posted on October 18, 2006 11:21:47 AM new
This morning's email:
I'm in Sxxxx Cxxxx, do you have a physical store? I ask because I want some cute earrings for my daughter, but not looking to spend much at all. Not worth the shipping charges for me, but you do have some cute stuff. Thanks for answering. Have a great day!
This eternal optimist expects me to sell her sterling silver earrings for 99 cents (below my cost, BTW). I'd half-expect her to whip out a resale certificate so she wouldn't have to pay 8 cents tax on it.
I was about to ask "Where do these people get off?" but I visualized a train station with the sign DUMBF*CK, CA.
What is the most jawdropping, I-can't-believe-there-are-people-that-cheap inquiry you've gotten yet?
posted on October 18, 2006 11:46:21 AM new
cheap inquiry not but I still had to laugh this morning. woke up to 2 emails in my inbox.
Item: NIB OVERSTOCK Premium 4" King/Queen Memory Foam Pad NIB (320037342947)
This message was sent while the listing was active.
igoinn is a potential buyer.
Hi, Is the foam brand new or open box?
(my reply) NIB means NEW IN BOX. Brand new. As stated in the first sentence of the auction - Brand new in the box from Overstock. I opened the box to show that I actually HAVE one. Thank you.
Item: NIB OVERSTOCK Premium 4" King/Queen Memory Foam Pad NIB (320037342947)
This message was sent while the listing was active.
igoinn is a potential buyer.
Is this foam pad two years old?
(my reply) If you will enlarge the picture of the shipping label you can see that it was shipped to me September 19th 2006. Thank you.
posted on October 18, 2006 02:28:56 PM new
I got this email this morning:
[i]Hi There,
I'll give you $40.00 (for all three) right now if you want to stop the auction. I've been looking for that yellow Renault since my childhood when someone stole mine from the hobby shop. I was twelve years old and working on another car and had to go to the front counter and buy some parts. I didn't know to notice the three older people (teens, young twenties maybe) walk by and leave the store. I was just racing two of them just moments before. I didn't the car missing until I was ready to pack up and leave. I remember running the car and putting it back in the box because it flew off the track and onto the floor. I thought I broke the wing off because I saw something black fly off--at least I thought I saw something fly off. I was relieved to find nothing wrong with it after I inspected it. Anyway, that was the last time I ever saw that car. It was one of my top five favorites. Please let me know ASAP. I've missed out on other auctions for this car. Thanks.[/i]
I've been selling these trios of cars for between $340 and $400 (the one last night ended at $400). The emailer buys lots of slot cars, so we can assume that he knows that the cars are worth something. How stupid does he think I am? [please don't answer that] Is his heart-wrenching story going to make me give him the cars for $40? Does he think I won't check to see what his other purchases are? Is it a surprise that he missed out on other auctions? He probably expected for shipping to be included in the $40
Hey, come come HTML stopped working?
[ edited by cashinyourcloset on Oct 18, 2006 02:31 PM ]
I'd reply to the cheapskate that I'm happy to sell for $40 for all three but I can find how to cancel the auction. Maybe they can ask eBay to cancel it for me ...eBay takes a dim view of such practices and would likely suspend the miscreant.
posted on October 18, 2006 03:58:52 PM new
"I'm in Sxxxx Cxxxx, do you have a physical store? I ask because I want some cute earrings for my daughter, but not looking to spend much at all. Not worth the shipping charges for me"
Well even if you did have a phyiscal store,it would probably cost them more in gas to get there,then the shipping would be.
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If you dont want to hear the truth....dont ask the question.
posted on October 18, 2006 05:50:06 PM newWell even if you did have a phyiscal store,it would probably cost them more in gas to get there,then the shipping would be.
posted on October 18, 2006 08:22:50 PM new
Fluff, Tell her to drive to SJ flea market and get some genu swine silver dipped ones for that price. Don't you just love the locals? I've had a couple of those lately too.
I'd still like to know how you took those great fotos? I know I need a better camera. What are you using to take such great fotos? So much details shows up in yours. And the software! I love those soft edges. It really gives the image a "feel" Mine: I have to use a stupid magnifying glass with a light. The software is good enough to crop the edges. Nothing fancy.
posted on October 18, 2006 09:01:25 PM newI'd still like to know how you took those great fotos?
Gosh, thanks. I wish they actually were really good. Lacking a light stand or the space to put one, we've put together an assemblage of natural-light compact fluorescents to light the "stage" from each side and from the top.
The camera is nothing special, just a 4.1 megapixel Fujifilm FinePix E500. Bought it at Frys, I think. Couple hundred bucks. The soft edges are from Adobe PhotoDeluxe; the feather effect. PhotoDeluxe is very old software that used to come standard with many scanners and computers. It works just fine under MacOS 9.2.
To take good pictures, mostly you just need a lot of light.
posted on October 18, 2006 09:15:11 PM new
Thanks Fluff, I see one problem right there. My camera is a 2.0. I have put off selling the jewelery and tiny items I have for that specific reason! I had a heck of time trying to foto a mark on a silver bracelet. Remember that? If I had a better camera, I could have taken the marks of the other really old silver bracelet and the rest of the stuff but I guess I'll just have to wait. Since the prices have dropped quite a bit, I may be able to snag a cheap one.
I think I have an old copy of adobe photo deluxe too but it may be for a mac. I'll have to dig through my stuff to see which it is.
posted on October 19, 2006 12:16:56 AM new
I still laugh over the lady who thought I could save her $1.50 postage by driving 20 miles to deliver her postcard,
posted on October 19, 2006 02:05:09 AM new
I had a guy a couple of months ago that won a pair of tow truck tie down chains from me that I was offering shipping in a flat rate box. He emailed me after winning and asked if he could come pick them up. I said sure, no problem and asked if he needed help with directions, figuring he was local. He replied back with his address and I calculated he was 100 miles away. I emailed him back and told him that it would probably be easier and cheaper for me to just ship them because of the long distance but he said it was no problem. About a week later on the date we agreed to he showed up to get them. To make matters worse he showed up in a 1 ton dully GM pickup truck with a gas engine. The kind of truck that get's 8-10 MPG on a good day with the wind at your back. I would hate to even think how much gas he wasted. I asked him if he was going somewhere else local to me and if it was a multiple purpose trip. He said nope, just you and that he had felt like taking a road trip. A road trip in a gas hog like that? Whatever float's your boat budy is all I could think 1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
posted on October 19, 2006 08:02:26 AM new
after reading some of these stories,its frightening of the mentality of some of these people........
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If you dont want to hear the truth....dont ask the question.
posted on October 19, 2006 08:28:11 AM newasked if he could come pick them up
I have to admit, Mike, I have done this any number of times.
I bought a set of sterling silver flatware from a woman in Grover Beach, CA, which is a couple-three hours from here by car. She was fine with a pickup in person, so we spent the weekend in and around San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, etc.
Another time I got a fantastic eBay deal on 100 year old serving pieces in my china pattern (Minton Rose). We picked those up in person, too, in Placerville, right in the heart of California's rustic gold country.
More sterling silver flatware from an antique store in Newport Beach, CA...and we stayed at a gorgeous all-suite hotel overlooking the water.
I agree with you, though, if the sole purpose of the trip is to pick up the stuff, it makes no sense at all. If the seller lives somewhere like Modesto or Stockton, forget it; they can ship it to me.
posted on October 19, 2006 08:53:37 AM new
I don't have a cheapest question to post but I saw this FB posted for someone and had to laugh.
"Tighter than skin on a grape!"
I sure wouldn't want that posted on my FB.
I sold a used wooden playset (made by Rainbow); installed in my back yard, local pickup only, winning bid is $910.
My back yard is in Short Hills, NJ.
Winning bidder's back yard is in Dallas TX.
Sure enough, he and his Dad drive up (making stops at relatives) after 3 days, pay me cash, take it apart (took them long enough that they had to overnight in a motel; I would have put them up, but my wife didn't feel comfortable), and load it onto the trailer (usually used for hauling race cars).
$910 was a good price, but it was 8 years old. I offered him a chance to back out of the auction, as this transaction just could not make sense by anyone's math, but he insisted. I hope I never get that hard up for an excuse to leave the house
posted on October 19, 2006 07:36:10 PM new
Every now and then, I get a tear-jerk note from someone emotionally tied to a postcard -- it's their family farm or their grandfather's store. Could I send it to them for free? My answer: Cough up the ten bucks - I have a family to feed!
posted on October 19, 2006 11:51:20 PM new
"I agree with you, though, if the sole purpose of the trip is to pick up the stuff, it makes no sense at all. If the seller lives somewhere like Modesto or Stockton, forget it; they can ship it to me.
fLufF"
Awwww---gee, Fluff - I'm here in Turlock and we even have a Visitors Bureau now....Are you sure you don't want to come here for a visit?
Seriously, don't blame you one little bit. We used to be a wonderful small town and now we're getting as bad as San Jose, yuck!
posted on October 21, 2006 10:15:42 PM new
Hee, this reminds me of a few years back. I listed an early (1906?) art reproduction book. I had it on for about $40 I think. It was huge, and though some of the prints were faded, some looked fabulous. Frame-able! There was a print every other page, a coffee table size book with leather cover.
Anyway, I got a rambling email from a girl who said one of the artists was her grandfather and she really wanted the print, would I consider selling the book for less because after all, she only wanted the one print.
No.
Next email from her was would I just rip out the one print she wanted and sell it to her for about $5? Because she was poor and really couldn't afford any more (wonder how she was paying for internet?)but really wanted it.
No.
Auction ends with no bidders. Next email was "can I just buy the whole book for $5 because I see it didn't sell?" I finally check her out on ebay, and guess what? She sells old prints.
I answer "Sure. The book is $5, shipping to your location will be $95. Please send a money order for the total of $100.00, I can only accept paypal for auctions.
...eBay takes a dim view of such practices and would likely suspend the miscreant.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS