Swap meet etiquette, would this piss you off??

Went to the local swap to sell off a few parts and get some cash for my hot rod coupe. Well, I was just finished unloading and I had a guy come over and lowball the crap out of some of my things. After haggling, I sold him the items at a price that I could live with.

Then I see him walk to his spot (which I didn't know he was a fellow seller) and put the items I just sold to him up for sale at his spot.

Now I understand that a sale is a sale and the parts are his to do what he wants, but I can't help but think this was a major dick move. Has this ever happened to any of you, or what do you think about it.

I though I was helping a guy get decent parts for his build at a great price, and I suppose I feel betrayed. I think it's an honor and integrity issue on his part.

 

Fresh meat at the swap always draws other sellers . Standard as long as I can remember

 

Iv had that happen to me, I guess thats why they call it a swap meet, he swapped you cash for the goods.....

Pete-

 

I've been doing swap meets for years. Some of the best sales happen on set-up day. I know people who buy swap meet spots, just so they can go an buy from vendors before the general public can see the stuff. Then use their spot as just a meeting point or base for the rest of his buddies to stow their newly bought goodies.

You'll know better for next time.

 

free enterprise!!

 

you didn't have to haul the stuff home, he probably did.

 

I've been swapping for a while and this always happens. I always try to price my stuff fair, because I usually get things for a fair price. I don't buy things to resell, I buy them because I think I'll use them, then later realize I have no use for them and I'll price them for what I'd pay for them if I wanted them. That's fair right?

I usually have some things that are easily worth five times more than what I price them at, but aren't usually that sought after so I just figure I'll price em cheap so a guy can get the parts he needs and I won't have to take it back home and store it til the next swap meet. Next thing I know they are sold and sitting in his booth with a price tag 10 times what he paid.

I laid out about 20 SBC valve covers at a swap meet once. I put a sign that said "FREE VALVE COVERS" because none were worth a shit and I was tired of having them ugly up my garage. I got them in a package for $10 and picked out a good useable set out of the lot. A guy comes to set up in a spot across from me, he walks over to the valve covers, grabs them all, and marks each one with "$10 ea". Cocksucker.

Another time a guy bought a pretty straight but surface rusty 28-29 Model A grille shell from me for like $40. He was two spaces over. He attempted some pinstriping on it and then marked a purple chalk "1" in front of my soap stoned "40". This ass was trying to get $140 for it!

Some people man, I dunno. Fuck em.

 

as long as you got what you wanted ..

 

Yeah I do know better for next time. I just feel like my kindness was taken for granted since I thought he was sincere. Even saying, "I can clean this up for my car!" I try to help fellow hot rodders out with a good deal if I can, hell I almost GAVE him a grill shell.

Live and learn I guess. Thanks guys.

 

Totally normal at all the swaps I've done.

 

In my eyes you brought it there to sell it.You got a fair price for it its a done deal!
People ask me why I sell stuff as cheap as I do.I don't want it and its in my booth to sell
IT IS NOT ON TOUR

 

nothing to complain about......a deal was struck.......next case

 

At least he didn't give you a song and dance first about how he needs a deal but they're all he needs to complete his project and he's totally gonna treasure them.

 

yeah nuthin new here happens all the time but yeah i think it takes a real slimy dick head to do it

 

Welcome to Swap Meet 101. This is very typical behavior. The carnivores buy a spot, prowl pre-opening and score the good stuff. Many are going to re-sell. But many are also looking for parts for their projects. I'm guilty of doing this. I buy a spot so I can get a jump on the throngs. I'm looking for parts for my projects, I'm not wealthy, and if you're not the early bird chances are you'll miss what you need. If you're a rodder, you need that one part that's been eluding you, so you play the game, or loose.

I understand your frustratrion, athough you did state you were selling to get money for your project. That makes me wonder why you would be 'almost giving' stuff away? Sounds like you're just too nice. Some people at swaps will tell you ANYTHING (lie to you!) in order to get what they want, cheap! But you're the seller, it's your call.

As others have said, when I sell parts it's stuff I don't need, I don't want to drag it back home, so I'm real reasonable on most parts. The obviously desirable, rare stuff I make sure I at least get what I've got in it, but I'm not out to hold people up. As long as I get a reasonable price, I'm happy. I sell for what I'd like to pay if I needed it, basically. What the buyer does with the parts after is their business. I've had buyers come by my spot later and thank me for selling them the part for a good price, as they really needed it. That makes my day!

That's my take on swapping, although good old bull-shit is usually the only real 'swapping' that's going on..

 

Oppurtunist. Asshole is optional.

 

the rule of thumb is , if you want 50 bucks for a certain part , put a price tag on it for 60 or 65 , then he'll ask you if you will take 50 , then you finally say o k ! so the guy walks away and tells his pal how he jipped you for 10 bucks !makes them feel better !

 

yep, there are pro's that you see at most swaps do the same thing all of the time. if someone gives me a low ball offer early in the morning I just tell them to come back in a couple of hours and I will be more likely to work a cheap deal. helps show if the guy really needs the parts or is looking to do a resale. not much different when it looks like you are the high winning bidder on that online well known auction site. within seconds of you winning another lurker buyer swoops in and buys item. sometimes will see it back up for sale at a higher price. best to mark prices on items when you put them out at swap. of course there is the seller that you what does what they are selling fit and they ask back what ya got? then tell you it should fit when they know it won't. seller and buyer beware.

 

You'll have to understand that business is business. The purpose of a swap meet is business. The folks that put them on take the money from the vendors for providing space and advertising to bring the customers to them. The vendors buy and sell merchandise to make a profit to pay for car parts, car insurance, lights, mortgage...yeah, they're just like you and me...gotta pay for the life you're living.
Give it a rest.

 

I'd rather haggle a price and sell it for what I agree to take and let them drag it around.

I did actually have one guy arguing about my price was too high...his argument "I resell and that's what I ask". Sorry buddy, not gonna drop my price so you can make an extra buck...

 

It is the middlemen, who buy just for a resale that make, building Hot Rods and Customs so expensive. Most of the real wheelers and dealers don't even work on the type of cars we have, to busy, out making the buck off of the guy who is doing his own work. I think most of us would buy something, just to have it and then resale it for a quick buck, but as with me, the money earned, would just go back into one of my projects. I feel that if you are going to buy something for resale, put a little value into it. On the other hand the wheelers and dealers are doing us a small favor by going out and buying stuff that we cannot find or don't have the time to look for, they are always on the look.

 

This happens all the time..i bought a set of hubcaps for $80..turns out the seller had bought them 10 mins before for $40 from I guy I know a row down..

 

Where the hell are you guys when I'm shopping at swap meets?

It seems like the only guys I see are the ones just trying to make as much as they can!

 

They just told you: be the early bird

 

i have been doing shows for over 25 years. in the begining i was like you tried to help some one out. now i learned if that part will bring $100. i am going to get as close as i can to that price. if not a daler will beat you down and get it any way. the money is better in my pocket then their's.

you have to reserch your parts prices to know what to ask for it. a little hint start high you can allways come down.

 

sometimes you can get back at the pros, but it takes planning and some good friends. many moons ago, I had a matched set of grancor heads and intake for a 8ba flathead. there was a vendor that sold this kind of stuff at every meet. he was known as a shark and wasn't above lying to his mother if it got him a better deal on parts from some unsuspecting seller. it took two of my friends and me to get him back. I gave friend number one the parts to put on his table. he wasn't even done unloading when the guy is all over him trying to buy the heads and intake for a really lowball price. my friend kept stalling, telling him he'd like to get set up first. the guy doesn't move, stays glued to the spot. finally, my buddy says ok, what you offering? guy comes out with some lowball offer like 50 bucks for the set. what he doesn't know is i'm standing right behind him, and when he says fifty, i jump in at sixty. my buddy says sold. the guy starts stammering about how he'll go higher, but my buddy tells him a deals a deal. i lug the stuff over to my spot and put it on my table with a 750.00 price tag on it. everytime somebody got close to looking, he showed up and perched on their shoulder. to set the time frame, a matched set like this was going in the neighborhood of 500.00, so the lookers were just that. towards the end of the day he comes over and informs me that i might have taken to big a bite, and he was "willing" to let me double my money, rather than have to take them home. this is where the other friend is needed. friend two muscles past the guy, puts his hands on the heads and says, "these fit a 53 flathead?" i nod. "you go 700.00?" i shake my head. "ok, i'll take 'em". guy's face got so red, and he started shaking so much i thought he was gonna have a heart attack right there. my buddy counts out the money, scoops up the heads and intake and takes off. slipping the cash in my pocket i give the guy a wink and say, "guess i won't be taking them home after all, but thanks for your offer."

side note: i ended up using the heads and intake on a 27 roadster, and the current owner is still using them.

 

If you are going to get so wrapped up in what people do with what you sell them, then you shouldn't be selling.

 

Sometime's it's fun to take something really cool that you have and don't want to sell but will for the right money. Then let all the pros come try to haggle if off of you. You can hone your haggle skilzzzzz that way.

 

I probably sell half my stuff to other vendors. I know how much I made at the end of the day. They usually have to wait quite a while to know what they made.