Help! Need some advice.... - Page 2

Originally Posted by Big Tex

Thanks Billiard, that is great advice! However, the consingment idea was not going to work for this guy, I mentioned it. He said the last guy burned him that way & he would only deal with cash money up front! By the way, I use to shoot pool myself, sent myself halfway through college on playing pool and cards.

Exactly. If someone came to me with that offer I'd tell them to get lost, so why would I extend an offer that I myself wouldn't take.

Originally Posted by Billiard MD

[B]
If he throws out any number, let's say $2k, I would say this... "Wow! I'd go for that. $500 bucks would be a great day for me. But just so you don't feel like I'm getting in your pocket, and so I don't have to get in trouble with the wife when she sees a $1500 ATM withdrawal, how about I do this on a consignment basis? I'll clean, separate, load, transport, and unload your material for let's say 20% of the final take. And hey , just for fun, if the load brings $2k or more, I'll buy you lunch in two weeks when I come back to take care of the next load... and if it brings in less than $1500, I'll let you buy me lunch. Sound like a deal?"

Say I was the business owner and you came to me with that proposal. How will I know I got my money for the entire load?

"I'll bring a receipt".

Okay. How do I know you didn't keep some metal back for a future trip and only cashed in half, or 3/4 of the load?

I hate being negative, but having been burned a few times I really don't trust people.

You mean pawn shops want a profit? How dare they!?

Chances are the woman called you to remove the stuff, they then had someone tell them that they were sitting on a gold mine and he decided to take advantage of you. I would not beat yourself up over this one. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes its a draw. If there was as much work as you think there was in this load then I think you won by not taking it at his price. Too many times business owners in this industry get eyes bigger then their stomachs and don't realize that the great deal they had was not as great as they thought.

By the way, can anyone see the pictures I posted? It shows a red x in the corner, but my pictures are coming up when I click on it! I'm still trying to learn the correct way to add picture links. I have a very hard time with computer's. Lol.
Thanks to all for your replys. I have learned a great lesson from each of you!

I haven't had a can full of those flex tubes, but the few I have had don't weigh much. I really doubt there is $1,500 like the guy wants.

Looks like a fair amount of brass. That stuff adds up in a hurry.

Originally Posted by Kris Kringle

Big Tex Good for you that Deal Didn't go through.

Indeed. Should have told the guy that if he's going to pay $1,500, it better include a large tub of Vaseline.

Originally Posted by Catfish Bob

Dang on man, sounds like you missed a good opportunity.

Now what you need to do is get you a bathroom scale---$15 at Wal-Mart or if ya want to be fancy spend $30 and get a digital one. I'd also go the fishing section and get a hand held fish scale that goes to about 50lbs. Then next time something like this comes along you'll be prepared to make an offer and not just standing there with your thumb up your butt calling the scrap yard on speaker phone.

How the hell can you use a fishing scale with your thumb in your butt?

lol. I think that was the point. If you have the scale, your thumb won't be up your posterior.

I dont see how a 50lb fishing scale would help weigh, (as i understood) garbage cans full of brass weighing maybe 200lbs

Originally Posted by Kris Kringle

Man O Man this Place never seems to surprise me

Its free entertainment at times isnt it

Seemed that way! Lol....

Originally Posted by dryvr12

I dont see how a 50lb fishing scale would help weigh, (as i understood) garbage cans full of brass weighing maybe 200lbs

Right, for the trash cans a bathroom scale with a little rigging to make the platform bigger would work just fine,,,I put the hand scale in their because ya never know what ya might need it for in the future. If he was giving a price on sheets of aluminum all about the same size, could use hand scale to weigh one sheet and give an estimate off that.

Originally Posted by Big Tex

The idea behind me using speaker phone was to let the owner here what dirty brass & copper was bringing, so I could have some leverage while negotiating. His expectations seemed so high that I wanted him to hear the true prices from the real buyer.

I don't tell customer what I am getting paid I just tell them what I will pay them. But whatever works for you I guess.