A Lesson in Negotiation

I know. I know. I know . . . I owe y'all an article on the proper scale & best ways to display artwork. I promise it's coming soon. We've been pretty busy lately, so blog updates have been really sporadic. I apologize for that and will get myself back on track really soon. In the meantime, I thought I'd keep you entertained with something that my business partner/mother did.

One project that has kept us busy lately is the staging of one of our own properties -- a condo owned by my parents. We took a cue from our post on "Key Area Staging" and gussied up the space with items from both our business inventory and personal possessions. We dressed up the baths with towels, curtain panels, pictures, and toiletry items. In the foyer we added a plant and some artwork. And in the kitchen we placed bar stools at the counter, lamps, cookbooks, canisters, and more pictures. Then we called up our favorite real estate agent and listed that sucker for sale.

Well, this morning my mother called to tell me that they'd received an offer. (YEAH!) We chatted for a little while about the details of the offer and then went on about our day. A few hours later, she called again. Here's how the conversation went:

Mom: "You know, I forgot to mention. That offer included the stools."

Me: "What stools?"

Mom: "The bar stools."

Me: "MY bar stools?"

Mom: "Yes. . .  That's not a problem is it?"

What I said: "No. That's fine."

What I should have said: "Oh, that's perfectly fine. Next time you come over, you can just sit on the floor where my bar stools used to be."

What I learned from this experience: Whether they own it or not, apparently EVERYTHING is negotiable to my parents!

After thinking on it for a while, I decided that learning a valuable lesson was not enough for me. What I really needed was to settle the score. Their bar stools for mine. So here's the ad I placed on Craigslist . . .

FOR SALE

 

Bar Stools (Nashville area)

 

 

Set of two saddleback bar stools, counter height. Great condition. They're not mine, but they are in my possession. $100 FIRM, but will consider throwing in my mother's house to sweeten the deal, if necessary. 

 

What I hope my parents learn from this experience: I have their keys and I can negotiate too.