Has haggling died?

[Hay Dude]

Another “ new normal “ I see is now that we have the virus engrained into our culture, there’s a special subset of opportunists that think everything offered for sale is now worthless or the seller mayst be desperate because theyre underemployed or unemployed. :laughing:

 

[fried1765]

Thats pretty much what I do.

What I find fascinating is when I have something for sale and a potential buyer calls me and says I have to travel 5 hours to buy your tractor, so I need you to take $1,000 off the price :laughing:

Like Im supposed to compensate some clown for travel time and expense because he wants to shop for a tractor 5 hours from his home? :confused2:

I expect haggling, but comp for travel? :laughing:

I almost never put myself in a position of needing something immediately.
Last June, bought a 250 hr. original owner Kubota L48 TLB, with several nice accessories.
The L48 was an 8 hour drive away, in Maine.

I called a friend, (near the seller) in Maine, and asked him to look at it for me.
I then called the seller, and we negotiated on the phone.
I only got the price down $1,000.

If we had not reached agreement, I wonder how long it might have taken him to find another $32K cash buyer.
Just over half price, when compared with new L47 TLB, outfitted with similar gadgetry.
No anti pollution garbage!
I think we both got a very fair deal.

 

[Hay Dude]

I almost never put myself in a position of needing something immediately.
Last June, bought a 250 hr. original owner Kubota L48 TLB, with several nice accessories.
The L48 was an 8 hour drive away, in Maine.

I called a friend, (near the seller) in Maine, and asked him to look at it for me.
I then called the seller, and we negotiated on the phone.
I only got the price down $1,000.

If we had not reached agreement, I wonder how long it might have taken him to find another $32K cash buyer.
Just over half price, when compared with new L47 TLB, outfitted with similar gadgetry.
No anti pollution garbage!
I think we both got a very fair deal.

Want to buy an 08 F-250 FX4 supercab shortbed 6.4L diesel? :laughing:

 

[fried1765]

Want to buy an 08 F-250 FX4 supercab shortbed 6.4L diesel? :laughing:

My L48 TLB has a 2' hoe bucket, and does dig to 11'
But.....would still take too long to dig such a big hole :laughing:

 

[caver]

My buying and selling recently has been 100% FB Marketplace. Yesterday's experience selling a 3-point receiver hitch went excellent. One guy said if I would meet him halfway (15 miles one way for me) he would give me $10 above what I'm asking. I said no, I don't travel. He was able to slip away from work yesterday morning and pick it up. Less than 24 hour had passed between me listing the ad and selling It had just over 800 views. I forgot how many messages I had in my inbox over that thing.
Most of time I wont haggle online as my experience has been 100% of those buyers will not buy it. A big ticket $$ long distance drive I'm open to agreeing on a price (haggle).
Until they drive to your place they really have no skin in the game. Recently I have seen an upswing of people that want to meet you halfway driving. Nope, I'm not a delivery service and not gonna have you flake on me being a no-show. I had two of those this morning waiting in my inbox.

I also see people using this phrase which just seems stupid works, as it should

 

[jjp8182]

Real problem is there are so many who haven't a clue what the value of the item is, but want to haggle just for the sake of haggling (potentially even after they've gotten a lower price) - or don't want to haggle at all for the same reason. Both can really make a person dislike negotiating on prices.

Given all the resources available in this day and age, it also shouldn't be too hard to figure out what a fair price is for most items well before it's put up for sale -- or deciding to purchase it. So in some ways, I'd say haggling has gotten harder and is more likely to cross over into being disrespectful or just a waste of time rather quickly.

On that note, I personally tend to the the sort that doesn't haggle much as I generally sell things at prices to get them to move quickly (so I don't spend excess time dealing with potential buyers), and when buying I tend to look for good/fair prices (why waste time/money dealing with sellers that don't value my time/money?)

Just my :2cents: though

 

[Hay Dude]

Real problem is there are so many who haven't a clue what the value of the item is, but want to haggle just for the sake of haggling (potentially even after they've gotten a lower price) - or don't want to haggle at all for the same reason. Both can really make a person dislike negotiating on prices.

Given all the resources available in this day and age, it also shouldn't be too hard to figure out what a fair price is for most items well before it's put up for sale -- or deciding to purchase it. So in some ways, I'd say haggling has gotten harder and is more likely to cross over into being disrespectful or just a waste of time rather quickly.

On that note, I personally tend to the the sort that doesn't haggle much as I generally sell things at prices to get them to move quickly (so I don't spend excess time dealing with potential buyers), and when buying I tend to look for good/fair prices (why waste time/money dealing with sellers that don't value my time/money?)

Just my :2cents: though

I like the ones that want to buy 14 year old equipment that looks and functions like new AND make you drop the price 20% below a fair price.
How “ realistic “ of you!! :laughing:

 

[Looking4new]

Currently have a tractor for sale at a very fair price. Has been on a lot for about 5 weeks. Sure would like to sell it and have flexed more than thought I would for one person who was sure he was buying it that day...yep he totally fell through. Used car salesperson. Have I considered lowering the sale price, yes but have not for know many people will look at a car or tractor more than once before they buy. I don't mind being offered a low ball price. I will counter with price higher than I have it for sale which shocks them.

Oh, you want to give me 50 bux for that item I advertised for 100? I don't think 200. bux is too unreasonable. That is the way I sell.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

in the past couple years, im noticing a trend with used stuff, where the seller refuses to budge even a dollar, I bought a van over 21k used, that the sales guy even said they couldn't move for 2 years, yet only after showing up and walking out door, got 200 dollars off.

I am now actively trying to buy a tractor. this is now the 3rd tractor where the seller, doesn't even counter, its simply a NO. 14,250 on a 15k tractor was my offer.

I don't know if this is a new thing, but i have always in the past at least saw some attempt at haggling. Am i a relic?

Is haggling dead? Not with me it hasn't. If you cannot haggle I really don't want to work with you. Red tag sales: that's a haggling opportunity even at big box stores. Just picked up a 20-gallon, 12v sprayer that was originally priced $279, for $99 bucks on a "blab it and buy it" haggle from Northern Hydraulics. Got my new-to-me wheel loader on a haggle. After the fact, the guy said that he didn't want to tell me that he'd inherited it for fear that I'd haggle him down further. Man, I love to haggle!

I'm also a real estate broker so formal haggling is in my job description.

 

[Ford850]

I love to haggle but price most things fair for a quick sale and there’s no need to dicker. But buying? Oh yeah I love it. I worked in a gun store at age 16, and learned the fine art of wheeling and dealing used guns. It makes me smile just thinking of it. My buddies would ask me to buy stuff for them at flea markets and gun shows because they hated to haggle. I tried to force them into it a few times by telling them what to offer but they just couldn’t go ask for a lower price. So on more than one occasion, on little things $20 or less, I would tell them what to offer (sometimes half price just to start negotiations) and my buddies would refuse. So I would walk up to the table and hand the guy a $10 bill, pick up the item, and say something like “good?” And they almost always say yes. So in those cases I’d turn and smile to my buddies and say $20 if you want it from me. Sometimes they bought it and a couple things I still have and love to remind them of the good deal I once got when I bought it out from under them. Good stories and good times.

 

[fried1765]

I love to haggle but price most things fair for a quick sale and there’s no need to dicker. But buying? Oh yeah I love it. I worked in a gun store at age 16, and learned the fine art of wheeling and dealing used guns. It makes me smile just thinking of it. My buddies would ask me to buy stuff for them at flea markets and gun shows because they hated to haggle. I tried to force them into it a few times by telling them what to offer but they just couldn’t go ask for a lower price. So on more than one occasion, on little things $20 or less, I would tell them what to offer (sometimes half price just to start negotiations) and my buddies would refuse. So I would walk up to the table and hand the guy a $10 bill, pick up the item, and say something like “good?” And they almost always say yes. So in those cases I’d turn and smile to my buddies and say $20 if you want it from me. Sometimes they bought it and a couple things I still have and love to remind them of the good deal I once got when I bought it out from under them. Good stories and good times.

Much of the entire world haggles for nearly everything.
Not so much in the USA

 

[dnw64]

Here's a reverse haggle.

My son had a 1964 M-F tractor with loader and backhoe. The rear main seal was leaking REALLY bad, and it's a MAJOR job to replace it. He put it up for $4000 (I think that's what he paid for it maybe 2 years before and hadn't done anything major to it).

Got a guy that seemed really interested, and came to look at it. He offered $6000. My son said "No, it's not worth that, I'm asking $4000".

 

[Looking4new]

Here's a reverse haggle.

My son had a 1964 M-F tractor with loader and backhoe. The rear main seal was leaking REALLY bad, and it's a MAJOR job to replace it. He put it up for $4000 (I think that's what he paid for it maybe 2 years before and hadn't done anything major to it).

Got a guy that seemed really interested, and came to look at it. He offered $6000. My son said "No, it's not worth that, I'm asking $4000".

You raised that boy right.:thumbsup:

 

[TCowner]

All of the "pro-hagglers" seem to think they won the sale because they "haggled". Really, if the seller has to inflate the price to allow for "haggling" rather than set a reasonable and fair market price, aren't we just wasting one another's time. Because of "rule of haggling" I have to add to the price at the beginning of the sale so that I can take off at the end. But I know that haggling seems to be required so I add a few dollars so that some guy can tell his wife that he "kicked my butt" in the sale. I guess if it gets the item sold then so be it.

 

[jjp8182]

All of the "pro-hagglers" seem to think they won the sale because they "haggled". Really, if the seller has to inflate the price to allow for "haggling" rather than set a reasonable and fair market price, aren't we just wasting one another's time. Because of "rule of haggling" I have to add to the price at the beginning of the sale so that I can take off at the end. But I know that haggling seems to be required so I add a few dollars so that some guy can tell his wife that he "kicked my butt" in the sale. I guess if it gets the item sold then so be it.

Have a friend/coworker who sells used vehicles on the side, some of the stories he's has are entertaining -- especially the ones where someone wants to keep haggling to the point he finally got tired of it an told them "it's no longer for sale for you to buy". ....apparently some have never considered that the seller can walk/drive away from the sale as well or that continually nagging and attempting to wheel and deal on the price beyond what the person is willing to accept is just plain old rude/disrespectful and counter-productive.

 

[Hay Dude]

All of the "pro-hagglers" seem to think they won the sale because they "haggled". Really, if the seller has to inflate the price to allow for "haggling" rather than set a reasonable and fair market price, aren't we just wasting one another's time. Because of "rule of haggling" I have to add to the price at the beginning of the sale so that I can take off at the end. But I know that haggling seems to be required so I add a few dollars so that some guy can tell his wife that he "kicked my butt" in the sale. I guess if it gets the item sold then so be it.

It’s just to see who has the bigger pair.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Saw an interesting piece on Youtube. Never tell them you are going to pay CASH or they will not give you a discount as they (especially vehicle dealers) make their money on financing and other Gimmicks, so if they know they won't be making that money, they won't reduce the price.

 

[LD1]

All of the "pro-hagglers" seem to think they won the sale because they "haggled". Really, if the seller has to inflate the price to allow for "haggling" rather than set a reasonable and fair market price, aren't we just wasting one another's time. Because of "rule of haggling" I have to add to the price at the beginning of the sale so that I can take off at the end. But I know that haggling seems to be required so I add a few dollars so that some guy can tell his wife that he "kicked my butt" in the sale. I guess if it gets the item sold then so be it.

Sure that could the true in some cases.

But I think that for the most part....haggling is how the market determines the value.

With used stuff, like c-list stuff or FB marketplace stuff.....no two items are alike. Same condition, options, hours/miles, location, etc.

Obviously as a seller, I want to sell my stuff for the most amount of money possible. As a buyer, I want to pay the least amount possible. Haggling is a way to meet in the middle and arrive at a fair price.

I have seen stuff posted and re-posted for months and months. Obviously the seller thinks their stuff is worth more than the market will bare. I have also seen stuff sold the same day within hours. Obviously the seller was a bit under priced.

But without negotiation, and haggling, you really have no idea the true market value of what you are buying and selling.

 

[fried1765]

Saw an interesting piece on Youtube. Never tell them you are going to pay CASH or they will not give you a discount as they (especially vehicle dealers) make their money on financing and other Gimmicks, so if they know they won't be making that money, they won't reduce the price.

^^^^^ true!!!!

 

[TCowner]

What someone is willing to pay is what sets the price in my opinion. But my point is that because "haggling" seems to be norm we just are fooling ourselves thinking we negotiated or haggled for a better price. Now, of course I ask a seller if they have some "wiggle room" but I do that because I know they added to the price from the beginning knowing I was going to offer less. If this makes people feel better well then I guess we keep doing it.

I am old enough to remember the days of purchasing a car when the "haggling" at the dealership took most of the day. You were put in the sales person's "cubicle" and the insanity commenced. The salesperson made his ridiculous offer and the buyer countered with a ridiculous counter-offer and away we go. The sales guy or gal kept going back and forth between some phantom sales manager and the buyer each time changing the numbers but this crazy procedure took all day.

I am glad the most car/truck dealers have gone to a best price program. With many of the sales taking place online the dealerships really have no option but to get their price quickly. I can't deny that some dealers may have some price reductions left in their pocket but those who do in this environment will lose sales.

From the many comments here it appears that many enjoy haggling and I suspect it will continue. I also understand that sellers may be willing to adjust their price so a lower offer makes sense. I don't mind if someone offers me less than I am asking. And I can pretend that I am in complete torture dropping my price. But once you load up my item on your trailer you will head home thinking you "whooped" me but I go into the house saying that is the price I was going to ask in the first place if I didn't have to haggle.