Yard Sale deal of the day.

Obviously, the seller wanted to get rid of the clock (and whatever else was offered) and assumed the only value was the coins---perhaps he thought they were fake coins??

I guess I would have felt 'bad' but the idea is to get a great deal at these sales...so unless I saw something extremely valuable going for cents on the dollar, i'd probably consider it a good day for a bargain and pay what was asked....If I paid for something that was off--the-charts valuable upon later research, then I'd probably return and offer a bit more to the seller for my own peace of mind.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

@Ethan Yeah, I understand letting someone in on the fact that these are silver, before giving them a $1. Might be a nice gesture, if it wasn't for the fact that the clock was labelled, titled, contents described, as part of its design or casing.



Fair transaction, one party got rid of an ugly piece of junk, the other party scored coins.

For crying out loud, he was knowingly asking $1 for $2.30 in face value.

 

I'm not sure how you can live with yourself. Maybe a supervised moderator position somewhere, might help you find the right path to righteousness.

 

Fascinating ... this COIN TALK channel ... the simplicity and wide spectrum of responses.

Its addicting Doug ...

LOL

JPL

 

Much better! You had to know they in all likelihood stole those from their dad or other family member coin stash or collection.

 

I have felt bad at times knowing that I hagled the seller. These days I offer what I am willing to pay. If they dont want to sell. I walk away. Some sellers put High prices because they dont really know what it is worth. Or, it has great sentimental value to them.

 

You could have been funny and pried out $1 worth of coins (face) and used those to pay for the clock and walk away with the rest... maybe that would have made your point.

 

No stuffed shirts here John............

 

I think he should have haggled.

 

Fair enough ....reasonable.

Ok then if an old lady is asking $5 for a $10 Gold coin, will you take it?

Yeah I knew something was odd, but I could not deny him service. I could not prove anything but I did not take $1 for it either. At least I tried something..




Look all can get pissed at me, I could care less. In that situation I would have at least offered him face value for it...at least. I am sure if one were to say, "Nah I can not do that, but I will give you $10 for it", I am sure he would have taken it.

Still this is me, not anyone else...if you can do these things with no issues than more power to ya. I go back to the guy and the guns........I never forgot it nor him.

Maybe a mountain from a mole hill, you never know.

 

See, now you're going to extremes with more valuable items. Maybe you've never bought or sold a several hundred dollar item as used for $20. I have. I got use out of something and am happy to pass it on to another person for a trivial amount.

If an old lady is unfamiliar with gold, why should I trust her judgement and life experience in regard to the authenticity of the $10 gold piece? Would you pay full price to someone who doesn't have a clue about a gold coin? Maybe you would invest the time and money to get it authenticated, then make the trip back and work out a deal with her based on TPG findings?

Give me a break. Garage sales are not complicated. I don't go around looking for people to fleece, but, if and when I stop at a garage sale, it's for a deal, it's impulsive and it's quick. I don't plan on overthinking it like you're doing.

 

I never find anything cool at garage sales. Almost bought a rabbit at one and glad I didn't. The dog probably would have thought it was for him anyway...

 

silly thread.

To the OP, congrats

 

I have the exact same clock and it's REAL. You got a GREAT deal and I don't think you will get a better deal than that for a very long time. Great fine. Oh yeah, the previous owner is an idiot.

 

No I can see that, in this case you knew right up....I am sure of it.

No, but the point was would you give her the $5 or something much more 'fair'. Some folks sell in garage sales as they need the monies....some do not.

Agreed, still. I would have handed him a $10. That is me.

No I do not think so, I think he was ignorant....I really do not think he had a clue.

 

Sorry, you lost me with this comment. Come again?

I might risk the $5, but, I wouldn't know if it was authentic. The only options would be $5 or not to buy from her at all. Which one do you think she would prefer, knowing that, as you've pointed out, some people need the "monies" from their yard sales?

 

No, you are wrong. This thread is very serious and must be seen through to the very end. The procedural integrity of yard sales and garage sales depends on it. The bargain etiquette must be maintained at maximum levels. Every deal must be a steal. No dealer or voluntary conscience related markups.

Getting back to that clock, how easy would it be to remove those silver coins? What condition would they be in, once removed? Have they been glued in? What effect do the casing materials have on the surfaces of those coins?

Let's be fair, $25 for the clock, minus $24 worth of a persons time and effort, that it would take to try to remove the coins safely. I think $1 sounds about right. That is the ugliest clock I've ever seen. I would not display it. I would spend my conscience burdened $10 or $15 on coins that weren't attached to the face of an ugly clock, before I would ever give it to the seller of this clock. The $1 price tag was motivating enough to pick up this paperweight. Face value would have been my max.

 

To the original poster. No problem great deal.

I wonder how many people that don't like what you did - would cherry pick a coin dealer or an ebay seller in a heartbeat if they saw a rare variety that seller was not aware of. I know I would cherry pick them - as a matter of fact I just saw a dealer with a MS64 NGC graded shield nickel with a missing leaf. If I had a market for that variety I would pick it in a second. Just my opinion. Now to go like Franks thread - I know how much that means to him when I do that.

 

Picking from a dealer is one thing, but this is a bit different in MY opinion. You do not have to agree with me.

As for what I mean by the comment. He knew straight up that was 90% silver for a dollar and yes I agree the clock is to ugly to counterfeit.


Quit worrying about it, if you have a clear conscience then no worries.

 

I'm not quite sure what the difference is between "picking a dealer" and "picking a yard sale". Can't have it both ways. It's either one (it's okay) or the other (it's bad form).

With that said, I think a lot of people are making too many assumptions regarding the OP's buy. Assuming the seller is in dire straits, and needing every cent for food? Or is he simply clearing out some clutter? OP doesn't really say. I have gotten incredible bargains from family, friends, yard sales, and flea markets. Either given to me, or sold dirt cheap. Why? I showed an appreciation for the item, and the owner wanted to clear some clutter, and was glad the item went to someone who'd appreciate that item, at least for a little while. Sometimes, yard sales aren't about making money, it's about getting rid of some of the dust-collecting junk, or clearing out mom/dad's estate. I think the OP did okay. Seriously, how much would any of us really pay for something like that? If you buy it simply for the silver content, at or near spot, is it really worth the effort to remove the coins, clean them, and re-sell them?