Collector/Seller secret club incident

[Mikey]

Just had a thought,

Way back in the mid 1980's when I first started collecting an incident happened and I never forgot it.

I went to a second hand "collectible" store looking for toys and came across STTMP 12" MIB Kirk and 2 Spocks... All 3 were nice with no gray heads.

The prices were $40.00 apiece

I had it in my head I was going to try talking them down to $25.00 apeice

So, I take them up to the counter ... a older lady was running the place ...

Before I said one word she said "hi, are you a collector or reseller?"

Without giving it much thought in the second I had time respond I said "a reseller"

To this day I still have no idea why I said that ... Maybe to make myself look important at the time.

Anyway, she replied ........ "Ok, $15.00 apiece ok?"

I said "great" and took all 3

Because of that little incident over 25 years ago I still wonder if there's a secret reseller's club out there that I was a member of for about 2 minutes

[Sandman9580]

Wow. That story didn't end the way I thought it was going to end.

[megocrazy]

Did you give her a great big kiss? That was a hell of a discount for not even asking.

[Mikey]

Did you give her a great big kiss? That was a hell of a discount for not even asking.

It was a shame her store was so big but mostly had junk.

It was probably one step up from a mission.

[toys2cool]

yeah right that would never happen here, these people price these big pieces of **** like if it was gold

[LadyZod]

That's a cool story. I probably would say "collector" if asked today... just to avoid the old "You can make alot of money on ebay" speech all old ladies running the local thrift joints seem to have memorized.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

^Haha so true.

[drmego]

There is a dealer rate - but it's usually among people who know each other.

My friend with a store in Farmingdale sells to the owner of a store in Levittown
at a different rate than the general public. It's professional courtesy.

Obviously another dealer needs to mark up the item to make a profit, and
these guys have found that one hand washes the other.

[ScottA]

You know, I actually remember being ask this on my trips to Boston and Santa Ana when I would hit flea markets and antique stores. I haven't thought about it in years.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

That seems weird, since I've got a lot of good deals from folks 'cos they knew I WASN'T a reseller. Most of those came from other collectors though.

Don C.

[generic]

Hmmmm....

That seems weird, since I've got a lot of good deals from folks 'cos they knew I WASN'T a reseller. Most of those came from other collectors though.

Don C.

It sounds like the same principal from the other side of the fence - collectors watching each other's back.