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Bloody Hell! Moral Dilemma

  
 
Shortfatdyke
16:20 / 07.03.02
i put a message on a website, advertising a (very) collectable pair of tom and jerry figurines. i've just had an email, offering 35 quid, from a father wanting to buy 'something to do with cartoons' for his son.

now this set is worth at least double, maybe treble, what this bloke has offered. shall i tell him that? i feel like such a bastard for even thinking it. but he may be a dealer, in which case he wants them dead cheap to make a big profit. either way, i need to get as much for them as i can - i can't afford to chuck money away. and even if we do agree a sale, who trusts who?

i'm kind of wishing i hadn't started this.....
 
 
Ganesh
16:24 / 07.03.02
I find it sli-i--ightly difficult to believe any parent simply seeking 'something to do with cartoons' couldn't simply wander down to the Disney Store, Warner Bros shop or Forbidden Planet and buy something suitable for a lot less than 35 quid.

He's deliberately tugging at your heartstrings, SFD. Stand firm!
 
 
pointless and uncalled for
16:25 / 07.03.02
Wait.

See if someone else comes up with a better offer first before making a decision on selling to him.

If a better offer comes up then all you have to do is reply and apologise that he was not successful in his bid for these items.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
16:38 / 07.03.02
Oh, he is so blatantly a dealer. "I want something to do with cartoons for my son, gawd luvvim! *sniffle*" It's only a mercy he didn't tell you his son is in a wheelchair, or dying of microscopic Chihuahuas on the brain, or something.

[ 07-03-2002: Message edited by: Mordant C@rnival ]
 
 
Ganesh
16:42 / 07.03.02
Heheh. And I thought I was cynical...
 
 
w1rebaby
16:50 / 07.03.02
hate to say it, but mordant is probably right

if he wants something to do with cartoons, let him know gently that the things are worth much more than that, and maybe he should try the Disney store.
 
 
The Sinister Haiku Bureau
17:02 / 07.03.02
Even in the extremely unlikey event that this guy isn't a dealer, suppose he got them for his kid, and said kid broke them, and then they realised they were worth 100 odd quid. He'd be gutted! So you'd be doing him a favour by not selling them to him...
 
 
Lothar Tuppan
17:03 / 07.03.02
Or, if you want to avoid getting into it with him just keep it professional:

"Thank you for your offer. I'm going to be considering the various offers over the next week [or whatever time you choose] and I will let you know when I've made my decision."

See if he comes back with a higher offer once you've planted the seed that others are interested also.

Or if you do want to haggle with him, pick a price and stick with it.

"I just can't justify parting with this investment for less than X amount. Please let me know if you are still interested."

Don't let him take control of the situation. It's your stuff, only sell it if you like the deal.
 
 
kid coagulant
17:22 / 07.03.02
But what if the dad just got out of jail, after like 20 years, and he’s trying to reestablish contact w/ his son, who’s in his early 30’s and lives w/ his mother and collects Tom & Jerry memorabilia (for some reason) and kind of wheezes a lot? What then?
 
 
pointless and uncalled for
17:26 / 07.03.02
Tough, it's not for the seller to have emotions. Value is value and that is to be respected.
 
 
The Monkey
17:26 / 07.03.02
...and what's if he's holding up a fluffy kitten and doing the big-eyes thing when he asks...?

Dude sounds like a dealer to me. Story's too vague, barring some pretty odd extenuation. I say keep it professional.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
17:47 / 07.03.02
quote:Originally posted by invix:
But what if the dad just got out of jail, after like 20 years, and he’s trying to reestablish contact w/ his son, who’s in his early 30’s and lives w/ his mother and collects Tom & Jerry memorabilia (for some reason) and kind of wheezes a lot? What then?

Then it would be wrong to feed the son's dependancy, and his dad should spend the £35 on a gym subscription or cinema vouchers or summink. I mean, what's a handjob go for these days?

[ 07-03-2002: Message edited by: Mordant C@rnival ]
 
 
kid coagulant
18:05 / 07.03.02
About $40, US. At least that's what I heard.
 
 
grant
18:57 / 07.03.02
Shit, they're only $10 and a Cherry Slurpee down here. Y'all should come visit.

And sfd - sell things for what they're worth. doesn't matter who you sell them to.
 
 
Jack The Bodiless
19:26 / 07.03.02
quote:Originally posted by Mordant C@rnival:
I mean, what's a handjob go for these days?

Since you ask... half a bottle of scotch. Or a pint, if you're willing to come in a pub toilet.

Offer stays open for as long as I'm pissed...
 
 
Shortfatdyke
23:47 / 07.03.02
well i've just done things the easy way and deleted his email. yes, i think he's a dealer. i also will probably add a message to the site, saying i'll be offering the stuff on ebay soon, as the payment procedure is rather more organised. i'm just really, really terrible at asking for money. which is why i'm still owed hundred of pounds from various 'friends'.

and now i'm just waiting for jack to get shouted at by mordant carnival....
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
08:04 / 08.03.02
*Pushes Jack into a pub toilet*

'Course, it's not for me, remember? It's for my out-of-shape, acne-ridden, wheezing, cartoon-obsessed friend here. Just put on this blonde wig and these rabbit ears...
 
 
Fra Dolcino
08:15 / 08.03.02
I'll give yer £40 for them.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
08:23 / 08.03.02
And the thought occurs, sfd: even if this bloke had been 100% on the up-and-up, you're not exactly John D. Rockerfeller. Generosity is all well and good, but you've got a responsibility to yourself, right?
 
 
Kit-Cat Club
08:28 / 08.03.02
Quite. And when you do put them on e-bay, do put a decent reserve on them - e-bay is home to a lot of wheeler-dealers and sharks as well as collectors...
 
 
Shortfatdyke
08:28 / 08.03.02
thanks for the tips. i am now toughening myself up for this dodgy sounding caper....
 
  
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