BST Hypothetical to ponder

[Chicago206]

Lets say you see a BST posting and you email the seller saying you'll take the card at their asking price. You then get a return email from the seller stating that "someone beat you by a few mins on that card, im still waiting to hear an answer back from him". How would you take that response? What happened to the good ole "money talks, bullsh*t walks"? Is it an accepted BST practice to see a card you MAY be interested in and tell the seller you are "thinking" about it, but hold it for you till you decide???

[Bicem]

I'd say it's up to the Seller to do whatever he wants.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Bicem

I'd say it's up to the Seller to do whatever he wants.

Bingo

[Bamacollection]

Commitment wins with me.

[egbeachley]

If someone needs to check is he has the card, or whether he has the funds, or whatever, that it would be fine to wait a few minutes. Seems respectful to me.

[Chicago206]

Originally Posted by Bamacollection

Commitment wins with me.

This makes sense to me. Sell to the guy who is THINKING of buying, or sell to the guy who is ready to send payment? EASY choice! And just good business practice as well.

[iggyman]

This hobby is not about life or death. No insult intended, but when you have a real problem call us...

Lovely Day...

[Chicago206]

Originally Posted by iggyman

This hobby is not about life or death. No insult intended, but when you have a real problem call us...

Lovely Day...

Can you please direct me to a single thread that IS a matter of "life or death" on this forum? We are here to discuss the hobby and some of its aspects. If you have neither an interest in the topic, or nothing to add, then there are about 3,000 other topics to comment in.

[soxinseven]

Most sellers on the BST clearly state what their rules are. Most sales say commitment to buy takes precedence over scans etc. If it is not clearly stated then I would think it is up to the seller to use their discretion.

[rhettyeakley]

First person to contact me gets priority. If they request an extra scan or something like that I have no problem giving them a few hours to make up their mind. I will however usually email the second person and let them know that if the first guys passes the item is theirs.

In my opinion you are asking for trouble on this board if you sell to the first person to say "I'll take it" when another potential buyer clearly contacted you earlier, as often that second person will also ask for more scans as well and I have even had people say they will take something only to change their mind. I want any buyer to be 100% comfortable with the item before they commit to anything. It's not worth pissing off the guy that contacts you first just because someone else came in later waving cash.

-Rhett

[Chicago206]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

First person to contact me gets priority. If they request an extra scan or something like that I have no problem giving them a few hours to make up their mind. I will however usually email the second person and let them know that if the first guys passes the item is theirs.

In my opinion you are asking for trouble on this board if you sell to the first person to say "I'll take it" as often that person will ask for more scans as well and I have even had people say they will take something only to change their mind. I want any buyer to be 100% comfortable with the item before they commit to anything. It's not worth pissing off the guy that contacts you first just because someone else came in later waving cash.

-Rhett

So by that logic, then its perfectly fine for me or any buyer on the BST to expect a seller to "hold" an item until im perfectly comfortable with buying it? That makes no sense to me. I dont sell cards on the BST, im a pure collector, but if I did list a card, the 1st person who was ready to make payment at my asking price would own the card. Not the 1st person to email me with a "let me think about it for awhile".

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Chicago206

So by that logic, then its perfectly fine for me or any buyer on the BST to expect a seller to "hold" an item until im perfectly comfortable with buying it? That makes no sense to me. I dont sell cards on the BST, im a pure collector, but if I did list a card, the 1st person who was ready to make payment at my asking price would own the card. Not the 1st person to email me with a "let me think about it for awhile".

And this is your choice to do. As a matter of fact many folks even put that in their listing "First to say I will take it gets it"....Personally I would do what Tony did and Rhett said. But that is just me (and them)...To each their own.

[rhettyeakley]

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree then.

I have no problem waiting on a fellow collector to see all sides of the card before I sell it to them, as I would want them to be 100% sure it will work for them. There is obviously a limit to my patience as I will inform the first person that I have had an offer to purchase the item outright from another buyer and they should make up their minds within a reasonable time (usually understood to mean hours not days) so as to be fair to other potential customers. I have done literally hundreds of transactions on this board and my method has never led to any problems I am aware of so I am apt to stick with what works.

-Rhett

[E93]

Chicago,
You are making yourself into somebody nobody will want to deal with.
JimB

[brickyardkennedy]

For what it's worth to you, I echo JimB's thought. Doubtless there are others who feel the same, but don't post their feelings.

[iggyman]

Originally Posted by Chicago206

Can you please direct me to a single thread that IS a matter of "life or death" on this forum? We are here to discuss the hobby and some of its aspects. If you have neither an interest in the topic, or nothing to add, then there are about 3,000 other topics to comment in.

See, now you stuck your hoof in your mouth again... Here are just a few that come to mind...

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...ghlight=cancer
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=115259
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...ghlight=cancer
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...highlight=gene

And this one...
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...hlight=kolenda

That was the last post by original OBCer David Kolenda (a great man and outstanding gentleman), who died, a month or so after selling the above mentioned cards.

Ta-Ta!

[howard38]

I don't see why Chicago's opinion would or should deter anyone from dealing with him. What he wrote makes perfect sense to me.

[Chicago206]

Originally Posted by howard38

I don't see why Chicago's opinion would or should deter anyone from dealing with him. What he wrote makes perfect sense to me.

Its a case of "pack mentality" I think. Im the new guy, therefore I MUST be crazy.

[iggyman]

Originally Posted by howard38

I don't see why Chicago's opinion would or should deter anyone from dealing with him. What he wrote makes perfect sense to me.

Chicago's opinions are fine. It's his petty nagging over frivolous complaints that annoy me.

Lovely Day...

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by iggyman

Chicago's opinions are fine. It's his petty nagging over frivolous complaints that annoy me.

+1

[Browncow75]

You know what they say about opinions...theyre like A-holes. Everyone has one, and Chicago just passed gas!

[Cat]

I'm a first to say "I'll take it" person. "Wait for me while I figure it out" doesn't cut it.

[shammus]

A lot of us have been selling and buying off of this forum for years. More often than not, someone who writes me about a card I've listed for sale is someone I've worked with before, possibly even a hobby friend. No, a seller isn't obligated to hold a card for someone while the buyer makes up his mind, but I do it anyway. It goes a long way towards building good rapport with your peers and relationships within the community.

I'd feel guilty if I yanked a card away from someone while he was deciding to sell it to someone else. Then, if the first person writes you back with an "I'll take it", you've got yourself a messy situation to deal with. I always let people take a reasonable amount of time to get back to me. It slows things down sometimes but I feel that letting people be comfortable with their purchase and you as a seller is the best way to go.

[teetwoohsix]

I think the bottom line is that it is up to the seller to do what he wants with the card-period.
If the seller wants to hold the card for another buyer who contacted him first,that's the sellers decision.
This is a hobby,not cut-throat buisness.........

[Anthony S.]

Chicago, perhaps I misread the original question, but I don't understand why a seller responding to your email with the statement "somebody beat you to it, I'm waiting to hear an answer back from him" would offend you in any way. To me he's simply showing common courtesy by replying to your email.

I've posted items for sale, and then, immediately thereafter, been away from my computer for several hours. I've also, as a buyer, responded to BST listings with a response "I'll take it" and then, due to a previous engagement, or even a whim, been away from my computer and unable to respond. Usually a seller doesn't know whether an item he posts on the BST will receive responses within one minute or one week -- unless he's selling it at an extreme discount. It all depends on which potential buyers are looking for a particular card and when. Consequently, the seller's not beholden to camp out by his computer and wait for responses. Similarly, the first buyer to respond to a BST post with "I'll take it" has no idea if the seller will respond immediately or 12 hours later. He, too, has a life to lead. That being said, if you're not the first interested buyer to respond to a BST post, why would you expect the seller to immediately sell the card to you?

[barrysloate]

Best thing is to communicate. Tell the person who asked for a little time that someone else wants it, and that the time for him to make up his mind is now. Tell the second person if the first buyer doesn't answer my email promptly, it's yours. That way everybody knows what is going on. I've been in those situations before and admit they are awkward.

[Jacklitsch]

Most of the old timers on the board know my take on this so no elaboration is necessary.

EDIT: Though in the years that have passed I've kinda mellowed out on my position.

[Kotton King]

Originally Posted by Chicago206

You then get a return email from the seller stating that "someone beat you by a few mins on that card, im still waiting to hear an answer back from him".

To me this sounds like the seller received an "I'll take it" email from someone else before yours, and they are just waiting to hear back from the buyer about how they will be paying, etc.

A couple weeks ago I had a similar situation happen to me. I had someone contact me about a card I had for sale. He asked me what the lowest I was willing to go on the card and I sent him an email with that number. He decided to pass on it for the time being, but then a couple hours later I was contacted by him, that he wanted the card. But not 1 minute before he emailed me to tell me he'd take it, I had another board member commit to the card, and I sold it for xxxx dollars....which ironically was the offer I sent to the other potential buyer.

Edited to add: I did contact both parties by email to let them know. I won't leave anyone hanging.

[Ladder7]

Sellers should show a little courtesy on N54, this aint eBay. "We're living in a society here."

I had told a buyer in a message two nights ago, "Ill take it". Apparently, I was beat out by another... No reply either way. I can handle being told Im a loser.

On a positive note, The majority of done deals were friendly and remarkably smooth.