This story, as told, is a work of fiction. All resemblances to any living persons is a coincidence, yadda yadda. The standard disclaimer found in the cover of any (modern) fiction book, on the end credits of any movie, and so forth.
And yet…. this is an obvious parable for much of which ails our present economy.
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Beth was a young person, freshly graduated. She got her first job, her first apartment, and saved up enough money to buy herself a car. It was a cute little car, one she loved. Not a great car—she couldn’t afford much—but it got her around, and she took good care of it.
Finally, after a couple years of earning money, getting promoted, and gaining experience, it came time to upgrade her ride. So, she bought a newer car, and not wanting to get screwed by the car dealer on the trade-in, opted instead to sell the old car herself. So she went and did her research, consulted CarFax and the blue book, and decided that a fair price for her car was $10k. (Assume, for purposes of this fable, that this is indeed is a fair price for the vehicle in question). So it was listed for such on craigslist and various other sites on the Internet that host auto listings.
The next day, she got a phone call from an interested buyer. He agreed to come out and meet her to look at the car. When they met at the appointed place and time (a public parking lot, for her safety), he—an older gentleman, probably old enough to be her father—examined the vehicle. He looked around the interior, checked the exterior for dents and dings, popped the hood, checked the oil, and even kicked the tires.
Satisfied, he turned to Beth and said, “This appears to be a good car, in reasonable shape. I tell you what… I’ll give you six thousand dollars for this car”.
“Six thousand dollars?” asked Beth? “No disrespect, Sir, but it’s worth ten. I’ve done my homework, I’ve got the carfax report right here. I’d be happy to negotiate with you if you made a serious offer, but this car is worth WAY more than six thousand dollars”.
“Now see here, young lady”, replied the prospective buyer. “I am a businessman. I’ve been in business, I bet, longer than you’ve been alive. I know what things are worth, and I know a good deal when I see it, and when someone is trying to rip me off. Six thousand dollars is my offer!”
Beth starts to pick up her stuff and get ready to drive off. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Sir, but I think we’re done here. Like I said, if you made a serious offer I’d be willing to make you a counter-offer, but I’m not going to waste both yours and my time with a lowball offer like that. It was nice to meet you”.
“Now hold on a minute, young lady!” thundered the man. “Are you going to just walk away like that? That’s the problem with young people today, and why the economy is so messed up. Nobody Wants To Sell Cars Any More!”
“But I’m trying to sell this car right now”, protested Beth. ‘I just want a fair price for it. Is that too much to ask?”
“It’s four thousand dollars too much to ask, young lady! I bet this is your first time selling a car, am I correct?”
Beth conceded that this was true.
“Well, see, there’s the problem. You have no experience at this. Were you an experienced car salesman...” (the reader can infer what they like from his use of explicitly masculine terminology) “...then I might consider paying 8 or 9 for this car. But you’re a young kid, about the same as my own wastrel offspring, who hasn’t paid your dues yet. When I was your age and sold my first car, I only got $500 bucks for it, which was barely half what it was worth. But I knew my place, and now you should know yours. Six thousand dollars is actually a generous offer for a car like this—for most young punks your age, I’d only offer five.”
“Seriously?” replied Beth. “You think I should take half what it’s worth just because I’m young and just starting out?”
“Certainly! It’s all about paying your dues, and now that I’ve been in business for over thirty years, it’s my turn to collect. I can barely make ends meet as it is. The cost of my supplies have gone up due to inflation, as has the rent, and the cost of gasoline. And keeping good staff on board is hard, too. I’ve got mouths to feed at home, and kids in college, and a mortgage to pay. I can’t really afford to pay that much for a used car. Do you see my problem? But Nobody Wants to Sell Cars Any More!”
“I may not be able to help you, Sir”, replied Beth, “but I was just checking this local auto website, and I found this listing. It’s for the same make and model of car, in good condition. It’s a few years older and has thirty thousand more miles on it, but the seller only wants six thousand. Maybe you should call this guy instead, if you can only afford to pay six?”
“I did call him,” replied the businessman.
“And what happened?”
“I offered him $3500, and he… let’s just say he was far less polite to me than you have been, young lady. But it just proves my point: Nobody Wants To Sell Cars Any More!”