Need advice on a signed piece no longer in production

[Kim N]

I fell in love with a particular signed piece that's no longer in production. I recently managed to find it in my size on a (trusted) foreign site. I placed the order, but they only take wire transfers, and I have not wired the money yet.

While trawling their IG, I discovered that last year they had a site-wide Black Friday sale with significant discounts. I called the vendor and asked if they would be doing a Black Friday sale this year and if they would consider extending it to my order. Due in part to the language barrier, the salesperson said there is no sale currently (which I already knew) and insisted multiple times that the price was already very good. While I can afford the current price, the potential discount would have been a huge help to my finances.

What would you do?

1. Pay the current price (though I know I'll be kicking myself if they do in fact repeat last year's sale and I could have saved a good chunk of money).
2. Try to talk to the owner (I was told he wouldn't be in until the end of the week, by which time I think my order would automatically be canceled by the system).
3) Cancel the order, hope they don't raise the price when it's re-listed, hope no one else buys it in the meantime, and wait for Black Friday (13 days away).

First world problems, I know, but I could use some advice.

 

[Bonfire]

This fits the old, “Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Only you can decide what this item is worth to you.

You have three options here.
1. Buy it now and be satisfied with what it cost
2. Wait and they don’t have the sale and you’ve risked it no longer being available.
3. Wait, they have the sale, your item is still available (or not) and you save the extra $

It all boils down to how badly you want it and what you are willing to pay for it. How would you feel if you decided to wait and it was no longer available? There-in lies your answer.
Good luck!

 

[marymm]

If the item is no longer in production *and* hard to find pre-loved *and* you found it available in your size at a trusted site -- if it is fairly priced, I say complete the purchase now.

If the item is somewhat easy to find in your size, or is easy to find in other sizes and is resizable, then roll the dice -- i.e., cancel the current purchase, wait to see if the vendor has a sale and if the item is included in the sale and if you're able to buy it before someone else does.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Django74th]

Do you know what the discount would look like if it were in the sale? If it were only 10-15%, I think I’d get it now and call it good. For me, I’m learning that the stress of the decision or going back and forth with the vendor has a non-monetary value to me because it impacts how I look back on the pleasure of the purchase, especially if it’s something I’ve been searching for and finally found. With that said, money has obvious value so if the variance is enough and I‘m willing to risk losing it, I might try engaging with the owner.

 

[missy]

So this is completely a personal decision with no right or wrong answer. I'd get it. You love it. You want it. You think the price is fair and if you wait you could lose the opportunity to get it. How would you feel? If the answer is devastated or very disappointed then you know yes you should get it. If the answer is eh you wouldn't feel bad then maybe you take a chance and wait to see if there is a big sale happening. How much would you save and is it worth the risk of losing this piece? Only you can answer that of course. Good luck!

 

[nala]

Omg! Timely question bc I came about the same issue!!! I will say that the signed piece I fell for would have been more of a spontaneous purchase bc I didn’t even know that it existed, lol, til I fell in love. But I do like it and I will save an extra 25 percent if I wait til their pre Black Friday sale next Friday. So. I walked away and figured that it would be a reasonable risk to take bc I can live with missing out on it. Can you?

 

[Kim N]

@Bonfire @marymm @Django0413 @missy @nala

Thank you all for your thoughts! Some variation of all of what you've said has run through my head.

How would you feel if you decided to wait and it was no longer available? There-in lies your answer.

This is exactly what I'm trying to figure out. How disappointed would I be? I'm not completely sure yet.

If the item is no longer in production *and* hard to find pre-loved *and* you found it available in your size at a trusted site -- if it is fairly priced, I say complete the purchase now.

Yes, all of those "ifs" are true, and they are making me lean towards getting it.

For me, I’m learning that the stress of the decision or going back and forth with the vendor has a non-monetary value to me because it impacts how I look back on the pleasure of the purchase

I didn't think about this before, but you're totally right. This would be an early gift for a big birthday coming up next year, and I wouldn't want it to be marred by stress or negative feelings.

So this is completely a personal decision with no right or wrong answer. I'd get it. You love it. You want it. You think the price is fair and if you wait you could lose the opportunity to get it. How would you feel?

I know I'd be disappointed, but I'm not sure yet how much. I'm still weighing the potential savings against the disappointment, but I think at this point I'm closer to getting it.

Omg! Timely question bc I came about the same issue!!! I will say that the signed piece I fell for would have been more of a spontaneous purchase bc I didn’t even know that it existed, lol, til I fell in love. But I do like it and I will save an extra 25 percent if I wait til their pre Black Friday sale next Friday. So. I walked away and figured that it would be a reasonable risk to take bc I can live with missing out on it. Can you?

Funny that you're encountering the same thing! I also didn't know that the piece existed until I saw it and fell in love! Kind of rolling my eyes at myself here. I keep checking the various reseller sites to see if another one of them will pop up. That way if I miss out on this particular piece, I'd still have another chance to get it.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Kim? Have you bought it yet ?

 

[Kim N]

Hi @Daisys and Diamonds! I went to the bank today to do the wire transfer, and between the higher service fee for international transfers and IMO a very high foreign transaction fee, the costs and effort got to be too much. I've decided to wait it out until Black Friday and in the meantime find another bank to do the wire transfer.

 

[icy_jade]

Hi @Daisys and Diamonds! I went to the bank today to do the wire transfer, and between the higher service fee for international transfers and IMO a very high foreign transaction fee, the costs and effort got to be too much. I've decided to wait it out until Black Friday and in the meantime find another bank to do the wire transfer.

Use WISE (used to be known as transferwise). Saves you a fair bit in fees.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hi @Daisys and Diamonds! I went to the bank today to do the wire transfer, and between the higher service fee for international transfers and IMO a very high foreign transaction fee, the costs and effort got to be too much. I've decided to wait it out until Black Friday and in the meantime find another bank to do the wire transfer.

If its ment to be its ment to be
Fingers crossed for you

 

[yssie]

My first question is… Would this purchase be 100% mind clean for you or would you need additional authentication to be wholly happy? I recently bought a discontinued signed piece from a reputable reseller but their word just wasn’t enough for me - I had the brand service it. If you’re like me, I would say it’d be best to have a plan for auth up-front, if you’re going to want that. That plan might alter your options or decision!

 

[Kim N]

Use WISE (used to be known as transferwise). Saves you a fair bit in fees.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check them out.

My first question is… Would this purchase be 100% mind clean for you or would you need additional authentication to be wholly happy?

Hmm, since this was going to be my first secondhand signed piece, I hadn't thought about it before. My instinct is that I'd be thrilled enough to own it at all, given that it's OOP, that it'd be mind-clean.