Lowball offers

[alfahornet]

You must have just missed the memo about "sharing the wealth"

I hate it too, GB is the worst. Tried selling a nice collectible there a while back and people emailing me asking to close the auction early for half it's value. Just f... off.

If I sell something and you think the price is to high or want to get a better deal just do some research and make a reasonable offer and may be it's acceptable to we can meet inbetween but extreme low-balling is just rude.

 

[USMC_0311]

ya know his business finances have nothing to do with whether he is a site supporter, and I imagine he has a mortgage....might even be upside down on it in these dizzy times for real estate.

His comment was not directed to melensdad. (you might notice that Machinegun is not a site supporter YET either).

 

[LEaSH]

I bet if you were dealing with the person face to face they wouldn't be so gutsy as to low-ball you. It's part of the internet culture of not feeling guilty for being an arrogant jackhole. Anonymity.

I only approach deals that appear to be close to what I think is a current fair price. If I finally get to look at it, and it is trashed or misrepresented - I let the seller know it (polite like). So far, no bad feelings in my dealings (on other sites and other products).

I had a motorcycle on CL some time ago and a guy was offering up for trade: a weird sword, death metal guitar, live pythons, etc. I was so amused that I emailed him back to ask what else he had. His offers just kept on getting weirder and weirder. Anyone want a Honda btw?

 

[cosermann]

You have to ask more then you want for something these days just to get a reasonable offer.

So, you start with a "high ball" offer then?

Seriously, it's all just part of the negotiating and horse trading process. Don't take it personally. Try to think of it as fun and approach it with a positive attitude. You don't have to sell something for less than you want. If you can't get what you want for something, whose fault is that? Don't blame or rip other people for it.

It might help to realize that the value or worth of anything in a free market is what you can get for it. Period. It's simple. And there are all sorts of tangible and intangible factors that get rolled into how buyers and sellers "value" things (i.e. condition, rarity/commonality, time utiliy, place utility, form utility, possession utility, sentimentality, etc.).

The volatility of the firearms market since the election doesn't make things easier.

The list price is just a starting point for negotiation. Culturally, we're not as used to haggling for stuff as folks are in some other cultures.

 

[steveh_131]

I've given and received plenty of lowball offers. I don't see anything insulting about it. Sometimes people will accept it if they need the quick cash. Sometimes not.

No point whining about it, just say "no" and accept it as a part of doing business in a free market.

 

[turnandshoot4]

I smell bull also.

Easy to say internet tough guy. I have met and do not doubt anything Melensdad has to say. Have you ever met him?

Back on topic. I enjoy the lowball offers. My stuff is always reasonably priced and I get what I want for it. Either here or on gunbroker. I do love the offers to trade though. With a $600 item I usually get an offer for something like "4 excellent condition Mosins" or "2 bolt action .22's, 2 mosin nagants, 1 break action shotgun, and a partridge in a pear tree."

 

[Caleb]

when I low-ball, I am trying to get the best deal i can but that's not my final offer. Start of negotiations really

 

[mettle]

When I had an AR for sale a while back, I was offered cash and a canoe....

 

[4sarge]

When I had an AR for sale a while back, I was offered cash and a canoe....

BUT, did it come with a paddle

 

[USMC_0311]

Easy to say internet tough guy. I have met and do not doubt anything Melensdad has to say. Have you ever met him?

I think you need to look a little farther into this thread before jumping on Machinegun (I will call him and verify). I am pretty sure he was not referring to melensdad but to the post someone else made about melensdad. see my post above.


https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/50293-lowball_offers-5.html#post546699

 

[Bigum1969]

BUT, did it come with a paddle

And did you have to pick it up at creek?

 

[alfahornet]

I had a motorcycle on CL some time ago and a guy was offering up for trade: a weird sword, death metal guitar, live pythons, etc. I was so amused that I emailed him back to ask what else he had. His offers just kept on getting weirder and weirder. Anyone want a Honda btw?

A pyhton? Man getting those offers is entertaining

I guess one can always try with low-balls but don't expect a response in return. Trades are entaining. When I sold my old car, I wanted to sell it quick so listed it well below what similar cars were priced, got tons of calls and emails and sold it quickly for what I was asking for. Eventhough the car was priced very low for what you got some people still tried to low-ball and frankly I didn't have the time to explain to everyone and negotiate with everyone that it's priced very low and sorry I am not taking another $500 off.

 

[Pale Rider]

Dad always taught me something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If you don't like an offer then move on! It's called haggling. Get over yourselves and your stuff someone making a low offer isn't worth getting all butt hurt over. I have a guitar that I will net let leave. I don't care if someone offers a million bucks it's not going. Why? It has sentimental value, it's worth more than gold to me. To a pawn shop dealer it's only worth about $200. I had a buddy who wanted it offered me $400... was I mad no. Just said no thanks. When I see people getting upset over lowball offers it make me think of this....

"Mom Johnny says my GI Joe isn't as cool as his!"

"Moooom! Johnny says he'll only give me one of his cars for 3 of mine!"

"Moooom.....!"

Get over it it's called business...economics...the American Way!

 

[Pale Rider]

double post... weird didn't mean too

 

[Wabatuckian]

The way I do things is this:

First, I figure out what the maximum is I will pay for an item. For the Garand I'm looking for, that would be $650.

I will start at 20% or so below that. About $500 in this case. If the person is skilled in negotiation, he will know that the $500 is only a beginning offer to, say, his $750.

If he is not experienced in dickering, he will be insulted.

The people I usually deal with in real life believe that negotiating is a sport, and I'll admit to sorta' liking it too.

However, on here, I don't know most folks. 'Vette, if I may use you as an example, you're wanting $800 for your M1. I figure that's a firm price, and if you want to come down on it due to it not selling, then I'll wait. But I won't tell you $575 and start dickering, just because I dunno if you roll like that.

Maybe I'm way off in my thinking, folks, but dickering over the 'net is much harder in person, because of lack of body language and tonal inflections.

Josh <><

 

[alfahornet]

The way I do things is this:

First, I figure out what the maximum is I will pay for an item. For the Garand I'm looking for, that would be $650.

I will start at 20% or so below that. About $500 in this case. If the person is skilled in negotiation, he will know that the $500 is only a beginning offer to, say, his $750.

If he is not experienced in dickering, he will be insulted.

The people I usually deal with in real life believe that negotiating is a sport, and I'll admit to sorta' liking it too.

However, on here, I don't know most folks. 'Vette, if I may use you as an example, you're wanting $800 for your M1. I figure that's a firm price, and if you want to come down on it due to it not selling, then I'll wait. But I won't tell you $575 and start dickering, just because I dunno if you roll like that.

Maybe I'm way off in my thinking, folks, but dickering over the 'net is much harder in person, because of lack of body language and tonal inflections.

Josh <><

Your approach sounds sound to me. And you either meet or don't. My

 

[antsi]

I've said it before: This is a free market. You're free to sell something for whatever price you want. If it ain't selling...then you're either too high on your price or aren't reaching the right market.

Being a free market, you're also free to turn down and/or ignore offers that aren't up to snuff, so to speak.

I agree. It's a free market. Anyone can set any asking price they want, and anyone can make any offer they want. If buyer and seller don't agree, the solution is simple: no sale. What's the point of getting huffy?

 

[theweakerbrother]

Regarding comments made about melensdad.... just remember this quote


He who speaks of another man's business has no business of his own to tend.

Melensdad has no reason to lie and every member of INGO should be thought an honorable person until they prove unhonorable. What benefit does he have for lying about property value? Internet cookies and kudos?

 

[redneckmedic]

+1 for melensdad
+1 for what weakerbrother had to say

Mods is this tread really productive any longer?

 

[MoparMan]

No, its another thread about someone offered me $20 less than what i wanted.

Please lock this thread so someone can start another one in a couple of months.