I have been collecting,racing,buying and selling HO slot cars for 25 years.Yes I know,my SilverAnniversary.I was just thinking about some of the lines I've heard people use when buying and selling the little dream machines.What are some that you have heard.
Some of my favorites.
#10 I'd rather sell it to you at this price and keep it from selling over sea's for big money.
#9 Ebay has it for $999.00 but I hate the bay.Give me $25.
#8 That's $500 American not Canadian.Heard this everytime we went to Canada
#7 Yes,It's original except for the repo chrome and the touched up silver paint.
#6 You're like a brother to me.That's why I'm offering it to you at this price.
Cain and Abel
#5 I promise I'll never sell it.It's going in my collection.
He traded it 10 min.later
#4 It's the rare Canadian version.
It only smells like liquid plumber
#3 I'll give you $100 for that orange Charger
Big deal so would everyone at the show,even if you didn't collect t-jets
#2 That's the real shine,it's not waxed.
He was unpacking the trays from a box that had Meguairs on it.
#1 Don't take it out of the box.It's a factory defect.
This was the line a seller gave to a buyer when he paid $500 for a Citizen's Watch car that had the side fall off when he opened it.He said the factory reglued it.Yeah a car that cost $.05 to make.He was persuaded to refund the money.
Tom Stumpf

My favorite is always "That's the best I can do on that car -- they're going for $XXX.XX on fleaBay . . . "

Then you walk two tables down and buy it for less than half. :rolleyes:

For best lines, refer to any ad put on ebay by Boosa 14...

Can you hold it for me?
Can I pay you next week?

(just arrived and setting up for the show) other dealers repeating"How much you want on this one?"

Does it run?
Is this a factory paint job?

Aren't you that Tyco championship guy from Texas?

Did you REALLY make a sprint car out if it?

And finally..........

............

Will you take a dollar for this?

The flea market people are the most entertaining for me, especially when they think they are a slot car expert and they are very obviously not.

Over the winter a guy at an indoor market had a plano full of NEWER hacked Ideal TCR's, Lifelikes, Tycos, etc. - every one had damage of some sort, and they were all $15 each FIRM. Among the junk was a red T-Jet Ferrari so I picked it up just to get a better look. Just to paint a picture, this car was missing both window posts COMPLETELY and had very roughly cut wheelwells plus both screwposts were cracked/broken. Before I could put it back down, the guy says "Oooh, you picked out the best one. That was one of the first slot cars ever made back in '55 or '56 and it's mint except for a missing tire. Those tires are hard to find but if you can get a replacement, that car will be worth alot of money. Tell you what, give me $35 for it."

To which I replied, "Tell you what, why don't you just keep it."

I used to try to educate them at least a little bit, but it's not worth the time and/or effort.

Another guy had a small HACKED collection and asked me what I would pay for them. I figured I'd be a nice guy and tell him about what each car was worth and why and he said he was just going to keep them. O.K. I really didn't care but it was funny that the next week he had them on his table for double the prices I told him and guess what - they're still there more than a year later.

Oh, and how about when the ignorant idiots have a tray or display case with some cars and when you ask how much they are they reply "prices vary depending on which one"

It's funny how the first one you pick up is always the most expensive.

I have learned to pick up the least valuable cars first, and then say "what about that crap green car with the #166 on it"

When I was selling, my all time favorite was "is that your best price"? No! I always take the time to mark stuff with my "worst" price. GMAFB! The only thing worse than selling stuff at a show for 4 hours is selling selling stuff at a show for more than 4 hours...

When I was selling, my all time favorite was "is that your best price"? No! I always take the time to mark stuff with my "worst" price. GMAFB! The only thing worse than selling stuff at a show for 4 hours is selling selling stuff at a show for more than 4 hours...

A buddy of mine used to always come back to the "is this your best price" question with the following answer. " No, my best price would be much higher, but for you that is the best price available."

"Easily fixed" is one of my favorites.

Yeah right buddy...you and yer momma! ....you hop right on it and let me know when ya got that pillar, post, or wheel well perfect.

Then tell me how much time it took you...snicker

what about....

"what's it gonna take YOU... to take home dis car.... taday?"

My favorite is "A guy told me it is worth $150 (or whatever price)"
Yeah, tell him to give you that much money cause you ain't getting from anyone else!

In my dealing with motorcycles, snowmobiles, etc. the following is what they say vs. what they mean;

Ran when parked = Won't run
Haven't tried to start it = Couldn't get it to run
Just needs the carb cleaned = I sucked lots of dirt thru the engine trying to get it started with the old gas and rust in tank.
It will run = how much it costs to allow this to happen, lots maybe

And finally, "It just needs a five dollar part, I'd fix it but I'm too busy" (Says this as he lounges on his front porch drinking beer and bitching about being out of work)

Thanks!
Keith

This just happened to me. Met a guy who had "his father's" slots for sale. Nice bunch of 7 tjets, mostly common cars (Ford J, Ford GT, Lola, Dino, and Ferrari 250, with two nice cars - tan camaro and white charger).
Conversation went like this:
Me: Where are they from?
Him: my grandmothers attic, they were my father's, I really don't know much about them.
Me: How much are you asking?
Him: I don't know, I'm open for offers
Me: What do you think you'll need to get?
Him: I don't know, make an offer.
Me: Do you have a price in mind?
Him: Not really.
Me: (thinking SCORE!!) but i can't offer too low, so I say, How about $150. That's more than $20 per car.
Him: (blank stare)
Me: Not enough?
Him: I don't know
Me: How about $250?
Him: looks at them, then at me, then at them, and with his head down says,
"YOU'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!"
Me: What?!?! (thinking he does have a price in mind) How about $500?
Him: Well let me think about it.
Me: Keep em!

I guess he did have a price in mind after all... $100 per car. He won't budge.
You gotta love the act some people put on thinking they have little cars made of GOLD!
-Joe

what about....

"what's it gonna take YOU... to take home dis car.... taday?"

oH, I see your shopping in Jersey now huh.

how about,,,"this babies mint"

and Tom, I fell for the "rare canadian colors my aunt, who worked at aurora, had made when she worked there"
2 stripped javelins for 2 flamed excellerator willys (yep the red one and the white one).
Too this day, if i ever see that dude in the Tamaqua, Pa. area, he will get donkey punched in the back-a-his head, and I'll steal his wallet.

It's $50.00 total.
Hey, can you do better?
Ok, $ 60.00

And my PERSONAL favorite, I use it often.




"You can have it.......the first one is free!" :D

what about....

"what's it gonna take YOU... to take home dis car.... taday?"

That's why I'd rather have a root canal then go buy a new vehicle. We have this one dealership down here where the sales force are like vultures. I stopped in to get a part and they swarmed over to me before I could get out of the truck. I know where not to go. ;) rr

It's kind of funny because most Americans don't like to bargin (me included). I was in Singapore years ago and everything was bargined. I was in a really nice jewelry store in an enclosed mall looking at some jewelry for my "to be" wife. I'd been coached to bargin. There was a price marked on the item, I had to ask what their best price was, they cut off 10%, then get up and start to leave, they call me back and cut another 10%. Could you see going to one of the big chains in the US like Zales and negotiating 20% off? I'm sure if I had any skill I could have done better. I would not want to have to bargin for everything all the time.

I don't mind negotiating with people who are rational, they have something, they have a fair idea of the cost. It's the irrational ones who hold on to something for an outrageous price that they never get. I've seen hacked-up, broken tjets with suspect chassis for $10-$20+ each. They look on ebay and see clean version of their car (or a rare color) and think their crap is worth something. Or the guy with 2 tjets who lives 150 miles away and no digital camera want you to come look at his stuff.

I don't mind buying a car (the dealers have gotten better) but when they lie to you that gets me. I had one fax me a price and then try to change it when I got there. But I have found a few good dealers and have been sticking with them.

What I hate is furniture shopping - we have a large chain where when you enter you feel like chum in a pool of sharks.

I don't know if this guy is still in business, but about 20 years ago, the car club I was in did our fall club run up to Maine. While we were there, we all swung into an old car/ hot rod dealer called Goldenrods Garage. Three huge 2 level barns of cars from unrestored model A's to 50's sleds in need of a resto to worn out muscle cars. There had to be 350 cars in those buildings and another 200 rust buckets out in the field. Funny thing about the owner... Every car had a price on it. If you tried to dicker with him, he'd raise the price. He figured if you were interested enough to offer, the car was worth more than he was asking... :freak:

I guess since any deal applies, here's another.

When you go into a pawn shop and ask "how much?" because nothing has prices on it.

The guy starts his answer with, "Well, NEW, they went for .......... "
Then he tells some story about how popular and useful the item still is.
Then gives you some price thats about 10% lower than you can get one on sale for.

What a deal.

I guess since any deal applies, here's another.

When you go into a pawn shop and ask "how much?" because nothing has prices on it.

The guy starts his answer with, "Well, NEW, they went for .......... "
Then he tells some story about how popular and useful the item still is.
Then gives you some price thats about 10% lower than you can get one on sale for.

What a deal.

That's when I say, wow I never knew they were so affordable.. I'll just buy a new one!!! :lol: See if that changes his tune!

Like bobwoodly said, it's sometimes hard to tell whether haggling is an expected part of the transaction. In some places it absolutely is, and vendors give you a puzzled look and feel shortchanged if you just pull out the cash. Unless a dealer makes it very clear up front, the proper protocol is often a mystery.

When I shop for slot cars I have a price that I am willing to pay. Collectors pricing guides and E-Bay pricing don't mean squat to me. All of those books are self serving for their authors, and E-Bay prices are skewed by obsession and impulse. The whole pricing model for collectibles is as phony and meal worthy as a rubber chicken - to me at least.

If I see something I want and it's too high, but still within striking range of my price, I will absolutely ask the dealer if they can do better. If the dealer is offended, it's too bad because I'm not out to pull one over on the dealer, just to see if there is room for negotiation. More often than not there is. I may spend a little bit more on a certain piece, but when I dollar cost average it across the whole day of shopping, I am cool.

But the most common sales scenario for me is that the starting price is so far off the mark that I (internally) shrug my shoulders, smile, and keep on walking. Hey, I've probably passed on some great deals to pick up a supposedly $300 slot car for $175, but it doesn't matter to me. The most I've ever spent on a "collectible" slot car is $40, and that was for one of the Tomy PrimusEx cars still in the Japanese packaging, and that was after dickering it down from a higher price and getting concession on a second car as part of the deal.

In my mind, all of the sales at slot car "shows" and swap meets are subject to negotiation unless the seller explicitly posts something about firm pricing on the tags or in the booth. If you just want to provide a store front devoid of human interaction and back and forth negotiation, sell it on E-Bay or Craigs List. These shows are all part of a fraternity of collectors and enthusiasts who share a common interest and love for the hobby. If it becomes just about the cash, find another vehicle for peddling your wares. I've bought more than a few things from people like Slot Car Johnnie, Jeff Clemence at MotorCityToyz, Bob Budano from Buds, Bob from SlotCarCentral, Bob Lusch from BADL's, just to name a few of of the frequent show sellers, and every one of them has at one time or another sweetened the deal or made price concessions, especially on multiple buys, and delivered something a little extra based on being there one on one and face to face. It's part of the whole experience of going to the shows and human interaction. So try to be tolerant of both sides of the sales equation and recognize that there is mutual benefit as long as both sides are getting something out of it.

I remember in 91 going into a cadillac dealer in LI NY and asking what his best price was.
I was 25 years old and just finished a job in the area digging up a water main.
His response was was if you have to ask you cant really afford it. So the next week when I was driving my brand new Lincoln LSC I figured I'd stop by and thank him for his advice. His response to me was the old one fingered salute!!!
I'll never forget that moment. The next four cars I bought were Fords so I guess GM lost out big time on that fool and his attitude.

I remember in 91 going into a cadillac dealer in LI NY and asking what his best price was.
I was 25 years old and just finished a job in the area digging up a water main.
His response was was if you have to ask you cant really afford it. So the next week when I was driving my brand new Lincoln LSC I figured I'd stop by and thank him for his advice. His response to me was the old one fingered salute!!!
I'll never forget that moment. The next four cars I bought were Fords so I guess GM lost out big time on that fool and his attitude.

Surprisingly, Ford is making it on their own and GM needs a mondo cash infusion and a visit to their friendly Chapt 11. It's probably just coincidence...