Posted By:
Hal LewisHere are the cold hard facts:
1) You will NEVER see this guy again... so you are taking a HUGE risk that the cards are: fake, trimmed, stolen, counterfeit, etc., and you will NEVER get to return them.
**This would make me very hesitant to purchase at all.
2) The guy KNOWS the cards have value AND needs money desperately... so isn't it LIKELY that he already did SOME research to determine their value? **This would make me very suspicious and hesitant to purchase for anything more than a low price.
3) As much as we like to think the cards have "value", to this guy and to the mortgage holder, they are WORTHLESS pieces of cardboard. If you do NOT purchase them and it rains on his box and they get soaked, or his cat pees all over them, then this guy will lose $3,000 and his house. **This would make me want to HELP the guy by giving him $3,000 for some cardboard that really has no use to him or his bank.
4) The SELLER named the price, not me. It's not like he asked me: "Do you know anything about these; how much are they worth?" He could have said he would sell them for $10,000... but HE decided on the $3,000 price, not me. **How is this any different than finding a deal on Ebay every day?
5) There is a 90% chance that they guy is LYING his butt off about needing money. Do you really think the panhandlers on the street corner need money for food and shelter -- or do they blow it on booze? **Therefore, giving this guy $3,000 may not be any different than giving him $30,000...it may all be gone up in smoke next week anyway.
Based on all of this, I would select Option #1.
**(The answer would be MUCH different if this was someone who I KNEW and TRUSTED, and someone who came SPECIFICALLY to me for an expert opinion and help... but that is NOT what happened in this case.)