We have been on a roll in trying to sell away our second-hand items in the last few months.

As far as big ticket items are concerned, we don’t own much as most of the furniture at home come together with our rented apartment. Still, we managed to accumulate items and junks in our last 11 years here in Bangkok, with most that were acquired only in the last few years since our little critters arrived.

From travel cot to cot beds that could be transformed into a toddler’s bed and strollers as well as an air purifier, random toys and books, we have them all. Most of which we don’t need any more and most, if not all were kept in decent condition. 

Some were easier and quicker to sell and others not so much. We are not out to make any profit at all and we sell them cheap. Like rock-bottom cheap-cheap. All are a fraction of the original prices we paid for and they are kept in almost excellent condition. Some are completely new and never been used or opened.

Being second-hand and as “second-hand” would suggest that items are not new and used, I would think that small scratches, one or two missing parts which were not significant and useless to their primary functional usage are acceptable.  

There have been several good buyers – they pick-up the items and they pay. No questions asked, no hassle even though we insisted that they should check first. Easy, but rare.

Then there are the many encounters with another breed of potential buyer altogether. Interesting characters who have opened up my eyes to the various types of profiles in this second-hand buy-sell business:

The Serious Bargainer: Demanding lower the prices than they already were. We had one who tried to negotiate the cost down with one zero less. Like 500 baht to 50 baht!

One told me that she could get what I was selling cheaper in the US and wanted me to lower it further; to which I told her that perhaps she should have just purchased it from the US. (No. I did not mean to be rude, but she threw me that remark after bargaining for each and every item which she was intending to purchase and then asking me to deliver it personally to her because she was pregnant.)

The Storyteller: Several sob-stories came through in their quest for the prices to be lowered by more than 50%

The Likers: Those who think that they are doing you a favour by liking the items you post. That’s all they do. Hitting “Likes”! I don’t need likes people. I’m selling! On a second-hand buy-and-sell page too. Why are you liking my pictures of used items and what value would your like be to something I’m trying to sell?  

The Please-Post-Item-But-I-Ain’t-Paying-for-Postage: There were the few who required for the items to be posted to them and did not want to pay for the postage costs. One wanted me to send the items over to Phuket – 847 km away from Bangkok.  No. Just No.

The Complainers-who-feel-they-have-the-right-to-be-entitled-items-with-perfection: Complaining of an incomplete toy set even though we have declared outright the missing parts. And this was after requesting for the prices to be lowered even more.

The You-Are-Out-To-Cheat-Me: One was unhappy with what came inside a new, unopened and sealed box of Play-doh that came with toys and accessories. With an accusatory tone, she told me that she needed to warn other buyers about it as the tiny pack of play-doh inside it had expired.

Because it was sealed, we had not checked and truly had no idea the Play-Doh had or even could expire.

For the record, it was sold for only 100 baht. The value was 3x more.  It did not include my travel cost to get the item delivered personally to her. I refunded her money back. She got to keep the toys.

The Nationalistic: One asked if I am Thai after calling for the price to be lowered. It made me wonder how does my nationality matter with regards to the items she was interested in purchasing. Why would she care if the seller is a Thai or not? She also wanted me to send everything that I was selling by post to a different province when I specifically advertised “Pick-up in Bangkok only”.

The Please-Reserve-For-Me: They seemed like interested buyers but each time they scheduled for a pick-up, they rescheduled it again and insisting that you keep the items for them. But they have yet to show up. 

The I-Just-Want-To-Mess-With-You: Some asked for lots of pictures in thousand different angles, negotiated the cost down and never to be heard from again.

It takes all kinds of people in this buy and sell world of second-hand items. Still, I would not have thought that that selling second-hand goods can be such a hassle. Why oh why? All we want is to just sell-off. 

It’s not like I own a shop and running a business. And do they not realise that if they want things new, they should not be buying from an online site that specifically caters to used, second-hand items?

I am now convinced that haggling for lower prices which are already pretty darn low, and any lower than that I might have as well given them to charity is a sport in itself. I bet this does not only happen in Thailand. 

It’s a cult out there! And it’s driving me crazy.