A rough sale?

**Gary Watkins** · Jun-20-2012, 12:30am

Times sure are rough! I had my 1993 Gibson F5 Custom mandolin listed for sale, and I made a deal with a gentleman for a damaged, but professional repaired, reso and some cash. This was three weeks ago. He was supposed to bring me the reso today but he sent me an email last night and said that he couldn’t do it because he needed the money for other commitments. I told him that it wouldn’t be a problem and that I understood that family comes first. I had two other buyers waiting on his decision to purchase or not. I contacted my other two buyers, in the order that they had contacted me, and they had already made another purchase. Both of them had assured me that they would wait until the end of the month to see if the first person had bought or not. I guess it’s best to sell to the first person that brings the cash. LOL. I’m not bitter, but I was hoping to obtain a reso and to try to learn to play it. I guess I’ll just keep my Gibson mandolin and dream about playing a reso. LOL

Thanks,

Gary

**Steve L** · Jun-20-2012, 6:52am

Money talks and...

**AlanN** · Jun-20-2012, 7:12am

It's a tough game, that retail thing.

Finding a buyer
Vetting the buyer
Doing the deal
Hoping for no return

**Ed Goist** · Jun-20-2012, 10:07am

Cash in the hand beats two resos in the bush.

**pjlama** · Jun-20-2012, 10:20am

Buyers are liars.

**Jim Garber** · Jun-20-2012, 1:12pm

Biars are luyers...

I work it as right of first refusal. If someone says he/she has to wait until whatever date, I would say, if I get another offer I will first contact you to see if you can complete the transaction at the same time. Otherwise, I will sell to the person who makes me an acceptable offer. I have had too many people sound like they are ready to pull the trigger and then don't -- buyer's (or biar's) remorse or whatever.

**pjlama** · Jun-20-2012, 11:06pm

Unless there's a deposit it's available, period. If I waited on everybody who said they were buying a bike from me I'd be out of business. When there's skin in the game it gets real.

**SternART** · Jun-21-2012, 10:05am

I like PJ and Jim's idea.....that 'right of first refusal' is a fair concept for everyone. I've had what appeared to be good folks lead me on several times without coming through. I thought I was being courteous by holding the instrument, but ended up being disappointed. This way only the guy who couldn't complete the transaction is disappointed instead of both parties.

**nickster60** · Jun-21-2012, 12:40pm

If there is no deposit it goes to the first buyer with cash. I also make the deposit non refundable and I make sure it is in writing. The seem to follow through if they have a little cash on the line.

**Jim Garber** · Jun-21-2012, 12:59pm

I don't do deposits. They get way too messy. I take it on the buyer's word that they are sending money order or certified check. I offer to ship on receipt of those.

**J.Albert** · Jun-22-2012, 7:51pm

"I take it on the buyer's word that they are sending money order or certified check. I offer to ship on receipt of those."

Something I've done the past couple of "private transactions" by which I've paid with a bank check, is to include the phone number of the bank where the check was cut. This provides the seller with the opportunity to call the bank directly to verify that the check is bona fide, since there are quite a few bogus ones that get sent (Steve Perry has quipped about that here in the past).

Not sure if that can be faked, too!

**re simmers** · Jun-23-2012, 10:13am

Cash on the barrelhead!!! I've always assumed the person is not buying it until I actually have the cash. If I'm selling ANYTHING I will tell the buyer that I will not hold it. If someone else gives me cash first...they get it.

And I assume the same if I'm the buyer. I don't expect anyone to hold anything for me until I pay for it. As a matter of fact, when I purchased my last car, the salesman told me he was giving me a great deal and he could could not hold the car past 24 hours. I said, 'if someone else brings you the money before me......go ahead and sell it.'

Bob

**Willie** · Jun-23-2012, 10:29am

I just had a fellow try and pass a fake "cashiers" check off on me for a mandolin that I had advertised on a local web site....He has over 100 bad checks on file at the Sun Bank...Lucky I caught it in time....I won`t ship until I get the cash in my hand....

Willie

**Gary Watkins** · Jun-24-2012, 12:41pm

Most of the “problems” that I’ve had, either selling or buying, have been from people that are NOT members of this forum. When I purchase or sell to a forum member, things have always gone pretty smooth. I just wish that only members of the Mandolin Café could reply to the classifieds, or at least have a place that I could restrict my ad in the classifieds to only getting replies from members.