Yard/Estate sale practice (collecting, watch, walking, purchase)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Say a seller wants $50 for an item. You offer $30. He comes back with $40. How long do you have to think about it? I mean how many minutes and under what conditions. At what point is it okay for the haggling between two people to become sort of an auction? Say, another aggressive person hears the $40 and says, "I'll do $42" can the seller shake his hand and say congratulations, you bought it.
Seems like some places, as long as a buyer keeps his hand on the item while thinking a few second about the counter offer, it's his chance for those few seconds. But some places there is no touching the item and a hopeful purchaser might just stand with his hands folded across his chest. But then I think can't someone just come in and take it our from under him...which I've seen happen.
Say a seller wants $50 for an item. You offer $30. He comes back with $40. How long do you have to think about it? I mean how many minutes and under what conditions. At what point is it okay for the haggling between two people to become sort of an auction? Say, another aggressive person hears the $40 and says, "I'll do $42" can the seller shake his hand and say congratulations, you bought it.
Seems like some places, as long as a buyer keeps his hand on the item while thinking a few second about the counter offer, it's his chance for those few seconds. But some places there is no touching the item and a hopeful purchaser might just stand with his hands folded across his chest. But then I think can't someone just come in and take it our from under him...which I've seen happen.
Ever think that you are over-thinking a garage sale? It isn't life or death....offer what you think is a fair price if you don't like the price on the item...if the seller says no....deal with it....if someone wants to pay more....deal with it.
Our small town has some really good sales...so I visit them more than ever....but those that think it's a competition just put me off.
It's upto the seller how much etiquette is involved.
Yup I have snipped items that i knew were a great deal when another buyer hesitated. Had the seller stated sorry I'm still dealing with this buyer then so be it.
If you want a less competitive environment stick to shopping retail. Heck even that can get cut throat and deadly
, WalMart on blackfriday.
Not talking about me personally but what I observed. I don't often go to yard sales and if I do I'm quick with what I want and hold on to something walking around if I want to think about it.
Actually, I saw a situation just yesterday such as one I mentioned. Hadn't seen it in many years. Last time was when I was with someone a long time ago, whom I told how to do it, and he still said he liked something and said he'd think about it. He looked around at what was nearby. Meantime, his actions indicated he was off the item and someone fairly waiting beside him picked up the item right away and paid for it. And my friend was horrified. He thought I had been joking.
But it can be worse. I thought as long as you had a hand on something and were negotiating all was safe. However, apparently the auction process can kick in at some times.
I imagine if this is the case, you could be walking around with those items in arms that is typical at yard sales and someone could approach the owner and say, see that guy with that green vase in his arms...I'll pay more for it.
Never thought of these things until I saw the activity yesterday.
I have literally seen sellers rip something from a buyers hand who was walking around with it when someone else gave them money for it. Too many shoppers at garage sales think they have a claim on an item just because they are walking around with it as well. It works in both directions.
I love watching human behavior up close and personal.
here's something you should never ever do at a yard sale, swap meet, estate sale, antique show , etc
if your really interested in something and another buyer starts talking about it and asks to see it, never hand it to them or even show it to them until you have bought and paid for the item
I made this mistake before and they wont hand it back when you try to get it back, they say it's not in your hand, then they buy it.
An acquaintance was telling people this morning she was shopping in Goodwill for candles and vases, had some in her shopping cart, turned to pick something else off a shelf and someone took things out of her shopping cart and headed off withe them. The first woman went to the manager. Seems like the other person wouldn't give the things back. Don't know the result.
I was in CVS a couple of years ago collecting a few items in the top part of my cart. In places like CVS, Walgreesn, grocery stores, department stores I never thought anything of leaving my cart if it was in the way as I walked a little closer to get an item I wanted. So this time I turned around and couldn't find my cart among the other carts other shoppers had placed. I thought maybe another shopper thought my cart was theirs. That, I have had happen. I walked to the end of the aisle and saw a cart with a couple of similar small things I had put in mine...but not all...so, nope, couldn't be mine.
I went to the next aisle, then doubled back and took another look at that cart...some same items I had had in the top part and some in the bottom...but, hey, I only used the top part and the whole cart didn't have all my items anyway.
Meantime, the woman who had that cart was holding onto it and talking loudly and fast with someone. The woman seemed new to the area. She was. She was in town taking the local school children's annual pictures.
I found myself looking at the contents of the cart and she actually said, "Is this your cart?". I said, couldn't be or you wouldn't have it, right? She said she took it because she didn't have a cart. She said she just took out a few of my things from the top and put them in the basket AND took out more and just put them "somewhere....on some shelf" so she'd have room for her stuff. (I later imagined her getting to the check out and telling the clerk..."oh, this? No the rest of the stuff isn't mine. It was just in there when I took the cart.")
I said what? I repeated clearly what she said...in hearing range of other shoppers. She asked if I wanted the cart back. I asked if she remembered where she put my items she removed when she took my cart. I think some other shoppers wondered if she should be around the school children.
Of course the woman wasn't apologetic. The way she talked she sounded high or hyper or something.
Yard sales here has made me a ton of money the last 2 months. Some great items to be had.
It will slow down for sure now it is colder but looking forward to going to them again in the spring.
Finding a ton of items over the past 3 weeks at community sales tells me this area will be a great money maker for my hobby.
Antiques is my main hobby but I expand into many other area of current trends to collectibles and doing very well here in MB.
I was told not much to pick from before I move here and I am finding out there is more then I ever dreamed of. All you have to do is get out and about.
Say a seller wants $50 for an item. You offer $30. He comes back with $40. How long do you have to think about it? I mean how many minutes and under what conditions. At what point is it okay for the haggling between two people to become sort of an auction? Say, another aggressive person hears the $40 and says, "I'll do $42" can the seller shake his hand and say congratulations, you bought it.
Decades ago, there was more of a code of honour at garage sales and flea markets. But now, everyone is out for themselves.
In regards to your first situation, first, you've ticked off the seller by offering them $30 for their $50 item. To buy it for sure, just pay them the asking price of $50. But when offered $40 and someone else offers seller $42, just quickly agree to the $40 price and walk away. If the seller tries to sell it for $42 to the other person, well you are holding it and tell the seller that it's not an auction.
Otherwise, what I find really annoying is a potential buyer making a lowball offer on an item, the seller accepts the offer and the potential buyer walks away to think about it. And that's plain wrong. Only make an offer if you intend to follow it up with cash in hand.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
