Where do you draw the line?

I assume every word said by a person trying to buy something from me or sell me something is a lie until proven otherwise.

Doesn't matter if it's a used car, or a bass, or a pizza.

 

I expect them to be honest, but I also expect to be disappointed. A little suspicion ain't a bad thing, here...

 

I expect not to be lied to. I know it can and will happen, of course.
I do not always expect a seller to know all the little details of what he sells. If I get something cheap, I do not expect perfection either.
Arseholes who believe they own a right to express feelings or an opinion on what I do with my purchase must be told to go stink elsewhere.

 

I'm never disappointed by lies, only pleasantly surprised by honesty.

Takes all the emotion out of it. I don't fall for sob stories. And I verify all claims about provenance.

 

If i’m the seller i have bottom line but i always advertise a bit higher to give the buyer an opportunity to talk me down a bit. I do this because i have never paid asking price and don’t expect anyone else to do so and there is a funky positive phycological aspect to successfully negotiating a lower price so it helps to ward off buyers remorse. As a buyer I’m all about finding bargaining points and using them to get a better deal. I usually don’t deal with my friends because i’ve never learned how to charge friends or family, i’d rather just give them the item, but i don’t allow any emotion in a deal with someone who answers a for sale ad or a seller i’ve contacted. It’s a business transaction without the benefit of a contract or warranty so once it’s done we both walk away with what we want, no regrets because we came to a mutual agreement and that’s the end of it. If i’m not satisfied with a deal i turn it down and move on to the next prospect. It’s stuff and there is never a shortage of stuff so work at limiting emotional attachment and horse trading becomes a challenging fun pastime.

 

When selling, I try to be as honest as possible. Why would I do otherwise? When buying, I expect the same. I know, not everyone will be honest, but I still expect it. I've been lucky I guess, most of what I've dealt for online has come to me as described.

What someone does after I sell them something is their business too. I've sold it. It's not mine to decide about anymore. If they sell it for twice as much, well, good on 'em. I traded some gear to a well established guitar store (not GC) back about a year ago. Traded two basses for a bass cab. I wasnt playing the basses and the cab would get way more use, so I made the deal. The store owner dogged both basses as junk the entire time we talked, but made the trade with me anyway. I was happy, and he felt like he was doing me a favor taking such junk off my hands so that I wouldn't have to dirty myself and could respect myself in the morning for getting those horrible things out of my life. About six months later, I went in the store just to look around, and there was one of the basses (the one he considered to be the worse of the two I traded him) listed at the price of the cab. So basically, he got one bass for the price of the cab and one for free. I was pissed for a few minutes, and then realized, hey, it's his bass, he can ask what he wants for it! I seriously thought about acting like I was going to buy it, just to see how low they would go on it...

BnB

 

I must have been very lucky, but in the last 2 years I have bought (and sold) a ****load of used gear, almost always sight unseen, and I have never encountered a dishonest seller yet. Only once I got an item that was different from description and it was from a shop (not a private seller)!
The major classifieds site in Italy doesn't even have a "feedback" system so one could easily sproof people without paying consequences but it never happened to me. My theory is that people who buy/own/sell certain types of gear are for sure decent people so I tend to trust them

Same... When asked, I have also shared my bad impressions on some pedals with buyers, luckily I am not a professional seller because my business wouldn't go far

 

I think it is personal preference. As I have upgraded I have found great guy (band) just starting out in the business, playing that today's punk sound, that I have "given" stuff too. The stuff I have given has some intrinsic value, but not to me. Things I have given him:

Zoom bass all in one pedal. Never could get a likible sound out of that thing
An old pedal board, for Velcro backed pedals. Again some value, I suppose, but I have upgraded
two trees of the old hot par lighting 6 - 46 pars and 2 - 54 pars with gels and the horizontal suspension beam. Did I mention "HOT". I went to LEDs

Now I told him, that if he couldn't use anything, or finds that it doesn't fit his bill, that he gives them away, as he received them.

But honestly, I'm not tracking it, and really don't care. If someone can use that stuff and he wants to go through the BS to sell it, good for him. They are out of my garage.

about that lighting. I contacted lighting companies, small theater groups, and asked church folk. Nobody wants those heaters anymore (again I was giving them away). LEDs I suppose are where they are at.

 

If we're talking about the ethics of flipping:

I think in the case of an innocent uninformed owner who found or acquired the instrument from a deceased friend or family member, they aren't sure what to do so they call you in to evaluate the instrument and its value. You're dealing with something more like a family heirloom. I personally couldn't find it in my heart to not reveal the true value of the instrument. I would offer the lowest street value possible that isn't insulting. In most cases, the seller is relieved you aren't scamming him, and you end up getting a great deal just the same.

In most other situations caveat emptor and caveat vendor apply equally. If you are selling something, it's your responsibility to find out its value first. Price accordingly based on value and how motivated you are to sell. I don't feel bad about most great deals I get, because I figure the seller wasn't that concerned and more motivated to just move the item quickly.

 

I've sold several basses and pedals on TB. In most cases, I believe that they went to someone who really wanted them for their own use. However, in other cases, I was sure that I was selling to someone who would resell the gear. Lastly, there were a few cases where I think the person buying thought they were buying for themselves, but later found something else that they wanted more and decided to sell.

Honestly, once I decide to sell something, I really only care about getting paid the amount that I've agreed on. If someone is willing to buy from me at that price, whatever they do after that is not my concern. If they want to take the risk of trying to sell for a higher price, that's their business, not mine. If getting a higher price was the deciding factor for me, then I should have held out for it.

It's similar to how people bash Guitar Center and other market makers in gear for not paying full price when they buy. The service they are providing is that they are willing to give you money immediately for something that they hope to sell for more money at a later date. There's no guarantee that they will do this or how long it will take, which is why they need to make some money on the deal.

In the end, once you decide to sell and agree on a price, put it behind you.

 

Interesting. I've never asked anyone to lower a price. If the price isn't right, I don't buy. On the other hand, I once sold a bass after having it for just a few weeks and not looking at it as closely as I should have, and ended up giving a buyer back $100 when he pointed out flaws I'd missed.

I doubt whether I've ever sold anything that turned out to be seriously underpriced, but even if I did, that's on me, not on the buyer.

 

I always do my haggling after getting a look see at the goods and i don’t always buy, but i always ask if the price is firm before i set a meet. If they tell me it is i usually decline a meet. If i’m meeting a stranger i won’t assume they are honest until i see the item. Too many times i’ve had people over represent what they are selling and usually it’s something too obvious for me to believe it went unnoticed. Selling is like fishing, it takes a certain level of dedication to keep going back even if you aren’t catching anything, you will often have to meet several people before you conduct a successful transaction, to me it’s just part of the process. That said my time is pretty much my own these days which makes it easier to be flexible so there’s little chance of a time schedule conflict or squeeze to get a meet in.

 

When you choose to sell something for any price- you have ZERO say over what the person who buys with it does. Even if they give you a BS story attempting to get a lower price only to try to sell it for way more, it isn't your concern.

 

i like skepticism...haven't made up my mind about cynicism.

per the OP: individuals have to be responsible for their own bad selves. cheating folks is likely to come back to you in some way, and being cheated is no reason to think that the world will end because you were stupid or naive/suggestible.

 

It boils down to being content with what you have. If you really want something you're going to work hard to get it. If your selling something, make sure you get what you want for it. Flippers have no power over those who control their spending.

I'm a huge collector and I don't frequently liquidate my gear. Something has be really unique in order for me to bust my hump to procure it. This forum has taught me to tell the difference between staples and fads. Some posters on here make their side money on flipping items. Doesn't bug me but, you can usually tell who they are and what to expect.

 

When selling I'll usually price it a bit above my bottom line to let the buyer talk me down a little. Hopefully that has been dealt with before the meet. What they do with the item after our deal is not my concern - I got what I needed.

When buying, if the price close to what I'm willing I'll explore making an offer, but if I made the effort to meet, I'm 99% going to pay asking price assuming condition is as expected.

I have much bigger issues with all the window shoppers who pelt me with stupid questions and then don't even bother to respond to my response. That and flaky meet ups - so many seem to have issues making it within a reasonable time from our arrangement and I've even walked away from a meet because the buyer did not respect my time. "Sorry I was doing another deal across town..." not to mention the perpetual re-schedulers. But in some cases the asking price is jut too good to not tolerate idiocy.