The Great Jettison: One Wheel-Harrowing Tale

You can't pull a Cory on Cory!

This ugly thing, like many ugly things, has great practical use and value.  Also like many ugly things, I got it for free while curb fishing one fine day.  If I remember correctly, this wheelbarrow came full of other useful things for me like some unfinished wood molding with lots of nails still in it (tomato stakes and firewood) and an old-fashioned flint-and-steel Bunsen Burner lighter...yeah... so...

I brought it home and it worked great for us!  I hauled a lot of yard waste and junk around with this baby in the year or two I owned it.  When moving time came upon us, up it went to Craigslist.  How much did I ask for it?  How much did I get for it?  What is with the title of this post?

It has long been established that "You can't kid a kidder."  Beyond a tired colloquialism, that phrase also fits with wheeling and dealing- shady and otherwise.  I have used lots of tricks in my time to get a good deal on used junk goods.  I have pretended to only have six dollars in my wallet for a ten dollar item (works.)  I have asked a child to give me a deal on some unmarked items at a garage sale (almost worked, we got chased down going to the car after the deal.)  I have also feigned disinterest, distaste, and skepticism of a particular item to get a low-ball offer.

That was the trick attempted by the purchaser of this wheelbarrow.  I was just about to list it for my customary price on an item with no real value ($5 or best offer) when I asked myself, "Five?  Why not seven?"  Impulse decision making paid off again when I got an email from an interested party.

The party brought his truck over and took a look at the wheelbarrow... a long look.  After some tire-kicking, handle-rattling, rust-inspecting, body-knocking, and a test drive around the driveway, he started making the mouth noises of disgust.  "Hmmm... (tongue click sound) I dunno... (tongue click again)"  I knew the ploy RIGHT AWAY and interrupted the dance with a friendly, "Is that going to work for you or not?"

With the screws firmly tightened, he begrudgingly opened his wallet to pay up on the seven dollars.  In my head, I was wondering if he really would have walked away from the deal if I had let him finish his dance, offer me five dollars, and stay firm on the seven.  After all, he had already spent a few dollars in gas just driving the truck over to my house, wasn't he already (to use another colloquialism) "In for a penny, in for a pound?"  The point was moot and the deal was made amicably, but it was an interesting thought.  Maybe I'll try that sometime... nah.

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