The more he doth protest....
Every once in a while I get the look. I call it the fish-eye look. Usually it's a middle aged woman, sometimes a man, people who have apparently become wary in their shopping experience.
I don't get it from comic customers. I don't get it from toy, or book, or game customers.
I only get it from sport card customers. Even then, I don't get it all that much. I used to get it, ten years ago, when the sport card industry was self-destructing. It was that look that really drove me away from cards, even more than that I was losing money.
It's the look I'm sure that used car salesmen get from everyone who walks on their lots. It's the look that says, I don't believe you. Convince me.
And I've learned that the more I try to convince someone, the more they don't believe me.
I literally walk away. I see the fish-eye look, and I say, "Oh." And I walk away. Sometimes they'll come after me. "Don't you want to sell this?" their tone asks. And I'll say, "Hey, if you want it, fine. Otherwise I have to go clean this glass counter top."
I'm sorry that the sports card industry has become the equivalent of being a used car salesman, but it ain't my fault. I pride myself on my integrity. You are making me angry by casting aspersions.
And I've learned through experience that NOTHING I say will really reassure you. I've found that if I give them something, they suddenly trust me more, which is strange. Means they've been manipulated by used car salesman so much that they can't tell the difference any longer.
Had a woman in yesterday who was looking for a 660 card Red Sox set. I said, I didn't know there was such a thing. She looked it up on line and I took one look at the picture and said, "Oh, that's a 2007 Topps set. I have the same thing here, with Yankees on the front instead of the Red Sox. It's just packaging."
She gave me the fish-eye look. I protested. "No, really. I've been doing this a long time...." but I could see she wasn't buying.
Perhaps she'll go off and buy that "Red Sox" set, and find out I'm right.
She's on her own.
Every once in a while I get the look. I call it the fish-eye look. Usually it's a middle aged woman, sometimes a man, people who have apparently become wary in their shopping experience.
I don't get it from comic customers. I don't get it from toy, or book, or game customers.
I only get it from sport card customers. Even then, I don't get it all that much. I used to get it, ten years ago, when the sport card industry was self-destructing. It was that look that really drove me away from cards, even more than that I was losing money.
It's the look I'm sure that used car salesmen get from everyone who walks on their lots. It's the look that says, I don't believe you. Convince me.
And I've learned that the more I try to convince someone, the more they don't believe me.
I literally walk away. I see the fish-eye look, and I say, "Oh." And I walk away. Sometimes they'll come after me. "Don't you want to sell this?" their tone asks. And I'll say, "Hey, if you want it, fine. Otherwise I have to go clean this glass counter top."
I'm sorry that the sports card industry has become the equivalent of being a used car salesman, but it ain't my fault. I pride myself on my integrity. You are making me angry by casting aspersions.
And I've learned through experience that NOTHING I say will really reassure you. I've found that if I give them something, they suddenly trust me more, which is strange. Means they've been manipulated by used car salesman so much that they can't tell the difference any longer.
Had a woman in yesterday who was looking for a 660 card Red Sox set. I said, I didn't know there was such a thing. She looked it up on line and I took one look at the picture and said, "Oh, that's a 2007 Topps set. I have the same thing here, with Yankees on the front instead of the Red Sox. It's just packaging."
She gave me the fish-eye look. I protested. "No, really. I've been doing this a long time...." but I could see she wasn't buying.
Perhaps she'll go off and buy that "Red Sox" set, and find out I'm right.
She's on her own.