Sudden interest in an old truck I'm selling

[auburnseeker]

I put my 49 Chevy truck up for sale on the local craigslist almost a week ago.  Really no response for a few days.  A guy finally contacted me to schedule a time to look at it from 4 hours away.  The weather here was terrible to say the least so we agreed for him to be able to test drive it the weather needed to improve and the salt needed to get rinsed off the roads.  That's pretty much finally happened after the 3 inches of snow has finally melted for the most part and will probably be gone in the morning.  The rain should have cleansed the roads as well. 

Now I just in the last day had 3 more have trailer and cash in hand responses that all wanted to schedule times to look at it.  I now have 4 people lined up to look at it pending somehow scheduling them in so no one is on the road while I'm finalizing the deal with the person before them.  (I wont' do that) 

One guy has told me he can come tomorrow at 12 and I was going to go that route.  I think he was the first to actually commit to a time.   Now the original interested party that the weather put off has contacted me to come after the truck.  I originally  told him not to come then and he didn't want to put it in the salt that day on his open carrier.   At that point 4 days after the ad came out,  there was no interest in the truck.  

Which guy do you schedule first?   

   I've never had this kind of interest before.  I guess I won't have to drop the price too much to move it atleast. 

[Spinneyhill]

In the absence of any statements on your advert to the contrary, first in first served? Ethically, I suppose you should give the guy put off by the weather the option to come before the next one.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[C Carl]

Spinney' is right , of course. How would you feel , etc.............?  - Carl

[MCHinson]

I would contact the first guy and ask him when he can come and see it. Tell him you have someone else interested but you wish to honor your initial agreement with him. He needs to set a reasonable time and come see it at that time. After the agreed time, if he does not buy it, call the next guy on the list and have him come and see it. That would be the fairest way to deal with potential buyers. 

 

Most sellers would simply say that the first guy at your place with cash in hand gets it, but I would give the first guy the first shot at it due to your initial conversation with him.

[auburnseeker]

I was thinking the same thing to give the first guy first refusal.  I'll go from their.  Seems like the right thing to do.  

[Matt Harwood]

Do what feels right to you--someone's going to be unhappy no matter what and they're going to whine to you about it. I deal with this once in a while, either on a popular car or a car that has been sitting for a long time and suddenly three guys decide they want it (it happens more often than you'd think).

 

My policy is the first guy to put money on the table owns it--it's really the only fair way to do it. That shows intent and seriousness, not just wanting to be first in line to waste my time. I have the benefit of being able to take a deposit over the phone via credit card, but it's fair to tell these guys that there are others in the game and the first one to show up with cash in hand will own it. I know you don't want it out in the rain and snow, but if they really want the truck then they'll show up, weather be damned, and evaluate it as it sits. A test drive is useful , but they'll be able to determine the condition of the sheetmetal and the mechanical fitness of the engine without a drive, and if there's something amiss, well, it isn't a game-ending thing if it's suspension or brakes. When there are multiple suitors, the guy who moves decisively gets the car. Besides this ain't a complicated Ferrari, it's a basic little Chevy--there's not much that can be so critically wrong that buying it at your price is a catastrophic loss.

 

I recently had a 1972 Jaguar XKE OTS for sale. Awesome pedigree, great colors, etc. I knew it wouldn't last long, it was too nice and got everything right. One guy spent a ton of time with me on the phone, I took a bunch of extra photos for him, talked to his "expert mechanic," he hired an inspector, and even after all that, couldn't quite make up his mind and decided to fly out to see it. Well, in between the time he said he'd fly out and when he could actually do so, another buyer said, "I'll take it, here's the money." I felt a little bad for the first guy (I was also irritated by how much of my time he wasted because he was indecisive, but that's not going to affect how I treat a client); after all, he'd invested probably $500 in the inspection. Then again, man up and make your move, Nancy. Nobody's going to hold your hand and tell you it's OK. The decisive buyer always wins the game. Move or get out of the way.

That said, I've wanted your truck since I saw it a few months ago when you fist got it. If these guys fall through, call me. Knowing you, your standards, and your maintenance routine, I'll take it sight-unseen.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I'll keep you up to date Matt if it all falls through.  I'm pretty sure the first guy isn't going to pass.  He was willing to come out in the storm if need be he said to make sure he didn't lose out and come back to get it.  He's atleast 3 hours away and 3 states through the mountains,  though so I didn't want to see him make the trip needlessly with no other real interest.  Of course that all changed today.  Go figure.  I can't tell you the number of locals that wanted it,  just nobody put up.  

[R Walling]

 I once advertised a motorcycle that was frozen up and received a call stating that he would buy it, I told him that I would save it until the next morning. I received three call since than and explained the situation and took their numbers.

 

 The first guy showed up and tried to lower my price by saying "that seeing that it won't run it isn't worth that much."

 I imeaditly told him "Ok, I will call someone else who would pay that much. I called the second guy and told him if he could get here right away I would sell it to him.

 The second guy arrived within the hour and reneged on his agreement.

 The third guy bought it on the spot with out even examining it closely.  He ended up buying a second one that I hadn't had the chance to advertize.

[JACK M]

I advertised some truck tires on CL once and got a call from a guy that was a couple of hours away. He whined about the price and made me a lesser offer which I accepted but he had better get down here with the cash right away.

As soon as I made this phone deal I got another call and this guy was much closer and would pay full price.

I told him that they were spoken for and he was quite put off with me that he had the cash and could be here right away.

Meanwhile the first gut took several hours to get here but called me a couple of time with his progress.

When he finally showed up he put some cash in my hand and began rolling them to his pickup.

I counted the $ and said "hey, this isn't the amount we agreed on here" he replied "Oh, the wife counted it out, her bad" and went to the cab and got the other hundred.

He obviously knew he had tried to short me as I didn't say how much short he was.

 

Now in hindsight what I should have done is given his money back and sent him down the road without the tires and called the next guy back.

But no, I didn't think of that until he was gone. He had gone thru a lot of time and trouble to borrow a pick up to get here and that was his excuse for taking so long and being so frazzled about the count.

 

Dang rip offs, This is a big part of my worries about inviting CL Scumbags to my place.

[mercer09]

My policy is the first guy to put money on the table owns it--it's really the only fair way to do it

 

amen to that Matt-that is how I roll!

 

too many wouldv couldv's out there!

[Matt Harwood]

15 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

I can't tell you the number of locals that wanted it,  just nobody put up.  

 

EVERYBODY wants it...

...until it's time to reach into their pocket and actually pull out the money.

 

Then it's always the same old, "Well you know, see I have to go and, um, like, I'm not sure when I can, let me get back to you, I'll call you tomorrow, I really want it but, you know, I gotta check with the wife..."

 

I have to say I'm pretty sick of guys throwing their wives under the bus when they're not man enough to buy a car on their own. The minute someone mentions their wife, I know they're out and were never serious in the first place. If you come to buy a car, bring your testicles with you, don't leave them in your wife's purse again.

[auburnseeker]

Not a worry.  The guy took it and I got my price.  He was pleased with the way it drove.  It's nice to be able to tell everyone else it's sold.   It also helped clear the spare motor a pair of doors and a fender out of my garage. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Ouch! I can not imagine storing ones testicles in a purse. What I can imagine is a disgruntled wife placing them there when you do not involve them on a big item purchase. Listening to a seller chew my butt once over a car deal, sounds a lot better then getting the stink eye for a month. Has nothing to do with being whipped, just respect.

[auburnseeker]

I like being one of the guys that is serious and makes things happen.  

I wanted a 58-60 Vette- got a 60 fuelie

A 41-47 Hudson pickup,  got a 47

58-60 Tbird- bought a 59 convt. 

Needed a chipper, an excavator, a cabbed tractor,  even a bigger house.

I made them all happen. 

I just went on the hunt for an enclosed trailer and ended up with a 2 moth old 24 foot v nose.  

I get sick of listening to all the dreamers like Matt. I like being a doer. 

[Matt Harwood]

Congrats, Randy. I'm glad you got your price and everyone went home happy. That's the way it's supposed to work.

[C Carl]

Good going ! Both you and the buyer. There is everything right about being a man of your word. In a situation like this , you can always use the no.2 man's interest to get your price from the first. Seems like The Golden Rule is still alive in your neck of the woods. - Carl

[1937hd45]

Glad to read this turned out well for the seller and first guy to call, that is how I would have handled the same type of deal. Years ago long before the internet there was a 1949 Mercury listed in a local paper "First with the Money" gets it. Called and said I'd be there in the morning with cash, only a 45 minute drive. Thought I had a deal, called to say I was on my way only to find out the funds were wired from California by another guy. Bob

[mercer09]

Ouch! I can not imagine storing ones testicles in a purse. What I can imagine is a disgruntled wife placing them there when you do not involve them on a big item purchase. Listening to a seller chew my butt once over a car deal, sounds a lot better then getting the stink eye for a month. Has nothing to do with being whipped, just respect.

 

we all have different relationships with our wives. I must agree that I have NEVER sold anything to a person that has had to ask their wife first.............

when I hear that line, I immediately dismiss myself and go back to whatever it was that I was doing. Life is too short to waste one's time......

especially mine.

[F&J]

6 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

The minute someone mentions their wife, I know they're out and were never serious in the first place

Best ever wanted ad maybe hemmings....guy wanted a particular car in great condition, and it was a very popular, but tough car to get.  He said at the bottom of ad:  :YES I have the money, and NO I don't need to ask the wife first".

[auburnseeker]

1 hour ago, F&J said:

Best ever wanted ad maybe hemmings....guy wanted a particular car in great condition, and it was a very popular, but tough car to get.  He said at the bottom of ad:  :YES I have the money, and NO I don't need to ask the wife first".

That might have been my Ad:)

I remember using that atleast once. I think it was when I was looking for my 58-60 Vette. 

 

[auburnseeker]

Ironically this morning I had to meet a guy that wanted to look at a 1969 Corvette I have for sale as well.   I had the ad on craigslist. It shows probably 12 photos of the car.  I put right in the ad the car is rough and will need everything restored.  It also has a rusty frame.  I put clearly in the ad the frame is shot and needs to be replaced.  I do have clear matching transferrable paperwork for it and it's pretty complete including a built non matching numbers 350 and 4 speed tranny.  It's an AC, power window tilt tele car.  It rolls good as is but that's about it.  I clearly told the guy all these points.  The price I told him was $2500  firm.  They don't get much cheaper than that unless they can only be shoveled ion the back of a pickup.  I know a nice one can be had for 15G and up but the bottom on them like other cars isn't as low as you would think. 

He got their went all over the car.  I left him to it while i cleaned the chimney at my shop.  He then says wow the car is kind of rough and needs everything.  (I guess he missed that when the ad mentioned this clearly and said frame is shot)  I even reinforced this over the phone before he came to look at it.  I also said clearly it was an old hot rod custom and the body had been modified but no ridiculously.  These are the actual photos from my ad. 

He said I hate to insult you but I would offer you $1000  for the car.   I guess he didn't understand the 2500 firm.   I guess he somehow missed the fact that it's also a 69 not a 79 in that offer.  He also said the transmission didn't shift smoothly.  Wow I'm pretty sure any car that has been sitting outside for the last 8 years like I told him it was, wouldn't shift real smooth as the linkage is more than likely sticky from sitting so long with no one moving the lever. 

Atleast the guy after the truck was serious.  

The guy was even trying to get me down more on the Vette after I told him 2500 firm before he came to look at it.  I should have known and not wasted my time. 

Craigslist is such a love hate medium to sell or even give stuff away. 

From my garage project I have a bunch of pine logs I cut to 3-4 feet long that I put on their for free including help to load your truck for campfire wood or boiler wood.  I've given 5 or 6 truck loads away but have alot more, so I put an ad on 3 craigslists as our town actually is right on the edge of 3 different ones.  Some keeps giving me crap about overposting.  I refresh them about once a week.  I guess some people have nothing better to do than try to be the craigslist police.  Their response has so much profanity in it.  I couldn't even put one on here as an example because out of each sentence there would probably be only one or 2 words that wouldn't have to be censored. 

That boy really needs some time with a bar of soap hanging out of his mouth. 

[1937hd45]

I'll never forget the 1933 MG J2 I listed many years ago as "TOTALLY Disassembled". I bought a new wood kit from England along with a few small bits, this told me I could never afford to finish the restoration, so I listed the project. Guy called and wanted it, couldn't look at it for a few weeks. Finally arranged to come and look at it. Took every bit out of storage and covered a two car garage floor with the nicely arranged parts, body, chassis and engine. Upon arrival he was in a total state of shock, guess he had never seen a car apart, never looked at MG people the  same as others after that. Bob

[trimacar]

Wow, car for sale stories.

 

Just sold a white '67 Lincoln Continental convertible, had one guy that sent me numerous emails, asked questions, asked for more pictures, called me and discussed car, asked more questions, more pictures....hours of work on my end, two weeks of back and forth,  but hey, guy is interested, and we agreed on a price.....then I didn't hear from him for a week, so emailed him, reply was "Well, I really want a black car, so will pass".....which he could have said at first....

 

Had an '85 Porsche cabriolet, very nice, low mileage car.....I was at work, fellow came from the DC area (little over an hour away) with his mechanic.  He shows me a piece of metal, says it's a Porsche "gap gauge" and that every door and other sheet metal gap is set to that at factory.  Uh-huh....then he goes out to check car, comes back with a legal notepad, single spaced, and starts "well, here's the first thing wrong, that's $300 off price, here's the second thing, that's $100 off, here's..." and I stopped him right there, told him that's not how this works, here's the price, take it or leave it....he got all huffy and left....sheesh...

 

Sold a car at Hershey, nice fellow with his wife and daughter, lived local to the area.  Fairly expensive car, mid 5 figures, we agree on a price, he says "here, I'll write you a check"...ummm, no,  But" his wife says, "there's four hundred and fifty six thousand dollars in that checking account!"  Ummmm, that's nice, but won't take a personal check.  We finally agree to go to his local bank, where I sit with branch manager as she produces a certified check (these days, about the only way to take one!)....

 

I once found a nice '66 Mustang fastback, was able to buy it right, and drove it for a while.  I decided to sell it, and young fellow came to look at it and really liked car.  He asked what I think is a silly question, "Why are you selling it?", so off the top of my head I just said "Oh, I need the money to finish my garage"...which really wasn't true, didn't need the money for anything, just wanted to sell the car, at the time I had about 15 other cars in the stable....about a year later, I see the car at the show, and the fellow has researched the history of ownership and made up a really nice sign, describing the car and the who and where it came from.  And there, right in the middle, was a sentence "I got the car from David Coco, who was broke and needed money for his garage, so he sold me this car"......oh my!

 

On the other side of the coin, I've made offers on cars as I'm standing with owner, and sometimes am asked "how long is the offer good for?".  Of course, seller wants to shop car out, and be able to say "Well, I have a standing offer of $xx, will you top it?"  I always tell seller offer is good until I close the door of my car as I'm leaving, then we start over on negotiations....and numerous times, with fair offers, that bought the car....

[John_S_in_Penna]

16 hours ago, C Carl said:

There is everything right about being a man of your word.... Seems like The Golden Rule is still alive in your neck of the woods. - Carl

 

I like that approach.  

Auburn Seeker, if you have this much integrity,

I'd be happy to do business with you any time!

[Matt Harwood]

Buyers don't read ads. They look at pictures, hope that it's better than it looks, and always expect to negotiate. No matter how nice the car is, the guy who buys it inevitably finds something to complain about. Maybe it's because I'm a dealer and people feel more comfortable reaching into my pocket than a private seller's, but it's quite common for buyers to do all the things Auburnseeker mentions, including being disappointed despite being clearly told the facts. I call this "managing expectations" and I work really hard at it so that people have a good experience and to date, I've really only had one dissatisfied buyer. A few guys with little gripes and I can work with them to fix the things that they are unhappy about, but ironically, the guy who just couldn't be made happy, who just wouldn't stop complaining, who did his best to wreck my reputation, was also the guy who bought the nicest car I've ever had. No car would ever measure up to his standards and he wanted me to bankroll tens of thousands of dollars worth of work on a car with 600 miles on it.

 

In short, it's a two-way street and some buyers have to be shown the path before they can walk it.

[Restorer32]

Dad was an incurable haggler. One Saturday morning years ago we went to look at a Model A Victoria Sedan that was advertised in the local paper. We arrived at the same time as a local Model A collector but since we were about 2 steps ahead of him he graciously gave us first shot at the car. Dad asked the price. Owner replied that it was $1300. Cheap even then. The fellow behind us got the owner's attention and told him he would take the car if we didn't. Dad, being the experienced haggler that he was says "Will you take $1100 ?" Owner says "Sure". The fellow behind us walked away muttering under his breath. Sometimes sellers are their own worst enemies.

[Restorer32]

7 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Buyers don't read ads. They look at pictures, hope that it's better than it looks, and always expect to negotiate. No matter how nice the car is, the guy who buys it inevitably finds something to complain about. Maybe it's because I'm a dealer and people feel more comfortable reaching into my pocket than a private seller's, but it's quite common for buyers to do all the things Auburnseeker mentions, including being disappointed despite being clearly told the facts. I call this "managing expectations" and I work really hard at it so that people have a good experience and to date, I've really only had one dissatisfied buyer. A few guys with little gripes and I can work with them to fix the things that they are unhappy about, but ironically, the guy who just couldn't be made happy, who just wouldn't stop complaining, who did his best to wreck my reputation, was also the guy who bought the nicest car I've ever had. No car would ever measure up to his standards and he wanted me to bankroll tens of thousands of dollars worth of work on a car with 600 miles on it.

 

In short, it's a two-way street and some buyers have to be shown the path before they can walk it.

 

We have been trying to sell a '49 Olds Woodie  for months and months. No matter how hard we try to explain that the car needs complete restoration including all new wood and considerable metal work,  potential buyers refuse to believe what we clearly state in the ad. Last fellow said that from our pics it looked like some of the wood could be saved even though we clearly stated that the wood is good for patterns only. 

[Amphicar BUYER]

My policy is simple, if you make an offer to buy, put a reasonable NON-REFUNDABLE deposit in my hand. If you aren't willing to do that, then you are not serious. (A refundable deposit doesn't do anything but waste time.) I'll hold it until a time we agree on. After that your out and the next guy is in.

 

If you are serious about buying my car, then come prepared! Basically, First one to place cash in my hand wins. 

 

I had one guy this summer drove 2 hrs, came and beat up my car (72 Eldo ragtop) for 3 hours, haggled for another hour until we made a deal. Then I said OK, lets see the cash. He told me he didn't bring any! I have to say that all my kindness was gone. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I did not appreciate him wasting 4 hours of my time and then not being prepared to complete the deal. I STRONGLY suggested that he left without hesitation and that the next time he wants to make a deal, he should be a better boy scout and come prepared. He called me that night and said he could come by with the money, I said "SOLD IT!" and hung up.

 

About 10pm that very night I got a call from a guy in Texas saying he was on his way to buy the car. I said if you are here 1st you get it and laughed to myself and went to bed. The next AM sure enough at 8am he called again and said he was 3 hrs away to hold it. I told him again, 1st with cash wins. By 11AM he was there rental trailer in tow, happy as could be with $5k in hand (all $5s $10s and $20s!). Didn't haggle, didn't waver.. wanted it and bought it.

[capngrog]

27 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

In short, it's a two-way street and some buyers have to be shown the path before they can walk it.

 

To paraphrase Matt: Some buyers just have to be shown the path to the exit door before they waste too much of the seller's time.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[Luv2Wrench]

57 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

I like that approach.  

Auburn Seeker, if you have this much integrity,

I'd be happy to do business with you any time!

Really glad the story ended as it did.  I really like people that stand by their word and do business that way.  Unfortunately not many buyers are honest and trustworthy so I definitely understand that first cash gets the prize.  I used to think that a seller should honor an offer but I now understand that they just can't know that you're an honest person and that when you say you'll bring the money and buy the item, you'll actually do that.  As such, I've got cash set aside for small items and I've got a line I can pull from for something bigger so if I see what I want, I go get it.  I'll worry about transportation, where it is going to go, weather and all that other stuff later. 

[60FlatTop]

Some people have been disappointed when an item, car, or whatever was no longer available from me. A few times I have said "Don't take this personally. It is those who came before that I reacted to." It is not just cars sales. It's dropping the car off for some service, or as important as going to a doctor. There are just so many times that expectations aren't met that it becomes predictable. And it gets worse all the time.

 

Chiselers I just stay away from in general. If one does latch on like a tick I want something from them. About 30 years ago I had a 1967 Electra in my front yard for sale at $800. A local looked at it and asked if I would sell it for less. "Sure, I put new tires on the front a couple of months ago and need them for the replacement car. I'll put some used ones on it and keep the new ones. I'll knock off $100."

The guy was back in an hour with the full amount. He did some tire pricing. That was a great nirvana for me. Ever since I have always asked for something in exchange for a lower price. Tires or a battery are most common, but the idea is to NEVER make a gift. I have found that the deep seated motivation of these chiselers is not the few dollars. It seems to be their need to demean the value the seller has placed on their item. It is an uplifting thing for them. Then they brag about the deal they got to their friends. I even know some who lie about what they paid to "save face".

 

Oh, another thought. Always tell them to bring money. I know people who are deathly afraid to mention money until the absolute last moment. Money it the first level of screening not the last. A few years ago I got a call on a Jaguar I had for sale. There was a city between us and it was early afternoon. I told the buyer it was a long way, "are you bringing cash?" He was taken back a bit but thought he could get to the bank on time. He arrived, cash in hand and ready to buy. I was glad I helped motivate him.

 

Bernie

Edited October 31, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[JACK M]

The wife thing,,,,

 

I owned a boat dealership in my other life. When he had to go get his wife it was code for NO.

I never go shopping without the cash in my pocket,

As for offers I am not afraid to make a lo offer, I might just get lucky. I have the cash on me. That speaks loudly, especially if the wife is listening.

I am usually shopping for something I don't need anyway.

[Amphicar BUYER]

I always have some cash in hand just in case. You never know. I spent 10 years trying to buy a '59 Skyliner (some here may remember this story). The day came when he decided it was time to sell and I was chosen from the many. When he gave me a number on the phone, I was there in 30 mins with cash in hand and he had title in hand. Done deal, no time to change his mind or have another offer stupid money and buy it out from under me. (that has happened, never again)

[auburnseeker]

20 minutes ago, Amphicar BUYER said:

I always have some cash in hand just in case. You never know. I spent 10 years trying to buy a '59 Skyliner (some here may remember this story). The day came when he decided it was time to sell and I was chosen from the many. When he gave me a number on the phone, I was there in 30 mins with cash in hand and he had title in hand. Done deal, no time to change his mind or have another offer stupid money and buy it out from under me. (that has happened, never again)

That was the same way I got the 49 chevy truck in the first place.  I never thought the guy would sell it.  When he said he might,  I looked at it and he said make him an offer,  Never giving me a price.  I tried to drill one out of him and he stuck to the make an offer.  I went and got lunch with my Dad.  Before we left the diner I said I need to make an offer.  He has decided to sell it and the next guy through the door will make him one and own it.  I went back and shot him a number.  He said he was thinking a little more, but not alot.  I whipped out the cash and he signed over the paperwork. 

I rarely go to look at a car casually.  I go their with the plan of buying it on the spot. 

[DAVES89]

My wife is different. She doesn't like to screw around. If it is close enough to what we want and looks right we buy it. She also told me to buy the bigger boat as we probably would never buy another one [we didn't]. We just traded in a camper for a 5th wheel, same thing, it had what she wanted, price was good, write the check and let's go home.

[60FlatTop]

Sometime in the early 1990's when cars with 100,000 miles started to become common, a little car lot near me got in an absolutely mint red, Mustang GT, 5.0, with a five speed. I tried it out one Saturday and took it for a good long ride. There was not a flaw. It didn't even have dust in the interior. As I remember they wanted $4200 for the car so that should give a time frame. I got to choking on a hairball over the 105,000 miles. I offered them $3800, I know it was $600 less. They were closed Sunday while I obsessed about the car, even went back and looked it over on the lot. I spent Monday at work and made it to the lot about 4PM. The car was sold.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. That was a turning point for me. The car is not important, I'm not much of a Ford fan, but the idea of having something I really wanted and for $600 lost it. The lot is about 5 miles from me and I think about that deal every time I drive by. I can guarantee you I haven't missed one since.  And that thought is very close to the surface all the time.

 

The wife thing is funny. A couple of years ago I bought a major project car, knowing 95% that I would sell it. A friend and his wife stopped by and all four of us walked around the gardens and looked at the new treasure. His wife looked at mine and said "You let him buy that?"

After they left my Wife commented on what she said. She didn't understand where her input would be required.I told her it was an ethnic culture gap and not to even think about it. She didn't.

Bernie

[Xander Wildeisen]

I have had people tell me about a old car for sale, and describe it as really bad. And after going to look at it, it was not bad at all. If a car is for sale that is year, make and model that you are interested in, you should go and look at it. How one person views some thing is not the same as another. "Very little rust" on the east coast, is a lot different then very little rust here in a high desert like Idaho. We could take one of our worst local rusted cars. And it would be project gold in other parts of the country.

[JACK M]

1 hour ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

I have had people tell me about a old car for sale, and describe it as really bad. And after going to look at it, it was not bad at all. If a car is for sale that is year, make and model that you are interested in, you should go and look at it. How one person views some thing is not the same as another. "Very little rust" on the east coast, is a lot different then very little rust here in a high desert like Idaho. We could take one of our worst local rusted cars. And it would be project gold in other parts of the country.

 

So true on both points.

[60FlatTop]

There is an old rule that a vampire can't take advantage of you unless you invite them in. I view an advertisement for sale to be the same kind of invitation. You get a chance to see everything they have and can always ask about the other stuff.

 

Years ago I saw a Swap Sheet ad for 100 hubcaps. I didn't need them, but anyone with 100 hub caps for sale HAS to have more of something. The lady said they were sold, but I talked her into letting me come over. Turned out her husband had died 20 years before and was big in the Model A Club. The guys had picked it all over after his death. 20 years later the stuff they didn't want was more valuable. I spent all the spare money I had.

 

Think like a vampire. Take advantage of the invitation.

Bernie

[auburnseeker]

2 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

There is an old rule that a vampire can't take advantage of you unless you invite them in. I view an advertisement for sale to be the same kind of invitation. You get a chance to see everything they have and can always ask about the other stuff.

 

Years ago I saw a Swap Sheet ad for 100 hubcaps. I didn't need them, but anyone with 100 hub caps for sale HAS to have more of something. The lady said they were sold, but I talked her into letting me come over. Turned out her husband had died 20 years before and was big in the Model A Club. The guys had picked it all over after his death. 20 years later the stuff they didn't want was more valuable. I spent all the spare money I had.

 

Think like a vampire. Take advantage of the invitation.

Bernie

You have to be careful with that technique and tread lightly.  That will often get the door shut tight in your face. 

I bought a ton of literature in several hauls from a local estate.  The kids were really hard to deal with and wouldn't let anyone in the building.  After buying a few things they specifically laid out for me,  they began inviting me in.  To the point that toward the end,  they were leaving me their alone to build my own piles.  I've had this happen a couple of times.   All the people that tried to push their way in were shown the door and didn't get anything. 

I had one guy buy stuff using that technique recently at my shop.  

I really disliked it as he was their to buy a specific lot that was prearranged and when he left I still wasn't sure what I sold him he was into everything including boxes of parts I had set aside for my cars and lots of boxes I hadn't even had a chance to go through.  He also was putting stuff in his truck at the same time saying remember i have this now before we made the final deal.  Alot of stuff after I thought about and he was gone. 

Anyone using that technique again will be shown the door.