Machine Shopping Etiquette
I'll admit that I'm a bit of a scavenger. I enjoy the hunt, the bargain. I don't mind pawing through dust and detritus to find a great deal. And my enablers are my buddies.
Ideally, I want a price that is great for both buyer and seller. But as someone who buys frequently and never sells (though I will at some point), I'm interested in how you approach a machine with potential and the seller who owns it.
Some sellers may assume a collector will pay more (and I'd bet they're correct). Do you feign ignorance, failing to mention the 50 other machines you own? Or if the seller appears to be clueless, do you gently educate them as to why their machine isn't worth as much as they're charging? Do you explain the time and effort it takes to clean 10 years of dust and spider webs out of a machine, the costs of replacement parts, the nuances between model years, or do you take a much more efficient approach?
How do you approach a price negotiation? I've successfully brought down some prices I thought were somewhat high but to be honest, I don't like haggling. I think sellers list a machine for a certain price with assumed wiggle room but how much wiggling is too much? How low is a low-ball offer (in your mind)?
Have you ever had to explain the differences between eBay and CL to a CL seller? How did you go about it?
Etc., etc. Lots of topics here.
Also, there are some basic issues of etiquette such as showing up on time with appropriate cash, with enough muscle to heave it in the car, don't walk on their lawn, etc.
Got any horror stories?