• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

when does someone getting "screwed over" become a big deal?

Started by jsilverjanet,

36 posts in this topic

jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

Posted
Posted

:(

 

so you see someone overpaying for a book, do you say anything afterwards or before the buyer makes another mistake?

 

I was at an auction a year ago and saw someone overpay for a giant size x-men and asm 121 by over $300 each on the retail value.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lizards2

lizards2

Posted
Posted

Someone saw me purchasing an overgraded book. I had taken that factor into consideration in relation to the price and eye appeal, but he had to pm me to point it out, and what felt like 'rubbing it in'. The book was overgraded, but not to the degree speculated.

 

I just saw him buy an obvious and terribly overgraded slab - I resisted the urge to reciprocate, but I was thinking, "you'll never crack that one out."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
1Cool

1Cool

Posted
Posted
:(

 

so you see someone overpaying for a book, do you say anything afterwards or before the buyer makes another mistake?

 

I was at an auction a year ago and saw someone overpay for a giant size x-men and asm 121 by over $300 each on the retail value.

 

 

Unless it's a friend I do not open my mouth when it comes to this stuff. Not my business how they spend their money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
topofthetotem

topofthetotem

Posted
Posted

Don't know if this qualifies but a buyer kept pestering me for a cheaper price on a BA key and it was for his "collection" so I relented and gave it to him for he good price only to see the book for sale soon after he got it at a higher price. What can you do? (shrug)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AKA Rick

AKA Rick

Posted
Posted
:(

 

so you see someone overpaying for a book, do you say anything afterwards or before the buyer makes another mistake?

 

I was at an auction a year ago and saw someone overpay for a giant size x-men and asm 121 by over $300 each on the retail value.

 

 

 

Most of society today lacks good Samaritans.

 

With that, we're all accustomed to "Mind Your Own Business"

 

I think if you analyze seeing what you saw, you have to balance out the "What If" scenarios of reactions

 

1) The buyer could say THANK YOU and be so gracious, making your day.

 

2) The buyer could say "Mind your own business, I know what I'm doing" and make you feel unappreciated if not a bit angry about the response.

 

3) The seller or auction house could tell you to "Go away" as you're now impacting their business in a detrimental way by basically telling a customer not to buy from them

 

4) The buyer could think, as it's happened many times, "Why is this guy so nice, is he in it for himself (i.e. sees you as the competition vying for the book) with his own agenda to buy what I want?" and ignore you

 

5) You can simply keep your peace, let the chips fall where they may, the buyer and seller won't be happy or angered with or by you and you can go on with your life unharmed unjudged, not hated nor loved by the situation.

 

With collectibles and subjective valuation your advice could be seen just as an opinion and indeed might be right or could be wrong.

 

So, if all of a sudden after the auction it was announced in the media that there was going to be a "Death of Gwen Stacy" movie musical staring Taylor Swift based upon Amazing Spider-Man #121 and the value shot up beyond belief (look at how the Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Spider Gwen shot up), then would that overpayment suddenly look like a bargain?

 

So, with that, I'd unfortunately say 'tho your intentions may be genuine and honorable, you're best off letting people do what they want with their money to that regard if it's a total stranger. If it's a friend, then of course offer whatever advice you can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AmazingSaul

AmazingSaul

Posted
Posted
:(

 

so you see someone overpaying for a book, do you say anything afterwards or before the buyer makes another mistake?

 

I was at an auction a year ago and saw someone overpay for a giant size x-men and asm 121 by over $300 each on the retail value.

 

 

Unless it's a friend I do not open my mouth when it comes to this stuff. Not my business how they spend their money.

 

This- besides, if you do it in front of a dealer you might loose the relationship you can have with them. Not always a good idea.

 

Would anyone go to a Car Dealer and tell the customers "Hey the other dealer has cheaper prices for the same car!" It just doesn't seem right to me.

 

Now if its a friend and he asks me, I will say something to him in private.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jcjames

jcjames

Posted
Posted

 

The road to hell is paved with you know what.

 

 

As a buyer, if a total stranger interrupted a sale I was working on to tell me their opinion of the grade or price, I would obviously question his/her motives. Is this person trying to get me to walk away from the sale so that THEY could buy it? Or are they just very socially-awkward and doing what they think is a good deed for the day? I have no way of knowing other than the immediate "vibe" I would get from the person and situation. As a seller, I'd be pretty perturbed that a stranger was interrupting a sale I was conducting with their own "opinions".

 

I would lean towards the MYOB either way. but I suppose there are a few circumstances where a stranger's interruption MIGHT be warranted.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ares

Ares

Posted
Posted
:(

I was at an auction a year ago and saw someone overpay for a giant size x-men and asm 121 by over $300 each on the retail value.

 

If it was a normal store Transaction maybe.

But at an auction there is no such thing as overpaying.

You might be breaking Auction rules by telling people they paid to much.

 

Besides the only way to have prices go up is to pay more than the last person

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FineCollector

FineCollector

Posted
Posted

I'd be suspicious of getting "help" in an auction setting. I'd suspect the other person was talking it down because they wanted it.

 

At a con/garage sale/flea market, I usually keep to myself, and I like seeing people making deals. However, if the potential buyer's offer is dirty and he knows it, I'm not shy about chiming in to support the seller.

 

I don't remember the last time I saw a dealer or seller about to fleece someone. I guess I have the good fortune of being around good people, and the good sense to avoid the scumbags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ComicDoc

ComicDoc

Posted
Posted

Interesting conversation.

 

I concur with the sentiment expressed above especially given that we are dealing with collectibles and value is set by the buyer, and to some degree the seller (what they are willing to part with it for), whether we think it is too high or low is not relevant.

 

But what if we turn this around how would / should you behave when it is us that has to do the right thing??

 

Scenario #1 You were the seller of the book to someone and knew it was too high

 

Scenario #2 You were purchasing a book or collection and they were asking below FMV for the books then how would this conversation go?

 

Would you sell it over what you think it is worth? Would you buy it below FMV? Would you just say it is business or would you try and educate and broker a fair deal?

 

When is it a good deal and when are we taking advantage of another?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheUrologist

TheUrologist

Posted
Posted

I have definitely made eye contact at a con with a buyer who was getting sold on a bad deal and shook my head no and gave them the disapproving father look without the dealer being wise. I then walked away. Later they bumped in to me, thanked me, and told me they found a much better deal elsewhere. I do think that being vocal falls in to a MYOB, but this buyer happened to be looking around for someone to give a thumbs up or thumbs down. I also felt the dealer was trying to work someone over who was clearly newer to the hobby which irritated me. Noone has mentioned that, if you see someone working hard on selling someone on a bad deal, why would you want to buy from them in the first place? I've found that one bad deal usually means there will be more bad deals and the obvious answer for where I should take my own business is then staring at me in the face. The same is true for the opposite scenario. If I see a dealer make someone a good deal, I'll look harder for something I might be interested in. I may also be vocal that it is a good deal - thats usually win-win.

 

Same scenario, but what if its a restored book and the seller is trying to push it as un restored?

Ive seen that numerous times and also been the victim where I missed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing