What a great debate going on here! It seems many of us think much the same way. Ignorance works both ways, as buyers and sellers. Many tend to take advantage of it if they can. Again - I love free enterprise!
But what much of it boils down to is knowing your customers. I've made many acquaintences in this hobby and am willing work with, negotiate, bicker, etc. with some on buying & selling. 'Course, I'm gonna work better with 'em after I've known 'em awhile, unlike any Joe Schmuck who might walk up at a swap and give me a sob story, begging for a bargain.
I spent many years behind parts counters, one of my old manager's best expressions was "Don't sh** the shi**er". It took awhile for me to get it, but after getting pinged a few times with sob stories & cutting discounts to some of the Joe Schmucks I think I got fairly good at 'reading' the customers when they came in.
The internet has changed much of that; I do ebay occasionally and list items at a price I'm comfortable with. I figure anything above my asking price is frosting on the cake. At swaps I'll negotiate but only to a point. And as I said before, once a deal is done and ol' George & his friends are in my pocket, I'm over it.
Oh and - I will NEVER, EVER hold something for someone unless their $$$ is in my pocket. It only took one time for me to learn from that one. Momma often has a lot to say about what Daddy buys - or doesn't, and Momma isn't always with Daddy when he asks to "hold it for me, I'll be back".
It works both ways too though; True story - I still have a small fishing boat I held for a guy that paid $50 for it & said he'd be back to pick it up. That was about 4 years ago, he still hasn't returned. . . I think he was a little bit drunk at the time. . .
