# Morality question: Yard Sale edition. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096 "2015-01-06T03:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/21 "2015-01-08T17:13:15Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > There is nothing immoral in buying something for the asking price. This. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I could take the sale price, and make a profit…or I could let the seller know what’s what, and make new friend. Friends are worth more to me. So you put a price on a persons life? I thought we outlawed slavery. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/22 "2015-01-08T17:19:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I could take the sale price, and make a profit…or I could let the seller know what’s what, and make new friend. Friends are worth more to me. Do you think you’re going to make a life long friend just by telling some random dude “Hey, that’s worth a lot of money.”? I suppose it’s possible, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/23 "2015-01-08T17:19:21Z")
Suppose there were someone else at the yard sale, who didn’t know anything about Magic cards and just thought “Hm, I’ll bet my nephew would have fun with those, five bucks sounds fair”, and bought them. Is that person doing anything unethical? Of course not. So if someone comes along that recognizes that there’s a Black Lotus and three Mox in the pile, why should they be under any greater obligation than the ignorant buyer? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/24 "2015-01-08T17:19:34Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > This. > > So you put a price on a persons life? I thought we outlawed slavery. :dubious: I do hope you’re joking…otherwise, this has got to be the most twisted response I’ve seen in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/25 "2015-01-08T17:22:30Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Do you think you’re going to make a life long friend just by telling some random dude “Hey, that’s worth a lot of money.”? > I suppose it’s possible, but still. Not a “lifelong friend” perhaps, but it’s worked for me a few times before. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/26 "2015-01-08T17:29:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve heard many stories from people who found a “treasure” at a yard/garage sale, purchased it for a fraction of its true value, then sold it for a huge profit. I’ve _never_ heard one of these stories that included giving the original seller a cut. Yes, I always feel bad when I see Antiques Roadshow where the person gets an old painting at a yard sale for 50 cents and it’s worth tens of thousands. I always think they should go back and share the money, especially if the sale was for a chariable purpose. Our neighbor was an antique collector and once drew the person running a yard sale aside and let them know they were selling $15K Chippendale chairs for a few dollars. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fallen)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/27 "2015-01-08T17:34:46Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Say you are at a yard sale and see an item you know for a fact is valuable but is being sold like it is junk, is it dishonest to just buy it for peanuts? > > Just curious what people think. Sure, it’s dishonest/unethical. No way around that. Other circumstances oughtn’t matter except for purposes of self-rationalization/justification. As for a scenario of not KNOWING something is valuable and buying it for asking or negotiated price, then later finding out it’s worth a ton of dough, no, it’s not unethical not to share the money (even if you can still find the seller). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/28 "2015-01-08T17:35:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’d say in 99% of cases, if the seller doesn’t know, the buyer doesn’t have to tell. > > If someone wants to buy my land, and I ask for $400,000 (but don’t know the land contains ten tons of gold,) he doesn’t have to inform me about the gold. They obviously didn’t play enough D.E.E.P. Miner. 😃 I dunno; I think people should do their own homework, but on the other hand, taking advantage of people on purpose isn’t a great thing to do. I think it might have to be on a case-by-case basis. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/29 "2015-01-08T17:38:08Z")
I go to a lot of auctions, estate sales and yard sales and the name of the game is get it as cheap as you can because no one pays you back for all the times you paid too much. Truth is that you really may not know the value of something until you try and sell it. You may think you picked up a valuable painting only to find out it’s a reproduction and not worth squat or that it’s not the correct style that people are looking for. It’s buyer beware and seller be aware. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/30 "2015-01-08T18:34:01Z")
I do love how \*\*Czarcasm \*\*always thinks \*\*Drunky \*\*is serious. Here’s a hint, **Czarry** , he’s never serious. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/31 "2015-01-08T19:01:52Z")
In a free market society having some sort of advantage over the buyer or seller you are doing the transaction with is a basic way to make a profit. The seller sets the price, if they’re happy and you’re happy I really wouldn’t feel bad about it. They may be selling cheap but they probably bought it cheap too. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/32 "2015-01-08T20:15:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Suppose there were someone else at the yard sale, who didn’t know anything about Magic cards and just thought “Hm, I’ll bet my nephew would have fun with those, five bucks sounds fair”, and bought them. Is that person doing anything unethical? Of course not. > > So if someone comes along that recognizes that there’s a Black Lotus and three Mox in the pile, why should they be under any greater obligation than the ignorant buyer? I think you answered your own question. One person knew better and the other person didn’t so those situations are not identical. Was the second person wrong? That is the question of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/33 "2015-01-08T20:53:48Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > When these type of questions come up, the easiest way to answer is simply, “Would you want someone to do that with you?” That’s the best answer right there. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/34 "2015-01-08T23:01:18Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I think that in extreme cases it becomes unethical… a family is starving, undernourishing their children, desperately trying to make ends meet, and is selling off everything they own in a last-ditch attempt to stay afloat for even a month more. . . . I’m guessing that’s not a typical yard sale situation. At least the ones I’ve gone to were run by people trying to make some space in their houses while getting a bit back. Would it matter if they had gotten the item at a yard sale, themselves, for $5 and were selling it for $10. If you gave them a cut, would they be obligated to try to backtrack to the last seller? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/35 "2015-01-09T00:13:27Z")
I don’t usually buy stuff at garage sales or flea markets with the intent to sell them – I buy stuff because it’s stuff I want. Unless I know they’re destitute, yard sales are usually just people who want to get rid of old junk, not make a ton of money. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > I picked up a Griswold Chicken Pan with self-basting lid at a garage sale for $40. They sell on eBay for about $200. I paid $40 because that’s what I could afford and because I wanted to use it, not sell it. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. I hope you at least emptied their shitter for them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/36 "2015-01-09T05:50:33Z")
If somebody grabs all the Hummel figurines you’re selling for five cents apiece or $5 for the lot of them, is it necessary to tell them that they all fell off a shelf during an earthquake and have been painstakingly glued back together? If they said, “You can’t sell these so cheap, they’re collector’s items,” then I would tell them. PS they are gone, which was the whole idea. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/37 "2015-01-09T07:47:30Z")
This is why having a GS bugs me. All the people who come out expecting to find valuable antiques they can buy cheap and sell high and they actually get mad at me that I know very well the value of everything I have. Or I’m just selling ordinary GS junk. I’ve told some snobs to leave. But yeah, if you know darn well something is a valuable antique and you buy it cheap, to me thats lying. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/38 "2015-01-09T17:15:34Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Buy the cards for $5, sell for $50,000, send an anonymous check for $10,000 to the family. Magic cards? Yeah, maybe “worth” $50000, but selling them you might get $5000. We sold off a decd collectors huge stash and barely got pennies on the dollar. To be fair to the stores they take a long time to sell. Back to the OP- yes, it’s ethical. I bought a Invicta Watch for $20, worth like $600, discount price half that. But what would have been wrong is if I had made the usual “Will you take $10?” offer. If you see a steal, just pay them the price, thank them and walk. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/39 "2015-01-10T02:57:53Z")
We were having a garage sale about 2 years ago and this guy took out his smartphone and started reading the bar codes on some of my old videos that I had out for 50 cents. it seems he is an ebay retailer and some old videos are worth alot and his phone connects to an app that can read barcodes off of videos and tell him which are valuable. He found a couple that were valuable, maybe worth $20 or so but I doubted I could sell them so I went ahead and allowed the sale. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096/40 "2015-01-10T04:08:54Z")
Not only do I not see anything unethical about it, I see nothing unethical about negotiating down. Someone selling a few old baseball cards for 20 bucks… I happen to see a Honus Wagner T206… ask will you take $10.00. The seller has a right to ask any price, if you counter and they accept, then they feel they have gotten a fair price for their item. It is only worth what it is worth to the seller. Only the owner of an item can set the value IMO. It you find a price that they will accept, then you have given them at least, what it is worth to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/morality-question-yard-sale-edition/709096.md?page=3)