Monday 18 October 2021

Do you want to sell?

 

It's happened again. A few days ago I mentioned that I was parked in a car park waiting for someone to finish shopping. A man approached me and asked if I wanted to sell my car. I said "No" and he went away.

Well, it happened again. My car was parked on our drive in our front garden. It was on private property. Someone has put a well printed and produced card under the windscreen wiper.

It said, "Do you want to sell your car? We offer good prices. Phone this number ..."

I looked up and down the street and none of the neighbours' cars had a similar card on them. I did not know whether to feel proud that my car is attracting attention, or to be insulted because it is an old wreck. So old the Driving Instructions Manual is written in Latin and so are all the controls on the car. 

And another thing ... every so often, about once a month I would say, we receive a card through the letter box from various Estate Agents. The card says, "Do you want to sell your house? We have three potential buyers who would like a house in your area, and yours is an ideal house for them."

Are these people serious when they print and distribute these cards to various households? 

Consider the cost involved in production and distribution of such adverts. Do people suddenly think, "Oh yes ... that's what I'll do. I'll sell my house and move because there are at least three potential buyers out there!"

I know some people sometimes make impulse purchases as a result of adverts, but does that really happen with impulse sales? 

Can you imagine me approaching a woman in the street and saying I like her handbag, would she sell it to me? 

Well, that too happened to me. I was approached by a woman in town who said she liked my trousers because of their mauve colour and she wanted to buy them of me. I refused politely.

Whilst I was not looking, she stole my trousers and ran away. I had to chase her trouser-less for at least a hundred metres until she finally threw them away and ran off.

Luckily, the trousers I had just bought were not damaged as they were still in their packaging. 

On an unrelated matter ... Did you know my grand-father invented the colour mauve. Before then there was red, and there was blue, and violet, and purple, but no mauve. He went to the shops with my grandma and she tried a dress on. She asked him, "Do you like the colour? What is it called?"

He was eager to go home and replied, "Come on ... move!"

She said, "Mauve ... that's my favourite colour from now on!"

27 comments:

  1. ...this reminds me of the man who owned a lovely waterfront home in the Adirondacks. A man come up in his boat and asked the owner is the property was for sale, he said no. The man in the boat offered a price that couldn't be refused and the property was sold.

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    1. Wow ... I wonder how much they would have to offer for me to sell my house. It's so full of memories!

      God bless, Tom.

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  2. YOu said: So old the Driving Instructions Manual is written in Latin and so are all the controls on the car. ...... I did smile. Enjoyed the visit, evidently those mass letters pay off, we get at least 3 a week, surely something pays for the post!
    Enjoyed the read even when you chased the pants thief. were the pants move colored?
    Sherry & jack looking for a new color...(and warmer weather!)

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    1. You're right, Jack; the fact they keep sending those adverts shows that it does pay off at the end.

      Yes, my new pants were mauve in colour and they did move at speed ... or rather the woman who stole them did!

      Wishing you and Sherry warmer colours where you are and weather to make you smile. God bless always.

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  3. Because we had to sell Danny's mother's home, you can't believe the number of calls we've gotten asking if we are selling our own home. There really are some aggressive realtors out there, Victor, not to mention trouser thieves - lol!
    Blessings!

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    1. You are right about them being aggressive. I noticed that in the adverts we get through the post it is usually the same Estates Agents. Surely they must realise that if we did not sell our house the last time they wrote, we're hardly going to change our minds now. I'm sure it must be upsetting for some people to receive such mail.

      As for my trousers ...

      God bless, Martha.

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  4. We had a few real estate people come by and asked if we were interested in selling our house. He gave us his card and said call me when or if you are interested. A few months later we called and sold it for cash. We then moved to Alaska. Found out from our neighbor that the guy who bought it was a developer and tore down the house to build two houses on the lots.

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    1. That is really heart-breaking, Bill. There is more to a house than just bricks and mortar. There's history, memories and the love we've invested when living there.

      God bless.

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  5. Hmmm ...I wonder how many people actually respond to those solicitation letters. Suppose the percentages eventually pay off or they wouldn't still be doing it.
    Mauve is one of my favorite colors!

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    1. You're right, Mevely. It must pay off otherwise they would not keep advertising by post.

      My grand-father would be proud to hear you love the colour he invented.

      God bless you always.

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  6. Dearest Victor,
    Yep, we get emails like that and whatever...
    We both joined the Rotary Club Social, which includes the spouses. Pieter went to socialize on his own and later joined me, with a young realtor in tow. A Rotarian too and he was so aggressive in more or less 'forcing' us to buy one of their new retirement homes. That was a BIG INSULT.
    Our home is our soul and we've put too much emotion, sweat and blood into it for wanting to give it up!
    There are still a lot of brainless people it seems... wonder about their souls.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. That's what these agents don't understand. People have invested a lot of time, effort, work and love in their homes. Not easy just to sell for money!

      God bless, Mariette.

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  7. We do often have estate agent cards put through our letterbox.
    No, we are not moving.
    The card goes in the recycle bin.

    Wishing you a good week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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    1. It seems such a waste of printing and distributing those cards.

      Best wishes, Jan. God bless.

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  8. I wouldn't move from where I live now but in the past if someone offered me enough money I'd move. I've always enjoyed moving any way. :)

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    1. It's all that packing and lifting furniture and moving to another place ... that's what tires me so.

      God bless, Happyone.

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  9. I had a yard sale, and put some of my designer purses in it. One lady tried to give me 1/3 the price I was asking for. I told her it was a designer purse and she asked me how she could be sure it was real or a knockoff. I showed her how to tell the difference and she asked if I would take 1/2 the posted price. I was tired of her by that time, so I told her to just take it. She took it with a smug look on her face. I'm glad she did not try to buy my trousers; I am sure she would have tried to hoodwink me again. I think you were right to stop chasing that thief who stole yours and wear you new ones. Theft comes in many forms. God bless you, Victor.

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    1. It's amazing and quite a cheek to try to bargain at a yard sale. You did the right thing, Nells. You showed charity.

      God bless always.

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  10. Stole your pants??
    We get so many spam calls, for our house, car. I tried to tell them my life's story but they were not interesting.

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    1. Yes, the pants were in my shopping bag, still in their see-through packaging. She liked the colour and stole them. That's my life's story, Susan.

      God bless you.

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  11. Real Estate letterbox drops happen here too, but not where I am, only houses get them, not blocks of flats. Anyway, I sometimes wonder if people do suddenly decide yes, we'd like to sell our house and have a lot of money, but then realise they first have to find a new place to live, which means spending the money before they sell.

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    1. Exactly my point. How many people I wonder decide on the spur of the moment to sell their homes. It can be such a hassle.

      God bless, River.

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  12. We get the postcards from the "We buy houses in any condition" people also. Sorry, it's not worth trying to figure out how to drive home a different way after work.

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    1. The "any condition" people also advertise on TV over here.

      God bless, Mimi.

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