• 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.

Lowballing stories thread

#21
I had my modded MTD KZ5 up for sale/trade on CL a while back, which I valued at 850. I get an offer for some dean 5er that's 500 new, uhh...no!

I sold a zoom H4 recorder to a guy that seemed really cool, we talked for quite a bit just about stuff, he even offered to hook me up with a job at Best Buy since he knew someone there. We set up a time to meet at a pizza place and I took the bus down there since I can for free with my student ID. I get there and he calls me saying, "ah man, I'm going to be a little late. You could just order us some pizza though since you're there" say whaaat?! Well I did, just to be nice. He shows up 30 minutes late and "could only get X amount", 20 less that we agreed on. Again, whatever. I showed him that it worked, said here's your damn pizza and bounced as I almost missed the last bus home.
 
#23
dukaruk said:
I tried to trade a Boss SYB-5 at guitar center and the bass playing checker came back from talking it over with his manager with a red face. Said they would give me $30 for it. LOL, sold it for $70 on craigslist days later.
Click to expand...

That EXACT thing happened to me, with the EXACT same pedal.

I paid 6x what they are offering me, and I bought it at THIS same guitar center!!!
 
#25
I've got some pretty bad ones over the years!

NUMBER ONE:
Last year, I was selling a Strat knock-off by a weird brand named Phoenix. It was a great little guitar, made in Japan in the early 80's. It KILLED every Mexican strat I played and many American ones.

I listed it as ASKING for $300 (what I paid). I got an email with an offer for $75 for the guitar and when I said no, the guy got really irate and emailed me back telling me how crappy the guitar was.
He also included pictures of his collection of expensive Fenders and Gibsons, telling me how much better his guitars were than mine.
He told me I was a liar for calling it a 'strat knock-off' because it had two humbucking pickups instead of three single coils (despite the fact that the body, neck and headstock shape were identical to Fender).

It was a strange and surreal experience!



NUMBER TWO:
This isn't bass related, but about 10 years ago, I sold off my entire DVD collection. This was when pawn shops had used DVDs selling for $15 - $20.

I listed my whole collection (about 75 DVDs) at $10 per DVD and I mentioned that if a buyer was interested in more than one, I would make them a deal.

Sure enough, I got an email from a guy offering me $75 for the ENTIRE collection. :rolleyes:
 
#26
I always list the item for more than I expect to get for it. That way, the buyer thinks they've pulled out over on me, and I get what thought the item was really worth to me.

No one pays full price. Ever. That is the nature of the beast.
 
#27
Ughhh CL has some sleezy people and some very nice people. I dealt with this man, he was a very experienced bass player, great guy, one of the nicest, most mellow guys I ever met. He plays for a living in a small 2 person group. I ended up selling him my Fender Aerodyne Jazz for $350, just wanted to get rid of it, and my squier deluxe active 4 for $150, so two basses for $500 bucks, not too bad, I just wanted to downsize. So a week later (time does matter on this one)I get an email saying he loved the jazz bass, and its so light, and perfect for his playing style. I responded saying great, im glad he likes it, and hope it keeps it, he responded back saying he would and he loved gigging with it. That night I went on eBay just to kick around, I wanted to see what the aerodyne prices were, not like it was going to have an impact on my deal. I see that he had put up the bass THE DAY AFTER I SOLD IT TO HIM, and he was selling it for nearly $800 dollars!!!!! Nearly 450 bucks more than what I sold it to him for. I was furious, I didn't really care that he flipped it, but more than a fellow musician would lie to me about it.
 
#28
The problem I usually have is the flakes. I'll have someone call or e-mail, show interest, we set a time to meet someplace, then they don't show. That drives me nuts. It's so disrespectful to say you are going to meet someone, and then not even show up, and not even have the guts to call before hand and at least lie and say "something came up".

Oh, and a couple of times I had people show up short on cash. One guy showed up when I sold my MiA Jazz with $300 (I was asking $500). I sent him packing. A few years before that, I was selling my Ibanez SR800, and the guy showed up, really liked the bass, then got his personal checkbook out. Uh, no. I sent him to the bank to get cash. And, he actually came back, he wanted that bass badly.

There's no doubt that if I'm selling a bass, I'm broke. But, I'm not desperate enough to get screwed out of money. :scowl:
 
#30
It never fails that some jerk will try to really lowball me on anything I put on CL. I generally just ignore them. I have no issue with people making a reasonable offer. It the outrageous ones that are annoying to me.

My latest lowball offer story was from Ebay and I'm pretty sure that the offeree was/is a member here:

Had a particular bass up for what I felt was a reasonable amount at around $1200 or so, no reserve and my starting bid was what I wanted for the bass. No biggie right? I received a message about it from this person in which they state that recently they saw a non-active version of the same bass go for $750 and would I take $850 since mine was active.

I usually ignore people like this but I was cranky that day. Replied and in the kindest way possible told them what they could do with themselves without using profanity and added them to my blocked bidders list.

I think that some people think that because you list an item on CL or Ebay that you are desperate for money or just plain stupid.
 
#31
I put a Boss RC-2 up for sale in the TB classifieds asking $150 firm, with an added footswitch for $10. Someone asked about it and we exchanged PMs for about 4 days or so, answering various questions. After 4 days the guy says he wants it and offers $120. I told him I wanted what I asked, but to be cool said I would give him both the pedal and the footswitch for $140. His response was 'I shouldnt be spending money anyway'. It was a polite exchange and all but it had only been listed for a few days and I wasnt about to jump. I got an offer a few days ago selling both for $150.
 
#32
I ended up selling that bass $100 to a dude who will play it at church.

Funny thing is I intended to sell it for $100 from the beginning, and listed it at $125 OBO, so my intending selling price was really obvious.

I had to patiently wait for the dude to give me a couple reasons why he was going to offer $100.

Ok, it had a fret buzz on the low F, which I fixed in front of him with a set of Allen wrench (gave him a crash course on how to set up a bass neck).

"Yes, I will take $100 for it, okaaaay..."

To what someone said: no issue with dealing and wheeling at all. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS bargain or attempt to, unless the price is damn right, like for the MTD Kingston I am in the middle of buying.

The issue is with the MANNER. Don't call and act like a jerk and offer less right away without even seeing the instrument.

It's obvious some folks are scouting the CL ads for bargains from folks who need to pay rent ASAP and then flip them.

I flipped a T40 for $350 on the Bay after paying $300 for both that T40 and a Foundation, both with bullet cases.

But I did it by first trying the T40 for a month then realizing it was not for me and selling it with starting price at the same I paid for ($150) and a buy it now at $350. Turns out some dude bought it right away at $350.

I am as much a capitalist as anyone, but pure greed is evil in my mind.
 
#33
I've bought and sold quite a bit on CL and have had mostly good experiences. I almost always paid the full asking price because I looked for the deals and they were there.

I don't like to make a show about counting money, so when I sold a Dean EUB, and pocketed the cash, I was later surprised to find it $200 short. I had no contact info, but posted an RE: hoping the guy would realize his mistake and make good. Right.

So, I sell a Squire to a guy who was buying for a student. I figure student bass players need deals, so I dropped the price without his needing to ask. Again, I just pocketed the money, only to find later that the buyer gave me my original asking price not my discounted price. And, again, no contact info, so I RE: on CL, he sees the post and contacts me, saying he was happy to pay the original price because he felt it was such a deal. I think we were all feeling pretty good that day.
 
#36
Oh man you should have seen the lowballs I was getting when I was selling my Ric. I initially listed it here on TB, but after only some initial nibbles, I figured Id try it on CL too. Nothing too crazy but yeah the old, Ill give you $1100 (I was selling for $1500 firm). I said great, but if you want the bass it will be $1500. I got tons of screwy offers on that one.

I ended up selling for more than the asking price to someone in another state. I told him I was using CL to sell locally and I would need more money for shipping. He coughed it up.
 
#39
I've been pretty fortunate with Craigslist and TB. As a general rule I don't let people come to my house, for a few basses where I've sold to be people here, I've made an exception.

I'm in the process of selling a power amp and that has seemed to bring out the dregs of the earth. We'll see.

Worse than the lowball offers are the people that want to come over and try out your gear.

Adam
 
#40
Jluckie3 said:
every craigslist transaction i have made was done at a public location such as the library two blocks from my house. it is not worth my family's safety for any sort of sale
Click to expand...

How true, i NEVER have someone come over to my place, i always meet at a public place (Starbucks)and the transaction take place there.

5 days ago (still have it for sale) i put my ATK up for sale at what i think is a very good price $300. Some guy e-mails me and tells me he will buy it for $200. I tell him "I'll compromise, I'm willing to sell it to you for $325.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back