Just watched this programme for the first time today. So is this acceptable to just knock on a strangers door and rip them off? This wouldn't happen in my country, or any other country that I can think of "only in America" I guess. The older guy with the grey hair is so fake and creepy.
shareWell to start with all that just showing up at someones place is %100 fake. Producers look for people with trash heaps or the hoarder themselves get in touch with the shows handlers and they set the whole thing up. You don't think there is a film crew constantly following these 2 jack holes around just waiting for them to find another pile of garbage so sift through. So basically the whole thing is scripted and fake.
shareI grew up on a farm back in the 50's and 60's. Everyone in our community, including the old folks, knew that when people like these showed up, they were going to cheat you. If they showed up un-announced they'd be asked politely to leave.
There were a few that were not polite. We had a neighbor who lived in a shack with all kinds of junk around it. If somebody he did not know stopped in to try to buy any of his junk he'd get out his shotgun.. I'd like to say that he'd not shoot anyone but I was never entirely sure about that.
Advice to would be pickers,don't go down dead end roads in the Missouri Ozarks. Back in the 50s my Aunt was nearly shot at just for delivering phone books. She was not from the city. She was a farm wife looking to earn a little extra money.
Everyone in our community, including the old folks, knew that when people like these showed up, they were going to cheat you.
Well I can explain the problem Gubbio. I had a large pile of Steel refuse tucked away inside a 14 acre area, that you would actually have to drive right by the house, after you drove inside the gate and about 200 yards. Do you know how many people we have on camera driving in, seeing nobodies around, and starting to "pick" for themselves over the last 40 years 100's, no exaggeration! At least 2 dozen have been arrested and prosecuted! and guess what? They were all "Junkers and pickers" by their own description of their occupation.
So yeah, you have a large property full of stuff, rats are going to slink around, and many of them don't have a dime in their pocket to spend on your stuff.
Well I can explain the problem Gubbio. I had a large pile of Steel refuse tucked away inside a 14 acre area, that you would actually have to drive right by the house, after you drove inside the gate and about 200 yards. Do you know how many people we have on camera driving in, seeing nobodies around, and starting to "pick" for themselves over the last 40 years 100's, no exaggeration! At least 2 dozen have been arrested and prosecuted! and guess what? They were all "Junkers and pickers" by their own description of their occupation.
I'm explaining why these people are, IN REAL LIFE, a little apprehensive about seeing people drive up on the property uninvited.
shareThis wouldn't happen in my country, or any other country that I can think of
...and even if it weren't all set up in advance, I've never seen them point a gun at anyone and force them to sell anything to them, so so much for "ripping them off". The owner always has the right to refuse their offer if they feel that it's too low.
share... I've never seen them point a gun at anyone and force them to sell anything to them, ....
A con artist’s only weapon is his brain. ~ Frank W. Abagnale, Catch Me If You Canshare
The part that makes me laugh is when they haggle over a price with someone. "I really can't go higher than $100 on this item sir.." and then they show you how they'll mark up the price on said item to like $350.
shareYeah, that's called making profit. What do you figure they should do, pay $100 for something, and then sell it for $110? Like I said, if the seller isn't happy with getting $100 for it, then they should turn it down.
shareLike when they just drop by on some 85 year old man. Can Barely walk, can't remember what he paid for anything and they'll bust him down from ten bucks to 5 bucks on something they can go out and claim that they're going to sell for 250. That's a bunch of *beep*
shareLike when they just drop by on some 85 year old man.
...They're running a business.
shareHow are they ripping anyone off? They don't force anyone to sell to them. And in what world do you buy something and than sell it for the same price? They own a business, they try to make a profit. It's called economics.
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dies ist meine unterschrift
Just imagine what some of the posters would think if they knew that grocery stores actually charge more for their items than they pay for them.
shareLol, there would be riots.
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dies ist meine unterschrift
when they buy something for 100 bucks and mark it up to 200 or even to 350
The higher the mark up the longer the item takes to sell, the smaller the mark up the shorter time it takes to sell.
The cost to drive around, the shipping cost, the cost to run a store or 2, that's where the extra money goes, in the end they may only make 10 to 20 percent in profit of the one item, and it may take years to recoup that money.
They are not buying for there own collection, they are buying to sell.
If the buyers want more money they can sell retail.
Even if the seller has an auction they might not even get as much money for there stuff, ( trust me, My auction i had a couple of years ago, valued at retail was 48,657 dollars, I calculated everything up myself, in the end my auction with 157 bidders only grossed me 6,856 dollars, cost to do the auction 1,000 dollars and 586 dollars in advertising, In the end i got 5,270 dollars ) ( 10 new framing nail boxes goes for retail around 500 plus, I got 10 bucks for the lot. My collection of vintage tools, didn't even bring 100 bucks ( valued at 2000 plus, the numbers were taken of what sold at eBay minus 20% with in the last year at the time), A brand new gas motor i bought to replace one on a tiller did not even bring 25 dollars, I paid 350 dollars for the motor with the receipt, I bought 3 brand new battery with receipt, one for my tractor, one for my cushman, one for a pick up truck, I got 600 for my tractor ( worth $1500), 500 for pick up truck ( blue book was $2650 on the low end ) and 300 for my cushman ( 1500 bucks ), I sold crates of items, Like a crate with 50 trailer hitch balls, each ball worth 10 bucks on average went for 10 bucks, Chicken plucker cost new at the time was 900 bucks brought 5 bucks and because no one was bidding they thru in the 250 dollar chicken scalder and that's what brought 5 bucks together
So you can see they make even more money selling whole sale than an auction
Actually people who have been to the stores say most of the stuff we see on tv is not for sale at all but just "on display"
shareIf you think they rip people off, I suggest you NEVER watch those ass holes on Pawn Stars.
shareThey are not ripping people off, they are screwing the market up.
things worth 10 bucks in real life, they pay 100 bucks and try to sell at 200
now that seller who used to sell them at 10 bucks thinks he can get 200 bucks for it
I have seen this happen time an time again, I tell the sellers that if he can get American pickers prices then call them up.
I have had a few people say oh i guess i see you point and i will sell it to you at my regular price and not the so called american picker prices
I have had a few people say oh i guess i see you point and i will sell it to you at my regular price and not the so called american picker prices
OP doesn't know what he/she is talking about.
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