Haggling / aka Lowballing???

[Joe13]

I spent a lot of time overseas as a kid because of my dads job. So I learned how to haggle young, and it was expected.

Now that I live in the states, I am finding a mix of attitudes towards haggling.

From "Sure, I've had this up for awhile and I'm willing to let it go for much cheaper to just get rid of it", to "You have gravely insulted me because you want me to take a $40 loss on an over priced item I've had listed for months...".

I find it greatly amusing when someone takes a "lowball" offer personally and is hugely hinny sore about my insulting offer offending them deeply.

I'm not a "buy it at market price" kinda guy (mostly because I can't afford most of the bubblegum I want) so generally will only buy something that is a good to great deal. Whether it's because I've offered a lower price or because the asking price is more then reasonable.


What do you do? Do you mark up items 20% or whatever to account for haggling or do you post the price you expect to sell it at. Or are you also a haggler?

This is just an opinion thread so have fun but let's keep it civil

Read More

 

[MountainBear]

When I have sold guns on here, I always added $50 at least to the price because even if something is a screaming deal, most of the time some jughead would always PM and offer at least $50 less. Negotiating is good, but I always looked at it like buying a house. If I'm asking $150K for a house and you come in with an offer of $90K, I probably won't even counter-offer.

So negotiation is usually good. Even expected. Heck, I rarely offer what someone is asking either. But keep it polite. If $500 is a fair used price and you offer $350, that's pushing the limits of most people's good nature. Just saying.

Besides, if some jackwagon is asking $800 for a used Glock 19 with an extra mag and no box, then what good does it do to make him an offer? He obviously doesn't want to sell it, so let him sit with the crickets as everyone ignores him. Either he'll get the point and drop the price or he won't and it doesn't really matter either way. If someone knows the item is priced way too high, then they can probably assume the other guy won't be taking their $400 offer, so are they just doing it to be an jerk? In that case, a casual observer might wonder which of them was worse.

 

[Trailboss]

I have no problem with someone haggling for a better price. Just part of the game. However, I will automatically ignore any offer that comes with a time limit. E.g. "my offer is only good for the next hour". I feel this is an attempt to manipulate and I won't play that game, rather I just ignore that users offer.

 

[Just Jim]

Some people price their guns far more than what they are worth. I will try to buy at what I believe is a fair price but I am not foolish enough to pay a premium plus price. It is much easier in dealing with others if they have a firm price. I can see right away if it's going into my safe.

Part of the haggle is the distance of the deal and fuel cost, plus the time it's going to take. Most guys hope someone right next door is going to buy their gun so they price them right up there.

 

[Nightshade]

I don't mind Haggling All we have to do is say No. So No.lol

 

[Just Jim]

I spent a little time in Iraq, the hajimart haggle goes on and on (What, Do YOU Want My Children To starve? I want $40 dollars).

 

[156256Hunter]

I try to price my stuff at what I've got into it, which is bad when I've over-accessorized something with too many mags, new night sights, 8 IWB holsters and a rusty cowbell.

Other stuff I'll take a loss on (which is already built into te price) just so I can try to move it. Of course if I have bad photos, then no one will buy it anyway.

 

[WAYNO]

I spent a lot of time overseas as a kid because of my dads job. So I learned how to haggle young, and it was expected.

Now that I live in the states, I am finding a mix of attitudes towards haggling.

From "Sure, I've had this up for awhile and I'm willing to let it go for much cheaper to just get rid of it", to "You have gravely insulted me because you want me to take a $40 loss on an over priced item I've had listed for months...".

I find it greatly amusing when someone takes a "lowball" offer personally and is hugely hinny sore about my insulting offer offending them deeply.

I'm not a "buy it at market price" kinda guy (mostly because I can't afford most of the bubblegum I want) so generally will only buy something that is a good to great deal. Whether it's because I've offered a lower price or because the asking price is more then reasonable.


What do you do? Do you mark up items 20% or whatever to account for haggling or do you post the price you expect to sell it at. Or are you also a haggler?

This is just an opinion thread so have fun but let's keep it civil

Huge difference between haggling and lowballing. I fully expect to haggle on most of my items. But when I have an item underpriced, and/or marked firm, I don't care to respond to an offer of 50% of either the firm or the asking price.

WAYNO.

 

[DieselScout]

If you're going to low ball someone have a thick enough skin to take any flack they give if they are offended. Both parties need to man up.

 

[Just Jim]

Here is my haggle. "You posted obo on the price, what do you really want for the gun?".

At that point we either have a deal or I move on. What the seller wants is his firm price and I respect that enough to not try to haggle him down more.

 

[IronMonster]

This is gonna be a great thread ;-)

 

[Joe13]

This is gonna be a great thread ;-)

Haha! Good times, eh

 

[Joe13]

Huge difference between haggling and lowballing. I fully expect to haggle on most of my items. But when I have an item underpriced, and/or marked firm, I don't care to respond to an offer of 50% of either the firm or the asking price.

WAYNO.

Well, in my mind at least - a lowball is the start of haggling. If you don't counter offer then I guess it was a lowball offer.

 

[Just Jim]

It's kinda like the dealers at the gun shows that have super high prices, (well I can always come down on the price but i can't go up). While at the same time he offers you damn little on a trade in (offer him nothing first cause he just might take it). They don't make as much because most people walk past the high prices and won't even attempt to haggle.

Same as here, people just walk by if it's too high.

 

[Riot]

People that get offended about haggling probably paid overprice for the crap they're trying to sell and never thought to ask, wait or search for a better price.

 

[etrain16]

I don't mind haggling, though it's something I've had to learn as an adult. When I go to buy something, I do my research and have a price in mind before I ever make an offer - I like to know the value of the item, even if the seller doesn't seem to. If the starting price seems way to high, I don't even make an offer since the seller seems out of touch with reality. I also keep in mind that anything I want to buy, I can walk away from. There is nothing for sale out there that I have to have so badly that I can't walk away.

When it comes to selling my own items, if I'm posting them, I want them gone, and I don't want to take weeks or months to sell. If I don't want to haggle, then my price will be listed as "firm" - and I won't accept any other offers. In most cases, I don't do that, usually only when I've already posted a decent, competitive price. If my ad doesn't say "firm", then I'm open to offers. If you lowball me, I'll simply say "no thanks". In this case, I've got the same view as with buying - there is nothing I need to sell so badly that I can't walk away from an offer that isn't what I want. If I need to sell it that badly, I'll price it to fly out the door. So far, I've not had a firearm listing that took more than about a week to sell - most go in a couple days. My last two went in 24 hours.

 

[etrain16]

I feel the only ones that should really take a 'lowball' offer personally are prostitutes and politicians - not that there's much difference

 

[IronMonster]

And haggling and lowballing are not the same thing by the way...

 

[Riot]

And haggling and lowballing are not the same thing by the way...

Isn't that like saying price gouging and asking for more than the item is worth are two different things?

 

[Just Jim]

So what determines the value, what you paid for it or what it's worth to you? I hear from sellers they won't take less than what they paid, but what if you paid too much? Take ARs , just a short time ago they sold for inflated prices and today you can buy nib for less than a used guns. Is it low balling to offer less than a nib AR cost?

Gun prices are falling and there are fewer buyers today yet one good crisis and inflated prices and spooked buyers will be back. It's called the free market