Posted By:
martindl
Andrew, You ask "You would be comfortable if someone did that to you?" - re someone running a garage sale and pricing something at $5 and the buyer not informing them that it was worth much more.
Years ago, I picked up a great antique carved French case-glass center piece for $60 at an antique store. The next week i sold it for $180 to another antique store. In the week between buying it and selling it I did no research. I asked the buyer if she'd give me $180 for the piece and she did. I saw the exact piece i sold sell at auction for $1400 some six months later.
"You would be comfortable if someone did that to you?" - I was very o.k. with what happened. I had and have no malice with the buyer. Their experience and knowledge put them in a position to know that they were being offered a great bargain, because the seller, me, didn't know what they had. Obviously now I wish I had spent the time to figure out what I had and make maximum dollar, but I didn't so, c'est la vie. I did learn a lesson on making sure to know what i'm selling, and i'm sure that lesson has paid me back multifold, especially from a buying perspective.
Bottom line - buyers should feel no remorse for getting bargains when the seller has set a price they're happy with.
btw, i don't think you ever go back to the seller and tell them "oh by the way, that $5 thing was worth $xxx", unless the point of you going back is to share the profits; otherwise its just gloating and self serving.