Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Lowballers
- Thread starter Minimalist
- Start date
In 1979 This is how I got my Hofner bass, it was advertised in the newspaper. I went to try it out and it looked like a good deal, so I offered full advertised price. The sellers phone then started ringing off the wall, people were calling about the bass. The sale was interrupted several times with these calls. I finally said, "I'm here with the cash", and he took it. I didn't have to low ball him.
The price: Oh $175.00. Hey that was a lot of money in 1979 and at that time nobody wanted hollow body basses. I thought that since Paul played one, it was a safe bet.
The price: Oh $175.00. Hey that was a lot of money in 1979 and at that time nobody wanted hollow body basses. I thought that since Paul played one, it was a safe bet.
I mean, yeah! Why not have some fun and throw some ridicule their way!
When I get a low baller, I respond with a much higher counter offer.
One guy asked me if he missed the joke, I replied that the joke was his original offer.
One guy asked me if he missed the joke, I replied that the joke was his original offer.
Idk, my drummer offered 50 bucks on a bass listed 200 and he owns that bass so...
I've never stupidly lowballed anyone. But what I find works best for me, as a buyer, is when the seller offers such a good bass at such a good price that I am willing to pay exactly what they are asking for without feeling like I somehow got gypped. Example A: Eight years ago, when I scored a minty Peavey TL-Five shipped in an aluminum flight case for just a hair over $500 Canadian...
These kind of people are just trolls and should be ignored, IMHO. However, some sellers have unreasonable expectations and should be contacted with offers.
Recently, I was in the market for a specific microphone. One popped up in the Classifieds at a reasonable price for local pickup but was insanely overpriced due to his shipping cost.
I pm'd him to explain my interest and concern. I suggest what I was willing to pay. He responded that he just posted and had no intention of lowering the shipping cost. Sure enough, a week or so later, he messaged back, accepting my offer.
If they give an explanation why they offer so low I might respond with a polite, but firm decline.
Usually though, the driving factor behind a low offer (or a high asking price) is greed. There is no hope of educating these people and you definitely don't want to get sucked into a discussion with someone who has bad motives from the start. I ignore those offers.
Usually though, the driving factor behind a low offer (or a high asking price) is greed. There is no hope of educating these people and you definitely don't want to get sucked into a discussion with someone who has bad motives from the start. I ignore those offers.
All my friends know the low baller
The low ball-er is a little liar
The low ball-er dives a little lower
Low ball-er is a real joker
Low ball-er knows every cheat, yeah
Low ball-er, is the one to unmeet, yeah
Low ball-er don’t use no class now
The low ball-er you can outlast now
Take a little tip, try to get a grip
Tell him to take a trip and flee
Take a little tip, try to get a grip
Tell him to never contact me
- The results of being snowed-in on a Saturday morning and having too much coffee
A for the OP's lowball: Just for you, I can offer 7 * $150. Grab it while you can.
Last edited:
Recently, someone offered me $5000.00 for a bass, a Fodera, that I'm seeking for $8000.00. I responded with a counter offer of $10,000.00, explaining to the that the price now included a surcharge for assuming that I was either that stupid or that desperate to even entertain their offer. I never heard from them again, shockingly so.
Back before shipping got insane, I found a Phil Jones Roadcase amp (750W, twelve 5" speakers) for sale for around $1800 IIRC. My guitar player friend was enamored with my Phil Jones cabs by this point, and I told him about this listing, and he got kinda giddy about it. We decided to tag-team the seller with low-balls. My friend offered $900, which was immediately rejected. I offered $1200, and that was close enough to start a conversation. I think I ended up buying it for $1500. (It's been a while, so my memory isn't precise regarding the numbers, but they're pretty close if not exact.)
A lot of the lowballers just throw out stupid low offers to take advantage of sellers that are hard up for cash and then flip the item for a profit. It must work enough of the time to make it worthwhile.
yep... The new generation of AI-powered dealio-bot ships with the mantra: "It never hurts to ask!"... if you do much selling, you can probaby expect to see more of that in the future
If there’s some sort of clear disrespect in the low ball message, ignore or block. It’s the internet, so nothing to take personally, but red flags…
If there seems to be a reasonable human being on the other end, perhaps simply hoping for a super deal or they have seen the occasional rare deals that we’ve all heard of, can decline and counter with a real price that you’d accept at the moment. I’ve explained that I plan to give my sale price a chance for some time and I can contact them if I lower it if it doesn’t move, but my price or a slight adjustment has usually worked out… that person or someone else.
I think the state of affairs with auction site fees, payment fees, shipping insurance and competing sales prices… the resulting net-cash from the sale can be lower than previous times, which I think plays both ways really… some folks keep prices higher to cover all of that, and others expect a loss and price it to move.
Off topic. Being overseas, shipping to here can be a concern for sellers, and what would have been a mutually good deal can have trouble happening. Sometimes I even see it sell for less $ later on than I would have paid… even with perfect long-time buyer feedback, and so far no problem receiving or shipping this sort of gear via USPS (despite all the horror stories about all the shipping companies—I.e. pack it appropriately and insure it, right!?).
If there seems to be a reasonable human being on the other end, perhaps simply hoping for a super deal or they have seen the occasional rare deals that we’ve all heard of, can decline and counter with a real price that you’d accept at the moment. I’ve explained that I plan to give my sale price a chance for some time and I can contact them if I lower it if it doesn’t move, but my price or a slight adjustment has usually worked out… that person or someone else.
I think the state of affairs with auction site fees, payment fees, shipping insurance and competing sales prices… the resulting net-cash from the sale can be lower than previous times, which I think plays both ways really… some folks keep prices higher to cover all of that, and others expect a loss and price it to move.
Off topic. Being overseas, shipping to here can be a concern for sellers, and what would have been a mutually good deal can have trouble happening. Sometimes I even see it sell for less $ later on than I would have paid… even with perfect long-time buyer feedback, and so far no problem receiving or shipping this sort of gear via USPS (despite all the horror stories about all the shipping companies—I.e. pack it appropriately and insure it, right!?).
Last edited:
If you don’t respond and ignore them they will be wasting their time waiting for a response, which I find somewhat satisfying.
I've had a couple come by the house and do that after we talked and agreed on the price. Now I can understand if something is not in the shape it was thought to be and I can give some wiggle room if I see their point.
But coming in and liking it then trying to lowball way out of proportion to the price?
My response is to gently grab them by the elbow and walk them to the front door and say thanks for stopping by as I close that front door.
I counter, with an offer higher than the original listing, that seems to work.
