i just can't help myself!

[Old Blastard]

I’ve had that happen before too. Not bragging but I’m pretty sure I knew more than the salesperson.

I did know more and the salesperson knew it. He's an amazing horn player and they have a couple of great string players, but bass guitar is a bit of a mystery

 

[LowActionHero]

It's the high price of being helpful.
Shame on you...

 

[DeltaDelta]

we have a 25.5" 7 string guitar for sale on CL. the only person interested has been emailing me for hours. he wants a deal. we strike a deal on price, but he doesn't seem to know much about guitars. next thing i know, i'm giving him links and information.

i don't know this guy, will never speak to him after this, and suspect he's barely older than my granddaughter. part of me feels that having this information could help him.

somebody stop me! i'm set on automatic "information" mode *LOL*

Nothing wrong with being helpful.Nothing wrong at all...

 

[bassliner50]

 

[mrcbass]

Selling stuff on CL is definitely an adventure. Have several items posted. A couple of them seem to attract attention from people with no social skills. Get an email asking if it's available or a question about the item. I respond an then her nothing back. Until they come back and ask if it's available again 2 days later - and then vanish again. Too much trouble to respond with a "no thanks" or a "go pound sand" or something?

Just random annoying people with nothing better to do than to pester people I guess. I won't go into the experiences I've had meeting up with people on a few occasions. Such a lack of common courtesy and respect.

 

[pcake]

I would've kept sharing information, and also trying to figure out how to co-mission so some of my other projects benefit from this guy's passion. I'm an educator by trade, so I guess I don't mind sharing what I know, provided it's not a huge burden. It sounds like you work at the guitar center (is that right?), if so, there might be more boundaries than I have as just a guy with an opinion. Even if someone couldn't play, I'd try to boost attendance by getting him to attend one of my kid jazz band performances. Let him know that if he can meet certain requirements, he could join us eventually.

I remember one guy who spent a lot of time educating me on basses when I was new at Long and McQuade in Toronto, Canada. He showed me how to get a Jaco sound out of a bass and I was deeply appreciative. I still remember the guy 30 years later. And he helped fuel my passion.

You never know when you're planting a seed that eventually becomes a mighty oak tree.

i don't work at guitar center and have never worked at any music store. i'm a freelance editor and copywriter and work in my living room.

it's great that that guy helped fuel your passion, and also great that you still remember him.

I did know more and the salesperson knew it. He's an amazing horn player and they have a couple of great string players, but bass guitar is a bit of a mystery

i usually know more than the sales people, not that i'm so knowledgeable, but they tend to only have info about the stuff that really interests them. i always hear sales people at stores giving absolutely inaccurate information to potential buyers, and it's obviously not just to make sales - although i've seen a few times when they told bald-faced lies, too. once i asked a sales guy who i had overheard telling a customer that this bottom-of-the-line yamaha acoustic guitar with a plastic rosette was all solid why he did it. he shrugged, gave me an impish grin and said that was all the customer could afford, so might as well make the sale.

Selling stuff on CL is definitely an adventure. Have several items posted. A couple of them seem to attract attention from people with no social skills. Get an email asking if it's available or a question about the item. I respond an then her nothing back. Until they come back and ask if it's available again 2 days later - and then vanish again. Too much trouble to respond with a "no thanks" or a "go pound sand" or something?

Just random annoying people with nothing better to do than to pester people I guess. I won't go into the experiences I've had meeting up with people on a few occasions. Such a lack of common courtesy and respect.

i actually haven't had many adventures on CL. thank goodness! just last week a guy maybe 20 bought a cab from me. he brought his head and bass, we talked gear, he was an excellent bass player, and he paid my asking price. for me, this is more typical. on the other hand, i rarely sell electric guitars on CL - it's mostly camera and bass gear.

I was at a local
Music store fooling around and started taking to a customer and his daughter who wanted to play bass all about Ibanez and Squier and what have you.
For about 30'minutes. Fun chat.

He came up and said "we'll take this one" and Insaid great. We looked at each other for a minute and then he said "you don't work here, do you?"

Sales guy gave me a set of strings for a commission.

I had that happen in a pawn shop once. I was in looking at their guitars and basses. Nothing I wanted to buy but noodling around a bit. A (I'm guessing) mother and daughter came in looking at guitars. They knew I didn't work there but I showed them some stuff and said the one she was interested in was a decent deal. No commission from the store though.

there was a sales rep at mccabe's in santa monica and several in guitar centers who knew i loved acoustic guitars and basses and was fairly well informed. they used come over and ask me to play for unsure customers, sometimes 3 instruments in a row, then the customer would ask me (never the reps at that point) a couple questions. it was fun and i liked helping people. and sometimes it helped me, too. i was buying 2 basses 1 day from my favorite sales guy and didn't realize it was a 15% off day - he let me know and made sure i got the discounts.

 

[hbarcat]

I do this all the time in the craft beer aisle. Someone might be looking to buy a 6 pack of good beer for a dinner party and doesn't know anything other than Miller Lite. If he asks the clerk for recommendations, 9 times out of 10 the clerk knows nothing.

I've been homebrewing since 1986 and have become an expert on every beer style available, so I'll typically offer advice about selecting beer if the store clerk isn't helpful.

Often times, the customer had selected a beer that would likely have not been enjoyed. Many of the expensive craft beers are purposely made with very aggressive flavors that are at the extreme of the style. People who are used to American Lite lagers are probably going to be disgusted with the mouth puckering bitterness of an ultra hoppy beer. If I can steer them into a more mellow choice they'll likely be a lot happier.

 

[GwenOnBass]

There was a miniature shop in Toluca Lake and my guess is it's gone by now.

I'd like to be there when you start the same projects at 100 percent size