I Give Up
I had been trying to negotiate buying this press shop but I finally give up. I am posting it so maybe someone else can get it.
http://utica.craigslist.org/bar/2977876637.html
A friend checked it out for me and he thinks heavy equipment or many strong men will be needed to extract it. The sellers are planning to remove the outside wall (no fitting through a door) but there is a ditch between the house and the neighbor’s driveway. I hope someone else can rescue these things.
I once went to a house that had had a print shop that looked similar. They wanted to sell the house and get all of the equipment out, so I figured I’d get a pretty good deal if I could manage to get it out of there. They enticed me to drive there (about 1.5 hrs) with the promise of a very, very good deal.
After almost two hours of a sales pitch in the musty basement, I finally got them to tell me how much they wanted: $10,000. I think I offered $750, but really I should have probably charged a few thousand to remove the stuff.
They told me to stuff it so I left in a hurry. Two weeks later I got a rushed call accepting the $750. I told them they had their chance and hung up.
Longwinded, but my point is that maybe if you wait a few weeks they might get more negotiable, depending upon circumstance.
The same happens here too, but you can’t blame these people. It’s pretty sad really, they’ll have been someones tools of the trade for decades and to realise they’re not worth much, especially because of bad access, must be heart breaking.
Still, I agree, it’s frustrating when you’d like the stuff.
The cost of moving can far exceed the seller’s desire for profits. I’m disheartened by the “LOL” comment in the for-sale ad. It leaves a potential buyer feeling like they’re about to be fleeced.
Some years ago on here, I posted an experience with a couple in west central Arkansas. So I drove the 200 miles to see the press, type cases and paper cutter with busted leg. They refused before and during the visit any hint of being the first ones to suggest an asking price. Removal was getting costly ($750-$1,000) and complex (like your situation). I asked about free for the hauling? “Free?” I was told, “We have seen what those type trays and that type goes for at craft shows. We think it’s worth thousands!”
Over time, I’ve managed to find some decent, good printing equipment and met some great printers in the process. I’ll bet that equipment is still there in that barn. I have no remorse for taking a pass on it.