• 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

#61
Ive always had a rough time here on talkbass classifieds. You can literally post the following:

MIA Fender Jazz V Deluxe. Worth $1200. Will take $25. NO TRADES

and the first two PM's you'll get will be....

"Will you take $15?"

and

"I know you said no trades, but Ive got a nice pair of used socks worth at least $5. Take those plus $5 in pennies?"

I have had a bass on classifieds for over a month and have literally had SEVEN PEOPLE contact me, negotiate a fair price, agree to the price, say they're sending payment.... and then IMMEDIATELY rescind and cancel... or PM 2 days later saying their "situation has changed" and they cant come up with the cash.
 
#63
Does a reverse lowball qualify? Also known as a tip. I sold a well used but exceptionally clean SWR WM12 on CL. My advertised price was $150. Guy showed up right on time, nice fellow, brief test drive, and he handed me eight $20 bills. I was reaching for my wallet to make $10 change, and he wouldn't take it. Said he was very happy with the purchase and thanks a lot.

I think there is a difference between reasonable price negotiations and lowballing. A request for ten or twenty percent off comes with the territory, and I routinely do it myself in person. CL is a variation on the good ol' flea market, after all. Never hurts to ask. But a fifty percent chop is an insult, assuming the item was priced fairly to start. And I never come down in price for the first customer. Sorry, you're first up, and I have emails from other interested parties in line after you.

As for scuzzy lowlifes coming to my house, that hasn't happened yet. Everyone I've met thru CL has been okay or better. And that's 40 or 50 CL deals buying and selling over the past several years. Nevertheless, no one ever sees my fully equipped rehearsal studio with its dazzling array of music gear. The item for sale is waiting just inside the front door, and that's where the demo and deal take place.
 
#64
I once saw a listing on CL for a Squier VM P bass, I was short of cash, so I emailed him asking if he was interested in any trades. He said no, was just looking for cash. No problem.

About a week later I decided to put one of my basses on CL looking for trades and posted a long list of basses (mostly Squiers and Epiphones) that I was interested in. He emails me asking if i'm willing to sell it for cash. I recognized his email and said I was really looking to trade and it was too bad he didn't still have the VM P bass. we both got a laugh out of that.

Ended up trading the bass for Goth Epi-bird.
 
#65
Not a lowball story but an idea for anyone on craigslist selling.

I don't let the people in my house. The object for sale and I meet them outside (I tell them to call me when they are on the way). If it's something that shouldn't be outside (equipment or whatnot) I open the garage door and meet them there. Any equipment or whatnot in the garage is covered, so the garage just looks full of worthless stuff (actually it kinda is...lol).

The couple of times I've bought instruments off other people they did the garage thing too, where they put the instrument/amp/drumset out in the garage and we looked at it there. Worked fine for me :)

Actually I do have a lowball story.....but on a snake. I had a snake worth a couple hundred dollars, put it and its tank on cl for $80 figuring at least I'd break even...... guy emails me offering $50. Come to find out he has lots of reptiles so he know the true value of that species very well. I decided I'd rather give it to a friend than sell it that low....so I did . Sounds like a bunch of stuff has been given to friends rather than sold for way cheap.....funny :)
 
#66
This reminds me of a slightly off-topic story. I'm a big baseball fan and go to lots of Brewers games. Last season I had four tickets to a game, but my wife and I couldn't find anyone else to go to this particular game. Usually I go over to the designated re-sale area outside the stadium, and the guys that always hang out there will give you an OK price on the tickets. I guess this particular Saturday night was kind of slow, and the most they would give me was $25 for the pair of tickets...the face value on each ticket was around $35...good seats on the second level, basically behind home plate.

We waited around a while and they wouldn't budge. I wanted at least $30 for the pair. Guy wouldn't budge. So, we decided to walk away. The main "re-seller" (nice way of saying scalper), said "Hey man, you're not going to take the $25?" and I replied, "No, I'd rather give them away than sell them to you for $25!" And that is what I intended to do. Funny thing though, on the way to the entrance, we ran into another re-seller, who traded us two club level tickets directly behind home plate (the club level is basically the "high end" section of the park with waiters who come to your seat to take your order, the interior is air conditioned, etc) for our four tickets, then threw $20 on top of that. So we were happy, and we didn't give into the low balling scalpers.
 
#67
I AM the lowballer guy. I hate to admit it, but I find that eventually someone accepts the offer.

Just to show off my profit, I got a special edition Fender Strat (very rare guitar) and a 60 watt Peavey guitar amp for a total of $275.

Why not shoot someone a lowball offer if you got time to wait?
 
#68
pablomigraine said:
Ive always had a rough time here on talkbass classifieds. You can literally post the following:

MIA Fender Jazz V Deluxe. Worth $1200. Will take $25. NO TRADES
Click to expand...

I'm slightly confused. Was the $25 a typo? If not, maybe that's why you get the slightly sarcastic, yet extremely hopeful lowball remarks...


EDIT: I get what you're saying now. You're using an exaggerated example of how bad the 'low-balling' is.
 
#69
Here's a tip. ...... Wait them out. ...... That's it. ...... They've traveled to buy so they have the money. ..... They've taken the time so they want the product. ..... They say low ball you say no! Always wait for they're second offer. If it isn't more say "Thanks for coming by but that's the price." ..... Tip two: Don't invite them into your living space. Do business in the basement or garage somewhere that they're not comfortable and don't offer them anything to drink. .... It's business not social. ..... The longer they stand the better chance at getting full price. That is unless it's over priced to begin with.
Years ago I was selling a plywood bass for $1,000. Guy comes to my and offers $700. I say no and change the subject. Talk about the weather, the time of day, my dog anything. It took him near an hour, but waiting that hour made me $300.
 
#71
bassplaya614 said:
What is a plywood bass? A bass made of plywood?

How is that worth a grand?
Click to expand...

Upright bass. ........ And the older ones in good shape go for more than that. Uprights are made from either solid or plywood Spruce. Plywood basses are stronger and can take more abuse. Solid tops can split and come apart but sound bigger when played. ..... Little upright bass lesson.
 
#73
Good quality plywood basses can sound great and last a lifetime. German maker Hofner made great basses. So did USA maker Kay. They're also know as laminates, by those who think plywood is a bad word.
Many good quality electric bass builders use exotic wood laminate bodies that could be called plywood. .... I'm kind of surprised some builders haven't started making Ash and Alder laminated/plywood bodies because of the drop in good woods available for builders. I'd be interested in those.
 
#74
Jefenator said:
Your story #2, that's not cool. That's why I've been avoiding CL and if I ever start, I won't be letting shady folks scope out my home.
Click to expand...
I meet everybody in a coffee shop on CL, but CL in Canada seems to be a lot cooler than most everywhere else...I've met some pretty cool people and only one or two loonies doing deals, and the loonies you know instantly anyway.
I did have one guy ask me if I was interested in trades for some vintage blah blah blah that I had up there. I said maybe, what ya got? He sends me a link to the stuff he has up on usedanywhere: it's all used hi-top sneakers, old jeans, an ugly lamp, $2 coffee maker thing...like he's been dumpster diving and thinks I'm going to give him a Big Muff for some vomit-stained junkie pants :eyebrow:


bassplaya614 said:
Why not shoot someone a lowball offer if you got time to wait?
Click to expand...
..because a lot of people will just add you to their doofus list and your emails will just get dumped in the spam folder in future maybe :D ?
(at least that's what I do)
 
#76
michael_atw said:
What, you think you're the only one sending offers? While there's 25 sending lowball offers, there are 5 that are sending legit offers...and I'd say most people would rather type out 5 good emails than haggle 25 others.
Click to expand...


I see the problem.

Where I am though, I am probably the only one actually interested in anything in the musical instrument section of CL.

At least it seems that way.
 
#77
I have a bit of a reverse low-ball story.

I buy and sell a lot of things on Kijiji. I've bought and sold guitars, camera gear, computer equipment, etc. etc. and a couple of years ago I was looking for a practice amp to take with me to university. I found a 10W Orange that some kid was asking $120 for. I called him up and he agreed to take $100 for it, plus he had some cables laying around that he'd throw in for free. Score! Well on my way out there I call him up to let him know I'm on my way and to get directions, and I give him my cell number in case anything changes.

Well I stop at an ATM to get some cash out and the kid calls me up and says "Hey man, I just changed the price to $75."
Me : "Wasn't our price $100?"
Him : "Yeah, don't worry about it."

SCORE!

So I get out to his house and meet him at the door, the kid is maybe 16 or so. (I was 20 at the time.) He refuses to take the full $100 so I give him $80 because I don't have change and he tells me: "I sold my guitar so I've got a few things left over if you want them?"

So I end up leaving his house with :
- Amp still in the box
- 2 cables
- Tuner
- Brand new stand

all for $75. And I sold the amp just last year for $75. One of the better deals I've come across...


I've also traded one bone stock RG321 for a newer RG321 with a SuperDistortion and a ToneZone.
 
#79
BrettTheThreat said:
I have a bit of a reverse low-ball story.

I buy and sell a lot of things on Kijiji. I've bought and sold guitars, camera gear, computer equipment, etc. etc. and a couple of years ago I was looking for a practice amp to take with me to university. I found a 10W Orange that some kid was asking $120 for. I called him up and he agreed to take $100 for it, plus he had some cables laying around that he'd throw in for free. Score! Well on my way out there I call him up to let him know I'm on my way and to get directions, and I give him my cell number in case anything changes.

Well I stop at an ATM to get some cash out and the kid calls me up and says "Hey man, I just changed the price to $75."
Me : "Wasn't our price $100?"
Him : "Yeah, don't worry about it."

SCORE!

So I get out to his house and meet him at the door, the kid is maybe 16 or so. (I was 20 at the time.) He refuses to take the full $100 so I give him $80 because I don't have change and he tells me: "I sold my guitar so I've got a few things left over if you want them?"

So I end up leaving his house with :
- Amp still in the box
- 2 cables
- Tuner
- Brand new stand

all for $75. And I sold the amp just last year for $75. One of the better deals I've come across...


I've also traded one bone stock RG321 for a newer RG321 with a SuperDistortion and a ToneZone.
Click to expand...
:hmm: The poor dude.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back