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Post by SoonDragon67 on Dec 23, 2013 14:40:27 GMT -5
"Yeah I know that this original signed Declaration of Independence has great historical value but you've got to understand this is Vegas, not a lot of people come through here looking for important historical documents. Okay. It's an expensive curiosity in a bad economy and I'm going to have to get a frame for it which is going to cost me even more money and take up more space. This thing may be really cool but if I buy it it's just going to wind up sitting on the shelf for the next eight months." "Yeah but that guy who just left appraised it at 37 million dollars". "Yeah, that guy doesn't run a pawn business. Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeheeeheehee! Tell you what. I'll give you two thousand bucks, and I don't even like paying that". "Well....can you do twenty-five hundred?" (Grimacing in pain) "Ehhhhhhh...I can do twenty two and that's it. I mean I like it but there's just no market for it". "Well...my kids need to eat so I guess I can do that, yeah." "Great, Chumlee, write 'im up!" (Backstage segment) "I totally got a great deal on this piece. Not only can I say that I held a piece of profoundly important American history in my hands, I know several people who would love to hold it in theirs." (Generic rock outro) POP QUIZ: Who is most likely to rape you? (A) That unnervingly sleazy Hoss guy (B) That scary-looking black dude working security (C) Rick  Answer to Pop Quiz: B. Because Mike Tyson. |
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Post by miketheratguy on Dec 23, 2013 15:45:39 GMT -5
Lol my post is Tyson approved.  ... and he almost always tells customers straight-up that all he cares about is profit 8) He's pleasantly honest and open about wanting to make a profit, I'd just prefer that he give that explanation more than simply nitpicking all the various things that he doesn't like about the item. A simple "I like it but I don't think I'd be able to make that much money off of it" would make me feel less jerked around than "this is a specialty item and there's not as much demand right now and" bla bla bla. Maybe I'm just less patient with that kind of thing because, having grown up as the son of an antiques and relic trader, I'm all too familiar with the game. |
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Post by wildknight on Dec 23, 2013 15:59:10 GMT -5
He's pleasantly honest and open about wanting to make a profit, I'd just prefer that he give that explanation more than simply nitpicking all the various things that he doesn't like about the item. A simple "I like it but I don't think I'd be able to make that much money off of it" would make me feel less jerked around than "this is a specialty item and there's not as much demand right now and" bla bla bla. Maybe I'm just less patient with that kind of thing because, having grown up as the son of an antiques and relic trader, I'm all too familiar with the game. I'm sorry, I can't help but feel like being factual is important. I used to buy and sell collectibles, and I can fully understand why Rick points out every single flaw with someone... people will nitpick condition issues to death. When you're talking to a guy about the comic book he's had since he was 3, chances are pretty good that he legitimately doesn't see the faded colors, the slight crease, etc... but those things have a HUGE effect on value. Calling attention to them means that the other person has a chance to acknowledge them and make an informed decision. Just saying "I think I can sell it for $500 no matter what you think it's worth, so I'll give you $300" is NOT good salesmanship. |
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Post by miketheratguy on Dec 23, 2013 16:05:14 GMT -5
It is when you figure that the whole point of the deal is profit and the other person generally doesn't care about what the item is worth- only what they can actually get. That's why they're in a pawn store to begin with. It's good to be informed, but people aren't selling to Rick to be informed. They're selling because they want fast money for a wedding or because they don't know anyone else who will buy Grandmpa's Pez collection.
Did you guys know that Pez gets its name from the German word for peppermint?
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Post by wildknight on Dec 23, 2013 16:07:55 GMT -5
I think you underestimate the kind of people that go into high end pawn shops. I used to deal with them from time to time when I was short of other potential buyers... and knowing what you're trying to buy/sell and all the ins and outs is fairly important.
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Post by miketheratguy on Dec 23, 2013 16:28:17 GMT -5
Knowing the value of an item is important but it's not really the responsibility of the buyer to educate (nor, given his role in the transaction, should he generally be trusted to honestly do so). Unless the seller asks for this information it's only being given as a way to minimize the value of the item being sold which is the oldest trick in the book.
When I sell something I try to make a point of knowing what it's worth specifically because I want to avoid being ripped off. When the buyer sits there for five minutes providing a dozen generic reasons why he thinks it's worth less he's just spinning, playing the game. The ultimate point he's trying to make is that he doesn't think he can make a sufficient profit at my asking price. When a buyer is the kind of person who's able to quickly get the point I respect him more for not wasting my time.
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Post by wildknight on Dec 23, 2013 16:45:49 GMT -5
It actually is considered the ethical responsibility of a buyer to alert a seller to the value of something 8)
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Post by miketheratguy on Dec 23, 2013 18:41:19 GMT -5
You and I might care about ethical responsibility, that doesn't mean that the rest of this society does. |
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Post by wildknight on Dec 23, 2013 20:02:24 GMT -5
You and I might care about ethical responsibility, that doesn't mean that the rest of this society does. I didn't say the whole world cared about it, I said it's expected. Believe it or not, there are things called "journalistic ethics" and "medical ethics" too... even though it's obvious that nobody cares about them anymore, they DO exist 8) |
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Post by Straight Edge Steve on Dec 23, 2013 23:30:59 GMT -5
My friend sold a gun to a family. The gun had no firing pin. He said it worked fine. He got their money and spent it on Tobacc'er. Now he has a surplus of Chewing Tobacco. Chewing Tobacco can cause mouth cancer.
Moral of the story: Defy ethics, you get cancer.
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