I was having my nails done yesterday when a young boy, who appeared to be about 7 or 8, came in selling candy. It looked like the small packets you can buy at Halloween in a big bag at Target or Walmart.
"$2 for one packet", he said with an almost straight face, as he sized me up for my sucker value. I was incredulous, but my bargaining powers had no effect on him whatsoever. I needed a packet of M&Ms like a third leg, so I asked him what he was going to do wih the money and he said it was for the Boys and Girls Club, again trying to keep a straight face. I asked him what he did at the Boys and Girls Club and he said, "Play"! Needless, to say, I, the consummate sucker for little kids, now had a packet of M&Ms in my purse.
Five minutes later, a little girl, who looked to be about 5-6 appeared with a similar box, but she only asked me for $1 for the same candies. I'm wasn't sure if this was due to her inexperience in assessing my suckerableness (sucker ability??) or whether whoever sent her out told her how much to ask, so I told her that I had just paid a young man $2 for the same candy and that she should also be asking $2 each. Turns out the little boy was her big brother.
I probably should have told her to ask for $2 a packet, put $1 in her pocket per sale and give her brother $1, but she probably was too young to grasp that level of con man(or woman)ship. Anyway, the sucker now has another packet of M&Ms in her purse, and the little con man and con woman in training are probably going to be able to afford the new I-phone before I am.
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