Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 05, 2019

Sounds like Ed’s starting to get the hang of it. Customer is always right, right?

She’s got him.

Ed is going to have to hire a “white gloves” moving company to haul all Tiff’s high end stuff. Throwing it in the back of the truck he bought from Mr. Haney ain’t gonna cut it.

I don’t know if Ed ever paid those kind of prices for 2d hand furniture before – if Tiff convinces him, she ought to get her own show on the home shopping network…

Or he’ll come back “later” when she’s at work.

Test it with one item. If that works, he’ll buy the rest at a higher price.

And I have some absolutely wonderful ocean front property in South Dakota – if anyone is interested.

The Evans’ certainly know what they’re doing. I wanted to go to bed an hour ago, but didn’t so I could see what would happen on Luann. I didn’t like Ed at first, but he’s growing on me. Now I’m rooting for both Ed and Tiffany, hoping it will be a win-win situation for both of them. I love comics, but not all of them get me emotionally invested as this one does.

Ha! She is totally on her way to becoming Anne Eiffel. Fake lingerie is next…

The Real Tiffany has arrive. Ann Eiffel is toasted!

Tiffany, you brought a $4,000 to a DORM room?? You are lucky your fellow collegians don’t know the difference between junk and a $4,000 lamp, and apparently the same is true for ED…and ME. Sorry to say but your lamp looks like a vintage junk. But then many of the artsy, painted with strange colors and shapes, retro-looking, flea market type is actually high-end items, often not mass-produced but crafted by artisans…and folks like myself often pass them off as cheapo. Personally, I think it would be a bad buy for ED because he doesn’t have the right clientele. You need to find someone who knows and can curate a one-of-a-kind item and identify the artisan and label it. THEN you can make a pretty penny.

If she spent that much on those items, no wonder her step mom wants to reign her in.

I’m afraid Tiffany has excited Ed just enough that he will give her an IOU of some sort and then take off with her furniture. Then we are back to the big question: “Who will help Tiffany?”

Ethics wise, she’s not much better than Ann Eiffel.

Why did Tiffany call him in the first place? She’d know from his ad or something that he didn’t deal with high-end furniture. And she’d really expect any re-sellers to just hand her $1,500 on the spot because she gives them her personal evaluation?

That – and even if Tiffany’s valuation is valid – I think she would do well to get 50%.

“Young lady, I need someone like you in my shop. To, y’know, sell stuff to people”

Even high-end furniture generally only sells used for a fraction of its original retail. Ed can’t sell a table for the same $2000 it went for new. He’d be taking a chance on making a profit even paying her 1/4 of that. He’d probably have to dig up a new clientele to even try.

Tiff, cut out the middle man.

Sell it yourself online and keep that $500. That guy doesn’t know hoe to sell anything of real value.

Ah, the transformation from victim to hard-nosed businesswoman begins! LOL over the idea that she wants him to pay her $1500 for her table, so he can allegedly sell it for $2000. As if a guy accustomed to selling cheap secondhand furnishings to college students a) has that kind of money to fling around at her b) can find the right buyer to sell it for a profit.

But this is a comic, so somehow “Cheap Ed’s Furniture” will somehow attract mink-stoled, deep-pocketed rich people looking for one-of-a-kind high end items, after they walk past mounds of used IKEA stuff.

That’s how you do it, Tiff! That’s marketing at its best!!!

You go girl!

Ed should take the items on consignment. Tiffany gets her money AFTER he sells the table for $2000, and IF he sells it.

I guess business classes are starting to pay off!

You have to wonder how Tiffany’s dad got so rich if he buys overpriced items like these.

Could be a “Tiffany” lamp but this guy isn’t buying it he is more interested in the table and what Tiffany just went way over his head.

Ed; tell her to show you the appraisal, before dreams of dollar signs take over your brain.

It reminds me of a commercial on the radio where some outfit sells sheets. They say that sheets costing $1000 is insane. Then they tell you that you can take $50 off of their sheets. I don’t even PAY $50 for sheets. Why can’t people save money? Hah!

So now we segue into the story line that Tiffany will excel at her economics class.

Your reasoning is flawed. The amount he pays you for the stuff has little to no relationship to what he charges for the stuff. If he pays you $8 and sells it for $2000 his profits have increased dramatically.

Well THIS, I gotta see. I really wanna see if Ed will pay Tiffany what she wants for that table.

I’m still not optimistic that Tiff will pull this off. But “if” she does, she needs to RUN not Walk to the nearest car dealership and apply for a job!

He’s just going to take her word for it? It’s hard to believe any “cash for junk” company would do that.

Why, it’s simple arithmetic! Why didn’t he think of this before!?

If he didn’t know those items’ value when he walked in, how can he trust what she says about them?

So this guy takes Tiffany’s advice, applies it to other customers as well, and one day becomes rich. Then Luann meets him and ultimately marries him, and ends up far richer than Tiffany ever was. There, you go, Greg. That storyline should last a few years!

$2,000 NEW

Tiff’s found her niche.

Upselling. Is it legit? I think that is the point. Lets see where they meet,

Tiffany is really good with words. I believe her Art Nouveau lamp is worth $4,000. But I still think it’s crazy to have such expensive furniture in a dorm room and it’s kinda impossible that Ed will pay that much. I hope Tiffany will become his business partner and help him sell her fancy furniture.

The acorn does not fall far from the tree.

Why does Ed remind me of the banjo boy from “Deliverance”??

Economics 101: something is only “worth” what someone is willing to pay for it. He’s right that used is a huge markdown.

There’s a sucker born every minute!

After moving all that furniture Ed’s going to need a nap more than he looks like he does now.

Does anyone else see the setup here for a burglary?

it’s only worth what someone will pay for it..

Is Tiff trying to pull a deliberate con here? Is she that naïve?

Does Ed from I-haul even have fifteen hundred dollars?

I asked an estate auctioneer what a beautiful, pristine grandfather clock might bring; I mean it was two to three thousand dollars new. He dead panned, “The first bid.” I didn’t ask about anything else. As I remember, it went for around three hundred.

Boring

Why doesn’t Tiffany call the Ebay team – Bets and Gunther? They have a proven track record with her. Maybe too ashamed to do it?

Tiffany, if it’s that easy, why not skip this guy and sell directly to whoever you think will pay that much?

Maybe Tiffany is using her girly charm on that Ed guy.

I can’t believe it, Tiffany is playing this guy for a rube and trying to take advantage of him; this is closer to Ann behavior than anything. I’d much rather see her move into the Gulag, help out around there as she gets he education. Instead, if this goes down she might as well move home and get her masters and apply for her doctorate from Ann on how to take advantage of people.

Tiff should find an upscale consignment shop. Not a trash picker.

Yeah- as if he has $1500…..geez !

I don’t know if she’s learning the business, but she’s sure giving him the business.

Something is worth as much as someone is willing to pay

Illogical logic.

What is she basing her number off of? I’m sure the people who are coming in to his shop to purchase items are there looking for something on the cheap. Not something that will cost them thousands. I have a horrible feeling this whole deal is going to come back around and bite her.

I’m not persuaded. Is he?

Luann is in a dream world. No business person is going to work off 25% margin. Also, the reality is that Luann is thinking that her stuff is “worth” what she paid for it. In the resale market used furniture is more likely to be valued at 25% of the retail or less. And the dealer wants 50%. So her table is “worth” maybe $250 (if you can find a high-end client to buy it) and Luann could at the best be offered $250. I still think her best bet is to have Gunther and Betts help. Posting her items on Craig’s List with pictures would be her best bet to get max $$ for her stuff.

I really don’t understand why some things are more valuable than others when their intrinsic costs are virtually the same

But at $15 he’s making a 115% profit, whereas, at $2000, his profit margin is only 33%!

I’m pretty sure this guy is getting fired (if he’s an employee) or going out of business (if he owns the establishment) within the week. People don’t go to pawnshops and second-hand places like his in order to spend thousands on a lamp or coffee table. Evans is trying to make Tiffany look smart by making this guy into an utter moron.

If Tiffany pulls this off she ought to submit it as a class project.

Looks like Tiff’s been watching “American Pickers” and “Pawn Stars.” Both are excellent for learning how to do the wholesale/retail dance. She could move over to “Sally Forth” and rescue sister Jackie’s curio shop from bankruptcy. Good for Tiff! She’s found a calling. Watch out, Ann Eiffel!

She’s actually learning something in her classes

This doesn’t make any sense. She’s hard up for cash but hoarding lamps that are worth thousands?

That’s not how it works, bad writing!

Looks like Tiffany’s math and marketing classes are paying off.

She should go into retail sales.

The junk hauler will never pay that much for Tiffany’s treasures. He does not have the customers to buy items like that.

Might be overthinking the Ed stuff, people. Since it is a story, and most stories follow an established pattern, Methinks that Ed’s role here is “useful idiot”. We’re not supposed to worry about his life, his job, his family, his babies, etc. His role is the stepping stone to get Tiffany from Point A to Point B, and then he’ll be discarded, which is the norm for stories.

After all, we didn’t think too much about the Yankee soldier that Scarlett O’Hara shot in the face, did we? He was there to provide some money and a good horse to the main characters when they needed it most.

Likewise with Cheap Ed. Once his function is fulfilled, he’ll be dropped from the strip.

Um, I hate to tell you this, Tiff, but Ed doesn’t have the cash to buy your stuff for what you want for it. He’s a junk dealer. And if you take a check, you’ll be even more foolish than everybody here thinks you are. Get rid of Ed. Call a high-end auction house.

The lamp COST $4000, but it is not worth $4000. Tiffany needs to learn the difference.

So Tiff does have a head for business

I’m sure Ed knows the value of items much better than Tiffany does. The value is what an actual customer will pay.

Gee, get Gunther to check it on eBay. If it’s enough sell it via eBay.

You had me at stupid.

Is Tiffany ever going to lose weight?

She’s not accounting for depreciation. Furniture depreciates like cars right?

Looks like she’s in a mental tug-of-war with him!!

I like Lucy Rudy ’s comment, above, way above. To the effect of, “no wonder her step mom has stepped on her spending.”

Toss up whether this is heading toward a Holiday Suicide Prevention arc or not.

One thing for sure, Lucy wasn’t the only one noticing that Ann Eiffel may end up the hero of this comic strip, after all!

G&K: Bad guys always finish first!

$4000 lamp. Who buys them except Tiff.

assuming any buyers, big assumption

I doubt he has the customers or network in place to sell those kind of high-end items.

Watch out Ed !!!

A woman DESPERATE for money ALWAYS tells the truth ???

Or I give you $7 and sell it for $1,500 and make $1,493.

She’s learning Marketing FAST.

If he is willing to give her a Job, she could probably increase his Profits by 1000%.

Are we supposed to feel sympathetic for this elitist snob who has never cared for anyone except her own self? I sure don’t, I’ll be glad if she crashes and burns!

I think Tiffany may have found her true voice. She is a natural born salesperson.

I believe Ed is “special”.

5

If this works out “ok” I will be happily surprised. Even though WE know Tiffany is being legitimate…. I am surprised at how easily the junk store guy is accepting what she says….. I would have anticipated a) he would think she is scamming him, or b) he would still push for $7 and then try to reap even MORE profit from her knowledge.

Microeconomics in action.

Why do guys wear their caps backwards?

Tiffany needs to adjust her lifestyle to whatever stable income she has. She can’t just keep selling things; eventually she’ll run out of things to sell. And Ed is not going to able to market stuff he knows little about; he knows junk and that’s it. Tiffany should just sell it herself.

Money talks with this boy….

It’ll never happen, sorry Tiff.

If this actually works, Perhaps Ed may want to hire her as a manager.

This is tricky. I do hope the Tiffster can con this Ed guy. But I fear it’s all going to go wrong for her if she is not very, very careful….

The Untold Story of Ann Eiffel, part 1 of (at least 20 so far)Les remains a bit disappointed at the possibility of Tiff becoming his step sister, a remarkable step forward for his moral character (never mind the legalities, it’s the creepiness that matters here) and a demonstration that he is less shallow than we might have thought. Sadly, it won’t end well. The sins of one generation are inexorably visited on the next. It’s going to get worse for Les…but first, a history lesson. Check this space tomorrow for part 2!

Ed’s about to see the light.

That lamp is not worth $2,000

Always assuming somebody is willing to pay $2000 for a table, that is.

It must be a “Tiffany” lamp!