Bought a chicken thing the other day and was supposed to be $8 but scanned at $1.15 or something. If I have to scan stuff myself I can make a executive decision whilst scanning
Winner winner chicken dinner.
We have all heard the expression,"Buyer beware.", but what if the tables are turned. Is this a moral dilemma or is it just business?
In the United States, there are two shows on television that demonstrate the fact that many sellers have no clue of the value of things they own. On Pawn Stars, the seller will give a price to the pawn shop, only to find out after the expert looks at the piece that it's worth ten times as much as they thought. On Antique Road Show, how often is someone shocked to find out that Grandpa's antique is worth a fortune?
So, if you come across an item being sold and the price is far far below it's worth, do you say anything? Does it matter if it's on eBay, in an auction, in a store, or being sold by an elderly old lady? Do you have a moral conflict?
How would you feel if you were the individual that just sold Great Grandfather's watch for 5,000 dollars only to find out it is really worth 250,000 dollars? I know, do your due diligence, but sometimes people just see antiques or vintage items as old junk. I remember my Grandfather selling off his Depression Era glassware for pennies, and my Uncle selling my Grandmothers Art Deco Statues, to him they were just old glass; some guy name Rene Lalique.
I feel a bit of a quandary, especially if it is an individual; not so much, if it's an auction house. I have told individuals the true value of their watches when they offered them to me at a low price. Call me a fool, but, I like to treat others the way that I want to be treated, and I'm definitely not an expert on everything.
Your thoughts....
My dad always used to say if anyone asks you if your honest. Tell them your as honest as you can afford to be. 😉
As far as Pawn Stars is concerned, have you noticed that the sellers never reciprocate appropriately with any kind of appreciation for being treated so nicely and always try to bargain for much more than the fair price being offered? I can't remember ever watching one of those exchanges and not thinking "should have just given him what he came in asking for it" after seeing the seller's ungrateful response to being told the item was worth much more than the original asking price.
Bought a chicken thing the other day and was supposed to be $8 but scanned at $1.15 or something. If I have to scan stuff myself I can make a executive decision whilst scanning
Winner winner chicken dinner.
That's funny. I bought some things at Home Depot a few weeks ago, and one item, I think it was a toilet tank fill valve, scanned for virtually nothing, like $0.10 or something like that. It should have been in the neighborhood of $12....He scanned it again with the same result and then told me that sometimes there are discounts or sales that bring the price of an item to nearly zero. I just said that the price on the shelf was higher...
If someone gives me too much change, I always return it. That's just basic honesty. This seemed a bit different.
With the Internet, there really is no excuse for pricing an object well below fair market value. Yet I have an Apple Watch cultist friend with an $8-12K Autavia who thought it was worth "nothing". Some people have mental blocks for various reasons. Were I to see such a watch, grossly under priced at a private garage or (non professionally run) estate sale, I'd not hesitate to offer fair value but nowhere else.
And ironically, by offering much more than they are asking, you could well lose the opportunity to buy it. Often in this situation, a seller will pull the item to do more research.
Honesty = Best Policy. If I loose out so be it. Were it to be pulled, I’d hope I’d at least have dibs.
Yup, I agree. I've lost some opportunities this way myself. In a recent case, the seller ended up getting suckered in by a dealer, which really pissed me off. I don't understand how a logical person can think that they will get more from a dealer than from another collector.
I don't know if a private seller believes they will get more from a dealer, I think some individuals feel it is safer and easier to just sell the watch to a dealer. Now, if the seller knows the private buyer, buyer has great references, money in hand, and still sells it to a dealer for less.... all logic is out the window.
I don't know if a private seller believes they will get more from a dealer, I think some individuals feel it is safer and easier to just sell the watch to a dealer. Now, if the seller knows the private buyer, buyer has great references, money in hand, and still sells it to a dealer for less.... all logic is out the window.
still sells it to a dealer for less
