What Constitutes a "Low Ball" Offer?

[SSGSAD]

Bump .....

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Bump .....

Final bump or it's going on gunbroker! Or armslist! Or back in my safe!

No, really. I mean it. I'm not joking around!

 

[deo62]

Final bump or it's going on gunbroker! Or armslist! Or back in my safe!

No, really. I mean it. I'm not joking around!

Back up

 

[bwframe]

Final bump or it's going on gunbroker! Or armslist! Or back in my safe!

No, really. I mean it. I'm not joking around!

I love the threats. Especially those that bump again after their self imposed deadline.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I love the threats. Especially those that bump again after their self imposed deadline.

I bet there are ads out there that are a couple of years old. I think if your ad gets into double digit pages, it may be time to re-examine your pricing.

 

[bwframe]

I bet there are ads out there that are a couple of years old. I think if your ad gets into double digit pages, it may be time to re-examine your pricing.

A couple things go into that thought process.

I can attest that a months old add seemingly brought out of the mothballs from a related thread topic has produced a sale that supposedly was never gonna happen. I have sold stuff and bought stuff months old in the classifieds.

This thread itself may well shy off folks from making offers under the premise of hurt feelings.
IMHO, an offer is an offer. Just make the damned thing.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

A couple things go into that thought process.

I can attest that a months old add seemingly brought out of the mothballs from a related thread topic has produced a sale that supposedly was never gonna happen. I have sold stuff and bought stuff months old in the classifieds.

This thread itself may well shy off folks from making offers under the premise of hurt feelings.
IMHO, an offer is an offer. Just make the damned thing.

Agreed. Although as I think someone else mentioned, if the asking price is just ridiculously high (ie. $550 Gen 3 Glocks), potential buyers may think it's not even worth the effort to make an offer.

 

[churchmouse]

Agreed. Although as I think someone else mentioned, if the asking price is just ridiculously high (ie. $550 Gen 3 Glocks), potential buyers may think it's not even worth the effort to make an offer.

Look at any extras that may be included with the gun if any.

There is a Glock in the classys for about $30 more than a new one. But it comes with 6 mags, ammo, etc.
The extras have to be considered.
bwf makes a good point. But also, someone has to be interested enough in the item posted to take the time to make an offer.

 

[Bapak2ja]

It has been eight months since I started this thread, and it has been an education. We could use this thread for a demonstration of the right to free speech—"I disagree with your opinion, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." There is a wide range of opinions here, and the difference seems to be the attitude of the speaker/poster.

1. Some posters see their selling price as perfect, as in " "i know the market and I know what this gun is worth so don't waste my time with a counter offer. Just say I'll take it or move on!" For this member, anything less than total agreement with them challenges their expertise and their man card.

2. Some posters are prepared to go with the flow, as in "I want X, but I'm willing to talk about. Make me an offer." This seller probably posted an inflated asking price so the buyer can feel good about getting a few dollars knocked off the price. These buyers get their man card punched because they negotiated a better deal.

3. On the other end of the spectrum from #1 is the seller who has no vested interest in the firearm or in proving his expertise and demonstrating he is an alpha male. He just wants to sell the gun and is willing to entertain all offers. He may be thinking he does not know the current market value or think he can always talk up a low offer to an acceptable one.

Those are just my thoughts based on the posts on this thread. No offense meant, just trying to summarize my understanding go what has been said.

My conclusions about what constitutes a "low ball offer" and how to respond are:

1. A "low ball offer" is defined by the seller. In Asia, in my experience, negotiations are generally opened by offering 50% of the asking price. This is not acceptable practice here.

2. There is no clear agreement on what percentage constitutes a "low ball offer." For #1 above, an offer $50 below the asking price is an insult and the scoundrel is not worthy of a reply. The offer will be ignored. For others, a 50-25% offer will receive a polite "No, thanks."

3. Wisdom suggests that an offer to sell containing a warning of any kind against "low ball offers" will not respond well to anything other than "I'll take it." For these sellers, unless you like their price one best just move on—which is probably what the seller wants. No fooling around, just a simple "i'll take it" or don't waste my time. Got it. Message understood.

4. For #2 and #3, counter offers will be received and acknowledged. The response may or may not be polite, so buy your ticket and take your ride—and put on your big boy pants before you make the offer.

Happy hunting, folks.

 

[smasherofall]

I had a gun listed for $150 OBO and recieved an offer for $125. I told him "make it $130 and you have a deal". is He then came back with "I can meet you half way, I can do $127.50"
can't tell if thats being really frugal or just has to have the last word. I turned him down.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Look at any extras that may be included with the gun if any.

There is a Glock in the classys for about $30 more than a new one. But it comes with 6 mags, ammo, etc.
The extras have to be considered.
bwf makes a good point. But also, someone has to be interested enough in the item posted to take the time to make an offer.

Oh sure, extras (mags, optics, ammo, etc.) make a difference, but the same applies. If one has been bumping their ad until it's into multiple pages over months (or years), then maybe the asking price is too high. Certainly worth considering at least, IMHO. It also depends on the item. I know some of the older C&R guns I've sold on here have taken a little longer than they probably would have on Gunbroker just because there's a wider audience there that may be looking for the older guns, especially ones in some weird caliber that either isn't made anymore or is crazy expensive if you can find it (or can't make it yourself by re-forming the brass from another caliber).

 

[churchmouse]

I had a gun listed for $150 OBO and recieved an offer for $125. I told him "make it $130 and you have a deal". is He then came back with "I can meet you half way, I can do $127.50"
can't tell if thats being really frugal or just has to have the last word. I turned him down.

I have had people haggle with me at the 1500 over $1.50 for an Ingo chamber flag and a decal. Seriously. Old guy was on a mission to get me down to a dollar for both and then he picked up something else and wanted that thrown in to sweeten the deal.
I explained it was not my merchandise and that the sale of same went to support the site.
No matter he was on a mission. I think it was RobbyMac who was in the booth with me and he was cracking up.

I finally took $3.00 out of my pocket to cover the goods, handed them to him and sent him on his way. He won the haggle.

Sometimes haggling is just a bit much.

 

[bwframe]

I had a gun listed for $150 OBO and recieved an offer for $125. I told him "make it $130 and you have a deal". is He then came back with "I can meet you half way, I can do $127.50"
can't tell if thats being really frugal or just has to have the last word. I turned him down.

What you end up getting for it? How soon thereafter?

 

[smasherofall]

What you end up getting for it? How soon thereafter?

Traded it the next day for a laser-light combo worth a lot more.

 

[doddg]

What you end up getting for it? How soon thereafter?

1. Good for you!
2. That's the kind of nonsense that makes me irritated b/c it wasn't the price of the gun, it was his "victory" in wanting to be in control (I teach Psych ).
3. I have a couple of friends like that and I have rebuked them many times and seen them lose good fair deals b/c of it, but I've seen them beat someone down and they cave in b/c they are desperate: embarrassing.
4. That's the advantage of selling a gun for a fair price, for the price of what I pay, I can afford to keep them.
5. I just sold a Walther PPS for the same price I bought it for, and I had 4 people in line for it.
6. In all the 7 guns I've sold no one had tried to get me to come down. I'm sure they look at me and see that I don't care to sell a few bucks short.
7. Now, selling an antique car: it took me 2 yrs. to sell one once for only $3000, and I lost $3000 on the deal as well. (This is why I like buy/selling guns)

 

[Nazgul]

I like old adds. Several times I have gone back after a month or two and offered a significantly lower price and had it accepted.

Free market at work - offered what it was worth to me, they accepted the offer to sell.

Don

 

[churchmouse]

I like old adds. Several times I have gone back after a month or two and offered a significantly lower price and had it accepted.

Free market at work - offered what it was worth to me, they accepted the offer to sell.

Don

HHhhhmmmmm.
Everything I have tried to buy lately I miss by a matter of minutes.

 

[mcapo]

Buying and selling is a matter of matching individual motivations with common monetary or other compensation.

When buying something that I really want; if the price is fair, I will pay and more forward without looking back at the price.

If it is something that I'd like to have but can do without, it needs to be a good deal or I move on.

When selling; I have never been offended by a low ball offer. I've received low ball offers when I've ask a fair price and at times when I THOUGHT I was asking a fair price but was too high. If the offer is reasonable based on my asking price; I will usually counter. If it is crazy low; I will usually respond with a "No Thanks" or "I really need to get close to $xxx but thanks for the offer".