As an aside to the other thread currently ongoing, I'm curious about something.
When I sell items I have acquired, I generally do not disclose that I operate a junk removal business and I either got the item for FREE, or I was PAID to take it.
When I tell people that, they seem to think THEY should get a better deal, as though the way an item is acquired somehow changes the value of the item.
Any thoughts?
Why give out more information. If I am giving somebody an exceptional deal, I might mention that I got a great deal on it and am just passing down the value.
No! My 85 year old father in law would always find and fix up bikes, we were having a yard sale and a neighbor asked him for a lower price and said I know how you get these! He stated to her do you know how much I have to buy to fix up these bikes?
NO, do you think car dealers disclose how much they paid for used cars on trade ins?
i dont think you need to tell anyone that.
its not like the other thread-where the guy gave a member a pump & told him it was working
I do if they ask.
I do a little research to identify, price, grade condition and date the items and drop my price as low as needs be to beat other sellers to make sure it sells in a reasonable time frame.
more than half of my customers are resellers and become repeat buyers.
I hardly ship anything so having buyers have to travel to me or meet me locally which makes it worth selling for less.
Most buyers don't care where it came from as long as they are getting the best deal they can find.
Also I only list the more unusual items I have so I don't bother the common item sellers.
Haha, kinda reminds me of one time while looking through a Thrifty Nickel/Dollar Saver, or whatever it was then. One ad stated, "We Buy Junk!" and gave the phone number. The following ad, right beneath it, stated, "We Sell Antiques!", same number ; )
I always get asked if I make money off the metal. Whether I take it for free (businesses) or paid to remove it (residential). I always tell them that we get paid very little (which right now is no lie at all for my area). Plus, I tell them, that like any business, we have expenses just like anyone else. If there is enough metal to make it worth it, free. If not, we charge to offset some of the costs.
When it comes to junk removal, I just tell them that if it is good and re usable, it gets donated (which is also no lie, since I dont take the time to really re sell anything).
I have a partnership with a Church that takes it all from me. In return I get their metal, and my contact there is a handy man, and he sometimes hooks me up with jobs. I will help him with labor and he pays me to haul the stuff to the dump.
But it is never a customers business to know what you make or dont or what you do with it.
I ensure them that it all gets recycled and no hazardous material go to the dump and that has never been a lie.
In my experience, when people are asking you how much you paid for something or "how much do you have in it", they are trying to gauge how low of an offer they can get away with. No need to make it easy for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by BurlyGuys
Not on your life.. Because you were spot on with them thinking "Hey this guy got it for Nothing.. I should get a better deal" And they immediately do! I pulled a Reznor heater out of the trash, I sold it for $300 bucks.. It didn't matter where it came from.. the guy wanted it and wanted to pay me the cash- I even let him set the offer. If it was worth $300 to him.. that was all I need :-)
Maybe it's just me, but when people ask me how much I paid for something, I consider them to be super tacky.
Now THAT is funny! Guy could've had the sense to use two number...Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear
I have no problem telling people that I got it for free. If someone is in the market to buy something and is willing to pay a certain price, it should not matter what it cost me to acquire. Most of the time there are other costs involved such as the gas you used, your labor/time, your employee's time, cleaning the item, testing it, listing it on ebay/craigslist, storing it, and the list goes on.
haha yeah, such as recognizing it in the first place, then probly knowing how to tweak it ; )Quote:
Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste
I don't go by what I have in it but what the items value is. If an item is worth 150$ new and I have 20$ "in it" and I can sell it for 75$, the customer saves 75$ while I made 55$, its a win win ! I don't scrap to make anyone else money, I scrap to make me money so theres not a chance Ill tell you how much I paid, or didn't pay for something, especially when you might offer me more than I want to sell the item for. It's not dishonest, just good business.
I don't see why you should. You are offering it for a set price, and they can take it, refuse it, or negotiate you down. If they really cared where you got it and if you are a listed company like Burly is, then they can get the general idea of where you got the item on their own.
I will tell the guy at the antique store after the deal is done. I enjoy the look on his face he already knows that if it is in my jeep that I paid nearly nothing for it. Otherwise no one needs to know.
Lol..I do that to my buddy that runs a pawnshop. After we strike a deal, I'll tell him if he asks an he's always like.."why do I ask..".Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonniebrass
An to stay on topic..no I don't. Really none of their business, is way I see it. Walmart ain't gonna tell me what they pay for their stuff, why should I disclose that? An nothing is ever free. My gas, time, blood, sweat, elbow grease, and other things are expended when I go pickup/breakdown/etc items.
Sirscrapalot - I once saw a forklift lift a crate of forks. And it was way to literal for me. - Mitch Hedberg
I wouldn't lie if asked, but I wouldn't go out of my way to mention it either. Usually I set my price below market for a quick sell, and would rather not waste any time haggling.
No, I dont think its anyone elses business how much I paid for something. When I do resell something it is usually at a very good price since I want to move it quickly. I dont think I have ever been asked, but if I did I think I would say I paid less than what I am selling it for. I would think that common sense tells people you dont sell something to take a loss. But then again common sense is not common anymore.