The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it.

Good one ..... I've been involved in this hobby, service, endeavor, passion
or whatever for 40 years plus. It is always an amazement to me the cheap-Os
that are out there that want something for nothing or near it. OTOH I have
met a lot of nice people who would bend over backwards to give me parts for
nothing for my projects. That is the ham spirit at work and those are the
ones that I remember after all these years.

God Bless 73 KI3R Tom Popovic Belle Vernon Pa.

Thanks for sharing that with us, Tom.

73,

Me

"garigue" wrote in message
news:HpiHc.46193$IQ4.22014@attbi_s02...

The schmuck comes back 1/2 hour later digs it out
and asks for it for 35 Cents again. I say OK, offer to
wrap it, he hands it to me and while he's reachin for his
35 cents, I dropped the tube on the ground and smashed
it with my trusty Nike, then told him I changed my mind
and wanted $1.00 for it.

Good one ..... I've been involved in this hobby, service, endeavor,
passion
or whatever for 40 years plus. It is always an amazement to me the
cheap-Os
that are out there that want something for nothing or near it. OTOH I have
met a lot of nice people who would bend over backwards to give me parts
for
nothing for my projects. That is the ham spirit at work and those are the
ones that I remember after all these years.

God Bless 73 KI3R Tom Popovic Belle Vernon Pa.

garigue wrote:



Good one ..... I've been involved in this hobby, service, endeavor, passion
or whatever for 40 years plus. It is always an amazement to me the cheap-Os
that are out there that want something for nothing or near it. OTOH I have
met a lot of nice people who would bend over backwards to give me parts for
nothing for my projects. That is the ham spirit at work and those are the
ones that I remember after all these years.

God Bless 73 KI3R Tom Popovic Belle Vernon Pa.


I had a similar experience several years ago. I went to the local
once-a-month ham radio sidewalk sale and had a really clean, nice
working Hallicrafters S-40 for sale. This guy walks up and offers me $25
less than what I was asking. I refused. He said I would never get the
asking price and would be lucky to get what he was offering. I said if
it did not sell, HamCom was comming up in a couple of weeks and the
price there would be even higher. He stomped off but came back a few
minutes later and lays down the amount he offered and picked up the
radio. I ask just what the H did he think he was doing. "I am buying the
radio". I informed him that my asking price still stood and please put
the radio back and take his money and go somewhere else. Now he is
really POed.
Well as luck would have it he saw the radio at my table at HamCom marked
up at almost twice what I was asking at the sidewalk sale. He looked it
over and walked away only to come back about an hour later, with money
in had, to find the set was gone and asked if I had sold it. "Yep" I
smiled, "and at the asking price too". Doncha just luv these clowns?

Well I price things 25 to 50% high and since all buyers dearly love and must
have "a bargain" -- they offer me a riduclous low ball offer.
We barter, shout, accuse each other of taking food from our childrens mouth
etc
Finally we agree on the price I would have sold it for to start with.
They snicker as they take away the treasure and just know they beat me down.
I snicker as it worked again -- seldom fails.

All this is not limited to Hams -- it is an international practice. In some
countries they have no respect for you if you don't go thru the drill of
bartering. I have experienced this same drill in the good old USA for used
goods, flea markets, newspaper ads, et al.

We all have heard:
I just went to the sale -- saved $40
He/she started at $100 I stole it for $75
The guy/gal was desperate sold it for $50 less
I can turn around and sell this for a profit
on and on goes the bartering process

Ya know they gonna low ball you so start high and spend the time to
bargain -- old american custom, everyone walks away happy.


--
Lamont Cranston


I had a similar experience several years ago. I went to the local
once-a-month ham radio sidewalk sale and had a really clean, nice
working Hallicrafters S-40 for sale. This guy walks up and offers me $25
less than what I was asking. I refused. He said I would never get the
asking price and would be lucky to get what he was offering. I said if
it did not sell, HamCom was comming up in a couple of weeks and the
price there would be even higher. He stomped off but came back a few
minutes later and lays down the amount he offered and picked up the
radio. I ask just what the H did he think he was doing. "I am buying the
radio". I informed him that my asking price still stood and please put
the radio back and take his money and go somewhere else. Now he is
really POed.
Well as luck would have it he saw the radio at my table at HamCom marked
up at almost twice what I was asking at the sidewalk sale. He looked it
over and walked away only to come back about an hour later, with money
in had, to find the set was gone and asked if I had sold it. "Yep" I
smiled, "and at the asking price too". Doncha just luv these clowns?

All this is not limited to Hams -- it is an international practice. In some
countries they have no respect for you if you don't go thru the drill of
bartering. I have experienced this same drill in the good old USA for used
goods, flea markets, newspaper ads, et al.



Also at car dealerships. I'm particularly poor at getting decent
deals at a car dealership... :-(

JJ wrote:
garigue wrote:



Good one ..... I've been involved in this hobby, service, endeavor,
passion
or whatever for 40 years plus. It is always an amazement to me the
cheap-Os
that are out there that want something for nothing or near it. OTOH I have
met a lot of nice people who would bend over backwards to give me
parts for
nothing for my projects. That is the ham spirit at work and those are the
ones that I remember after all these years.

God Bless 73 KI3R Tom Popovic Belle Vernon Pa.


I had a similar experience several years ago. I went to the local
once-a-month ham radio sidewalk sale and had a really clean, nice
working Hallicrafters S-40 for sale. This guy walks up and offers me $25
less than what I was asking. I refused. He said I would never get the
asking price and would be lucky to get what he was offering. I said if
it did not sell, HamCom was comming up in a couple of weeks and the
price there would be even higher. He stomped off but came back a few
minutes later and lays down the amount he offered and picked up the
radio. I ask just what the H did he think he was doing. "I am buying the
radio". I informed him that my asking price still stood and please put
the radio back and take his money and go somewhere else. Now he is
really POed.
Well as luck would have it he saw the radio at my table at HamCom marked
up at almost twice what I was asking at the sidewalk sale. He looked it
over and walked away only to come back about an hour later, with money
in had, to find the set was gone and asked if I had sold it. "Yep" I
smiled, "and at the asking price too". Doncha just luv these clowns?


Since we got this Carny/Rube thing goin' on.....

It isn't all the buyers with the problems, though. I've managed to
insult a lot of sellers with my first offer. So while they are bitching
and moaning at me about how much the thing is worth, and probably think
of me as the type described in the original story, all they had to do
was deal for a little while, and then we likely arrive at a price that
satisfies both of us.


This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.

- Mike KB3EIA -

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.

Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was selling a
used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to sell
it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked over
the asking price.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Dee D. Flint wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...

[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.


Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was selling a
used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to sell
it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked over
the asking price.

At 1/4 price, sure! I usually won't buy above 1/2 of currently
manufactured price. Elswise, I'm happy to buy new, with a warrantee and
I'm also not buying someone elses problems. My main point in this whole
discussion is that there are a lot of sellers that seem to hate buyers.
The Carny vs Rube thing.

- Mike KB3EIA -

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...


Dee D. Flint wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...

[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.


Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was
selling a
used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to
sell
it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both
knew
what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked
over
the asking price.

At 1/4 price, sure! I usually won't buy above 1/2 of currently
manufactured price. Elswise, I'm happy to buy new, with a warrantee and
I'm also not buying someone elses problems. My main point in this whole
discussion is that there are a lot of sellers that seem to hate buyers.
The Carny vs Rube thing.

- Mike KB3EIA -


My point was that he STILL tried to bargain me down even though we both knew
it was already lower than it should have been.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Dee D. Flint wrote:
"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...


Dee D. Flint wrote:

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...


[snip]
This is America, and you are allowed to ask any price you want for what
you sell. The buyer can also offer any price they want.

I would suggest that if a person is firm on all their prices, and
doesn't want to deal, they might want to sell retail.


Unless, of course, their price is already ridiculously low. I was

selling a

used tuner at a hamfest for 1/4 of what a new one would be as I simply
didn't like it, wanted to get a different one, and wanted to be sure to

sell

it. A guy tried to bargain me down but I simply told him that we both

knew

what they sold for both new and used and I wasn't budging. He forked

over

the asking price.

At 1/4 price, sure! I usually won't buy above 1/2 of currently
manufactured price. Elswise, I'm happy to buy new, with a warrantee and
I'm also not buying someone elses problems. My main point in this whole
discussion is that there are a lot of sellers that seem to hate buyers.
The Carny vs Rube thing.

- Mike KB3EIA -



My point was that he STILL tried to bargain me down even though we both knew
it was already lower than it should have been.

That's when you tell him that for any better prices, your "good deal
manager" is a lady named Helen Waite. If he wants a better price, he has
to go to ........... 8^)

- Mike KB3EIA -