Posted by The Odd Request
I got a request the other day from a potential customer who wanted to know “if I would take less” as the items she wanted to buy would be used to raise money to host parties for the children of military personnel.
Huh??? I’m just a small-time seller of vintage stuff … hardly running a huge, lucrative business. I didn’t know the person asking this request. In fact, no real name was given. No nonprofit was named. It just seemed an odd request to make of a total stranger. I’m not sure what kind of discount she was hoping for. In the end after some thought, I offered her a 10% discount. It was the most I was willing to do. What would you have done?
The Odd Collection of Finds
Yesterday was a darn hot day, but I still wanted to go to this promising estate sale…well honestly, the cool stuff at this house was like a siren song. But I wasn’t willing to do the crazy-wait-for-hours-before-the-sale-opened-routine and join the first-in mob. No. Thank. You. Not today.
But two hours after it opened there was still some good stuff. Of course the real challenge, as always, was finding things with enough “meat on the bone” to make a profit in one my stores.
Well it was nice going through the house at a leisurely pace, not being jostled or rushed. Just lovely! In the end I only bought just a few small things, which grouped together made for a really odd collection!!
Here’s what I bought…
A slab of intriguing petrified wood (makes a perfect manly paperweight)
A Ken Edwards, Mexico, ceramic candleholder that will pair nicely with other KE pieces I have for sale
An antique, handmade baptismal gown…not in perfect condition but still lovely with delicate crocheted lace
And some vintage computation graphing paper. All in all, some odd bits. Grand total? $17!
As my daughter and I drove home I thought what a pleasant little outing it had been and how fun it had been going through the estate sale house and how I couldn’t wait to be able to do this more often! So soon now 🙂
Hunting for Vintage 
Hmmmm…well that’s a rather strange request but can’t say I haven’t been asked the same sort of deal when I sell things privately myself. IMO some people will try anything. How do you separate the truthful ones from the deceitful ones? Hard to tell. I might’ve done the same thing you did in that situation – offer a small discount and that’s it or maybe would’ve offered to sell at the regular price and would she mind providing the name of the organization so I could make a donation separately from the sale. Her response might’ve provided the answer.
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