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Funny Story.....

Although while it was happening, it was really annoying.

A couple months ago, i set out to sell a 1998 MIM Jazz bass. Black with Tortoise shell pickguard. all upgraded USA electronics, Badass bridge, real grover tuners(USA made ones, pre 1981) and Dimarzio "noiseless pups. Also with a HSC, 300 bucks. I wasnt tryin to rip off anyone, i thought that was a good price for that thing, and i just wanted the extra $ to put toward another P Bass(i had decided out of the two, that the P bass i liked better).. ANNNYYYWAAAY..

A guy answers my Craigslist ad. Calls me Sunday afternoon, and says he'd like to "take a look", so we agree on a time. He says 7, i agree and he shows up at 9. Whatever, guy sounds really interested, and up til then all ive had were the usual craigslist "tirekickers" and people who wanna trade for 50$, and empty 5 gallon fish tank, and a 1987 Ford Aerostar with a blown transmission, etc etc(im sure you all have been through this)..

Turns out hes looking at it for his younger friend, hes in his early 50s, probably, and younger guy is maybe 20. "younger friend" has never played bass, or anything for that matter, so this was to be his first bass purchase, and apparantly older guy was gonna make sure it was a good buy. I have it all set up in my basement so he can play it through an old amp to make sure it works. first 15 minutes he scrutinizes the finish, paint etc.... yeah it wasnt perfect, but it wasnt destroyed in the least, id give it an honest 8 out of 10. Next 15 minutes he plays it. "slapping and popping" and basically showing off, in my basement at 9:30, on a Sunday evening. Im getting pretty annoyed, but i keep it together. THEN he has his younger friend go out to the car and bring in his Bergantino something or other with some sort of crazy spaceship pod looking thing. Another 15 minutes go buy and he plucks, then puts his ear to his amp to listen to the notes sustain and fade. Im still being patient.....THEN he tells younger guy to go out to his car and bring in HIS USA jazz bass..He then starts plucking away his bass, more "showing off"(maybe to someone who is impressed by this ****, not me), how guys do when they are at Guitar Center, and have no intentions of buying anything, but just wanna sit there showing everyone they know the Seinfeld theme. So there we are, almost 10 o clock, Sunday night, young friend, him, HIS bass, HIS amp, HIS gotdang POD, MY basement, and a very pissed, off annoyed me. This is about the time he tells me that, "it just doesnt have that sound, that thump, that etc etc etc" that his bass does, and thats when the lowballing starts. Seriously? all the **** i mentioned, for 300 bucks, and hes gonna lowball me? I pointed to the door, and said "get out".

The End.
 
Im 6'3, covered in tattoos, literally, from my ears to my toes, and a fit 230lbs. he left. His little buddy was disappointed tho, i could tell he wanted it.

Am i wrong, was this not really a good deal?

Actually IMO you were too polite for too long. I would have kicked them out long before you did.


P.S. Covered in tattoos is not intimidating. One of the nicest guys I have ever known is covered in tattoos and he would not hurt a fly.
 
Actually IMO you were too polite for too long. I would have kicked them out long before you did.


P.S. Covered in tattoos is not intimidating. One of the nicest guys I have ever known is covered in tattoos and he would not hurt a fly.


I agree, not to some. This guy was a total square tho. And i usually go out of my way to try and be polite with people. This is the "new me".. 5 years ago i would have been a lot more abrasive. Im in no way a pacifist, but i try to be flexible with people these days. Not to mention i was hoping to have 300 of his dollars by the end of the night.




Nope i ended up selling it to a friend...
 
He was a jerk. People need to get it in their head: The point of the transaction is not to pass judgment on the bass you're looking at. It's not to show the guy you might be buying from how good you are. It's not to prove a point to anyone for any reason... it's to BUY THE THING and if you don't want it, LEAVE. I suspect he wanted to show what a smooth operator he was in that he had the expertly honed skills to determine how a MIM might be inferior to a MIA but who cares? Buy it or get out. That sounds like a really good deal, btw and the "young friend" would have gotten a really nice instrument out of the transaction if know-it-all hadn't set out to be a show-off. You can snag really good deals if you enter into the discussion with a bit of humility and empathy towards the guy selling the thing.
 
No, he is still in my basement, plucking away, with his spaceship pod with all the blinking lights, discussing with the cobwebs how the screws that hold the pickguard on really are a big factor in the "perfect tone".

Awesome. This thread started my day off with a smile. Sorry about your bad experience. The bass was undoubtably worth $300. The guy was a dork.

I once sold an admittedly junky car (which DID run) in the classifieds for $100. Two young guys came over and offered me $75. I said "no", and they coughed up the full price. Can't blame them for trying, I guess. They weren't jerks, like your "seasoned pro". But geez ...
 
The weirdest story I ever heard.
And yeah...There are alot of people covered with **** loads of tattoos,high as hell,they have huge muscles,and yet they are the best people you can find.
Nice,not aggresive...
If only there were more of these guys lol.

And I'm glad that at least you sold the bass in the end.
 
Awesome. This thread started my day off with a smile. Sorry about your bad experience. The bass was undoubtably worth $300. The guy was a dork.

I once sold an admittedly junky car (which DID run) in the classifieds for $100. Two young guys came over and offered me $75. I said "no", and they coughed up the full price. Can't blame them for trying, I guess. They weren't jerks, like your "seasoned pro". But geez ...


I had a similar experience selling a 1969 Schwinn Fastback, you know the ones with the shifters on them? I collect old Schwinns, Stingrays and such.. Anyway i was selling one for 250, in mint condition. guy wanted it "so bad" its "just like the one he had as a kid, same color and everything"..shows up, wants it, but only has 150. i said too bad, "see ya". walks to his car, gets the other 100 bucks from the glove box, and takes the bike.