Dave in KC
TVWBB Guru
NOT!
Perfect timing with a few fellow flippers commenting on minimum profits that are acceptable for them.
$100 seemed to be the number everyone has in mind. My number is not quite so high if you take into
account all of the various Webers that I deal with. (Gassers, Kettles, Smokers) If we are talking gassers only, then I would
have to say that $100 is a pretty fair number for me also. However, not in the particular instance.
I had planned to post this story today even before others had mentioned the topic based on recent events.
It all started a few weeks back when I sold the red Silver C.
The day before it sold, another guy messaged me. I was asking $250, he offered $150. Instead of telling
him to get bent, I politely declined and tried to sell him a grill more in his price range. We texted and exchanged
phone calls for another week. I had 7 possible candidates, all of which were still needing rehabs.
I let him pick out the one he wanted and even let him select the type of parts he wanted in it.
We went all stainless, which I would have done anyways. I texted him pics a few times showing
him how I was progressing also. I had not planned to grind out the firebox, but after giving it a bath,
the inside was splotchy, and just an all around eyesore. So, I suited up in HAZMAT gear, and gave in a
good little 30 minute clean up. The temp last weekend was in the lower 70's and that right there is already
to warm to avoid sweating like pig.
Monday night when I was all finished and had it sparkling,
I sent him a series of pics. I went as far as to include the Weber cover that came with the grill when I picked it up,
just as a throw in. He sent me back a series of texts over the next hour. First one, wanting a different color of lid.
He questioned a few things, then turned all of his attention to the cover. It is clearly used and has a small tear in it.
He wanted me to discount the grill from 200 to 150 so he could buy a new cover. Mind you, the cover was never discussed.
I threw it in trying to be a nice guy.
I explained to him that exactly, along with a breakdown on the cost of the parts, and how good of a deal he was getting.
He was not budging. I had planned for this sort of scenario all along. I never took a nickel up front and was fully prepared
if he were to flake out as he had just done. I had another gentleman that was a friend of a previous customer wanting one.
I messaged him that night, and he picked it up the next day. No harm, no foul. As for the flake.... it would have
been very easy to give him a piece of my mind, but that does not accomplish anything. He seems to have a number in mind
that he wants to spend. As far as I know, he still wants to steal errrrr buy a grill. I sell grills, and I am more
determined now than ever to sell him one.
This all brings back to how profitable the flipping game can be at times. The particular grill the guy picked out was one
that I had acquired about a year ago. It was not my best investment. It was originally a black lid, with a hint to fade on the top.
I had robbed the sides from it long ago to use with another lid. None the less, I still had it and was into it for $50 to start.
A year later and a little wiser, I will not pay more than $25 for the same grill. If I recall, it needed an igniter like they all do.
The Weber igniters are both a blessing and a curse. They all quit working at some point, and 99 times out of a 100 you will
have to replace one on a flip. However, the faulty igniter is likely the #1 thing that starts to irritate grill owners and to plant
a seed in their mind that it is time to sell and buy a new grill. At any rate, the rest of the grill was fine, and anyone buying it for 50,
replacing the igniter, would have had a great grill. But we all know they don't sell worth a damn in "$50" condition.
My wife does most of my parts purchasing. She can spot a deal from a mile away. As I have made clear, rcplanebuyer is not for me.
That said, I don't put on junk either. We use Amazon whenever possible, and have had to return a few items that were substandard.
We bought very economically priced items for this grill. Burner, flavorizer combo pack - $35. Igniter $11. Wheels $7 each.
Stainless, stamped grates were about $40. Empty tank $10. Combined with the price of the grill initially, I was into it now for about $160.
That does not factor in a partial can each of high temp flat and gloss paint, stainless nut. bolt and washers to mount the firebox to the frame,
half the life of a wire cup brush, roughly 5-6 hours of labor, time spent originally trying to buy the grill, going to get it, ordering parts,
running the ad, texting and calling the customer it was meant for.
In the end, this was likely about a $3 an hour job. Much more labor of love than money.
Fortunately, not every grill is like this, and valuable lessons are learned each time as well.
I certainly have a new found appreciation for the Starving Artists Guild.
Perfect timing with a few fellow flippers commenting on minimum profits that are acceptable for them.
$100 seemed to be the number everyone has in mind. My number is not quite so high if you take into
account all of the various Webers that I deal with. (Gassers, Kettles, Smokers) If we are talking gassers only, then I would
have to say that $100 is a pretty fair number for me also. However, not in the particular instance.
I had planned to post this story today even before others had mentioned the topic based on recent events.
It all started a few weeks back when I sold the red Silver C.
The day before it sold, another guy messaged me. I was asking $250, he offered $150. Instead of telling
him to get bent, I politely declined and tried to sell him a grill more in his price range. We texted and exchanged
phone calls for another week. I had 7 possible candidates, all of which were still needing rehabs.
I let him pick out the one he wanted and even let him select the type of parts he wanted in it.
We went all stainless, which I would have done anyways. I texted him pics a few times showing
him how I was progressing also. I had not planned to grind out the firebox, but after giving it a bath,
the inside was splotchy, and just an all around eyesore. So, I suited up in HAZMAT gear, and gave in a
good little 30 minute clean up. The temp last weekend was in the lower 70's and that right there is already
to warm to avoid sweating like pig.
Monday night when I was all finished and had it sparkling,
I sent him a series of pics. I went as far as to include the Weber cover that came with the grill when I picked it up,
just as a throw in. He sent me back a series of texts over the next hour. First one, wanting a different color of lid.
He questioned a few things, then turned all of his attention to the cover. It is clearly used and has a small tear in it.
He wanted me to discount the grill from 200 to 150 so he could buy a new cover. Mind you, the cover was never discussed.
I threw it in trying to be a nice guy.
I explained to him that exactly, along with a breakdown on the cost of the parts, and how good of a deal he was getting.
He was not budging. I had planned for this sort of scenario all along. I never took a nickel up front and was fully prepared
if he were to flake out as he had just done. I had another gentleman that was a friend of a previous customer wanting one.
I messaged him that night, and he picked it up the next day. No harm, no foul. As for the flake.... it would have
been very easy to give him a piece of my mind, but that does not accomplish anything. He seems to have a number in mind
that he wants to spend. As far as I know, he still wants to steal errrrr buy a grill. I sell grills, and I am more
determined now than ever to sell him one.
This all brings back to how profitable the flipping game can be at times. The particular grill the guy picked out was one
that I had acquired about a year ago. It was not my best investment. It was originally a black lid, with a hint to fade on the top.
I had robbed the sides from it long ago to use with another lid. None the less, I still had it and was into it for $50 to start.
A year later and a little wiser, I will not pay more than $25 for the same grill. If I recall, it needed an igniter like they all do.
The Weber igniters are both a blessing and a curse. They all quit working at some point, and 99 times out of a 100 you will
have to replace one on a flip. However, the faulty igniter is likely the #1 thing that starts to irritate grill owners and to plant
a seed in their mind that it is time to sell and buy a new grill. At any rate, the rest of the grill was fine, and anyone buying it for 50,
replacing the igniter, would have had a great grill. But we all know they don't sell worth a damn in "$50" condition.
My wife does most of my parts purchasing. She can spot a deal from a mile away. As I have made clear, rcplanebuyer is not for me.
That said, I don't put on junk either. We use Amazon whenever possible, and have had to return a few items that were substandard.
We bought very economically priced items for this grill. Burner, flavorizer combo pack - $35. Igniter $11. Wheels $7 each.
Stainless, stamped grates were about $40. Empty tank $10. Combined with the price of the grill initially, I was into it now for about $160.
That does not factor in a partial can each of high temp flat and gloss paint, stainless nut. bolt and washers to mount the firebox to the frame,
half the life of a wire cup brush, roughly 5-6 hours of labor, time spent originally trying to buy the grill, going to get it, ordering parts,
running the ad, texting and calling the customer it was meant for.
In the end, this was likely about a $3 an hour job. Much more labor of love than money.
Fortunately, not every grill is like this, and valuable lessons are learned each time as well.
I certainly have a new found appreciation for the Starving Artists Guild.
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! I have to say as something in addition to consider is that not only is wire-brushing a hot (especially in South FL) and dirty job, it is not without risks. Even with decent masks, eye and ear protection, you are not entirely home free.
and am still alive - is to wire brush the inside of the end caps and the upper part of the firebox that shows over the grates and just use the Sam's grill cleaner for the lower part of the box. I don't think most potential buyers would even notice and obviously after a couple cooks it would look the same anyway.
), but I was just finishing another boring tax return today and realized that I probably made more $ in an hour and a half doing it than I would working all Saturday on a grill
. So, I guess I will keep at taxes and let grills be my relaxation and fun and not expect much $ return.
. 
