Why ask, "Why are you selling this?"

[pchewn]

Here's the perfect answer to the "WHY" question:

"Because everything I have is for sale for the correct price."

 

[littlecars]

I have been wheeling and dealing stuff for abour 10 years now(cars, dirtbikes, tools, guns, ect) the fact is a lot of people are trying to sell something becouse there is something wrong with it, and a lot of them want to get more money for it, so they lie!

sometimes I ask stupid questions like "why are you selling it" becouse I want to get them talking, so I can try to figure out if they are telling the truth or not. If I ask lot of questions they forget what they have told me and then I ask a simular question and sometimes they give me a difference answer. Then I know I cannot trust them.

Just a few days ago I was looking at a 1994 dodge with a cummins diesel. He had a good story. I started asking questions, and within about 15 minutes, I cought him in a lie about the trucks tranny, He said it was rebiult about 6 months ago. so I took it to the service shop he said rebiult it. They has no record of the work, and I paid them $79 to check the tranny out, and it turn out it was on it last leg.

Me asking a lot of question, saved me from buying a POS with a bad tranny.

 

[SleepynSeattle]

It sounds like you're reading too much into the question. It's drilled into us from childhood that "if a deal sounds to good to be true"...yadda yadda. So that reflects on a "good" deal as well. Makes the buyer suspicious of dishonesty. Not saying you are, just saying that it's a fishing question, and it should be expected...ya know? P.S....I've got a real sweet, SKS up for trade on a nice .308 or 1911 frame. Anybody...anybody??

 

[Tactical SS]

Don't like that you insinuate that I have something to hide. If something is wrong with the thing it will be in the description. Never sold a thing without disclosing a defect. Just get annoyed at the question. Ask me about the condition, is anything wrong with it, is it fully functional. Those are the only things that a buyer needs to know.

If I am a buyer and the seller doesn't want to answer the questions that I have, I will go somewhere else. Even if you have nothing to hide, if you are evasive and not willing to answer questions, then I can only assume they seller is trying to hide something. I will gladly take my business elsewhere.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Why ask, "Why are you selling this?"

I have a standard answer. "I no longer have a need for this".

 

[coop44]

I usually take the smart *** approach

"whats the recoil like?"
"Close your eyes and I'll show you, now where did I put that baseball bat?"

"why are you selling it?"
"I was talking to your wife last night and she said you were pretty close to losing your mind, so, here you go."

"How many rounds through it?"
"Let's see, three drug dealers, two home invasion robbers, and a partridge in a pear tree, so about 500 rounds"

always better to make em laugh, or piss them off. No pity for stupid questions

 

[Redcap]

"Why are you selling it?" is a question I will simply ignore.

 

[glockguy]

If im gonna be spending 500+ dollars on a gun ill ask whatever i want if that person is a prick about it ill take my money else where. Obviously u don't want to sell it bad enough if u wont answer a few. "Stupid" questions

 

[BlvdKing]

I agree with a bunch of you "why" is a conversation question. For a lot of us this is our hobby and talking guns is the next best thing to shooting guns. Feeling comfortable with the buyer and seller is important because it is after all a gun. Not only do we want to get the best gun but we want to feel comfortable with the transaction.

 

[Platt05]

I don't mind if someone asks me why I'm selling something. I have control over my answers not a buyer's questions; I try to to get worked up over things out of my control.

 

[John Davis]

+1 The buyers are looking for an angle, and more often then not, the reason for the seller dumping an item might be telling to the new buyer selling that same item in the future...crappy trigger, jams, ect....

I think the OP is conflicted as to either saying 'none of your business' or having to lie as the true reason as to dumping the item...

 

[Bazooka Joe]

I agree with a bunch of you "why" is a conversation question. For a lot of us this is our hobby and talking guns is the next best thing to shooting guns.

"Why?" is simply a good general question, like BlvdKing implies. I have a Beretta 92 that I will probably sell some day. Why? Because I have small hands. I have no issues with it; I just can't manipulate the magazine release as quickly as I'd like. Now, I could go around to every sale asking "Hey, how is this for small hands?" but I assume that everyone has little quirks and preferences with their firearms, and it's just interesting to hear them. If someone asks "why" and the response is "my arms aren't long enough for this to be comfortable" or "it's just too expensive to shoot", then I've learned something that I may not have known about a firearm. "Why" is simply interesting.

 

[cyclesarge]

I find it surprising that so many people think "Why?" is none of the buyers business. I can think of a hundred reasons WHY the seller may be selling a gun that might be pertinent to the buyer. If your reason for selling truly has no bearing on the seller a simple "personal reasons" would suffice.

 

[coop44]

"Because I've been waiting for you, big fella" of course throwing him a wink or two, and a raised eyebrow usually chases them off if they are not serious about buying it.

 

[KRISSTDI]

Its a valid question. Plus I always meet and have the potential buyer inspect it till his hearts content and till he/she is "ok" with it. Some try to lowball but I inform the buyer before I even leave my house that we agree on a set price or I won't sell. Plain and simple. I have been asked once why. I told him that I need money for my new BMW M. lol Otherwise I wouldn't sell it and selling guns and ammo is the easiest way to get money fast IMO.

 

[cyclesarge]

"Because I've been waiting for you, big fella" of course throwing him a wink or two, and a raised eyebrow usually chases them off if they are not serious about buying it.

That's great, but what if they are serious about buying but are curious about why if it's not good enough for you is it good enough for them?:huh:
Or worse yet, what if he succumbs to your charms.

 

[Phillyfan]

any philly fan should be questioned,tested with a lie ditector, be drug tested and waterboarded before considereing a statement to be valid.
A sox fan on the other hand is loyal.clean ,,,OH WAIT this is a gun forum!!!!

Careful. I got lots of D-Cells in the garage, and I am way more accurate with those than I am with any of my guns! And we were only one field goal away from tying that Super Bowl, dammit!

Pats are losing to Miami right now, by the way.

 

[Phillyfan]

sometimes I ask stupid questions like "why are you selling it" becouse I want to get them talking, so I can try to figure out if they are telling the truth or not. If I ask lot of questions they forget what they have told me and then I ask a simular question and sometimes they give me a difference answer. Then I know I cannot trust them.

OK, this one make total sense to me. I can go with that.

 

[Phillyfan]

I agree with a bunch of you "why" is a conversation question. For a lot of us this is our hobby and talking guns is the next best thing to shooting guns. Feeling comfortable with the buyer and seller is important because it is after all a gun. Not only do we want to get the best gun but we want to feel comfortable with the transaction.

This is good too.

 

[coop44]

That's great, but what if they are serious about buying but are curious about why if it's not good enough for you is it good enough for them?:huh:
Or worse yet, what if he succumbs to your charms.

I am moving up to something better and they, as lesser humans, deserve only what I am allowing them to have.

If they do succumb to my charms (easy enough to do) I tap dance real fast and tell them I am in in a serious relationship with hugo my swedish masseuse