How would you respond to this?

Tallone · Apr 13, 2015

Last night I listed the item below:

This is a rare, pre-war pattern of Royal Doulton china. As I understand it, the factory where this pattern was produced was bombed and destroyed during the war so the pattern was lost forever. It is also a very unusual type of piece known as a "Dessert Plate and Cup". Today I received the following message about this item: "Is this the only set you have or are there more of the same?"

I received a similar query a few weeks ago about a different item and my response was, "Why do you ask?" In that case, the questioner did not respond until after the auction closed and his answer was, "Well, in the case that I didn't come out as the top bidder..." I suspected this was why he posed the question which is why I gave such a non-responsive answer.

I made the same response to today's question about the Royal Doulton piece as I suspect the person asking is trying to figure out if this, perhaps, their one and only chance to ever acquire this rare piece in which case they might be willing to bid considerably more. If, on the other hand, there are more of these pieces coming, the price may drop and they can get one cheaper. Personally, I feel like this is an impertinent question. It is nobody's business but my own whether or not I have any more of these.

I'm curious if anyone else has received similar inquiries and, if you have, how you responded.

Beachkid23 · Apr 13, 2015

I would think more than likely they would ask if you had more because they need more than one setting? Possibly or they can claim one broke I suppose and have you send another one. To replace the broken one so they can get two for the price of one. I've never gotten the how many do you have I get the where did you get this from?

Tallone · Apr 13, 2015

It is possible they may want more than one set but I'm sure these don't come on the market very often so, if I were in their position, I would have a get-it-while-you-can attitude. As for trying to get two for one, that won't happen even if I had more than one set as the piece will be insured. I have never been asked where I got an item. I probably wouldn't tell them anyway as that is none of their business either.

AuSomeness · Apr 13, 2015

Tallone said:
Last night I listed the item below:

View attachment 1146359

This is a rare, pre-war pattern of Royal Doulton china. As I understand it, the factory where this pattern was produced was bombed and destroyed during the war so the pattern was lost forever. It is also a very unusual type of piece known as a "Dessert Plate and Cup". Today I received the following message about this item: "Is this the only set you have or are there more of the same?"

I received a similar query a few weeks ago about a different item and my response was, "Why do you ask?" In that case, the questioner did not respond until after the auction closed and his answer was, "Well, in the case that I didn't come out as the top bidder..." I suspected this was why he posed the question which is why I gave such a non-responsive answer.

I made the same response to today's question about the Royal Doulton piece as I suspect the person asking is trying to figure out if this, perhaps, their one and only chance to ever acquire this rare piece in which case they might be willing to bid considerably more. If, on the other hand, there are more of these pieces coming, the price may drop and they can get one cheaper. Personally, I feel like this is an impertinent question. It is nobody's business but my own whether or not I have any more of these.

I'm curious if anyone else has received similar inquiries and, if you have, how you responded.

In my opinion, this is perhaps one of the hardest parts of buying and selling: the @&$^ customer!

I highlighted the above sentence because people WILL get upset if you end up selling 10 or 100 of these identical items if they paid a high price for what they thought was a unique item. If you intend to sell 100 of them and you already own them, it is their business to a degree. I would be somewhat transparent about it. If this is the only one you have for sale right now, let them know. Use facts. Create interest around the facts: "I found 10 of these rare prints. This is one of 10! I'm only selling 5!", and so on. I wouldn't mislead anyone, because it will come back to bite you later. If you plan to sell on eBay, you already know your reputation matters. Come up with your sales strategy for how you'll list multiple of these, if you know you'll be getting more. It may be wise to not sell all of them online. It may also be wise to hold onto these. Good luck!

Tallone · Apr 13, 2015

Everybody (buyer, seller, or observer) is entitled to their own opinion. My opinion is that a prospective buyer is not entitled to know what I have or don't have. By listing the item, I have decided to share with the public as much information as I choose to share at that moment in time and I am under no obligation to provide any other information. I can certainly understand why a prospective buyer would WANT to know if I had others but his desire to know does not obligate me to make him privy to my business.

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that I have more of these dessert sets. I don't see how keeping that information private could be construed as "misleading" or how it would come back to bite me. Let's say Buyer #1 pays $100 under the assumption that I only have one. Then I list another and Buyer #2 gets it for $80. What would be the basis for complaint by Buyer #1? He didn't have to pay $100. That was entirely his choice. What is he going to do? File negative feedback because he didn't get as good a deal as Buyer #2? There is a phrase for that kind of attitude. It's called "sour grapes" and I would be mightily disappointed in eBay if they let a petulant display like that stand.

kingskid1611 · Apr 13, 2015

If they are interested they should do their own research on said item before bidding

diggummup · Apr 14, 2015

I have some different pieces of this same Coaching Days seriesware that I picked up this past weekend. I'll post photos later. Where did you get your info. on the pattern?

diggummup · Apr 14, 2015

BTW- In response to your question... In this particular case I believe the person just wanted to know if you had anymore because people like to own more than one "snack set", they usually like 4 or so. The Coaching Days pattern itself is not rare, but your particular pieces may be. There are 76 sold pieces and 94 pieces currently listed, none like yours. How do you have yours listed? I couldn't find it.

Paleo_joe · Apr 14, 2015

I've made lots of money from collectors who send messages like that. I don't take it as someone wanting to know my business, I take it as a collector wanting to acquire something, and I try my best to accommodate them. I turned a $50 ebay sale customer connection into a $1000 off-of-ebay sale once.

Doubter in MD · Apr 14, 2015

Tallone said:
Everybody (buyer, seller, or observer) is entitled to their own opinion. My opinion is that a prospective buyer is not entitled to know what I have or don't have. By listing the item, I have decided to share with the public as much information as I choose to share at that moment in time and I am under no obligation to provide any other information. I can certainly understand why a prospective buyer would WANT to know if I had others but his desire to know does not obligate me to make him privy to my business.

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that I have more of these dessert sets. I don't see how keeping that information private could be construed as "misleading" or how it would come back to bite me. Let's say Buyer #1 pays $100 under the assumption that I only have one. Then I list another and Buyer #2 gets it for $80. What would be the basis for complaint by Buyer #1? He didn't have to pay $100. That was entirely his choice. What is he going to do? File negative feedback because he didn't get as good a deal as Buyer #2? There is a phrase for that kind of attitude. It's called "sour grapes" and I would be mightily disappointed in eBay if they let a petulant display like that stand.

If you are sitting on a thousand of these "rare" items then they aren't as rare as previously thought. I don't know why you would be upset by questions. Answer them or don't.

jerseyben · Apr 15, 2015

You do understand that the customer is one with the money and without the customer you would have no one to sell your stuff to, right?

It is 100% "their business". It became their business the minute you listed it for sale on a public auction site.

ivan salis · Apr 15, 2015

well maybe they have some but need to know if you have more to make a "complete set" as in maybe they want to get multiple pieces (if they are available ) if so maybe they want a multi piece "deal"... anyone has a right to know if the item they are going to buy is going to hold up in value ... if there's only 1 of something you will pay more but if the many maybe not..

diggummup · Apr 15, 2015

Here are the pieces I just bought. I gave $10 for the lot. The plate and tumbler at the top have damages. The one tumbler on the bottom right is from the hunting series-

Tallone · Apr 15, 2015

jerseyben said:
You do understand that the customer is one with the money and without the customer you would have no one to sell your stuff to, right? It is 100% "their business". It became their business the minute you listed it for sale on a public auction site.

It's a two way street. Without a seller, the buyer has nothing to buy. It seems to me the only thing a prospective buyer is entitled to know are the details of the item being offered for sale. This guy isn't asking about the piece I offered for sale. He wants to know what else I have that I have NOT listed. Just because he WANTS to know that information does not entitle him to it.

ivan salis said:
well maybe they have some but need to know if you have more to make a "complete set" as in maybe they want to get multiple pieces (if they are available ) if so maybe they want a multi piece "deal"... anyone has a right to know if the item they are going to buy is going to hold up in value ... if there's only 1 of something you will pay more but if the many maybe not..

That could be true but I have no way of knowing if that is what motivates his question. Even if he claims that is the reason doesn't make it so. Some people lie.

"anyone has a right to know if the item they are going to buy is going to hold up in value"

Really? I would sure like to know if the 1,000 shares of stock I bought today are going to hold their value. I'm being a bit facetious but I hope you get my point. Whether or not something will hold its value is unknowable. What if two weeks from now 100 of these dessert sets are listed? What do you suppose will happen to the price then?

" ... if there's only 1 of something you will pay more but if the many maybe not."

This is precisely my point in not disclosing if I own any more of them. This is Economics 101: Supply vs. Demand... As the seller, I'm trying to get the highest price for my item. As a buyer, he is trying to get the lowest price. Supply affects price. Larger supply = lower price.

dumpsterdiver · Apr 18, 2015

I actually probably get that question once a month.
I've had people ask it for a $400 vase and a $10 tumbler. I just answer honestly. I assumed it was to complete a set. Or have a pair. Most people that pay for the higher end pieces have pretty elaborate displays that are pretty symmetric. However my items are almost always buy it now. So I don't think it has a lot to do with the price they are willing to pay.

The one thing I've noticed is rarely does the person asking the questions win the auction. If you want to have some fun list 10 coffee mugs and watch how many people ask how many ounces they hold. I always answer. And the answer almost always falls in the 8-14 ounces for practical purposes and they never buy. Its like they are just curious. There is a ruler in the picture so its not miniature or giant. That is the one question I will probably stop answering.

diggummup · Apr 18, 2015

dumpsterdiver said:
If you want to have some fun list 10 coffee mugs and watch how many people ask how many ounces they hold. I always answer. And the answer almost always falls in the 8-14 ounces for practical purposes and they never buy. Its like they are just curious. There is a ruler in the picture so its not miniature or giant. That is the one question I will probably stop answering.

Why not just put it in the description to begin with? :icon_scratch:

dumpsterdiver · Apr 19, 2015

diggummup said:
Why not just put it in the description to begin with?

Most of the time I include it but sometimes I assume they are buying it as a replacement.

Or I forget to measure it when I'm taking photos.

When I run out of coffee I just go pour myself some more so its the one question that I don't understand.