It seems I often have an issue getting buyers (or potential customers) to follow up after they voice an interest in a machine (or group of machines). Am I just trying too hard to be "fair" with potential customers or is this an issue for other sellers also?

When I list something for sale it seems I always get one or two guys "very hot" on the item. "I have been looking for one for months" - "can you hold it for me for a few days until I can come see it" etc. Next thing you know a week or more passes with no additional contact. Since we are typically not in a hurry to get stuff sold anyway normally this doesn't really get under my skin but right now we could really use some space and it seems to happen on with almost everything I have for sale.

I can see this happening once in a while but lately this seems to be the norm for me. I have been "holding" several machines for months for "good customers" or people I have done business with in the past. And am also holding 4 machines right now waiting for people who said they are very interested and have not followed up. So now I have other people interested in other machines and no room to move them to the garage because garage is full of machines "on hold" - "promised" - "or waiting" for potential customers to come see them.

I have room for 15 machines in the garage and garage is basically FULL with stuff I am just waiting on people to follow up on. I think at this point 11 of the 15 machines in the garage are "On Hold" for people (some since before Allentown - 3 months ago). Add 3 or 4 machines we are working on to the mix and we are totally out of space.

Should I just change to "first person who shows up with cash owns it"? How do some of you other sellers handle things?

I hate "pressure sales" - I hate deposits even more so I try to avoid both at all cost. I know part of my problem is my laid-back nature and I even tell customers - "no rush - just let me know if anything changes". But it seems like this is really starting to be an issue for me.

I really wish I could be a "high pressure" type person but it just isn't in my DNA. As I said in my first post - typically I don't really care but right now I have people wanting to come see other machines I have in storage and garage is full with stuff I am waiting for people to follow up on. Maybe I need a bigger garage!

Over the 10+ years I have been in the hobby this has only been an issue a couple of times but this Spring & Summer it seems worse then normal? Just curious if other sellers are having the same issue?

I have always done things pretty much the same way. Someone voices an interest - my reply "I'll hold it until you come take a look". Send them my information and ask them when they want to stop by. Next thing you know a week passes with no further contact. Then I contact them again and 1/2 the time they don't even reply. Why email and ask to come look at a machine if you have no interest in it?

Other times regular customers (or guys I have known for years) ask "can I come grab it in a week or two". Next thing you know 2 or 3 months pass by?

As I said above - typically not a big deal but this year it is really causing space issues.

Even my son keeps telling me I am too easy on people. But typically I really don't care if machines sell or not. My issue right now is I really really need space to be able to pick up the next load of machines from my Virginia warehouse deal and with nothing leaving I just don't have that space.

I doubt I'll change much - it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks - but I was just curious if other sellers were finding this is happening more often than normal these days.

In the past I had machines sitting for a year or two - set back for good friends in the hobby or great customers. At times they would decide to pass on a machine - it never really mattered to me and people who deal with me know that. But this year I just can't seem to get machines out the door other than what I sold at Allentown. York isn't all that far down the road so I am hoping the York Show will help some. I was really hoping to pick up another load out of Virginia before York but unless some of this stuff gets picked up I doubt that is going to happen.

For now I might just end up moving some of the stuff from the garage to storage to make room for the next load we need to get ready for sale. I am giving the latest 4 people until Monday then something will happen with the latest group of machines I have for sale - that I can say for sure.

Nothing that new. We mess mostly with System 11 & earlier with a few DMD titles from time to time.

Typically I do have a ton of pictures and a good description on each ad but when you are packed so full you can't get to machines it is hard to take pictures. I know my biggest issue is "getting behind with space" just like "getting behind with money". When you have extra money around money seems to keep coming in and all is good but when you are tight on cash incoming cash flow always seems to dry up. I have discovered space is the same way - when you are packed full to the max things just don't seem to move out as quickly as you would like them to and I think that is a HUGE part of my issues right now.

I think part of my answer might be to just move some stuff to storage until the York Show freeing up space to get pictures & proper listing up. That will also give me room to move machines to the garage people are waiting to see. I hate the idea of double handling but the more I look at things the more it seems that will be my best approach. I was hoping for a couple quick sales to save me a little work but as stated above - when you need that it just doesn't seem like it is going to happen.

I guess my "new plan" will be to move 5 or 6 machines to storage Monday making room to start listing machines correctly. Then once some stuff is out the door just start bringing finished machines home from storage as I have the space. In my eyes that is doing things the hard way but it looks like the "only way" right now.