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Lowball: How much is too much?

#41
So Anyway, my rule of thumb is to list at 1/2 of retail and include and OBO statement.
I anticipate a week of marketplace time per $100 of value. An $800 bass should sell in two months.

If someone asks what my lowest price would be, I tell them I've set my price, and they'll have to make an offer. Before someone comes to look at an item, I let them know that I won't negotiate on site. If they want to make an offer below my listing price, I suggest they go home, give it some thought, and then make their offer. I try to establish parameters so that no gets offended.

I know in some cultures and communities the sales negotiation is a back & forth dance. As a bass player, I'm used to watching people dance, buy I don't enjoy it myself.
 
#42
Sure I want that 1976 white Jazz bass that Larry Graham owned and played on EarthQuake for $250.00 seems fair right. Just kidding people in general are always looking to get a deal that suites them seller be damned. They're mostly trying to see if the seller is on top of his/her game.
 
#43
There's definitely a big difference between a reasonable offer and a lowball offer. It may be somewhat hard to quantify with a number, but much like the old saying about indecency goes: I know it when I see it.

- If I get an offer from someone that seems low and my response causes them respond poorly, talk smack, say what I'm selling is garbage, etc, it tells me all I need to know about the character of that person.
I'd rather burn that item in front of their face than let them have the joy of owning it for 1 second, at full asking. Those kinds of people are trash.

- If I get an immediately identifiable lowball offer (like $100 for an $800 item, say), I basically enjoy laughing at it and make sure they know that what they offered was laughable and laughed at. It may not change who they are, but it made me feel better. And if someone who is that much a turd can actually bring me joy, I feel like I'm winning.

I try to set prices for stuff I sell at a point where it has some easy wiggle room that people can understand.
"$320 obo" basically means "if you said you'd do $300, I'm good with that."
If the price is firm, I say it's firm. Anyone who can't wrap their head around it tends to be one of the folks above and as stated, I'd rather not sell to them in any way at all.

And I also keep my eye on the market. If something I have seems like it won't sell for what I want to get out of it by a lot, then it's MY responsibility to figure it out before letting others try and tell me what THEY think it's worth.

Finally, in the rare situation where a price is agreed upon and they decide to change their mind at the last second, hoping to play on the "we're here, let's just get this sold" aspect, it's always good to be able to walk away. Again, that speaks to the character of that person in my book. Being a good person goes far with me and being shifty doesn't. You may have wasted my time and yours, but at least I know you won't get to enjoy what I was selling after revealing yourself to be what you truly are.
 
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#44


I love a swap meet, but damn, folks just don’t get how the haggle works.

Me, “How much for this?” ( new condition item, retails for $180)

Them, “I don’t know, what do you think?”

Me, “SIGH, $20.”

Them, hem and haw a bit… I put the thing down and start to walk away… “OK”

Great, I’m happy, great deal, but where was the fun in that? Haggle properly! We could have had some fun.
 
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#45
I don't get offended by lowball offers, but I also tend to not give them much credence. I think of a lowball offer as 25% or more below the asking price. My response is usually in conformity with the wording of the offer. So if a lowball offer simply asks "Will you take $X?" my response will be "No." On the other hand, if the lowball offer contains an explanation of why that is the amount being offered, then my response will contain a courteous explanation of why I'm asking the price that I am.

Also, some people enjoy haggling and others don't. I hate it, perhaps because I'm not a naturally competitive person. When I sell something I list it at what I believe to be a very fair price. I'm open to the possibility that I'm misinformed about the value of the item, but I think haggling is mostly about one person wanting to "win" a victory over the other person.
 
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#46
Wasnex said:
I agree. However, it's 100% on you whether you take offense or let it roll off your back. In most instances, peoples motives are not clear, unless of course you have figured out how to read minds. IMHO, it's often a mistake to assume you can accurately gauge why someone is doing something, because frequently you will be wrong. However, all to many people do this on a regular basis.
Click to expand...
People who are self-aware and consider how their actions and expressions could be interpreted are more successful than people who consciously or unknowingly don’t care. I’m completely confident in that.
 
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#47
singlemalt said:


I love a swap meet, but damn, folks just don’t get how the haggle works.

Me, “How much for this?” ( new condition item, retails for $180)

Them, “I don’t know, what do you think?”

Me, “SIGH, $20.”

Them, hem and haw a bit… I put the thing down and start to walk away… “OK”

Great, I’m happy, great deal, but where was the fun in that? Haggle properly! We could have had some fun.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it.
 
#48
Never been insulted by lowball offers . It costs nothing to say nothing . They irritate me a little but I've had worse . All the best deals I have ever done have been by talking to people . REAL people . Face to face . I have done deals with good folk for a fraction of the real value of items . Both ways . I have refused to sell to a***holes and been out of pocket and given stuff to dudes for nothing . A businessman I am not but cosmic karma goes a long way .
It has all worked so far .
Time is a finite resource . Money is not .....;):hyper:
 
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#49
My best acoustic guitar I for for an exceptional price by stating that I really liked it, but I'm broke and can only afford $800*, when he was asking $1500 (it had been listed for a while). I said I knew it was a low ball and insulting and I prayed he got a better price. Several weeks later he asked if I was still interested and I got it for what I asked.

My point is make the offer politely, accept it will likely be rejected, and move one. But you might get lucky.

* This was also 100% true, and I love it and won't ever sell it. God put it on my path...
 
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#50
turf3 said:
It's also regional and generational.

In Texas, old farts like me, we expect a low initial offer, then back and forth, with hopefully a final resolution on the actual price. In the Boston area people get all pi$$ed off if you don't just pay exactly what they're asking.

Also, old people tend to be far more accepting of dickering on price, whereas younger people seem to think the price is the price.

Getting offended is just BS all the way round. Waste of emotional energy.
Click to expand...
Agreed. You can always just say "NO" and walk away. Nobody "needs" to buy anything . . .
 
#52
Getting offended is silly. I will think you’re waisting my time though. I don’t get why people get mad when I don’t even reply or respond with a counter price when they offer a price that is absurd. I always say people should look at the used market online and then subtract 100 bucks if they buy in person. I posted a Super Bassman for 1200 a few years ago. I would have gone down to 1000 no problem. Dude offered 500 and then got mad when I told him no thanks and then went on telling me how my mint condition amp wasn’t worth that much… even though I was priced lower than anywhere online. I price a little higher than I want usually expecting people to haggle and I always ask if I find the asking price crazy when purchasing. I’m sorry but I’m not paying more than retail or even retail the moment it’s been taken home unless it’s not made anymore and hard to find. I tend to believe most things are worth 80% of actual value the moment it’s not new in store but that’s just me. Also old doesn’t mean it’s worth crazy money. I’m not giving anyone 300 bucks for an Ampeg 810 with no speakers….
 
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