Bad Practice at Fairs and Bootsales

[Spitace41]

The way I look at it is there is nothing wrong with getting a bargain, be it at a fair, a boot/ garage sale or from the vet or the vets family. However it is not on to then rub it in the person you got it offs face or the faces of other collectors or those who may have missed out on said item.

Another thing that I am beginning to notice is so called "dealers" and/ or "collectors" coming up to stalls and purposefully rubbishing an item in an attempt to get it cheaper. Another good one is "I can get this cheaper from such and such a place." This has happened to me before and I must admit I am not overly polite with these people. 1- I think if they are taken in good humour they may try it on again and 2- By essentially telling them to p**s off, I hope that they will be less inclined to try similar with other people.

[edelweiss123]

The way I look at it is there is nothing wrong with getting a bargain, be it at a fair, a boot/ garage sale or from the vet or the vets family. However it is not on to then rub it in the person you got it offs face or the faces of other collectors or those who may have missed out on said item.

Another thing that I am beginning to notice is so called "dealers" and/ or "collectors" coming up to stalls and purposefully rubbishing an item in an attempt to get it cheaper. Another good one is "I can get this cheaper from such and such a place." This has happened to me before and I must admit I am not overly polite with these people. 1- I think if they are taken in good humour they may try it on again and 2- By essentially telling them to p**s off, I hope that they will be less inclined to try similar with other people.

And that way, we don't see them again which is a bonus

[shortbuss55]

One of the worst things that I can not stand for, and that is so rude and annoying, is when you go to a garage/yard/estate sale that says "No early birds" and someone comes early and buys everything. A few weeks back I went to a Estate sale that was spouted to have WW2 and other military items. The posted time was 0900hrs. I was there a few minuets after 0900hrs looked around and the asked what about the military items and the lady responded, "Ow yea it's all gone. I came here at 0630 and there was a line waiting so I decided to open then." I just left. I just can't stand when people do that.

From Alex

- - Updated - -

One of the worst things that I can not stand for, and that is so rude and annoying, is when you go to a garage/yard/estate sale that says "No early birds" and someone comes early and buys everything. A few weeks back I went to a Estate sale that was spouted to have WW2 and other military items. The posted time was 0900hrs. I was there a few minuets after 0900hrs looked around and the asked what about the military items and the lady responded, "Ow yea it's all gone. I came here at 0630 and there was a line waiting so I decided to open then." I just left. I just can't stand when people do that.

From Alex

[Wagriff]

Roger that, Alex! The city where I live in now has an annual citywide rummage sale and starting Wednesday, there are people prowling all over the city looking for people setting up sales in their garages and yards. By the time the advertised weekend sale begins on Saturday, there's diddley left-which is outrageous, seeing as how some people come from 4 states away just to attend it.

[shortbuss55]

Wagriff, That is NUTS! I can/can't believe that people will travel from at least four states over. Do you participate in the sailing?


From Alex

[Wagriff]

I used to awhile ago make the rounds-as well as occasionally having a sale of our own here too, but lately it's just not worth it. Used to be that a person could find all sorts of interesting stuff, but I think this area has been long since plumbed out from way too many giant sales events like this. Now all you find are worn out clothes and kid's toys. You have better luck with the local Goodwill now....

[VolksJager]

I have to agree with all the comments here so far. I find I am on both sides of the table at shows throughout the year. When I am a buyer I do get the odd bargain but on the same token I do make the people aware that I do on sell some items and I don't want to pay full blown retail but I wont low ball either. I bough a lighter with a large group of items recently.About half went into my collection, the others on my table at the last show. This lighter on the sellers table was listed at $80 (over the top), and I said I was keen and what my intentions were and that I would put in on my table for $60. He let me have it for $45 which is great and it sits on my table now for $60. He appreciated the honesty and actually said don't tell the others here that I have militaria (as it was behind the table) because I know they will try to low ball me. As I always say a little honesty goes a long way.

The other side of the table is the wild west lately. I am finding buyers to be alot more rude and arrogant, thinking that its their right to throw my items down on the table after looking, picking at them, talking them down or trying to make me trip up on my items. I try my best to keep my prices fair and at world market value (not local value) but I still get alot of people saying I am to expensive. I know alot of buyers think they guys behind the table are out to get them but its not always the case, I would always rather gain a return customer happy with the service and decent prices then making massive dollars on items and burning bridges. Still baffles me though, when I am at a fair I attend as a seller, 3 of us can have say an NSDAP badge each (this story happened last year actually), mine was the lowest at $80, the second was $120 and the 3rd was a fake and $250 from memory. Both the $250 and $120 sold while mine was remained unsold. I dont understand it what so ever!

Jason

[ruddersrangers44]

The irony of that Jason was a case of maybe your price was a little too fair and maybe that old saying of "to be that cheap it must be fake"raised its head,its weird how the human mind calibrates things,the more expensive the item is the more genuine it must which we know is truely never the case.

[asterperious]

And Jason, the Aussies exist in their own militaria bubble and are at the same time inclined to devalue everything and overvalue everything depending on what side of the table they are on. Nice blokes for th most part down there but they tend to detach from reality when confronted with militaria - IS wright (great fake farm), Burridge, Downies etc. spring to mind. No wonder the average collector feels 'ripped' off there, they often have good reason