Nevertheless, some trades make you think about stuff like this. For example:
As it happens I was in possession of exactly what this gentleman was looking for. I had a kit, plus two extra extender units. [In case you’re wondering, these devices use your home’s electrical wiring to extend the range of your wi-fi signal.]
The kits go for about $90, and two extenders are another $60.
Here’s what we settled on:
This whiskey, while being a fine beverage I’m sure, is only worth $34.
Did I let myself get ripped off? No.
It’s all a matter of perspective. First, used goods can’t (or at least shouldn’t) be valued at their original retail price. It’s like driving a new car off the lot. Boom, instant 50% discount. Or whatever (yes, I know this doesn’t apply to all things, like gift cards etc.).
Second—I wasn’t using the extender kit. I got it for free off of Craigslist about a year ago, but I never set it up because my computer operating system is too old to support it! It was just sitting around gathering dust under my desk.
In other words, I got myself a free bottle of Irish whiskey! Can I really complain, from a karmic perspective, that I didn’t maximize my ‘return’ on something I wasn’t using and didn’t even pay for?
How I look at it is, any value deficit between the traded item and what I get back is actually my personal contribution to the delight of the person on the other end, and thence to the Bunz community. (And sometimes it’ll hopefully go the other way in my direction!)
Big picture, this ‘wasted’ unused electronic equipment is finally getting used, in fulfillment of its manufactured purpose. And I have a handy chip to trade for the future. [Update: what did I trade the whiskey for?]
Next—Trade 13: Clementines and a token for Hello Kitty noisemakers
Previous—Trades 10 and 11: The Swap Meet - Trinkets and a token for books
Gallery of Trades
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