You can keep your piece of junk car...

I often find human behavior fascinating. And there was nothing more fascinating to me than the exchange that I had with a fellow cohabitant of this fine Earth not too long ago. You see, this gentleman was selling a used car. And I currently have a need for a used car--nothing fancy--just something that can be left behind at the station and not really thought too much about.

And so, it seemed perfect. I saw his vehicle and in summation...the side of the car had been run up against some form of an object (his explanation was those barriers at a supermarket so you don't hop the curb). The remedy for this misfortune was red spray paint that didn't exactly match the color of the original paint job, and also dripped. The driver side mirror was broken. I would guess it might have had something to do with those tricky concrete barriers, but nonetheless, it would need to be replaced. The brakes had to be fixed. Although I appreciated his explanation that in this "brand" of car, you "really have to press down hard to get the brakes to catch," I didn't exactly take auto shop in high school instead of Home Ec to believe that one. And the interior of the car was absolutely filthy. Psst...if you want to sell a car...clean it first.

But, far be it for me to judge the salesman's techniques of this fine fellow. After all, I could still find some use for the vehicle and after some thought (as I knew the Blue Book value as well as the TMV) and after calculating the cost of correcting some of the poor car's maladies, I made a fair and slightly generous offer. My father said I was an idiot for offering as much as I did. But, I thought the poor man, clearly needed the money more than I did, so...why not. If it helped him out...so be it. I could part with the extra several hundred.

Unfortunately, this gentleman had the NERVE to call me back after thinking it over for a week to inform me, that he really wanted a thousand dollars more. So, much to my dismay, I had to explain the basic principles of economics, which in short was to point out that a good or service was only worth what the market was willing to offer in exchange for said good or service and regrettably, this particular market, thought his good or service did not warrant that price. So, if he thought it over and reconsidered, he was welcome to reengage me.

Needless to say, I still pass the said, sad vehicle from time to time on the road. I suppose there's a sucker born every minute which might be this man's best bet. But the way I see it, he can keep his piece of junk car and all the costs associated with keeping it on the market.