Bjaardker: Giving the kid the benefit of the doubt, the father may have nixed the deal believing it was a bad trade for his son. You always take that kind of risk when dealing with kids.
If I can make a suggestion (and please don't take this the wrong way), get a part time job in the evening if you're really that cash strapped. That way you can buy new equipment from reliable sources and avoid all this hassle you (and many others) are going through. When you've been reduced to dealing with children who chew bubble gum and play tag for recreation, you're close to hitting bottom.
If you resist the concept of generating more income, at least consider dealing with a reputable adult like pchee2. The man does a lot of trading/selling (at least he used to), and he's fair and reliable.
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