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Craigslist Story

Pete Collin
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Pete Collin

Pete Collin

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I had a puzzling thing happen today.  It's completely insignificant, but I keep thinking about it.  My wife stopped pretending to listen when I talk about fishing, so I'll tell you guys about it.

 

I love rapala style stickbaits.  They work today just as good as they did when I first discovered them as a kid.  The design hasn't changed at all, which makes them both a nostalgic thing for me and a small thing I cling to in an ever-changing world.  Back when I was a kid and had no money, I would think "Three dollars for a plug?  Are you kidding me?"  Today I have a house, a career, and a savings account.  And I say,"Eight bucks for a plug?  Are you kidding me?"  I have found that if you keep a sharp eye, you can buy them for $1.50 to $2.50 here and there.  At which time I clean them out.

 

I found a guy on Craigslist with oodles of stickbaits for sale, some rapala and some other brands.  He wanted about $3.50 apiece for them.  He lives about an hour away from me.  I called his number and was greeted by an older gentleman with a thick southern drawl.  He seemed affable, if somewhat dim.  I proposed that, if I bought 100 dollars worth, would he be willing to drivedrive to some halfway point between us?  He countered that he would sell me 100 lures for $2.50 apiece, and drive halfway.  It seemed like a good deal, if maybe a little excessive on my part.  Then again, I could fulfill my rapala needs for a lifetime, or maybe share them with some friends.  So we set up a time.  I am a businessman, and like to be exact.  "So you're going to bring 100 lures, the ones in the picture, and I will bring $250, right?"  He said yes.  And I was off to our rendez-vous.

 

A car showed up at the designated time, and the old man got out with plastic boxes full of lures.  I saw that they were indeed the ones in the picture.  And I began counting.  "There's close to 100 in there," the man drawled.  I came up with 92.  Ninety two lures is not 100.  I was clearly time to renegotiate.  At my suggestion he come down on price, the old man, without a word, packed up his boxes and got in his car.  I've seen the song and dance.  I knocked on the window.  "C'mon, let's talk turkey."  He rolled down the window, said he didn't have to take that from me or anybody else.  The money didn't mean enough to him to put up with that. 

 

"I can sell these anytime!" 

"You can sell them right now.  I have money in my pocket."

 

We didn't argue for very long.  He actually did drive away.

 

My first thought was that, despite a bit of a drive out to meet him, the old southern guy saved me 250 dollars that I probably didn't need to spend.  But I was utterly flummoxed.  I made no insult that I could detect.  You show up to the bargaining table with less than you promised and you'd better be ready to renegotiate.  He probably could have talked me up to $250 if he stuck around.  The lures were clearly worth it.  But I caught him in a lie and I wasn't going to let it go unchallenged.  He had time and gas money invested in meeting me.  Who cares if he likes me or not?  He could have made the sale!

 

I am a Craigslist veteran and actually have had a good time of it.  Whether it's fishing stuff or woodshop equipment, you meet guys with similar interests and you will often meet a stranger and have a nice little visit in the end, showing off woodworking projects or telling fishing stories.  I get the feeling that the old guy wasn't even a fisherman, just one of those gypsies who buy and sell stuff like you see at the auctions and flea markets.  Otherwise he would have talked more fishing when I was on the phone with him.  But if he was just a wheeler/dealer, why wouldn't he bargain with me?  Like I mentioned, he struck me as a bit dense upstairs.  But it's amazing how smart some guys suddenly become when you reach for your wallet.  Just to break off and leave at the first sign of my displeasure was bizarre. 

 

Anyway, I probably just advertized his lures to all you guys.  Remind him to thank me if one of you wind up buying them.  Just be sure to count them first.

 

Pete Collin

 

www.pcforestry.com

Edited by Pete Collin
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Sk8man

Sk8man

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I know this might sound a bit strange but it is possible he had the early stages of Alzheimer's and was embarrassed that he wasn't able to count them correctly....and had a "catastrophic" (out of the ordinary) reaction to the fact that it was pointed out to him....and believe it or not there are folks out there that are illiterate or cannot count and just "guesstimate". A lot of possible interpretations here.....the fact that he got angry so quickly suggests embarrassment to me.

Edited by Sk8man
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LongLine

LongLine

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Interesting story.  Did you really want the lures or did you just want to haggle?   Some people just don't like to haggle. He probably won't be so "generous" to the next guy that shows an interest. 

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

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momay4000

momay4000

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http://rochester.craigslist.org/spo/4473812968.html

 

Hey Pete - it's funny how your story is already integrated in his updated Craigslist post!

 

That being said, I'm not sure this guy is playing with a full deck. I agree with Les and Tom. Maybe I'll give him a call and ask if he's willing to take $200 for the whole lot......

 

- Chris

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Pete Collin

Pete Collin

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I didn't want to haggle at all.  I wanted to give him the amount of money I promised for the number of lures he promised.  Anybody who buys standing timber from me will always get the board footage I advertised - and they can check my figures beforehand if they want.  There is embarassment in being caught in a lie.  The guy wasn't that old...maybe 60 or 65.  I just couldn't figure him.  If he had cussed me out, at least we would have been talking.  I'll never learn what was the deal with that guy.

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momay4000

momay4000

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I didn't want to haggle at all.  I wanted to give him the amount of money I promised for the number of lures he promised.  Anybody who buys standing timber from me will always get the board footage I advertised - and they can check my figures beforehand if they want.  There is embarassment in being caught in a lie.  The guy wasn't that old...maybe 60 or 65.  I just couldn't figure him.  If he had cussed me out, at least we would have been talking.  I'll never learn what was the deal with that guy.

 

Being a doctor, it sounds like it could be a number of things: possibly paranoid personality disorder, Asperger's, or a few other things, but who knows.

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Pete Collin

Pete Collin

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he he thats a lot of story to tell how you tried to beat a old man out of a few bucks ,,,probly on SS and fixed income..selling a few things to survive..

 

 

......As said by another cranky, senile old coot who is also trying to sell a bunch of fishing stuff!

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icetrout

icetrout

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I know this might sound a bit strange but it is possible he had the early stages of Alzheimer's and was embarrassed that he wasn't able to count them correctly....and had a "catastrophic" (out of the ordinary) reaction to the fact that it was pointed out to him....and believe it or not there are folks out there that are illiterate or cannot count and just "guesstimate". A lot of possible interpretations here.....the fact that he got angry so quickly suggests embarrassment to me.

me thinks that there's more to this story ...only one side here & the wife won't listen to any more fish stories... lol :P

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