


     The Best Thing 
     About Buying Used
  


                                                  by Gary Bryant

          America is the land of shoppers. We have more malls,
     factory outlets, boutiques and retail chains than  any country in
     the world.  Let's face it, we like to  shop.   
          
          With an addiction to owning new things, why do  people buy and
     sell  everything from baby clothes to  airplanes through classified
     ads? Actually, I thought  about this quite awhile.  Several reasons
     come to  mind...   
     
          Easy:  One reason people use classified ads is  because they
     don't want to go through all of the  trouble of having garage
     sales.  Besides, they  might not have a enough inventory to
     successfully bring  one off any way.
     By placing a small, inexpensive ad in  a news publication, the
     seller knows that the only people  who will inquire will be people
     who are genuinely  interested in what you have to offer.
      
         For the buyer, it's simply a matter of perusing the ads;
     looking for  something that catches the eye.  When something  does,
     you know you'll be talking with a motivated
      seller.  
     
         Cheap:  A motivated seller is someone who has a  real reason
     to sell something.  This doesn't mean that  the item up for sale is
     trash. On the contrary.  The  seller could simply want a larger
     model, or no longer  has any use for the item.  Often the seller
     really could  use some cash.  Consequently a buyer has an
     opportunity  to offer a lower sum than the asking price and often 
     can walk away with a very good deal.
     
         Quality: Believe it or not, buying second hand merchandise
     often allows the buyer to have a better lifestyle.  As  an example,
     let's use a couch.  You need one, but most  of us have to keep an
     eye on the bottom line when  shopping for a new item.
          
         If we are able to afford a $400 couch new, we could easily
     find one second hand  sofa with a list price of $1200 for $350.  Of
     course for  $350, it's going to be a used sofa.  
    
         On the other hand,  the second-hand high quality couch will
     still be worth  close to the $350 you paid for it and possibly
     more.

         Fun: Finally, anyone who has shopped through  classified ads
     and garage sales will tell you that  doing so is just plain fun. 
     Meeting interesting people,  experiencing the feeling of success
     when you've  negotiated a fair price, knowing that both parties
     have  come out ahead is what it's all about.   


               
               Distribution of this work in any commercial 
            enterprise, in any media form, without the written 
             consent of the publisher, is strictly forbidden.




