The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I am always amazed by show dealers that have a nice variety of things for sale but nothing is priced. Is there a logical reason for that practice? And then when I do ask the person minding the table has no idea and the owner is scouting out deals somewhere else. What do others think?

Jerry Blais

I've been going to shows for over 30 years, and I've lost count how many times the scenario you described has happened to me.

You are then in a quandary. Do I stick around and wait for the guy to return, and possibly miss out on other good deals while I'm cooling my heels, or do I come back later only to discover the item in question was sold?

I think some dealers may quote different prices to different people.

A pet peeve of mine too. Makes me hesitant to ask and to buy. Starts off the whole transaction on the wrong foot.

I agree. If it's at a sale.it needs to be priced. I also think it's silly when seller responds with "Make me an offer" when something is not priced. I certainly don't mind bargaining as that's part of any sale in my opinion, but the seller needs to come up with some amount to start with.

No prices? No offers...

If you don't know what to ask, don't bother putting it on a table for sale... It makes me crazy.

I always price my items. Why do some sellers leave the price off. I can only speculate, but what if buyer A comes up and says I'll give you $2500 for that, so the seller says "well I have more than that in it. Can I take your name and offer and let you know later?". And then buyer B approaches and says I'll give you $3000. It gives the seller the option to take bids and sell to the highest bidder. I don't know if this is always the case, but it might be the reason at times.

marcapra wrote:I always price my items. Why do some sellers leave the price off. I can only speculate, but what if buyer A comes up and says I'll give you $2500 for that, so the seller says "well I have more than that in it. Can I take your name and offer and let you know later?". And then buyer B approaches and says I'll give you $3000. It gives the seller the option to take bids and sell to the highest bidder. I don't know if this is always the case, but it might be the reason at times.

Just on a 'light note' there used to be a saying: 'If you have to ask the price you can't afford it'. A silly saying, but there it is.

Either :

(a) The seller does not know the value of the item, in which case he/she should have researched it before offering it for sale, or,
(b) The seller knows the value of the item, but by not pricing it, hopes that an inexperienced buyer will offer more.

The way to unnerve these types is to loudly comment "I see that there is no price on this. I assume it must be free!" Then walk away.

Sellers who want offers for their items should sell them by auction.

I know of at least one seller on this forum who does not show their prices, so they can offer different prices to different people, much as airlines do with their plane seats. I disagree with the idea, but they are entitled to do business as they wish.

Garret

It seems that there is a consensus that prices should be marked, and I agree. To me, if the seller isn’t up front with pricing, then they are already playing games. They can mark their starting price and post a sign about offers possibly being accepted if they are willing to negotiate.