We decided to buy a Japanese Time Machine from the Time Gods company (I know, I don't like the name either - but they have the highest quality for the lowest price). After the test travel, my wife and I decided on the color and features. First I emailed and faxed bid requests from the half dozen closest dealers who had inventory of the particular model I was interested in. I gave them the specs, told them i was bidding out, when I would purchase, and when the bidding would close.
Then the quotes started rolling in. Most about the same. Some slightly less. I then shared the lowest bid and asked each to beat it. Strangely though, as the last few hours of the window closed, the closest dealer (at which we test drove a different color/trim machine) hadn't sent in his bid. So I called, and he made an offer US(2010) $100,000 less than any others.
Well, at this point I realize I should have asked why it was so much less, but as this was my first actual new time machine purchase (my previous was a hand me down from my very generous maternal progenitor of the first order) and I thought he just liked us. Well, upon the test travel of this particular machine, I noticed that the chronometer showed it had already traveled 1600 years. It turns out that this particular machine was what they call an "unwind" in the industry - the previous chrononauts lost much of their money in a horrendously chrono-immoral series of wagers placed on world series games in the late seventies. And such, they could make the payments on their financed Chronolocator-Xtreme 999.
This suited us fine - a nice compromise actually between the used machine (my preference) and the new (my wife's) - it even still had the new car smell and by all indications appeared the previous operator/owners had taken wonderful care of it.
I was able to haggle another $50,000 discount in the deal because of this surprise (and as we were paying in gold bars, we were getting a nice price anyways). I believe we ended up paying nearly what the dealership paid the manufacturers ("the true/real cost" - a good deal less than the "invoice price" and quite a bit less than the ridiculous "sticker price").
Signing of the documents took 14 arduous hours and at some time early in the following morning we were finished, I blurry eyed and racing heart, exhilarated by a good deal. I had the machine ferried to our private island a short time later.
Humorously, we haven't used it much yet. I'm not comfortable leaving it after a time translation in some random field in an uncivilized time (where Morlocks could molest it) without at least a force field or adamantium padlock. I also prefer to have a time positioning device (TPS) installed with a large screen--and also a camera showing the wormhole exit points on the event horizons--something I find quite invaluable for a safe and comfortable time trip.
While I am dying to pop panels and begin upgrading our chronomobile, we shall be employing a local outfit in the installation of these additions. Even though I feel the yearning desire, which I call the Doctor Sooper Smart (Who?) Itch, I am too nervous to do anything which might compromise the integrity of our new family TARDIS.
