Do you feel bad.........

[donsrods]

when you buy a car or car part for way less than you know it is really worth?

Ok, on the surface that seems like a dumb question, but the reason I asked is that this just came up where a person wants to make an offer on a car but wants to be very fair to the old lady owner. That is very commendable and I understand the Karma thing, but it was also something I have been thinking about lately when I see posts on various forums where someone says they could not live with themselves if they "stole" some car or part simply because the owner was naive.

This may not be politically correct, but I have NEVER felt bad when I got something at way below what it is worth. Now, let me qualify that. If the seller were down and out and had no money I would probably give them a little more than the giveaway price they were asking, after all, I do have a heart. However, under normal circumstances I wouldn't hesitate to pay what they were asking and get it out of there before they changed their mind.

I think most of those posts people put up saying "Oh, I couldn't live with myself" are just Politically Correct internet talk. I think every one of us loves to tell the story of the deal we got. For example, I just paid $ 400 for that Camaro I bought and I probably scored $ 3500 to $ 4000 in engine and transmission parts. I didn't feel bad when she told me that is what they would take, and it would have been stupid for me to volunteer that it was worth more than that. I love a deal.

Ok, so what do the rest of you feel........HONESTLY! Not just what you think people want to hear but what you really feel. I'm ducking, so fire away.


Don

 

[Bonehead]

I won't rip somebody off. I have made alot of deals, and the best ones are when both people walk away happy. If somebody would be happy to have an old car just hauled away... I'd be happy to haul it. As long as the other person is happy, I am okay.

 

[hotrod preacher]

i'm with bonehead on this one..........
as long as both parties are happy with the deal, does it really matter what "others" think is right or wrong.......

didn't know what you were gonna have to give for that camaro, don-but that was a deal for sure
---if the owner priced it---no matter how cheap---and you paid what the owner asked, then there is no reason to feel "guilty"....

and this is advice that has the blessing of the hotrod preacher

 

[fuzz]

No reason to feel bad about getting a good deal. Folks that say they would give "extra" cash because the car was under priced?? well that's why this is called a "bs" lounge. There's a big difference in finding a wallet in a parking lot and finding a rare coin under the back seat of your recent purchase.

 

[Sniper]

It's going to depend entirely on the given situation. If gramma is living off of cat food, and only see's another weeks worth in the old heap out back. But we know it's really a 32 coupe, I'm not going to smoke her for it. However, on the other hand, if some well off (as in big bucks) loud mouth were to have the same car, and the same asking price, I would be right there to help him out. And just to keep him happy, explain to him how he got top buck, while I was helping keep his estate pristine. (As I'm loading it up.) Extremes? Yes, one end of the scale to the other. But most people are in the 'normal' catagory. They know what they have, and what they can live with for a final price. I've had to take a loss on few sales in the past because of my given situation. But I have also won on a few, been on both sides of the fence. So no... I don't feel bad in the normal give and take if I get a good deal. It's the extremes we need to be concerned about, especially if your buying from someone who is down and out. My opinion.

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

i dont have a problem with it cause i am usually broke , and have only so much money! what i do is i ask what they want! if its close to what i would give ill give their price, if not ill offer what i got, and if they take it well good if not ? well i move on, many times in my life i have been down and had to sell, for one reason or another, so i just concider both sides of the fence!, but the truth is . im these hard times its a buyers market , yet the sellers havent really understood that , so prices remain high, and i remain poor, cant buy and cant sell!! LOL i can trade all day but sell something doesnt seem to be working, maybe to day will be may day!

 

[CR55]

A deal is a deal if everyone is happy! Conscience has a lot to be said for itself, but with the overpriced stuff we all see everyday, it's a relief to actually find one that's a decent deal. With the amount of info that is available to everyone these days I think whatever someone is asking for their vehicle or part is their informed choice. Don you got a hell of deal and I'm happy for you!.....CR

 

[HOT40ROD]

If they came up with the price and there happy with it I have no problem buying it cheap. More money in my pocket to play.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Considering why a lot of the ppl on RRR ditched other car sites and hang out here, I'm guessing most of us are gonna lean toward the honest side of this argument.

There is a difference between a bargain and stealing.

If you are getting a deal because of someones dire straights, it ain't right if you can afford to pay a bit toward what it's worth to you. If you can't afford the extra either, than don't feel too bad because if you don't buy it, the next guy may pay even less.

I just paid the guy that welded my frame up an extra 100$ over what he originally bid on the job - it took longer than we figured, but I coulda stuck him with his original bid and I don't think he would have argued it.

I have no sympathy for jerks and irresponsible people. BUT, I will help a guy out that has fallen on hard times.

 

[ExcessiveRodder]

When I am looking to buy an item, when It comes price , I always ask what their bottom price is.

If that is acceptable to me I will go look and bring it home, if the pictures were accurate. This is the easiest for me and the seller get what they want.

As you can probaly tell , I hate the "lets make a deal" game.

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

I think everyone knows what they have, and they know what its worth (or percieved to be worth) thanks to Ebay. For instance, I got my 53 from a guy who didnt know what he wanted for it, but He needed a 4wd. I had an old cheap willys jeep. Trade. we are both happy. Isnt that what its all about?

 

[buckeyedon]

Last month I bougth a running drive trane out of a 1966 Impala SS, 327/275 hp, tm400 tranny and 12 bolt rear end. East coast car body and frane were shot. I paid $250.00 thats what he wanted so were both happy.

On the other hand. I had some chrome work done the work was priced at $150.00. When I went to pick it up he told me he ended up with $300.00 in it.
But he would take the $150.00 quoted me in the first place. I paid him $300.00. He's not in business to lost money. And it would have cost that much any where else.

On good used parts that are in current production. I won't pay more that 50% of new price. Of corse vintage parts you just do the best you can.

Everybody likes a deal and if both partys are happy Cheap is good.

 

[donsrods]

I couldn't agree with all of your responses more. Getting a deal and ripping someone off are entirely different matters. I also won't take advantage of a friend. I've had friends try to give me stuff or at such a low price it is ridiculous, and I usually hand them more than they asked.

But as I mentioned earlier, if someone quotes a price and it seems fair to me I grab the deal and never look back. I've been on the flip side of that when I needed money and had to bail out of something. I took a lot less in most of those deals than I would have liked to, but if it put food on the table and a roof over the families heads for a while I was happy.

I've also surprised some buyers at swap meets sometimes when they will say "would you take $ 100 for it?" And I've said "Sure, in fact make it $ 90." They look at you like you are nuts, but I just wanted to get rid of the stuff and the buyer seemed like a nice guy or like he could really use that part.

As for the Camaro I just scored, I bought it from a storage place. The guy stored it there 6 years ago and never came back. The storage alone was huge, but they needed the space and I needed that motor. LOL

Don

 

[FlatBroke]

Don,
are you gonna use all that hardware or are you gonna sell some of it off...

 

[donsrods]

Don,
are you gonna use all that hardware or are you gonna sell some of it off...

Well..............I might have changed my mind again. Today while helping Dan put the floor in his car I had a lot of time to look over my stash of new parts and it really makes no sense to put a motor and transmission that were built to race in a car I want to drive daily. I would be better off just buying a Chevy base crate motor and putting that in there with the mild th350 I have sitting in the shop.

I will probably never have another engine with all of the pure race goodies that this one has so it seems logical that I should buy something like an Austin Bantam body and build a simple frame and go racing. I know, I know, here I go changing my mind again, but it really doesn't make sense to put an engine with all those goodies into daily service. AND I REALLY DO WANT TO GO RACING.

But first I have to finish my 27 and it is so close. That gives me time to change my mind 6 or 7 more times.

Don

 

[wayway63]

Well..............I might have changed my mind again. Today while helping Dan put the floor in his car I had a lot of time to look over my stash of new parts and it really makes no sense to put a motor and transmission that were built to race in a car I want to drive daily. I would be better off just buying a Chevy base crate motor and putting that in there with the mild th350 I have sitting in the shop.

I will probably never have another engine with all of the pure race goodies that this one has so it seems logical that I should buy something like an Austin Bantam body and build a simple frame and go racing. I know, I know, here I go changing my mind again, but it really doesn't make sense to put an engine with all those goodies into daily service. AND I REALLY DO WANT TO GO RACING.

But first I have to finish my 27 and it is so close. That gives me time to change my mind 6 or 7 more times.

Don

thats what keeps this site interesting
if everybody did what they started it would all get old quick.
the anticipation of not knowing whats next is the coolest.

 

[donsrods]

I wish my ex wife would have seen it that way.

Don

 

[bob w]

Don, I'll bet she cost you a lot more than the Camaro.

I sold my '35 International last year to a guy I know pretty well. We go to the same cruises, etc. He offered me a fair price & I told him I wanted $1,000 less. That confused him. My rationale was he would find things he didn't like and wanted to change. If he spent the thousand on improvements/changes, he would have the truck he thought he was getting for the price he offered. That way he couldn't complain to any of our mutual acquaintances about the purchase of the truck.

On the other hand, when I first went to Jerry the sandblaster I thought he didn't charge enough so I tried to give him an extra twenty. He was a bit offended and told me he's been in business for many years and knows what to charge. I get high quality work done fast at a very favorable price. Can't ask for more than that.

 

[CR55]

Don, go for the race car! And send pics......CR

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

so my best friend offered me a saginaw 3 speed, aluminum bell housing and a brand new throw out bearing. He offered it at $80. For him, thats a fair price because he will never use it. For me it's a fair price because it is exactly what I want to use. This to me is exactly what we are discussing. I do the same for him and that is why we offer these deals to each other. No i do not feel guilty about it, and No he dosent feel taken advantage of.