If you found vintage cards at a garage sale

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Posted By: Joann

Martin,

I guess that's what I was asking too - from the other thread I could tell you had to kind of tell the seller what you'd pay. Weren't you worried that if you said $1200 he'd get dollar signs in the eyes and pursue selling them elsewhere? It's almost like you would have to keep the fact that the cards were worth more than a few bucks a secret or risk losing the chance to buy them (even though likely the seller would get more from you than from whatever other means he was pursuing).

I have to admit, that if I were selling my lawnmower for $50 and all of a sudden someone came up and said it was a special lawnmower and he'd give me $750 for it, I might slam on the brakes. It might be worth $7500 for all I know if someone came in with an offer like that. (No, I don't have a special lawnmower. lol) So that's why I was wondering if you were worried when you made the offer, or if there was a time that you thought he'd move on once you'd tipped him to the value.

I think that's why my answer would be like the others - at least in the garage sale example - pay the $10 and move on. I might feel guilty about it but anything else might be inviting trouble.

And on the topic of feeling guilty ... does it make a difference if the seller is an obnoxious jerk, versus a nice little old lady that is obviously selling what she has to make ends meet?

J