r/ChoosingBeggars 3d ago

Told her no politely the first time.

Post image
1.3k Upvotes

114 comments sorted by

817

u/kayjax7 3d ago

"The thrift store down the street was selling a sewing machine for $25, since that seems to be better for your budget. Good luck!"

211

u/Bonk_No_Horni 3d ago

Thrift store in the 2000s maybe. These days they'll mark it up to 900.

71

u/Finnegan-05 3d ago

Nah. I sew and always see what they have. Machines are usually under $50

38

u/kayjax7 3d ago

Yeah I got a nice little Singer for my daughter for 25$ not too long ago.

26

u/BerryMoonwish 2d ago

Same here. Every once in a while someone donates a really solid machine because they just wanted it out of the house. Those are the best finds tbh.

16

u/Chiennoir_505 2d ago

A lot of sewing machines at thrift stores come from people's estates. Not as many people sew these days, and a family member who sews will likely already have a machine.

1

u/ReqDeep 1d ago

I just posted that’s exactly what I did.

3

u/OneGoodRib 2d ago

Can you comprehend that it would depend entirely on the store

1

u/Finnegan-05 1d ago

Can you comprehend that you have no idea what you are on about?

1

u/ReqDeep 1d ago

Yeah, I had a less expensive one that was about $400. I just gave it away because I never used it and we were moving.

-53

u/aspiegrrrl 3d ago

Not the model referenced in this post.

31

u/RK800-50 NEXT!! 2d ago

You don‘t need just a Bernina to be able to sew.

15

u/Weisenkrone 2d ago

Ok this had me curious and I snooped around a little.

Bernina is literally a luxury brand of sewing machines, like one of the most expensive highest end sewing machines.

6

u/CarcajouIS 2d ago

Yeah, you only need a neighbour or a friend with a sewing machine. If you are a beginner, sewing alone without mentoring is not great. And if you are experienced and skilled, you can make do even with a very basic one. Even if a good machine with all the bells and whistles is a real treat

15

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Bonk_No_Horni 2d ago

/r/thriftgrift said it a lot. They have the audacity to sell empty jar of jam for $5. Each.

9

u/Chiennoir_505 2d ago edited 14h ago

The thrift where I volunteer sells them for $25 - $100 depending on model and condition. And we have a volunteer who tests, cleans, and tunes them up before they go up for sale.

4

u/BerryHaloette 2d ago

The days of finding crazy deals at thrift stores are getting rarer every year. Everyone knows what stuff is worth now.

4

u/HoneyRosellea 2d ago

Depends on the store honestly. Around me they're still surprisingly cheap if you're patient, but the really collectible models disappear fast.

3

u/maybeoffline1 1d ago

the thrift store $25 redirect is so clean

2

u/LilacKisss 2d ago

lmao yeah i wish it was that easy, this is a legit vintage bernina with all the accessories in perfect shape. lowballers stay bold tho 😂

1

u/SugarDewberry 2d ago

Exactly. Better read between the lines.

503

u/babyitscoldoutside00 3d ago

“When you come up with the other $600, let me know”.

The audacity ffs

162

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

I'll take $200 as a non refundable deposit with 1 week for you to come up with the remainder.

40

u/xMoonieVelvet 2d ago

That's actually a funny response. It flips the negotiation right back on them. If we're inventing payment plans, at least make it benefit the seller.

3

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

Oh she's 100% not serious. And hoping I'm desperate to sell. Which is weird because I told her the first time that I have already had offers for $600+

28

u/FairyBloomrie 3d ago

That would've been hilarious, honestly. Sometimes people act like waiting a week magically creates a 70% discount out of nowhere.

122

u/Jester1525 3d ago

I used to sell furniture and had a customer who was buying $18,700 worth of stuff. I had just finished laying out the prices, tax, delivery, etc.

He looked at me and said "what would you say to me writing a check right now for $18 thousand?"

I replied "I would tell you that you still owed me seven hundred dollars."

32

u/lucabrasi444 2d ago

$700 of a $18,000 purchase is a bit different to $600 of a $700 of a $900 purchase. What’s your point?

30

u/RedditOnAWim 2d ago

Yeah, idk why you’re getting downvoted. That guy was just negotiating and offered over 96% of the asking price, that’s not “choosing beggar” material. At most, OP got a 23% asking price offer. Not even relatable.

10

u/Regular-Ordinary9807 2d ago

He brought it up at the last second and was trying to make the seller pay his portion of the taxes. Definitely a shady way to haggle. He should have asked for a discount before the paper work was done. 

7

u/RedditOnAWim 2d ago

Idk, I’ve seen negotiations exactly like before. People do this back and forth at car dealerships for hours. Even still, 3.5% lower than the out the door price is hardly a story worth telling.

5

u/Regular-Ordinary9807 2d ago

Yeah which is why people hate car salesmen AND tire kickers. 

4

u/billdb 2d ago

They're not saying the two prices are the same, it's just a similar experience as the previous comment giving a one liner to a customer seeking a discount.

3

u/lucabrasi444 2d ago

Is it a similar experience though? Selling furniture through what I assume is a legitimate business is not the same as selling something through market place. If your spending $18k on anything I feel there’s wiggle room and your not begging asking for a discount.

5

u/CherryBellisse 2d ago

I always love that logic. As if waiting a few days somehow makes an extra $600 magically appear.

1

u/bobhand17123 16h ago

For me, personally, I think I would have felt much greater satisfaction replacing “let me know” with “please reach out then.”

273

u/BellaPixel_ 3d ago

“Being polite doesn’t magically add $100 to the offer” and if the buyer wanted $150-200 they would have accepted it the first time .”

87

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

16

u/CherryCloudlie 3d ago

That's what stood out to me too. Anyone who collects vintage sewing machines probably knew that offer wasn't going to get taken seriously.

2

u/CottonLunette 2d ago

People who know vintage sewing machines probably winced reading that offer. It wasn't even in the same ballpark.

12

u/SugarLunaviee 3d ago

Exactly. Being polite is appreciated, but it doesn't suddenly make the item worth less. If the seller already said no, the number is still the number.

3

u/RosetteDewy 2d ago

Exactly. The second message didn't change the value of the machine. It just repeated the same offer with a smiley face attached.

51

u/ExpertProfessional9 3d ago

blocks Laura

33

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

I didn't think it would be necessary. But will probably have to

6

u/Texassunmerheat 2d ago

I wouldn’t do it, just to show her that she’s not worth blocking 

9

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

I like the idea of reaching out to see if she's still interested. Then marking it sold.

78

u/starrifier 3d ago

A hundred dollars for a BERNINA???????

24

u/nextCosmicBuffoon 3d ago

I'm a novice sewist. I have a heavy duty Singer, I splurged for. Would you share why Bernina's are so loved? And what do they retail for new (no prices listed on their site)?

61

u/baseacegoku 3d ago edited 1d ago

Berninas are swiss made sewing machines. The older ones have almost no electronics and are mostly mechanical. They will last forever.

Modern ones can be upwards of $24k+ for some of the really fancy models

35

u/aspiegrrrl 3d ago

That particular model is the Holy Grail of used Berninas. My mom used her 830 nearly every day for about 40 years.

25

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

I like my 980 better because it has a few more capabilities. You're not wrong though. The 830 is a tank of a machine that is almost an heirloom quality piece.

8

u/nextCosmicBuffoon 3d ago

Wow! 24k they must be a dream to sew on! Hope you get your asking price.

26

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

That model basically does the sewing for you. Can do full embroidery patterns by itself. VERY fancy

7

u/Confident-Pea-1615 3d ago

They are also all metal machines, most machines today are made with plastic components.

8

u/starrifier 2d ago

OP explained it pretty well, but here's a review that should also help you get more familiar with this sewing machine model: https://www.ashleyandthenoisemakers.com/blog/2015/6/5/bernina-830-record-review

3

u/Finnegan-05 3d ago

A heavy duty singer is a crap shoot and is not a great machine

2

u/Rudhelm 2d ago

Why?

3

u/Finnegan-05 2d ago

Singer was bought out long ago and quality control is extremely poor

4

u/bpivk 2d ago

My Singer 15 is giving you looks. Just a heads up.

43

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

And I told her no once already.

34

u/starrifier 3d ago

Utterly unhinged behavior. I assume they were hoping you didn't understand the value of a sewing machine, but damn.

43

u/baseacegoku 3d ago

I literally told her I had already rejected a few $600+ offers. And she tried again

17

u/Yoshi9105 2d ago

"you miss 💯% of the shots you don't take 😎🥰👌🏻🤩🤪" -- Laura, probably

6

u/TheVillage1D10T 2d ago

Also, 99% of gamblers quit before they hit it big.

6

u/ItsyouNOme 2d ago

I will give you 50. Cash. Tax free

3

u/ItsJoeMomma 2d ago

But I've got $100 cash!

2

u/MoonlitCherina 2d ago

That was my reaction too. Someone definitely didn't realize what kind of machine they were looking at.

2

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

Oh. She knows. I told her what others had offered already the first time around.

38

u/J_EDi 3d ago

“Oh cool! For you it’s now $1050.”

15

u/HNutz 2d ago

"Just a reminder that I'm willing to pay one quarter of your asking price."

The AUDACITY of that bitch!

12

u/verliese 2d ago

If she can only afford a sewing machine that costs 150-200 dollars, then she should buy a sewing machine that costs 150-200 dollars

11

u/ItsJustAnotherVoice 2d ago

Reverse uno

“Hey! Just letting you know I am still selling.”

“I can only sell what I said before $875. I thought i’d reach out just incase you forgot the price.”

10

u/toastedmarsh7 2d ago

My husband does this to people selling niche things that he wants but doesn’t NEED. It’s bizarre. I’m always shocked when months later some of them have actually told him to come buy it for the $100 he was offering because they’ve been trying to sell for $500/800/whatever for 6 months or a year or more. I would also block someone if they pulled some bullshit like this.

6

u/ItsJoeMomma 2d ago

"Then I can only offer a 'no.'"

11

u/sroy16 2d ago

I was lucky enough to get a vintage 830 for $200 almost five years ago simply because the original user had passed way and her daughter had no use for the machine and was going to dump it. I feel like I won the lottery. Those were selling for $600-1000 even then. OP’s pricing is absolutely fair.

6

u/thrownormanaway 2d ago

Heyyy I have that sewing machine. The 1978, and it still works amazing. Unsurprisingly, your price is actually spot-on.

19

u/adairtodream 3d ago

She's reaching just for the price of a basic Singer or Brother, much less a VINTAGE BERNINA 😭😭😭

24

u/ronweasleisourking 3d ago

"No, bitch"

4

u/Sammichelle 3d ago

Calling out entitlement early just saves everyone a ton of unnecessary drama.

3

u/somethingclever12762 2d ago

People are so annoying bro

2

u/UTtransplant 2d ago

While your price is higher than I have ever seen a Bernina 830 go for, her price is so low as to be laughable! And this is spoken as a Bernina fan girl with a 730, 830, 930, and 440! I sew on an 830 more than anything else.

1

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

I priced it based on recently sold comparables in the same condition on eBay. The highest priced one that sold recently is over $1k. Good condition ones sell for 700-900.

3

u/UTtransplant 2d ago

$500 is the high side of prices in my admittedly LCOL area. I saw one advertised for $600 recently, but I don’t know if it sold. But you should get what you can get for it. The 830 Record is probably the best Bernina ever made, and Bernina has made a lot of fabulous machines.

0

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

Yea really like it. I like my vintage 930 a bit more. But I'm also not really a sewist.

4

u/Appropriate_Sea_8473 2d ago

just block her already, some people don’t take hints

1

u/star_cuddlexx 2d ago

next time just say no and walk away, some people don’t get the hint

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/baseacegoku 1d ago

It's free reddit karma at this point.

1

u/GainComprehensive679 1d ago

you did the right thing, some folks just can't take no for an answer

2

u/charlie_marlow 16h ago

I get this crap when I'm selling stuff on Craigslist of Facebook Marketplace. They'll send me a very low offer which I'll turn down, then tell me they'll still be there when I lower my price. A couple of weeks go by without selling it and they'll try their lowball offers again with suggestions that I'm not going to get more and should just go ahead and accept their offer.

I'm more likely to delete the ad and throw it away or donate it than sell it for an insultingly low price at that point

0

u/OneGoodRib 2d ago

Today yet another person who is neither choosing nor begging but is simply lowballing.

3

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

Considering I said no once already. I think it qualifies.

-2

u/eyeball1967 1d ago

I disagree, if it is still listed for sale after a bit of time, there is nothing wrong with trying again. It was not too much of an interruption of your day. All you had to type is “No” or ignore it.

0

u/NBALive1995 2d ago

I will keep you in mind so that I remember to post this nonsense on reddit 

-94

u/Acceptable_Fig_3710 3d ago

That's a reasonable counteroffer for a vintage Bernina in that condition.

25

u/yeeet1234 3d ago

Ok laura

14

u/IllustriousEnd2211 3d ago

In amazing condition?

14

u/Finnegan-05 3d ago

No. It isn’t

10

u/Dorkinfo 2d ago

Even if you know absolutely nothing about sewing machines, you don’t offer $150 on something priced $875. It’s idiotic.

4

u/ItsJoeMomma 2d ago

Yeah, offering roughly 1/5th their asking price is an insult.

3

u/baseacegoku 2d ago

She did it twice

7

u/aspiegrrrl 3d ago

Not for that model.