Idiocracy

On ebay it's always " Will you take $xx to end the auction early." No, no I will not. I'll wait the 5 days to make sure I get more than that. I'll usually respond with an offer with more than what it's worth to "end the auction early."

Even more impressive is when they offer to pay you in "cash money"...

Thank$, I'll take your $500 ca$h

I always assumed this was an attempt to incentivize over people who may want to pay with a check or money order. "Cash in your hand today" and all that. A few times when I've bought of CL people will confirm "cash, right?"

Some people confuse cash with other forms of payment.

I have ran into a couple circumstances where I was visiting family/friends, saw a machine on CL, went to look at it, and was turned away because I offered a check instead of cash. It matters to some. As mentioned, it doesn't add a wow factor, but it can be a determinant.

Ever have someone make you an offer then show up with a check or some BS money order? I have. Adios, bring me the pesos. I think it shows that the offer, whether high or low, is a real offer.

What would you do if you were asking $1000 for something and someone offers $950 check! You would be like I don't think so!

Cash is king. I won't take checks. Too easy for things to go wrong with a check.

So far, I haven't had anyone offer to pay via check anyway, so it hasn't been an issue.

I'd turn you down too. Trying to buy a pin from a stranger with a personal check is bogus.

It's fun to pay games with people like that.

Price - $1000

Low Baller - "Will you take 600?"

Me "I could do ... hmm... I'd take 1200."

Low Baller - "You said 1000"

Me "I'LL TAKE IT!!!!"

Agreed - minus the bogus part, not saying that I don't understand. Just saying that it matters.

you like money too? wow, we've got a lot in common, we should totally hang out

Here we go again...

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ow-my-balls

I totally get it, but if you watch all those reality shows, (American Pickers, Car Guys, etc), they're doing the exact same thing, sometimes even pulling out a wad of green stamps right in front of the seller stating, "I have hundred dollar bills." I guess there's a lot of people that are impressed by the tactic.......

Agree that CASH is king. I have however written a check to a friend or family member who have fronted me a stack of greenbacks to complete a purchase so the seller only sees cash but did not have to travel with a pinball pimp roll.

I prefer Blue Chip stamps myself.

stamps4 (resized).jpg

Seems to work for me more often that not............................

Just wait till you get the,"I noticed this pin has been up for sale for awhile."

Yeah, after 3 hours....LOL

Isn't a money order guaranteed money? Or are you saying it's a bogus money order?

Back when we were looking for cars for me when I turned 16, my dad carried around a certified letter from the bank stating we had the funds in the checking account, just in case we found a private seller selling the perfect car. Never really heard of anyone else doing that since then.

That's a long time, considering a lot of games listed for a good price are gone in less than 10 minutes.

I'd take a check....from them in front of their bank!

Regular money orders can be faked--like something you'd get at a gas station. Speedway gas stations used to sell them for like 89 cents. Official checks from a bank are printed by computer to a specific person or entity and the funds have been withdrawn at the time it was printed. A bank can also do a money order which is kinda the same thing but the purchaser would fill in the payee line and such. A certified letter from a bank would be generally what car dealers or realtors want to see when negotiating price before purchase.

I wouldn't trust that either. Account balances can be moved instantly, rendering that letter useless.

I don't know the details, but I think it had a time limit that the document was valid from, and some other information about being an outstanding member of the bank for 30+ years or something along those lines. Then was notarized I'm assuming with a phone number for them to call. Yes, money can be transferred, but was basically like the Pinside verification letting them know were were real.

A clever scammer can easily forge a letter. Just paste a letterhead, scribble something for the signatures, and google for a template for the text of the letter.

In 1995 it was a little harder for someone to Google a template.

beaucoup, dogpile, or altavista then

We were an Excite family. But not sure if that was around in '95. We got the internet in '97.

Edit. Excite.com looks like it's never been updated.

I sold a game for $4100 but also had received an email "your game is way over priced. Not worth it. but I will give you $1500 CASH TODAY for it."

It sold the next day for the full asking price.

I always wondered when the Aflac ad said they would pay you cash if you get disabled if they showed up at your front door with a fat envelope of greenbacks each time you were to receive a payment.

download (resized).jpg

I remember years ago, going to the arcade auctions, and the auctions would take a check if you had a specific letter from your bank, irrevocable letter or something like that.

I always brought... cash!

My first coin op auction, a guy saw me looking at a GNR, longingly. He asked me how much $$ I had, and I said I had $1200. He told me, I won't even take all your money! He pulled the GNR for a grand, and I split the fee the auction company charged him to pull it.

Those were the days!

Cash is still king. In Canada I'm finding EMT is becoming increasingly popular though. For those that don't know it's a non reversible interact email transfer. You send or receive the email, put the password in and the money is transferred direct to your account. Both the buyer and seller don't have the hassles of dealing with $2500 in cash. Quick, easy, and permanent (no opening up disputes etc). In the last year probably 65-70% of stuff I've sold has either been paid for with EMT or EMT was used as a deposit and then they paid the rest in cash. I actually prefer to receive it over cash. If I get cash that means I need to make a separate trip to the bank to deposit it anyway... Can't spend cash on the internet. Even my parents are sending and receiving money this way now so I know it's getting popular

I had some guy try to bargain me down $1,000 on a beautiful TOM. He did it by sticking $5,000 in $100 bills on the glass.

My response was that I have seen money before and I'm not impressed, and that if he wants the game he'll put the other grand on the glass too. That wasn't happening so no deal - and I almost ALWAYS make a deal. I was pretty annoyed at this guy who thought I was some kind of hick who would be so stupified by the sight of all that cash I'd cave to his offer.

Not being snide but wondering, you guys really do transactions where you're carrying 5+ grand in cash? Or are these sub-$1k titles? (I've only purchased through a dealer, no experience in personal transactions). I'd be afraid to carry more than about 2 grand here in anything less than an armored car.

-E

Nigerian Cashiers Checks FTW

I accepted a check for a pin I sold a few years back.

Just kept the pin at my place until I cashed the check at his bank, then I delivered the pin.

No problems and I would do it again.

Damn Trekies!

Anybody ever watch People's Court or Judge Judy? Payment problems always seem to revolve around bad checks, counterfeit money orders, etc. Doesn't seem to be a problem with a cash exchange, as long as the buyer remembers to get a receipt.

Came home from work early one day to catch Dr Phil with a guy who was in denial that he fell for a Nigerian Scam. The guy signed over $40k.

I don't like money.... thats why I spend it on Pinballs.

Take a check? sure, right to the bank.
When it clears, i will call you and you can come pick the pin up.
In the mean time, if someone else offers cash, you are SOL!
after the check clears, I will notify you to come get your money back.
I am not your mother,father, or your banker. it is a business transaction.
Not tryin to be more of an ass than I already am, but i don't have time for stupid human games.
and there are way to many A-holes out there that think everybody is a ripe plumb ready to be picked.
Cash on wood, make all business good!

Better yet is,

"whats the lowest you'll take?"

Respond with,

"Whats the most you'll pay?"

It almost always works in making them bump up their rediculous bullshit lowball offer to something resonable.

I like this. It drives me nuts to hear "What's the lowest you'll take" right off the bat. I become insta-firm on price.