Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Finders fees - fair or not??

Okay here is a question I would like to get some opinions on and I have added a POLL.

If you get a lead on a pump or sign or something else gas & oil related and you either don't have interest or it is not practical to purchase the item or items, is it fair to ask for a finders fee to pass on the lead?
I am not talking about seeing a Craig's list ad and pointing it out.
Someone offers to sell you something and you don't want it to go to just anyone.
Let's say you saw a group of signs in your travels and decided not to buy them. Is 5% a fair amount to ask to pass on that lead?
What do you think?

Finders fees single choice
	Yes
	No
Votes accepted starting: Tue Mar 15 2016 01:55 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

When I was buying rare pumps I would offer $500 for a lead, and if I was able to make a deal, I paid the fee. That's how I found several pumps that people thought were non existent.

People spend time, gas, miles on the car looking and if the price is fair why not a little. A little to help keep you on the road in the hunt and helping others. I know that it is way easier for me to give someone something to help me get what I am looking for rather than spend the time and expense of hunting myself. I think of it less as a 'finders fee' and more of a thank you.

The other side is that a picker gets it and marks it up 50% or it goes on ebay for stupid money.

5% to pass on a lead or %5 if the lead results in a purchase?

Depends who you are passing it on to? And what the item is?

I would never ask a finders fee when passing on a lead to a friends or fellow collector of a certain brand.

However, I may suggest a finders fee if I pass on a lead to a picker or reseller.

In the end, I'd rather be owed a favor than paid a fee... so most of the time there is no exchange of money either way.

5% if it results in a purchase.

I will try to help reframe this.
We traveled 1790 miles this past weekend and purchased some pumps and a sign. The seller had a group of large station signs. I was not interested in purchasing the signs. They asked if I could recommend another buyer. I don't know anyone in that area. So I could just walk away and leave it to chance. Or look for some who may be interested.
Over the years I have passed on leads for many pumps and things. I have NEVER ASKED for anything in return. Some people felt grateful and just send some sort of appreciation. Some have never even contacted me after they purchased the item and said thank you. There have been more of those.
Leads take time and money to acquire. NONE of them are FREE. Time is the biggest thing.
I have NEVER asked for anything from a friend.

I think it's fine. I've had several buyers offer me a finders fee to let them know if I come across something cool that either I don't want or is out of my price range. I would limit it to at least acquaintances that I trust, as most people will do anything they can to cut you out of the loop these days. Just my 2c

I have passed on many deals to my friends and I do not ask for anything either. I'm thrilled if one of us gets it. I do appreciate a discount from a picker when I pass a good deal to them. Brady

I agree with Bryce. I'll add that if I was in this as a business and had a lead on items I wasn't interested in I'd pass the lead on to another trustworthy dealer or better yet some of my customers, or just give the owner of the items some names and phone numbers of potential buyers.

There are 2 different people on this site than years ago. Collectors and "pickers or resellers"
Both will have different opinions. I have passed stuff to other collectors many many times. I have sold stuff for less than its worth because it was another collector that I know would keep it for his collection.

Some are in this to make every penny they can... Doesn't matter who it is.

I collected for many years. Then I had two strokes and sold off most of my collection. Now I guess I am one of those "PICKERS".
What I don't understand, is why "pickers or resellers" are the bottom of the food chain?
I had a lady contact me a couple of years ago who was liquidating her fathers old farm in California. They had an old gas pump standing there with a globe on it. She said they were going to "HAUL IT TO THE SALVAGE YARD AND JUNK IT", but thought someone might like it like her father did.
It turned out the globe was a previously UNDISCOVERED Wilshire globe. I didn't buy it, but hooked her up with someone in California who did. Now it is in someone's collection in California.
I have found quite a few items over the years that were one of a kind and may have been on the way to the garbage because people didn't know what to do with it.
So John, if I called you with a never before discovered globe, you would turn me down because I am now a "PICKER" and not a collector.
Do you go to swap meets and auctions? Ohio, Iowa, PA etc.? Do you ask the people you buy from if they are "PICKERS" or collectors before you will buy from them?
Believe me, at my age I don't do it for the money, people who know me know I don't need the money. At 70 years old it is a hobby. I meet some great people and enjoy traveling. I too have given things to people who I thought appreciated it.
Have you ever purchased globes from ANYONE who is NOT a 100% collector?
I think if "collectors" only bought from "collectors" there would not be a hobby. You don't find much at garage sales or estate sales or "family auctions" these days.

John, good point! I Used quotes in pickers and resellers as these are hard words to describe.
Not everyone is bottom feeders. LOL it just seems there are many many more guys buying for resale than collecting and they call or message asking info... Then its up for sale for 30% more than its worth.
But the question was do you pass a finders fee... i still see it as you have collectors and pickers and they have differ at views.

I see "Pickers" as guys who buy Petroliana because they THINK the stuff is worth something and they really have no idea what they are buying. They just buy and sell anything they can. They find a Mae West that is a broken cylinder piece of junk and ask $8000 for it because they saw some other clown on Craig's list or Ebay asking that for a piece of junk.
John, thank you for your response, contribution and honesty.
I try my best to ask fair prices based on what I pay. If I am too high on something and the perspective buyer makes a reasonable offer I will often adjust the price.
Like I said I do this because I love the hunt and the people I meet. Not the money. But it cost money to travel. We spent $600 this past weekend to pick up three pumps and a sign.
But we had a great time doing it.
Thanks again for your input.

While I certainly don't see anything wrong in a finders fee I personally prefer to just pass a lead on. I am a firm believer that if you do someone a favor you will get the favor returned in some fashion.

As a matter of fact Bryce is a perfect example of a man true to his word. He passed a lead on to me for some pumps and did not ask anything in return. You can bet the favor will be returned as in a lead or needing something hauled...(I bet he digs deeper when he goes digging again, inside joke).

I try to make sure I keep this fun, as John says "the fun is in the hunt". So if it's someone in the Oldgas community then I want them to have some fun also.

Tom.