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How good of a deal is too good of a deal?
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Started by Westy Steve,

373 posts in this topic

kav

kav

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, LordRahl said:

Yes I do see the difference and it has absolutely nothing to do with your original statement above that 50 to 5000 is unethical as it relates to the OP's original scenario, which is what we have been talking about this whole time. But now that you are changing it so as to bolster whatever it is that your argument is (which I'm frankly not that sure of anymore), let me answer your latest question. What if he asked "how much will you give me for this book" and it's a $100K book. My answer is I'd give him whatever I could if I wanted the book. But let me be clear... if I were to say "I'll give you $5" for that book, there is nothing unethical about that. He's not asking "what is this book valued at" or "in your expert opinion, what should I sell this for". I'm not lying to him or deceiving him. I'm simply telling him how much I'll give him for it. Maybe I don't really want the book. Maybe I don't know that it's worth $100K. Maybe all I have is $5 to my name. Doesn't matter. He is free to accept and or reject my $5 offer. This is what you don't seem to get. An offer that is made with no attempt to deceive, manipulate etc isn't unethical. It is simply an offer of what someone is willing to pay, whether it's a starting offer to solicit further negotiation or just a casual take it or leave it I don't care offer. 

Personally I would say bro this is like a $100,000 book.  I would tell him what I myself could afford to pay.  I would not keep that information from him and see if I could get it cheap.  In my world that is unethical.  YMMV

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kav

kav

Posted
Posted
Just now, Karl Liebl said:

Lying by omission is when a person leaves out important information or fails to correct a pre-existing misconception in order to hide the truth from others.

Saying  'this is a $100,000 book' is important information.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Karl Liebl said:

Lying by omission is when a person leaves out important information or fails to correct a pre-existing misconception in order to hide the truth from others.

Lying by omission doesn't apply here. 

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Karl Liebl

Karl Liebl

Posted
Posted

The dictionary is fun!

scru·ple
/ˈskro͞opəl/
noun
 
  1. 1. 
    a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action.
    "I had no scruples about eavesdropping"
    synonyms: qualms, twinge of conscience, compunction, hesitation, reservations, second thoughts, doubt(s), misgivings, pangs of conscience, uneasiness, reluctance More
     
     
     
  2.  
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F For Fake

F For Fake

Posted
Posted

I'd like to know where to find these imaginary old ladies sitting on gold mines of crazily underpriced golden age keys, because all I ever run across are old ladies selling crazily overpriced copies of coverless westerns and  food-smeared funny animal books.

Seriously, the "comics are worth money, therefore all comics are worth money" thing is much more rampant than the "uninformed seller". To the point where I'd say the latter is nearly extinct.

That being said, if someone offers me something and I meet their price, it's not unethical to make the purchase, even if it's under market value. Now, if they offer me a low price and I try to lowball them further, that would be pretty slimy. So, uh, I don't do that.

THAT being said (and I said that above, and am now saying this) I'd be inclined to throw them a little extra if I was aware that they were very light on their price. It's not about being ethical, I do it because it makes me feel nice to do nice things for people. But, again, it doesn't happen often, because most folks think their comics are treasure.

 

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kav

kav

Posted
Posted

In that video where the girl ripped up the Hulk 181s she would walk up to a dealer and say 'how much is this worth?'  A couple replied 'you want to sell it?' thereby not answering and re directing the conversation to 'I'll give you-' without answering the initial question of 'how much is this worth?'  thoughts?

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Bookery

Bookery

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

I'd like to know where to find these imaginary old ladies sitting on gold mines of crazily underpriced golden age keys, because all I ever run across are old ladies selling crazily overpriced copies of coverless westerns and  food-smeared funny animal books.

Seriously, the "comics are worth money, therefore all comics are worth money" thing is much more rampant than the "uninformed seller". To the point where I'd say the latter is nearly extinct.

:golfclap:

Lucky you, however... just food smeared...

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thunsicker

thunsicker

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Bookery said:

All true.  However, sometimes your options for appraisers are limited, depending upon where you live.  Most of the time, the experts in your area ARE dealers.  I don't appraise collections anymore (as an official paid appraiser, obviously... as a dealer, I'm always appraising collections) precisely because I don't want to be out of the loop for buying the collection.  A seller should always educate themselves about how best to sell a collection, so I don't disagree with the numerous posts above.  It's just that it doesn't have to mean knowing details about the collection itself... it can also mean knowing how to ascertain from others whether it's really valuable or not... and that includes proper appraisers and/or trustworthy dealers.  If my car breaks down, I don't want to have to research everything about my model to learn what it is, how to fix it, and what it should cost.  What I do, instead, is research through word-of-mouth or reviews who is a trusted repair mechanic, and go to them.  Sometimes, even with research it might not work out... but most times it will.

This +1000.  A bunch of my lights on my dashboard started flashing and coming on.  I took it in to the garage I trust and he told me that it was that the gas cap wasn't on tight.  With the oil change and replacing a tail light that was out he charged me $150.  I didn't research it, but I know the mechanic and trust him.  I'm sure he could have made more money off me telling me my flabbergaster was out and it would cost me $800, but he values me as a customer.  In much the same way there are a few dealers on the boards that I trust and have let my kids know that if I pass unexpectedly and they decide to unload my collection they should contact them.  I trust those dealers will let them know how best to unload the collection, either through direct sale to them or through selling through them.

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jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

There are a lot of people willing to give away their hard-earned knowledge for free. This board is a classic example of that.

That doesn't mean that that knowledge has no value.

you misunderstood what I meant (or I didn't describe it enough). They say they will appraise but many are just looking for an in to take advantage of the sellers ignorance.

I've seen it happen multiple times.

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kav

kav

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, thunsicker said:

This +1000.  A bunch of my lights on my dashboard started flashing and coming on.  I took it in to the garage I trust and he told me that it was that the gas cap wasn't on tight.  With the oil change and replacing a tail light that was out he charged me $150.  I didn't research it, but I know the mechanic and trust him.  I'm sure he could have made more money off me telling me my flabbergaster was out and it would cost me $800, but he values me as a customer.  In much the same way there are a few dealers on the boards that I trust and have let my kids know that if I pass unexpectedly and they decide to unload my collection they should contact them.  I trust those dealers will let them know how best to unload the collection, either through direct sale to them or through selling through them.

Would someone return to a person that gave them $5 for a $100,000 book?  I think thats the last word on this subject.

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