Someone please help me understand trying to sell a cue online without pics!

[JB Cases]

Can't speak for other people but Dean is GRADE AAA people. I also like the idea of anticipating what the product will look like. I recently got a case from Chuck Fields and I told him I did not want to see all of it beforehand and was highly pleased with what he did creatively for me.

 

[logical]

I think people are assuming this is about two different sellers. I won't respond to a sale without pictures but thats the sellers issue, not mine.

 

[kvinbrwr]

I think it's pretty cool the way he does business. I've been tempted by a couple of his offerings - the anticipation of not knowing what your cue actually looks like would be worth whatever minimal risk exists.

I actually had Dean refer a buyer to me on a $4K cue I had (rather than trying to middle the deal). I call the buyer and offer to sell him the cue and tell him he can see it on AZB, he says, I don't go there. I offer to email him pics and he responds that he doesn't have eMail. He asks be to describe the cue to him over the phone, butt to tip, and when I'm done, makes me a hugely fair offer.

 

[FairladyZ]

...on a $4K cue...

While I love the game of billiards and everything it stands for...the day I'd pay 4000 bucks for a cue, the guys in the white coats would have to come take me away!! :sorry:

 

[thefonz]

I actually had Dean refer a buyer to me on a $4K cue I had (rather than trying to middle the deal). I call the buyer and offer to sell him the cue and tell him he can see it on AZB, he says, I don't go there. I offer to email him pics and he responds that he doesn't have eMail. He asks be to describe the cue to him over the phone, butt to tip, and when I'm done, makes me a hugely fair offer.

You left out the part where you snail mailed him a drawing of the cue you had made on a restaurant napkin.

 

[kvinbrwr]

While I love the game of billiards and everything it stands for...the day I'd pay 4000 bucks for a cue, the guys in the white coats would have to come take me away!! :sorry:

I'll cross you off the list of cues I offer them to.

But just to be clear, if I had a Ginacue 40th Anniversary Cue in unplayed condition, that you could post on AZ for $6.5K and sell in 15 minutes (without pics BTW) you wouldn't pop the $4K for it? Because if not, maybe you would be ready for the white coats for NOT buying it.

If I tell you the cue I was telling the story about was a house cue conversion in average to fair condition would that change your mind?

Kevin

 

[Celtic]

Why is it a problem? If a person wants to sell without pics that is their problem.

Unless the cue is stolen. If the cue was stolen then posting pics would be far more likely to get the attention of the original cue owner and potentially get you arrested or have the cue taken away by the authorities.

I am not saying that the people on AZB that are currently selling cues without pics are selling stolen property and would assume that they are not but IF someone new was to come to AZB with stolen cues for sale a precedent has now been set for the selling of cues without pics and that can benefit someone with a few stolen cues to offload and our own AZB members who are cue collectors that might actually own those stolen cues would now have a far harder time identifying their property, stopping the sales, and getting their cues back.

 

[$TAKE HOR$E]

The focus is not only on the fact that a few people don't of won't post pictures of for sale items, it's also about all the BS that it creates. New members old members what have you are always going to ask for them and then you got the bombardment of others saying don't worry about it just iron off and all is good. This hasn't got to the point where credibility is in question but im sure new members or ones who don't frequent the site that often do take that into account when seeing sketchy threads with no pictures.

Here is a good example of why pictures are beneficial. If im at work and have a few minutes to scan the for sale section and see something I like I can easily pm the seller. Now with no pictures I have to call which is not going to happen, thus the seller has lost out on a sale and I have lost out on trying out a new cue, case...etc

Pictures no pictures whatever, people just need to abide by the forum rules and until the mods say they are a requirement then things will progress as usual. I'm sure mods will read this and possibly comment on the issue of all the "pro" and "con" posts that litter up those types of threads....

 

[berko]

How is this thread still going on?

I'm waiting for someone to link posting cues for sale without pics and child abuse. :shakehead:

 

[Dave-Kat]

STAKE HORSE IS NAILING IT - This conversation is about all the BS created ( constant bumps to top ) by these 'surprise cue' posts not seller creditability. Two different issues. I am glad OP had the balls to bring it up. Surprised that seasoned cop vet's of board have not berated him for his -0- iTrader rating. Also, the point of potential stolen cues being moved with no pictures is very possible and bet it has happened here.

By the way. Getting back to early post about being a savvy/creditable/private seller by not having to post their pictures of item for sale. This is the oldest sales 'tactic' around. I learned this technique back in the 80's when in my early 20's. It's a classic called 'The take away'. It's funny how this simple sales technique has closed deals and helped many other professional sellers over centuries earn boatloads of cash.

Folks have a tendency to want what they cannot have or in this situation cannot SEE. Just the way we are programmed. These 'mystery cue' for sale posts really do work for some as we can see but it's unfortunate that respectable rule abiding members that have items for sale are paying the price by having their item(s) bounced pages down fast by the BS comments on F/S post created by sellers with no consideration but for themselves.

 

[kvinbrwr]

STAKE HORSE IS NAILING IT - This conversation is about all the BS created ( constant bumps to top ) by these 'surprise cue' posts not seller creditability. Two different issues. I am glad OP had the balls to bring it up. Surprised that seasoned cop vet's of board have not berated him for his -0- iTrader rating. Also, the point of potential stolen cues being moved with no pictures is very possible and bet it has happened here.

By the way. Getting back to early post about being a savvy/creditable/private seller by not having to post their pictures of item for sale. This is the oldest sales 'tactic' around. I learned this technique back in the 80's when in my early 20's. It's a classic called 'The take away'. It's funny how this simple sales technique has closed deals and helped many other professional sellers over centuries earn boatloads of cash.

Folks have a tendency to want what they cannot have or in this situation cannot SEE. Just the way we are programmed. These 'mystery cue' for sale posts really do work for some as we can see but it's unfortunate that respectable rule abiding members that have items for sale are paying the price by having their item(s) bounced pages down fast by the BS comments on F/S post created by sellers with no consideration but for themselves.

I'm not saying that its not a sales tactic, but it in no way is The Take Away Close. Here's an explanation of the Take Away:

http://salescareers.about.com/od/SalesSkills/a/The-Take-Away-Close.htm

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Thats about it Kevin. I think that dean has a standing return policy as well. I mean, you can try it out and as long as you don't mess it up before sending it back, he will take it back with no questions.

Just have to tell him that it isn't what you like. Might add a bit of extra hassle in sending a cue back at your expense but at least he does take them back.

 

[kvinbrwr]

Thats about it Kevin. I think that dean has a standing return policy as well. I mean, you can try it out and as long as you don't mess it up before sending it back, he will take it back with no questions.

Just have to tell him that it isn't what you like. Might add a bit of extra hassle in sending a cue back at your expense but at least he does take them back.

I know.

Dean goes into a very tough cue market and instead of crying the blues and shaking his fist at the market, HANDICAPS himself, spots the rest of us sellers PICS for lordy sake, he spots us pics, and still beats us like a red-headed step-child.

The guy can sell.

Please, now guys are reaching into their own imaginations to come up with nefarious reasons he doesn't post pics and trying to make a case for a rule in the FS forum demanding pics to protect us. Good luck with that. There is no reputable online retailer that doesn't offer a satisfaction guarantee (which as you point out Dean DOES) and our For Sale Forum doesn't even have that as a rule. So good luck with the "case for pics".

 

[cueaddicts]

Does anyone remember the days of buying cues from guys like J.Wright, Joel H. and Mark. K. All you got was a basic description and if you were lucky a decent shot of the butt sleeve and prong area in a 10-15 cue photo spread taken with a 35mm camera. Then you spoke with the seller, got all the details and worked out the payment, and anxiously began waiting for your package to arrive....and you were so thrilled, getting home to cut through that tape of that mailing tube. Ahhh....the memories.

A few links from Tate's website....great stuff:

http://www.palmercollector.com/BlastfromthePast4.html
http://www.palmercollector.com/BlastfromthePast11.html

In many ways, perhaps all these modern conveniences, electronic photos with umpteen mega-pixels, instant time/responses/texts/chat, multiple trade shows per year, etc. have made us a bit jaded and much more picky with our buying. I suspect it may have sucked a little of the fun and excitement out of our hobby, as well. We should try our best to recapture those feelings of excitement for this hobby to continue to thrive.

 

[dom_poppa]

2 things are happening here when you don't post pictures:

You are selling stolen cues.

-or-

Basically dumping cues off to flippers. By posting pics, we know who bought what and how much. So if it comes up on sale again, we would have known the ballpark price of what it was sold for. They are essentially supplying flippers with cues.


Again, not a big deal but the stolen cue, if this seller is selling stolen cues, he should be banned and reported to the authorities. I don't care what the seller's rating is because that can be easily faked. Sign up multiple accounts and sell to yourself and give yourself a good rating with these multiple sock accounts.

 

[kvinbrwr]

2 things are happening here when you don't post pictures:

You are selling stolen cues.

-or-

Basically dumping cues off to flippers. By posting pics, we know who bought what and how much. So if it comes up on sale again, we would have known the ballpark price of what it was sold for. They are essentially supplying flippers with cues.


Again, not a big deal but the stolen cue, if this seller is selling stolen cues, he should be banned and reported to the authorities. I don't care what the seller's rating is because that can be easily faked. Sign up multiple accounts and sell to yourself and give yourself a good rating with these multiple sock accounts.

Lots of conjecture here. In the case of the guy who sells the majority of the sight-unseen cues here on AZ, not one single thing you have said applies. Shows much about the way you think and nothing about how the seller actually acts.

Thanks for you input.

Kevin

 

[dom_poppa]

Lots of conjecture here. In the case of the guy who sells the majority of the sight-unseen cues here on AZ, not one single thing you have said applies. Shows much about the way you think and nothing about how the seller actually acts.

Thanks for you input.

Kevin

Again, there are also a lot of conjecture to those that are backing these sellers. We don't know who they are either, like I said, seller ratings can be forged and has been done on many other forums I participate with a market place.

My opinions may not be very popular to some and are only my opinions, but I rather have an extreme opinion and know that I am wrong then to know I am right and still got screwed.

Everyone can say seller A or seller B is a good guy but there is some sort of deceit when items are being "sold" freely without pictures.

I guess nobody cares since they are still doing business here. We live in a crazy society and it's sad to see that people will risk buying something they have never seen just to save some $$$$, or act like they beat another person to a bargain.

 

[berko]

Again, there are also a lot of conjecture to those that are backing these sellers. We don't know who they are either, like I said, seller ratings can be forged and has been done on many other forums I participate with a market place.

My opinions may not be very popular to some and are only my opinions, but I rather have an extreme opinion and know that I am wrong then to know I am right and still got screwed.

Everyone can say seller A or seller B is a good guy but there is some sort of deceit when items are being "sold" freely without pictures.

I guess nobody cares since they are still doing business here. We live in a crazy society and it's sad to see that people will risk buying something they have never seen just to save some $$$$, or act like they beat another person to a bargain.

Coming from an actual cue thief accomplice, I guess your opinion has some weight.....

 

[cueaddicts]

2 things are happening here when you don't post pictures:

You are selling stolen cues.

-or-

Basically dumping cues off to flippers. By posting pics, we know who bought what and how much. So if it comes up on sale again, we would have known the ballpark price of what it was sold for. They are essentially supplying flippers with cues.


Again, not a big deal but the stolen cue, if this seller is selling stolen cues, he should be banned and reported to the authorities. I don't care what the seller's rating is because that can be easily faked. Sign up multiple accounts and sell to yourself and give yourself a good rating with these multiple sock accounts.

That's really a pretty shallow, uninformed remark.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to fake 150-200 unique itrader feedbacks from legit buyers, each with multiple to 50 or more itraders themselves. Not.

 

[kvinbrwr]

Again, there are also a lot of conjecture to those that are backing these sellers. We don't know who they are either, like I said, seller ratings can be forged and has been done on many other forums I participate with a market place.

My opinions may not be very popular to some and are only my opinions, but I rather have an extreme opinion and know that I am wrong then to know I am right and still got screwed.

Everyone can say seller A or seller B is a good guy but there is some sort of deceit when items are being "sold" freely without pictures.

I guess nobody cares since they are still doing business here. We live in a crazy society and it's sad to see that people will risk buying something they have never seen just to save some $$$$, or act like they beat another person to a bargain.

Sure. If they are ripping people off and still doing business here then its a crazy world. Funny how that would seem to be more possible to you than, they aren't ripping people off and that's exactly why they are still doing business here. Amazing that you can't consider that the reason guys can sell cues sight-unseen is precisely because they have proven themselves to be completely trustworthy.

Welcome to your brain