It's always easier to deal with a guy.

[cyberdan]

I went to an estate/garage/junk sale saturday. This must have been a hoarders house. They said this was the 2nd sale and JUNK everywhere. Lots of friendly workers everywhere too.

I took a quick walk all over the lawn, barely any grass showing not interested in anything. Then I get to the driveway/garage, new set of workers. Lots of recycle stuff. I see a plastic milk crate half full of wire and start seeing extension cords so I start throwing them in the crate. Now the crate is full, so I offer the GUY $3 and he counters with $5 I say OK if you can throw in this other wire. We agree and he asks if I also want a catalytic converter. I say OK if it is free and he puts it in my pile. I take everything to my car and realize I have not even looked in the house yet. So I go back to the house. Carpets are filthy, but I start noticing brass pieces and ask for a box. I find several and something in copper too. My small box was only 25% full so I find a lady worker (wife of garage guy) and make an offer of $2 (knowing I will negotiate) and this lady takes out one piece at a time and starts adding up prices. I stop her when it reaches $20. I tell her this is for recycling and she proceds to tell me things about some of the pieces. So I put back a few of the pieces she had attachments to and offer $5, still no deal. Fineally I realize I am wasting my time and leave. I get outside and another worker asks why I didn't buy anything and I tell her about the old lady inside. She knows thing have to be sold so she leads me back in the house to talk to the lady. Long story short, didn't buy the brass and I bet it never did sell. Guess I know who the hoarder was in that house.

[DemonWolfe]

yeah seen that happen before. the wife wants to have a garage sale, but the husband doesnt so he is asking outrageous prices for things. prices so high you could almost buy brand new ones for what hes asking, and then they wonder why nothing sold... hmm lets think about it for a minute.

[boogeyman]

I use that trick to get rid of pesky people. But sometimes it works out for my pocket book. Had a guy that I couldn't get out of my way when I was setting up at a swap meet. The idiot was clambering around digging in boxes asking "How much for ". Had to chase him out of my truck twice. He spots a couple of fake trees in the back of the truck. He goes, how much? I tell him $125 each to shut him up and get him to leave. Danged if he didn't whip out a wad and start peeling off $250 for the two of em. Sure better than the $10 each I was gonna ask.

[SEANO]

Yup seen that before. Seems if there are more than one person running the sale, one's better to deal with. I gather items and listen to people ask prices and try and head to the best person to work with.

Pulling every single item out of the box is generally not a good sign...

[boogeyman]

Yup seen that before. Seems if there are more than one person running the sale, one's better to deal with. I gather items and listen to people ask prices and try and head to the best person to work with.

Pulling every single item out of the box is generally not a good sign...

You seem to see the trick most people don't "reading people" works good doesn't it? Sometimes just spending a few minutes shooting the breeze with em will soften em up & they'll come down on the prices.

Another thing I do sometimes if there are a couple of items in a box I want, is to just point at the box & ask how much for the whole box. Usually catches em with their pants down & I get a good buy. Of course the rest I don't want gets sold. Have always made my money back plus some with this.

[allen]

they want to sell it all, just at an outrageous price !!