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And Anon (you really need to identify yourself a bit better... heck, even I
use "JR"),
What you are describing is hardly "unscrupulous" -- it is just the way
business is done (in all areas of life). For instance, if a car dealer has a hot
model, they will often tack on hundreds of extra bucks to the price,
figuring if people are seeking that particular model some of them will be
willing to pay a bit more for it -- and this is for a vehicle that carries on
its window a manufacturer's sticker with a recommended "retail price". Gas
stations in richer or busier parts of town (or at a highway on ramp) charge more
for the exact same gas than some other stations due. One grocery store charges
20 cent more for a box of Cherrios than the one across the street does. So what?
That's what happens in a free market economy. It's called caveat emptor and it
means "buyer beware" (also known as do your homework and be a smart shopper and
don't pay more than you need to).
It is perfectly ethical (therefore "scrupulous") for anyone to ask
whatever price they want for a poster -- and you are entitled to accept, reject
or attempt to negotiate the price to some other level. No point in name-calling
or pretending that this kind of thing only happens on MOPO where the "dealers
all stick together". There is no such thing as a fixed price for any collectible
-- only reports of past sales and auctions to serve as rough guidelines. A
dealer's printed price list is only good until he decides to change it
(unless it is in a printed ad which is publicly distributed, at which point it
become an contractual offer to sell at that price). Sure, some sellers operate
much more "fairly and friendlier" than others, but unless they are engaging in
some kind of fraud like trying to sell you one thing while telling you it is
another, using words like "unscrupulous" to describe them is a bit much.
Note that I am NOT a dealer and have posted plenty of criticisms to this
list in the past about some of the dealer and auction activity I've seen that I
thought needed questioning -- but getting all hot and bothered just because
someone quotes you a retail price that is higher than you want to pay...
c'mon...
-- JR
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