"Perhaps he wants to clear out old stock."
Yep.
A few sales rules in no particular order:
1...Dealers/sellers will try to sell what they make the most $$ on.
2...Dealers/sellers will try to clear out old stock.
3...Dealers/sellers will push the models they have the most of.
4...Dealers/sellers will jack up the price on 'Hot!' models and claim they are hard to get. Harley Davidson and rolex ADs have perfected this ruse.
5...Dealers/sellers are not as dumb as they seem to be.
6...Dealers/sellers will tell you what you want to hear.
7...Buyers have no friends in the sales department when buying what they are selling.
8...Almost all sales people will lie if needed to make a sale.
This applies to all dealers/sellers...car dealers, cell phone dealers, real estate agents, lemonade stands, hookers! etc.
There is more real lemon juice in Lemon Pledge furniture polish than in Country Time Lemonade.