Who's right ? ?

[mikebonellisr]

I think that it was rude of you to interject yourself into thier discussion.If both parties were willing to settle on $3 after negotiation I think you should have butted out.
I dont think you would have done the same thing if you heard a similar conversation on a street corner....It was not you're business,it was'nt going to hurt anyone(except you not getting what you desired)....Now if it were a auction,that's a different story altogether.To me it just seems like a matter of courtesy

[orsonroy]

Technically, EVERY sale is an auction, until a contract has been signed (and a "contract" includes cash in hand). Americans are NOT used to haggeling; we just plunk the sticker price down on the table and walk away. The only place we regularly haggle is at car dealers, and they'll definitely cut and run from a buyer if someone else offers $100 more (or even less, if you have cash). But most of the rest of the world has set pricing as haggling points from the dawn of time to today. Most large retailers would stare at you funny if you offered $5 more for the last toaster in the store, but they wouldn't say no out of hand. The would, generally, say no to $5 less.

But in a swap meet "bazaar" context, bid away. Most people do try to haggle down, but I've run across people who have actually handed me MORE for items at my sale table. I've also had bidding wars spontaneously erupt at my tables, and I encouraged them. Why? Because in the end it's MY wallet that matters!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

.. it was a goldmine of good stuff

See, if it was worth the ten bucks the other guy should paid the asking price, but the he had to be greedy. Ever watch that TV game show "Deal or No Deal"? Yep, greed.

[tangerine-jack]

If the dealer closed at $3 for a sale, then he should have enough professional courtesy to say NO to all other offers, a deal's a deal and that's final. I don't think you were in the right for stepping in, but the other guy certainly wasn't right either by acting as he did, nor was the dealer right for changing his price after closing. Do three wrongs make a right?

Live and learn.

[tatans]

Tatans here: it's a bit of a tough call, the other bidder ($7.00) took off like a rocket , so I got it for $8.00,and it was a goldmine of good stuff, I'm rebuilding most of it to logging stock so this was treasure for me, I think I'll heed the some of the advice above and not do this again, just a few too many guys walking the thin line, thanks

[Anonymous]

What a moral delima. First the guy tries to beat up the dealer for more tha half the asking price. Well, maybe he should have given the dealer the asking price or a little less and taken the box and gone, but he was (IMO) greedy. The dealer might have said "No Deal", but did you jump in before he had a chance to deny him?. The other guy might have said no deal and give up and maybe tried again later.
When I had a table at a train show, if someone wanted to talk me down too much, I tell them come back at the end and if I still had the item, we'll deal.

So were you wrong? Yes, in the context that you jumped the gun and as Bob said, it wasn't an auction setting even though the other guy counter bid. The dealer probably would have refused to sell at $3, depending the time of day, and the guy may have walked away. We'll never know.
But IMO, you are not responsible for his outburst [:(!] He could just as well walked away or kept up the bidding until you gave up and walked away. Then he could have told the dealer he changed his mind. [(-D]. What could the dealer do?[:(]

And women complain men don't show their emotions. [swg]

[zgardner18]

Dude, that is a tuff one. If I was the guy buying the box for $3 I would be pissed too. I probably would of acted in the same way. I guess you have to put yourself in his shoes.

Who came out with the box anyways?

Personally, I think it was a sad situation.

[Anonymous]

As far as I'm concerned, there was nothing wrong or unethical about what you did. As long as your offer was legitimate, noone can say anything about it. I myself think there is a bit too much negotiation on these sorts of things. When I put a price on something, that's going to be the price.

On the other hand, if I put a price on something and someone has the cash, but another fellow says , but I'll give you five bucks more ... I'll tell him to talk to the new owner. This is a free country and I like free market economics.

[rolleiman]

Dickering for price on used trains at train shows is not an uncommon thing. In fact, I'd say it's expected. If the other potential buyer was willing to Pay the $10 he should have just whipped out the ca***o begin with. Would I be disappointed if it had happened to me? Probably. Would I act like a raging butthole because of it? Definately not. I've missed Many bargains at shows because I didn't act fast enough. I've had people snatch items right from under my hand and out of my hand in one case (and he may have done me a favor by doing so). I say if you can make a bargain and get what you want, go for it. Remember though, train shows usually aren't auctions and you're bound to pi$$ somebody off by starting a bidding war. Were I the seller however, and the other guy didn't start asking like an a$$, I would have given him first shot to produce the $10.

So, after all that, did you end up with the $10 box of cars? If so did you do the guy a favor or was it the bargain you hoped for?

My 3 [2c]

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the guy got his toes stepped on BIG time. Granted, all is fair in love and war, but I would hope there is some courtesy among hobbiests. If the guy got the dealer to agree to 3 dollars, (seems by your description that this is the case)then everyone else needs to butt out. The 1st guy beat you to the punch. If the dealer wanted to , he could have told him no.
BUT,
If the guy offered the dealer 3 bucks and the price had not been agreed on, then a higher offer could be extended, and escalate into bidding.

[Anonymous]

If it wasn't an auction then maybe you should have waited and tried to purchase the items from the buyer. Think about it. Would you want someone to interupt a transaction you are conducting and force you to up your negotiated offer or give up the purchase?

[tatans]

I attended a train show a while back and was standing at a dealers table gawking like a seagull when I glanced at the next table, a guy was buying a box of used ho cars and the price on the box was $10.00, the guy had the dealer down to $3.00, I then told the dealer I would give him $7.00 for the box and another guy said he would give him $8.00, I said $10.00 and the original buyer went completely ballistic, screaming and yelling and pushing people and swearing until he was removed.---- NOW was I wrong to interject on the transaction along with the other guy who bid? ? Did I break some cardinal rule?? please advise. I think there might be a 50-50 response, I'm still not sure myself.