usually treat them in kind in return. Play games with them in return and when they get pissed ask how would you like to drive two hours for a wild goose chase? You have the right to be honest because either way, that bridge is already burned so why treat them with respect ?

 

Say things like:

Do you accept travelers checks ?
Money wires ?

NO ?
How bout Obama Stamps ?
NO .. those HAVE always been pretty worthless I agree...

HMM .... How bout you getting real and being fair with all buyers who have cash in the future, give that a try next time folks. "Good bye, don't call me again !"

[alsancle]

There is a problem on the sell side of it too.  I have probably a pickup truck and 1/2 of NOS 1950s Packard parts that my dad has been bugging me to get rid of.  I have a partial list of #s and lots of pictures.   I realize that if I was a buyer I wouldn't know what to pay without seeing the stuff in person.  But that requires a trip by the potential buyer which limits the radius to a day drive around Mass I would guess.   On my side, I don't want 10 different guys kicking the tires. 

[trimacar]

I had one of those "other guy" experiences, but it was with a car....back in my younger days of collecting, living in New Orleans, a club member had a car up for sale...it had been on the market for a while, and he took it to a local auction, where it didn't meet his reserve...at the auction I had a chance to drive it, a really nice '41 Chevy tudor if I remember correctly, sweet thing to drive.   A few days later I called the owner and we discussed the car, agreed on a price, and I said I'd buy it.  "Should I bring you a deposit? I asked...No, he said, consider it a done deal.....so a couple of days go by, I call him and tell him I've moved money around and ready to close the deal..."Well, uh," he starts, "So and so said I was selling the car too cheap, and he advises not selling it for the number we discussed."  Discussed?  You mean AGREED on?  So he names a new number, considerably higher than our agreement, and I tell him no thanks.  At a later club meeting, the "other guy" comes up to me and accuses me of trying to steal the car....when the number was very close to the auction reserve....needless to say, the owner and the "other guy" and I had strained relationships from that point....

 

Funny thing is, owner ended up selling the car to the "other guy" for less than I'd offered....figure that one out....

[Bhigdog]

I had a Stickley setee I sold a number of years back. I sort of knew about maybe, sort of, what it was worth and had a "Stickley guy" come to look at it. He looked it over and said it was a very nice piece and a fair price for both the seller and buyer was $8,000. I started the old "well.......... I don't know shuffle". He pulled out a wad of $100's and said this is my one and only offer . Once I leave here don't call me again because I will not be interested at any price. 10 minutes later it was in his van. Turns out it was a fair price.

You might want to try that approach............Bob

[mercer09]

well, any of us who've bought before, can attest to having this happen to them.

 

On the contrary, as a seller, I get tired of tire kickers, so it does go both ways.

 

sometimes you get lucky, but in the grand scheme of things, buying and selling in this hobby isnt what it once was cracked up to be.

[auburnseeker]

3 hours ago, mercer09 said:

well, any of us who've bought before, can attest to having this happen to them.

 

On the contrary, as a seller, I get tired of tire kickers, so it does go both ways.

 

sometimes you get lucky, but in the grand scheme of things, buying and selling in this hobby isnt what it once was cracked up to be.

When someone is driving 2 hours each way the next day and shows up with a truck full of empty crates and a wallet full of money that they saw because I was able to buy a few old car brochures they had at their Father's other place,  I would consider the buyer pretty serious. 

[capngrog]

7 hours ago, trimacar said:

  At a later club meeting, the "other guy" comes up to me and accuses me of trying to steal the car....when the number was very close to the auction reserve....

 

So, what's wrong with "trying to steal" a car by offering to buy it?  If the seller thinks that the price is too low, he/she can either decline the offer or hit the buyer with a counter offer ..." let the games begin"!  Of course, with every negotiation, ATTITUDE is everything.  A showing of mutual respect between seller and buyer will make even a "no sale" negotiation a positive experience.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[mercer09]

  15 hours ago, mercer09 said:

well, any of us who've bought before, can attest to having this happen to them.

 

On the contrary, as a seller, I get tired of tire kickers, so it does go both ways.

 

sometimes you get lucky, but in the grand scheme of things, buying and selling in this hobby isnt what it once was cracked up to be.

 

 

 

When someone is driving 2 hours each way the next day and shows up with a truck full of empty crates and a wallet full of money that they saw because I was able to buy a few old car brochures they had at their Father's other place,  I would consider the buyer pretty serious. 

 

Not saying you werent serious Auburn................ but less serious people have worn me down to the point of me turning everyone away-fact.

 

so you had a wallet full of money, did you pull it out, make an offer or?

 

Approach does matter as well, and not saying you did anything wrong......................

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[mercer09]

ps once had a guy want ing to buy my 07 Maxwell

 

He invites me on a brass tour, in the middle of the tour, get's pissy and wants to know if I'll sell him my car. Never said I would or wouldnt...............

 

So I say, what's your offer, because without an offer, I have no idea.

 

Never did get an offer................?  I am not Houdini.

 

Mind reading isnt my specialty.

[auburnseeker]

I guess my problem is I have respect for people and I'm old fashioned in that way.  Doesn't get you too far today.  So when I show up, there is another guy driving their who has been dealing with the family all along from who know's where,  I see that end as well.  I would be equally pissed if i had been the guy buying what might have been the drudge for years so he could finally buy the good stuff.  I won't tell you how many times I bought the crap to finally get a chance at the better stuff,  only to get the shaft because they sold it to the new guy without giving me the chance.   That sucks too.  I just wished the family had been upfront with me about the other buyer. 

I had a deal yesterday.  The guy did it right and for that, got $2300 for 2 boxes full of parts.   No other party. Cut right to the chase and the deal was done in less than a half hour.   Of course he had everything laid out and I knew exactly what I was buying.  not a lot of guessing and stuff scattered all over the place.  

Too bad they weren't all like that. 

I guess if everyone was serious, as I tend to be about cars and parts buying, there wouldn't be so many scuff marks on the tires of all our old cars.  

Of course as a seller you need to be a little upfront with, especially long distance buyers when answering specific questions.  If a guy asks are there any rust holes or repairs to a specific area,  you need to be honest,  because the first place he is going to look is the places he asked questions about.  Of course that's a whole different thread we could get going on. 

[60FlatTop]

43 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:

 I won't tell you how many times I bought the crap to finally get a chance at the better stuff

 

Think way back and remember who it was that planted that thought in your brain. AND what they had to back that philosophy up with.

 

I remember the day well. Hallman Chevrolet in Rochester, New York had a wholesale lot a block over from the showroom on East Avenue. There were always about 30 cars. A trailer sat on the lot as the office and a very well dressed salesman, white hair, cane, and a suit, no younger than 60 manned the operation. It was hot and sunny and I was around 14 years old.

 

My Grandfather only bought Chevies from the major metropolitan Chevy dealers with few exceptions. That day he told me he was going to show me how to buy. "You have to take a little of the crap to get the cream." was his introduction to the lesson. I think we bought four real crappers and overpaid for a 1960 Olds for my Grandmother to have as a personal car. I remember that old shyster in the suit vividly. And the lesson. I might go into a similar situation today and ask "How much for the whole bunch? They will be gone tomorrow and you will never see me again."

 

People are just quirky in their personalities and in dealings involving money, but nothing is deeply hidden. Reading body language and a bit of intuition is enough to write a book on most of them.

Bernie

Edited April 24, 2017 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)