Faith in humanity

I've been selling a few things on Gumtree -- the Australian analogue of Craigslist.

I do a "reverse eBay" approach:  I post the item at a somewhat optimistic price, and then on Monday or Tuesday of each week I lower the price a little bit.  At some point, the market value  intersects with my listed price.

The pictured guitar was now down to $30 (it has a few quirks, such as a repaired headstock), and although I'd had a few time-wasting inquiries, no one had shown any serious interest.  But then!  Someone messaged me (through the Gumtree site), and said he'd take it today, for $35 (i.e. a five dollar bonus), if I was willing to deliver it to him -- about a 15 minute drive away.

Now, the norm is for buyers to come to the seller.  But I'd had the guitar listed for a few months already, so I figured, "Eh; sure."  But the whole drive there, I was having reservations:  the guy's messaging had been a little stand-off-ish, and the potential buyer had no real investment or commitment to buying it.

I completely understand that a person would not want to commit to buying a musical instrument that she/he had not examined in person -- but I had visions of the guy going "(Strum, strum...) Nah -- I don't want it after all."

So, I get there, text the guy that I'm there, get to the front door -- and this smiling young guy (high-school?) answers the door.  He says that he just moved here, and that he left his guitar behind and wanted a guitar to play.  He speaks with a tiny bit of an accent, and when a middle-aged woman of a different race comes to the door as well, I infer that he's perhaps an exchange student (or possibly a boarder).  And:  because December is summer in Australia, it's around the start of a new school year...

Anyhow:  he liked the guitar, and paid me the money.  I asked if he had any guitar picks, and he said he didn't so I offered him a choice of the two I carry with me in my coin purse. 


So:  happiness all around.  An my faith in humanity was restored.


--GG