What do you do?

[mccoysnina]

In another post I wrote about finding some fairly pricy rings in a box of junk jewelry that was marked $2.  
I didn't put anything in the box that wasn't there when I picked it up, and I showed the box to the seller and made sure of the price before I paid for it and got the heck out of Dodge before she could think about it.
DD pointed out that I did not point out to the woman that the rings were worth considerably more than the $2 marked and I hadn't pointed that out.  I replied that as far as I am concerned, it is buyer AND seller beware.  In other words, if you don't know what you  are selling, don't sell it.  That has been my philosophy since I started thrift shopping/yard saling/flea marketing decades ago.  And nothing has changed my mind.  Now truthfully, if I saw a poor little old lady selling what I thought was original  Duncan Phyfe furniture for $20 I would likely say to her that she might want to have it appraised before selling, but otherwise, buyer and seller beware.
I heard a news report several years ago about a man who bought a painting at a yard sale for $20 and it turned out to be worth hundreds of thousands.  The seller sued to get a part of the sale but the judge said Sorry Charlie, you sold it.  
DH said he likely would have given the original seller part of the proceeds just for the good Karma but  I don't know I would.
So what do you all do?  Do you tip off sellers that they might want to re-consider selling?  Keep your mouth shut?  Feel like I do?  After all if you paid $100 for something and it turned out to be worth $5, the seller likley wouldn't refund $95,  unless he or she had specified the item to be worth that much. Do you feel differently if it's a thrift shop that supports a charity? Or is this still the wild, wild west as far as treasure hunting is concerned?
Jeannie

[Good Buddy]

If I buy the item, it's seller beware. But if I don't want the item and know it's priced too low, I'll let the seller know to look into it a little and maybe re-price it after they do some research.

[Mattie]

If I buy the item, it's seller beware. But if I don't want the item and know it's priced too low, I'll let the seller know to look into it a little and maybe re-price it after they do some research.

This is exactly what I do.  Usually the seller says, "I don't care, I just want it to go away."

[valleythriftshopper]

I wouldn't worry about it, alot of people toss sterling stuff in with the costume jewelry, they don't see the value in it, I have found many nice sterling pieces at thrifts, yard sales, etc. for a dollar or less.  Unless your rings are very old Native American pieces they aren't worth hundreds or anything so if the people wanted to give them away i wouldn't feel badly about it, you got a great deal!

[mccoysnina]

I know the rings I found aren't worth hundreds but I do see them price $35-40 and up so I know they are worth more than the $2 I paid for the whole box.  And I don't feel bad about buying the whole lot for the $2.  I just wondered if others felt differently.
Jeannie

[jettica]

I feel that if they are unwilling to do their research and simply want to get rid of stuff then they will price it accordingly. We do research / have the knowledge to get bargains such as those rings if it really mattered to the seller then they'd do their research.

Anything I've ever sold I've researched. Seriously, even when I was a kid doing carboot sales. I'd surreptitiously wander around gauging other people's price on similar items. You are there for bargains so snap them up!

However, if I bought a £20 painting from a charity shop that turned out to be hundreds of thousands I would certainly donate some to the store I bought it in.

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

Last year I saw a table for free on Craig's List. It was in Portland. I just wanted a table and didn't care what condition it was in or anything more than it could stand on it's own four legs. It was Duncan Phyfe. I was shocked! It was in perfect condition . . . it got an honored spot in the family room instead of the shop where I wanted a table. They just wanted it gone. It is about six feet long with two drop leaves and I adore it. It found a home and a momma to love it. Nuff said.

dew

[mccoysnina]

Cool find on the table!
Jeannie

[Big Daddy Audio]

I'm with Good Buddy on this - if I don't want the item, I clue them in. 

I don't believe the line of "we just want it gone."  You can bet the price tag or sticker is replaced as soon as you've split.

SYNT
BFN

[daswitzer]

If I donate something to the humane association and I know that I originally paid BIG bucks for it when it was brand new, I will tell the person in charge, what it cost me.  I recently donated a Wilson Leather Coat, in mint condition, still in style, it was just too "young" for me and I hard worn it a couple of times.  It had cost $150.00.  When I donated it to the Humane Association for their rummage sale, I informed the person of it's value.  You see, they sell all of their clothing for 25 cents each.  I wanted the woman to know that this was real leather and she marked it $10 instead of a quarter.  I'm sure that the doggies and kitties were happy with that.

[SplashsMom]

If I donate something to the humane association and I know that I originally paid BIG bucks for it when it was brand new, I will tell the person in charge, what it cost me.  I recently donated a Wilson Leather Coat, in mint condition, still in style, it was just too "young" for me and I hard worn it a couple of times.  It had cost $150.00.  When I donated it to the Humane Association for their rummage sale, I informed the person of it's value.  You see, they sell all of their clothing for 25 cents each.  I wanted the woman to know that this was real leather and she marked it $10 instead of a quarter.  I'm sure that the doggies and kitties were happy with that.

  Not to mention the "young" person who got a super bargain.

[subversivegrrl]

I often find things that are on the regular shelves that I know are valuable - that's a major reason why I'm there!  At the same time, I frequently see things on the "showcase" that are new(er) and pure junk that are priced high - like discount-store, foreign-made pottery or glass.  Worse yet, they'll have a chipped, stained older piece that maybe has a name they recognize, while back the aisle I've just scored something for under $1 that's worth 10 times what they have the beat-up piece priced at.  Sometimes I think they see a name and automatically price it high, regardless of its condition (Fire King, Pyrex, etc.)  I don't feel a bit bad about "taking advantage" of a situation like that - I've done my homework and know enough to spot the bargains.