[AMRadio] WAS:Spy radio - Swapmeet and Auction Ethics

[John Lawson]

On Tue, 1 May 2007, Todd, KA1KAQ wrote:

>
> I had a similar experience years ago at the Milton hamfest. Mike, W1RC
> wrote about the event on the original boatanchors list back when it
> happened. I was asking about the price of a Collins KWM-2A that a
> fellow had for sale. He responded, and as he did, one of the flippers
> in attendance reached around me, grabbing the rig and saying "I'll
> take it".
>
> It bothered Mike a lot more than it did me at the time, he was
> downright angry. It was indeed rude and unnecessay behavior. And yes -
> what goes around, comes around, and he lost out later for all to see.


   40 years of participation in swapmeets, hamfests, the electronic surplus 
business and of course eBay... I have had this exact situation happen to 
me more than once, on both sides of the folding table.  My response as a 
seller, to the 'interloper' would be a smile and a polite "Well, sir, this 
gentleman [Todd] has fist crack at it - if he passes on the rig, you're 
next.."  all the while thinking the same things you've mentioned about 
manners and breeding and common courtesy. Failing this kind of 'control' - 
the situation spins into this type of 'predatory' buying.


  An anecdote - I usually take boxes of "Junque" and put a price on each 
box...  $1, $3, $5...  depending on the contents.  Once I had a box marked 
"Everything in this box - $1".   People would paw around in it and 
occasionally find a treasure or two...  towards the end of the meet a 
'Gentleman' handed me a dollar bill (I was busy with a few other 
customers) and then out of the corner of my eye I saw him pick up the 
whole box and walk away with it.

   Of course I stopped him, whereupon he became quite irate and insisted 
that he'd simply complied with my advertising.  So I gave him his dollar 
back, which he tried to refuse - I rather forcibly reclaimed my box of 
Junque - then he went over to the swapmeet organizers to complain.

   When they heard the whole story, they threw him off the lot.   ;}

   And now I write "Each ITEM in this box - $1"     sigh....

   Slightly off the current topic, but it goes to show it "takes all 
kinds"..



Cheers

John
KB6SCO
DM09fg