Collector Trade Ethics? Let's discuss...

[ChanceKJ]

Today I've had a very negative experience with another long time member of the collector community and I'd like to share and talk about it. I'm not going to name any names or get into revealing details about the exact games in the deal but I want this to be a discussion about ethics in dealing with other collectors. Also to honestly see if and where I went wrong.

A few weeks ago "Richard" (not his real name) came to me out of nowhere with a cabaret. He knew I was a collector of such things and was pretty direct that it had to get into my hands to be properly restored and enjoyed. I hadn't been expecting this so I didn't really have anything to trade at the time. Once we figured out that he was looking for a particular item in trade I set out looking for one. To clarify the cabaret he had come to me with had been converted, it needed a full control panel, new artwork, and a lot of TLC to get back going. I was actually pretty excited because I've been quietly looking for games that came in this cabinet style for almost a decade.

After a week or so I had tracked down what he was looking for, something on his must have list, not a game I was interested in mind you (but thats beside the point). Whats nice was this game was in the similar condition as the one he had brought to me. Not as rare but only in how many were made. What he was offering was a bit more rare, but it was a shitty game so its not something thats sought after by many, (So much so that the company didn't make many of them because they knew it would be a flop). Whatever, I wanted to do it justice and restore it, I was excited. By this point, I have shown "Richard" many pictures of the game, he knows what it's missing, and its exact condition. I've been VERY clear about everything. He says he'll do the deal, we have an agreement. So I pulled some strings and made a deal to acquire the game he wanted.

Now, for context, "Richard" lives in B.C. I live in Alberta. There's a 14 hour drive for us to even meet in the middle. We've both been totally cool with the travel that will need to happen to make the trade. Frankly it comes with the territory because of where he lives. Also I don't have a truck, so I made arrangements with one of my friends to go on a road trip and do the deal, (side note, we were gonna film this for the channel so we were pretty excited for it). All thats left is to work out what day this is going to go down. So I message him in an effort to plan that out. At this point, in the same FB Messenger conversation where we had made a deal, where we had both seen conditions and talked about it at length he decided to start acting completely different. Without responding to my request for availability he says to me "So, you'll have the game up an running?" I respond that I'm going to have it in the condition we agreed on. He replies with "Ok, I just don’t want it if it’s not working". So I assure him that I'll make sure the electronics are all good, monitor rebuilt, etc, but it will still be missing one part on the CP and a back panel. And then he replies with: "I have an 1,500 offer for the PCB, serial number plate, and power supply. I think I’ll go that route." What? ...What about our deal? He says: "I don’t think we can make a deal. Thx anyways." So I call him on that saying We had a fair, agreed upon deal, I went out of my way to source what he wanted, he had even brought this to me directly under the impression he wanted me to have this but aside from it he was shopping around? Now because someone has waived money in his face for it he's decided to back out? Then without responding he blocks me on messenger.

This was a guy I've talked to for years, had him as a friend on Facebook, sent other people to him when I knew he might have what they were looking for. But he sees a little bit of money and just pulls the carrot away and then blocks me. It's one thing when it’s some random non-collector on a Kijiji/CraigsList ad who messages you as you're pulling up to his place and says "Sorry I took a better offer before you could arrive", but this was bullshit.

Anyone is within their right to back out on a deal, I get that. But this was sketchy. I've since talked to a few other collectors in the Calgary area and found this is NOT the first time he's done this. Now I have a game I don't really want myself (mind you its a friend of mine and he totally understands if I was to back out), arranged travel for a trip I don't need, and I'm genuinely let down for a game I was excited to restore and share. On top of all this I find out he's been doing this to other collectors for years! I feel like he should know better.

What are your thoughts on this? What could I have done better. How would you have handled the situation. Knowing that he's got a habit of doing this, should he be blacklisted? I feel I have at least a responsibility to warn others from potentially getting screwed by this guy, or at the very least getting left pissed off like I was for about an hour after it happened. haha. Whatever happened to being a man of your word? Thoughts?...

[tekkaraiden]

Well that really sucks but it's just seems to be how people are nowadays.

I've had people get mad at me for not dropping everything/responding instantly to something they're selling and I've had people overly thank me for not wasting their time.

It's honestly bizarre and it's why I don't do a whole lot in any of my hobbies anymore.

[Gameguy]

I'm more into consoles instead of arcade machines, but I've basically had some similar experiences with other members here in the past several years ago so I mostly stopped doing favours, at least extreme favours of going out of my way.

As an example I've sold multiple valuable games to a member for way below value, only later when this member had something for sale I personally wanted, and asked if he could do a better deal for me, I was basically told "It's worth $xx.xx so that's what I want for it." The item I wanted from him was worth far less than what I sold him, so that's how favours tend to work out. Very few favours were ever returned so I'm very selective on who I'll give deals to at this point, basically just personal friends who keep in touch just for keeping in touch. Otherwise if someone did me a favour first, then I'll happily return it.

Even with some people or friends I know personally, I'm selective on who I'll do favours for. Like being asked to keep an eye out for items at thrift stores or garage sales, and then them changing their mind after I bought the items, so now I just won't bother to buy things for them. I want to be nice but I'm often taken advantage of.

You've reminded me of an experience I had a work with a coworker years ago. He asked me to borrow $1 so he could buy a soda, which I lent him. Days later when I asked him about it, he said he already paid me back, which I know he didn't. Days or weeks later, he asked if he could borrow $100 from me to buy new shoes for a party, which I just told him no. If he won't pay me back $1, why would I lend him $100?

What are your thoughts on this? What could I have done better. How would you have handled the situation.

I wouldn't have gone out of my way to source and buy something he wanted, unless you would have got a great deal on it and would have benefited from the arrangement personally, like getting what he wanted for dirt cheap so the trade would be cheap to you. Otherwise just respond with "Sorry, I don't have what you want in trade. How much cash would be alright with you?". If he still insisted on a trade, then pass on it.

Knowing that he's got a habit of doing this, should he be blacklisted?

You should feel free to warn others about this, just so people won't put up with his shit. People don't need to go out of their way for this guy, it's fine to still deal with him as long as you know what to expect. If he wants to buy something or trade something, don't buy something specifically for him as a favour, and put a deadline he needs to complete the deal by. Like if he wants to buy something from you, put a hard deadline of when he needs to pick it up, or send you funds, otherwise you'll sell it elsewhere.

[LoganN64]

I'm not an expert, but I would have suggested asking for half the funds up-front as a down-payment, a little greedy, maybe, but it protects you and at least covers the cost of any thing you have already bought.

Sorry this happened to you, hopefully you'll find another buyer, or your next transaction goes better.