posted on May 8, 2001 08:13:50 PM new
Just a follow-up on triplesnack's post.
I also felt it was "a little tacky" to offer to sell him the tuners. That's why I asked for advice here. Most everyone else thought it was a fine idea, so I went with it. In retrospect, it wasn't.
And, just to clarify, I said I could easily see the tuners bringing $35 on the market. Doesn't mean they wouldn't bring $20, or $75 on a good day. I offered them to him at what I thought was a fair price.
On the other hand, I was worried that he might see the tuners for sale on ebay, then wonder why I never contacted him about it.
Sort of a no win situation, unless of course, he would have been thrilled at the opportunity to buy them.
And as far as the nice lady that sold me the guitar. I gave her her asking price. Didn't try to talk her down even a nickel. She sold an old guitar that needed repairs for probably several times what she originally paid. She was happy. I paid for repairs, cleaned it up, etc. Any profits I made I earned.
She was nice enough to spend a buck thirty-nine to mail the parts, because she had no use for them. I'll send her a little extra money. I suppose it's only right.
Your post made me seem a little greedy. I'm not. I often do extras for my customers. I've been known to offer free shipping when an item does way better than expected; I've paid for their insurance out of my pocket plenty of times; given free extras in their shipments at times, etc. But I usually do it only when I feel like it. Not when asked to.
[ edited by loosecannon on May 8, 2001 08:16 PM ]
posted on May 8, 2001 08:30:52 PM new
Ouch. A sticky wicket.
Being a guitar player and somewhat of a collector, I would say that it's very important the original tuners found their way back to the guitar. However, the guitar sold for less than its worth. That's something to consider too.
It isn't the bidder's fault the guitar went for cheap. You'd just be asking for a fight to send an email that starts out, "Sorry you feel that way...." It sounds like sour grapes. Also, I assume the original owner GAVE you the tuners.
I would explain your position nicely, that adding the tuners increases the value of the guitar, etc. I agree with the poster above, I would probably start out, "I want to give you first crack at this since I'd like to see the tuners go to this guitar." I'd even offer the tuners for cheap. Chalk it up to karma and move on.
Sorry you got screwed, but stuff happens.
And now I'm going to strum a little myself. Toodles.
posted on May 8, 2001 08:50:20 PM new
Hi loosecannon -- didn't mean to imply I thought you were greedy!
First, I don't know anything about guitars, and probably couldn't pick out a tuner out of a pile of assorted doowhackeys. I guess I interpreted your posts to mean that you thought $35 was a fair market price for the tuners, and that you offered them to your buyer for $50 in an attempt to make up some of the difference between what you could have potentially sold the guitar and tuners for as a set as opposed to selling them separately. That was the aspect of it that I thought was tacky. If $50 is a fair price for them sold independently of the guitar, then it seems that to offer them to your buyer was a nice gesture.
No, I don't think loosecannon should feel obliged to send the tuners to the buyer for free. But I think some of the hostility posters have expressed about the buyer is a little overblown. Yes, for the buyer to ask him to do so is, again, rather tacky. Could be the buyer is just trying to bargain the price down some. That's haggling, and part of doing business -- a simple sorry, your purchase price did not include the tuners, you can pay $50 for them now or take your chances bidding at auction is all that needs to be said.
posted on May 8, 2001 09:06:27 PM new
$50 wouldn't go too far in making up what I coulda/shoulda/woulda have gotten for the guitar. It brought around $700. I was expecting at least $850 or $900, hoping for more.
On the other hand, if he had the tuners on the guitar, he has instant appreciation in value. Worth every penny of $50 for that if you ask me.
No, it's not his fault that the guitar didn't go for a higher price. OTOH, I didn't refuse to sell it at that price either. He got a very fair deal.
I don't know. If I started them at 49.99 they probably wouldn't get a bid. You know how that is. I'd have to start them a little lower. $35 sounds right.
posted on May 8, 2001 09:44:12 PM newloosecannon-Just call me "tacky". I'm one of those who saw nothing wrong with giving 1st chance to the buyer of the guitar for a fair price. I am primarily a buyer, and I would not have been offended nor would I have expected you to give them to me. Of course, we are all different. That's what makes this business so much fun!? I am truly sorry, it didn't work out well for you.
I guess it's time for damage control now, eh?
How about waiting awhile (maybe a month) to list them? Who know, maybe by then this buyer will decide they really would like to have them and bid on them.
posted on May 9, 2001 08:11:55 AM new
First of all, I do not know anything about guitars - so please take this as just my honest opinion.
The buyer got the guitar for $100 less than it should have brought, had the original tuners been on it.
You now have the tuners and that would greatly appreciate the value of the guitar to the buyer. He has chosen not to buy them.
In effect he has received a $100 discount because of the missing tuners. That puts the ball back in your court.
I would list the tuners and send the buyer a link to the auction. If he is a collector he knows the value of the tuners to that guitar - and will probably bid on the auction, driving your price up. If not, oh well.
It is up to the buyer to decide if he wants to bid or not - he might be happy to pay $35 but thought $50 was too high. He also might be happy with the tuners he has. I would be interested in following this auction to see how it all turns out.
And let's not forget that somewhere in Italy someone else might have the same guitar and has been searching for ages for the tuners!
posted on May 9, 2001 11:42:07 AM new
Here is what I would do. Since you offered the tuners to the gentleman and he refused I would list them on ebay and put a reserve on them to get the price you wanted. If he wants them then he will have to pay your price. Good Luck
Bad spelling day!!!!
[ edited by Libra63 on May 9, 2001 11:49 AM ]
