Thanks Barney. It is hard-earned as well, and I should be able to ask more than just 2 or 3 questions about a car. Even if it's not much money to them in profit, they shouldn't treat people that way.
If I ring a seller regardless if it's trade or private, the first thing that makes me walk away is if they can't be bothered to talk to you about the car, in all probability they are not the best sort of people to spend money with in my opinion. Some of these traders seem to think you are just going to turn up and put the cash in their hand. Any decent seller would afford you their time and hopefully make you feel they are the sort of person you would wish do business with.