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To tell or not to tell..

Started by s-man,

Would you tell?  

423 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you tell?

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59 posts in this topic

COI

COI

Posted
Posted

In this day and age, information is a few keystrokes away. If you're too lazy to do a couple of google searches, I have no problem profiting off of that laziness.

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gozer

gozer

Posted
Posted

In the world today, the lucky ones make money from their knowledge. Knowledge of C++ or knowledge of "what comics are valuable" ... it's all the same.

 

If I see something of value at a garage sale, I say a quick thanks to Zeus and quietly buy it. Wwith comics, it's only happened three times in the last 20 years though ... dang! Not a very good batting average.

 

I have an acquaintenance who knows jewelry. She's never without her loupe, and goes to lots of garage sales. And makes out quite nicely by spotting the occasional real stone mixed in with costume stuff. How is that any different than spotting a good book priced too low?

 

gozer

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LordRahl

LordRahl

Posted
Posted
Though your example is extreme, I'd tell them and have done so in the past. Have many instances of people with Silver Age US comics coming up to me at German comic shows wanting a Euro per comic when it was worth 30 times that. Or pulling a MS #5 or ASM #122 out of the 50 cent box and giving it to the barely out of his teens LCS clerk who didn't know any better...

 

I have a problem with taking advantage of others ignorance. Maybe it's a personality quirk. But I'd rather be honest with someone. Taking advantage of someone would take the thrill of the buy away and replace it with guilt.

 

Treat others as you'd like to be treated applies. May be a naive way of thinking but it's worked for me so far...

 

Jim

 

What exactly is dishonest about the scenario described? Seller puts up an item at a fixed cost and you meet that price. Pretty simple. Not morally ambigous IMO and certainly not dishonest under any definition of the word. Their ignorance is their problem, not mine.

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hockey&comicsguy

hockey&comicsguy

Posted
Posted

I would buy them and be on my merry way. If there were something of incredible value like a high grade AF15 or an Action 1, Tec 27, etc...I might tinker with the idea of cutting them in on the proceeds if I moved the books. But it'd be a fleeting thought and I probably wouldn't move the books anyway so......

 

I wonder what would happen if you lucked upon a sweet, mid grade, unrestored Action 1 for a dollar. Sold it and then went back to give the schmuck you got it from like $10,000 or something. I wonder if that person would do some digging, find out what they sold you was worth a boatload of dough and then sued you. Could they win? I know they could probably sue you. Seems like you can sue for darn near anything. Legal fees, time, court maybe. Bah, forget all that potential headache. I wouldn't cut the original seller in for a dime after the fact now that I think about it.

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supapimp

supapimp

Posted
Posted
Though your example is extreme, I'd tell them and have done so in the past. Have many instances of people with Silver Age US comics coming up to me at German comic shows wanting a Euro per comic when it was worth 30 times that. Or pulling a MS #5 or ASM #122 out of the 50 cent box and giving it to the barely out of his teens LCS clerk who didn't know any better...

 

I have a problem with taking advantage of others ignorance. Maybe it's a personality quirk. But I'd rather be honest with someone. Taking advantage of someone would take the thrill of the buy away and replace it with guilt.

 

Treat others as you'd like to be treated applies. May be a naive way of thinking but it's worked for me so far...

 

Jim

 

What exactly is dishonest about the scenario described? Seller puts up an item at a fixed cost and you meet that price. Pretty simple. Not morally ambigous IMO and certainly not dishonest under any definition of the word. Their ignorance is their problem, not mine.

 

i would buy them, then tell the seller exactly how much they are worth and thank him for such a great deal! :acclaim:

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DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted

Totally different situation would be if the guy asked me if I wanted to buy his Action 1, I said "yes", and he asked me what it was worth.

No way in hell would I tell the guy it was only worth a quarter and rip him off. ;)

That would be stealing his mess, and I have no doubt in my mind the guy would have a lawsuit against you.

 

If he priced it, you paid his price, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Unless it happened in California. Then he can sue you for the full amount you sold it for, all your worldly possessions, and every penny your great grandchildren will earn in their lifetime. :screwy:

 

 

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catrick339

catrick339

Posted
Posted

I go to a LOT of garage sales every summer. I'm always looking for vintage comics, and alas, seldom find anything. However, while I'm looking for them (Hope springs eternal) I often find items that I know more about than the seller.

 

Last year I bought a hardcover first edition of a Tony Hillerman novel for 50 cents, and sold it on ebay for nearly $100. Found a first ed. Tarzan book (alas, no jacket) mixed in with a bunch of Grosset and Dunlop reprints at an antique store, where they really should have known better, paid $5 and sold for $90.

 

Got a nice Roseville vase for a buck sold it for $35 at MY garage sale.(And the buyer was overjoyed, which means I underpriced it) Nice piece of Carnival Glass for $4, sold for $30, got a beat up dresser with a marble top for 10 bucks, fixed it up and polished it, out the door for $150. Old floor model radio for $5, sold for $75. The list goes on and on.

 

If you pay the seller's asking price, or even if you haggle a bit and get a better price, and the seller is satisfied with the transaction, then there's no sin. The fact that you know more than the seller is to your credit, and you should take advantage of your specialized education.

 

Anybody bright enough to stroll into their local library and google up whatever they're trying to sell can get a quick idea of retail. IF they fail to do so I don't see where it's my responsibility to educate them.

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catrick339

catrick339

Posted
Posted

Howdy Doc! Do you know pottery and ceramics? I I know paper ane ephemera pretty well, and glass and furniture enough to get by, but am still educating myself on ceramics and pottery.

 

I don't begrudge the Roseville buyer however, I made a nice profit, and if they got a bargain so be it.

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almoe

almoe

Posted
Posted

On several occasions I have found cash of $300 or more (actually three times) but always in a purse or wallet with ID - In those situations, I returned without a second thought - but if someone wants .25 cents then I wouldn't think twice!

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Leescomics

Leescomics

Posted
Posted

Back in the 1970s, before I had my stores, I used to go out to Flea Markets and garage sales looking for Comic Books to buy and re-sell. I never found anything approaching a Spider-Man #1 for a quarter, but now and then I good stuff that was selling for cheap. The thing is, when you think about it, you have to spend about 100 hours looking around for each good deal that you find. If you really analyze it, you are probably making less than minimum wage for your efforts.

 

You finding that Action #1 for a quarter is less likely to happen than you winning a million dollars in the lottery, but tales of other people scoring keeps hope's fires eternal. It's like those old men with metal detectors searching at the park for "treasure".

 

So if you were out looking and you found that Action #1, and it was marked at a quarter, buy it and get the hell out of there without further comment. It will pay for your lifetime of looking around for bargains.

 

If you try to cut the person in on the profits, you open yourself up to a world of trouble. Even if you do it anonymously, that tips the person off that they gave away something of great value for cheap, and they start looking into things. Maybe they are a little nutty, and they have a gun.

 

Now if someone brings you some good stuff, and asks for an offer, you owe them a duty to offer a fair price. But there is no sin in buying things for the asking price, even if it's a terrific deal.

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