But how much will you give me for it?

[Sapphire Silk]

So, I had to make the rounds to various departments at the college to close out my time here. I don't get my final check until I show the college I don't owe any money and turned in all state property.

So I'm at the bookstore (we can set up charge accounts but I always pay cash so it was pretty much get the form signed) and listened to a conversation between one of the staff and a student.

Staff: You have to bring the book in to be scanned before I can tell you how much you might get for it. No, I can't tell you over the phone. Because I don't know how much it will be worth until I scan it. You have to come in. It might change when the Fall semester starts. No, I can't look up the price, I have to scan it to know. No, I don't know how much it might be worth at [competitor]. You'll have to ask them. No I can't look it up for you. No, I can't tell you what you might get until you bring it in to be scanned.

Imagine the eye rolling that went on during this conversation while me and my two colleagues who are also leaving laughed our asses off.

[An Haddock]

I get similar calls from people trying to sell their computers.

"Well what are the specs? You don't know. Well, then you need to bring it in. Do you know what operating system it is? You don't know what an operating system is? Well how old is it? A few years doesn't help me. You have to bring it in."

Inevitably it turns out to be a 10 year old desktop that's worthless.


Although I did have a guy bring his father's fancy Toshiba gaming-class laptop in to sell the other day. It was a beautiful red color and in great condition... but it was six years old and had Vista on it.

"Throw a number out."
"Okay... five hundred dollars."
I barely kept from laughing.
"I was thinking more like a hundred. We'd have to upgrade it to Windows 7 and probably put a new hard drive in."
"Gamers love this laptop! It was $1400 new!"
"Gamers loved it six years ago. It won't handle most of the new games that came out over the last couple of years."
"But it has a seventeen inch screen!"
"Which is irrelevant because it's the amount of video memory it has which matters to gamers, not the size of the screen."
"It was selling for $500 on Craigslist."
"But we don't know if it actually sold for $500 on Craigslist."
"The listing isn't up there any more."
"Which means the seller might have lowered the price or realized they weren't getting $500 for a six year old laptop. If you want a more accurate amount check the completed listings on Ebay."
"Well I'd rather keep using it if that's all you can pay for it."
"Sounds good."


(FYI - the most expensive laptop of that model that sold on Ebay recently was for $300)

[Shalom]

Ha, yeah. I paid $1400 new for my laptop. It was a good price . . . in 2004, anyway. Now? I couldn't even buy one like it at any price, because they don't make laptops with a single core 2.3GHz P4 in them anymore.

It does the job, so I haven't bothered replacing it yet. Though I have added RAM, changed the HD a couple times, etc. But if I ever tried selling it, I wouldn't be expecting much for it.

[lordlundar]

"It was selling for $500 on Craigslist."
"But we don't know if it actually sold for $500 on Craigslist."
"The listing isn't up there any more."

Then maybe he should put it back up on Craigslist for the same amount again after taking it off.

You'd be surprised how many idiots try that scam. Well, maybe not YOU An Haddock, but others might.

[dalesys]

... But if I ever tried selling it, I wouldn't be expecting much for it.

I'd almost worry about a hazardous waste disposal fee...

[notalwaysright]

Reminds me of my time at the roofing company. People would call and want a price for their roof, over the phone. They'd be all, "it's a 2,000 sq ft home, and we want to put on a 50 year roof, how much would that be, ballpark. You don't give out prices over the phone? Competitor did! You have to measure the roof?! Transfer me to a roofer, he'll be able to give me a price! What do you mean, they're isn't a roofer in the office? Isn't their anyone there who can help me?"

Even better, if my step-dad, (at the time the owner) answered he'd give a smart ass amount. "Oh, sure. Between a thousand and a million dollars, ballpark."

[wolfie]

They'd be all, "it's a 2,000 sq ft home, and we want to put on a 50 year roof, how much would that be, ballpark. You don't give out prices over the phone? Competitor did! You have to measure the roof?! Transfer me to a roofer, he'll be able to give me a price!

Ranch or 2-story? The ranch will have more roof area per square foot of floor area, since there's only one floor. Gable or gambrel? The gable roof has 2 flat panels with a join at the top, gambrel has 4 panels, with joins running up each corner and a bit along the top. Any dormers, or chimneys coming through the roof? Extra work for all of them

[An Haddock]

Ranch or 2-story? The ranch will have more roof area per square foot of floor area, since there's only one floor. Gable or gambrel? The gable roof has 2 flat panels with a join at the top, gambrel has 4 panels, with joins running up each corner and a bit along the top. Any dormers, or chimneys coming through the roof? Extra work for all of them

"YOU'RE NOT BEING HELPFUL! I JUST WANT A PRICE QUOTE SIGHT UNSEEN!"

[gremcint]

my sister used to work at a pool store. When people were getting things for their pool sometimes the question how big is your pool would come up. Apparently this was a surprise to some people and they would answer in frustration: pool size.

[EricKei]

Even better, if my step-dad, (at the time the owner) answered he'd give a smart ass amount. "Oh, sure. Between a thousand and a million dollars, ballpark."

I guarantee that, if anyone ever takes him at his word, they will expect a roof on a 4,000-sq-ft house to cost a thousand bucks "because you said a thousand!"

Dad> "I said between a thousand and a million."

SC> "I wasn't listening to that second part. You said a thousand, and I expect to PAY a thousand! It's not like you can just take the roof back!"

Dad> "Wanna bet?"

"It was selling for $500 on Craigslist."

Translation: "I just bought it off of CL for $500 from this guy and changed my mind..."

[An Haddock]

Had a guy stop in yesterday who wanted to sell a used, 2 year old Canon inkjet printer.

I told him he'd be lucky to get $10 for it - and not from us.

[EvilEmpryss]

"YOU'RE NOT BEING HELPFUL! I JUST WANT A PRICE QUOTE SIGHT UNSEEN!"

OMG, I about died laughing.

By the way, Sapphire, I heard that same exact conversation going on at our favorite used book store the other day. Only difference was that the woman trying to sell a book couldn't keep her story straight about the quality of the supposedly collectible item. I could hear the clerk playing through the same spiel with her, until he clearly got tired of repeating himself and started playing with her. Apparently the woman couldn't keep straight whether or not there was any damage and the edition of the book. He had a good chuckle about it with his coworkers, which is how I heard all of it.

[notalwaysright]

SC> "I wasn't listening to that second part. You said a thousand, and I expect to PAY a thousand! It's not like you can just take the roof back!"

Well, we don't start a roof without a signed proposal and at least a 50% deposit. So he could refuse to pay the second half, but we would still have proof that he agreed to the full amount.

Ranch or 2-story? The ranch will have more roof area per square foot of floor area, since there's only one floor. Gable or gambrel? The gable roof has 2 flat panels with a join at the top, gambrel has 4 panels, with joins running up each corner and a bit along the top. Any dormers, or chimneys coming through the roof? Extra work for all of them

Serious. The list goes on, too. How about the location of the home? Can we get a dumpster up close, if not we have to carry all the garbage (lots of heavy old roofing) out. Can the delivery truck get near the house, if not we have to carry the roofing in. How many layers of roofing is on the roof? Is there existing rot which we would have to fix? This is all stuff that a roofer checks for an estimate.

[Sapphire Silk]

Had a guy stop in yesterday who wanted to sell a used, 2 year old Canon inkjet printer.

I told him he'd be lucky to get $10 for it - and not from us.

Printers don't sell. I'm trying to sell two of mine, that are laser's and they're more expensive than inkjets initially.

If I get $10 for either of them I'll be doing good. But I can use every penny right now so if I can get it, I'll take it!

[Ironclad Alibi]

A while back someone said they always bought laser printers at yard sales. He would use them until the toner ran out, then buy another one. He said it was much cheaper than buying toner.