Has haggling died?

[LD1]

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.

I dont think its about enjoyment, of the feeling of "whooping" someone.

Sellers want to make the most profit possible.....but at the end of the day.....they have a minimum amount of profit they "need" to maintain.
Most buyers want to spend the least they can to get whatever is being sold. Emphasis on most.

Some buyers, dont haggle. Their time is worth more to them than to just pay more and be done.

IF dealers never haggled....and always offered their "bottom dollar" price......their profits wouldnt be nearly as high as some of their competitors

And as a seller....or dealer selling something.....that "bottom dollar price" is ever changing. Usually depends on the level of interest in said items, and how long you have had to sit on it.

With regards to "haggling" with stuff being sold on craigslist.....I elude back to no two items are the same.
I may have a bushhog I want to sell. Their may be hundreds of others that are "similar" for sale also. I want to sell it for what its worth on the fair market. I dont want to sell it for what its worth "to me" because that may be a whole lot less. It may have NO value to me if I dont use it. So I can do my best to compare it to others on the market....maybe ask a little more than something similar that might not be in as good of condition....or ask a little less than something that is in better condition. But one cannot seriously assign firm value. Its gotta come across the eyes of the right buyer at the right time.

IF I am asking $600 for something....and get a call within the first hour of posting offering me $350 or $400.....I probably aint taking it. Its about feeling out what the market will bare. Now if I have had it for 3 weeks and not the first inquiry...and someone offers me $400....its probably gone at that point.

Same with buying. If I am looking at something just listed....I may inquire. But if its still there 3-4 weeks later we may get to a price agreeable to both parties.

MFG's and dealers do it too. Big price drops, inventory reduction and markdowns for old stagnant inventory. And lets not even start on MFG rebates or other dealer incentives and yearly specials.

 

[TractorGuy]

If I am buying something expensive I may make what I believe to be a reasonable offer. If something is already a great deal I will pay quickly and move on.

From and individual standpoint I will sometimes leave room to negotiate a little on some stuff. If I get repeated offers for half my asking price I will edit my ads to read FIRM. Haggling is one thing but tolerating idiots is another. Most of the time these days I just start at a firm price to try and eliminate the BS offers.

It seems certain items tend to draw more BS offers than others. I have been known to take an ad down and keep the item rather than to keep fielding stupid offers. I put and ad up for a 100W solar panel a while back for $60 below new price. After repeated $40-$50 offers I just took the ad down. I plan to use it on my new barn now to maintain batteries.

 

[TCowner]

I agree that when I am selling something the price may drop over time. Selling something on Craigslist, while it does generate a lot traffic, can be somewhat of a torturous process. Much of it comes from the crazy low ball offers (haggling) that you get. I sold a snowmobile several years ago, before the days of Craigslist, and I had set a price that was $500 under book price and the sled was in pristine condition with less than 500 miles. My children were young at the time and we just didn't have time to ride so it made sense to move the sled. Since I had priced this beautiful machine well under the prices used by the banks and credit unions I felt that it was a fair price.

The first interested buyer that showed up the next day after the ad ran in the local newspaper wanted the sled badly but had to "haggle". He offered my $400 less and I refused his offer. The sled had just been published in the local newspaper and we had good snow conditions at the time. I told him that my price was fair given the condition and miles but said that if it didn't sell in the next two weeks I would probably lower my price. He couldn't believe that I wouldn't "negotiate/haggle" on the price as he had never purchased anything were the seller wouldn't lower the price. Of course he was starting to irritate me so I told him that I would go back to book price and negotiate from there if that what we needed to do. After pissing and moaning he ended up taking the sled for the original amount although he was not happy about it. He made it clear that he would never buy anything from me again and uttered several unflattering profanities at me.

The only comfort I got from this transaction was when he went to load the sled (after paying in cash) he overshot the front of his trailer and rammed the skis into the endgate of his truck.

So I really did learn my lesson that day on the art of haggling. Start higher then you ever intend to sell it for and come down so that the buyer feels good. It seems like a silly way to do business but if it gets my item sold then let us haggle away. I realize that if I limit the amount I am willing to haggle on I could lose the sale. But I hate taking a Saturday so that the low ballers can waste my time. The funny thing is that my item usually gets sold at near the price I ask because I don't add the haggle money upfront. Again, I know that I have to put a few buck there so that the wise shoppers can get a deal from me.

I guess if there is justice in the world is knowing that the hagglers who extract every penny during a purchase have to deal with the next generation of hagglers who will be in their garage killing two hours of their time "haggling" to get the last penny.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I just sold a 72" Steiner Deck for $2000.00 CDN. It was listed on Kijiji for maybe two years. Got piles of lowball offers. Will come right now, CASH, blah, blah, blah. Was asking $2200.00 and indicated I would give the expected Kijiji discount. Guy probably would have bought it if I lowered the price by twenty bucks but I gave him the $200.00 off.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

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?

Haggling on new items does seem to have died at WalMart and Tesla. Used equipment not so much. Most any kind of dealership today does not practice 'selling' but only 'order taking'.

 

[radios1]

A Greedy Person will never sell anything above what the item is worth to other People, so, if something don't sell, it's overpriced, and it's their fault for doing that!!..

 

[dnw64]

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.

Generally true, but not always. Sometimes somebody just "has" to have something, has the money and doesn't care to save a couple nickels, and doesn't feel like haggling.

One person does not make the market.

 

[caver]

I just recently sold two items I had listed on MP for many months. Numerous grinders but I said my price was firm. Both were music amplifiers. I said if you can find a better deal on Reverb you better grab it. It just takes the right person to come along. I sold a new deep cycle battery the other day that came with my new camper. One guy said I can get one new for $40. No, I did my homework. But he tipped his hat because if he really found one new for $40...what was he pestering me for? I sold it for 60 and included the battery box which runs about $10.

 

[CalG]

Haggling is fine if both parties are offering GOODS.

1st haggler I'll trade you two steers and a calf for that tractor.
2nd haggler how about you throw in a pig and six bags of feed?
1st haggler You have a deal

But when it's DOLLARS in exchange for goods, it only goes one way. Start at the asking price and work DOWN. Why is that?

I don't haggle. I set a price, if you don't want the item. bugger off!~

I also do not grudge the slightly higher price for goods from local business. When I need them, I want them to be there.

 

[radios1]

Haggling is fine if both parties are offering GOODS.

1st haggler I'll trade you two steers and a calf for that tractor.
2nd haggler how about you throw in a pig and six bags of feed?
1st haggler You have a deal

But when it's DOLLARS in exchange for goods, it only goes one way. Start at the asking price and work DOWN. Why is that?

I don't haggle. I set a price, if you don't want the item. bugger off!~

I also do not grudge the slightly higher price for goods from local business. When I need them, I want them to be there.

that's good if you really don't want to sell something!!..

 

[ultrarunner]

I grew up around the car business and it was very rare a person came in paid sticker.

Sometimes you can't make the deal and timing can be a huge factor...

Never offer more than you can live with to avoid buyers remorse.

Sometimes it comes down to making an offer and leave it at that.

Dad was always good at the art of a deal... buy the kids suits for a wedding and get socks thrown in...

Never know until you ask?

 

[JT42]

I don't buy or sell very often, and I hate dealing with people, so no haggling for me. A couple of examples: I had a truck to sell. KBB valued it at about $1.5k. It had 200k miles, had some issues. I put it on CL for $1.5k OBO, expecting to get offers in the $1k - $1.2k range. I received an e-mail that offered me $500, and the guy assured me that was a "reasonable offer." Ugh. Whatever. I pulled the listing and put it up on ebay instead. Yeah, that meant I had to pay ebay's fee and paypal's fee, but at least that would let the market set the price. It sold for $2.2k, over four times his "reasonable offer."

I also had an older and kind of unique gun to sell. It had interchangeable barrels, with options for up to four different calibers. I found a complete set that sold for $600. Mine was incomplete (only had 3 of the 4 possible barrels) and had some other issues. I took it to a gun show. When people asked about it I started at $400, fully expecting to be talked down to about $300 or even $250. I had no counter offers. One guy even laughed at me as he walked away. I put it up on an auction site knowing that I'd have to pay a FFL about $25-$50 to ship it, plus the auction fee, but at least it would sell. When the auction ended, it sold for about $750, well over what I expected.

So in these cases I had to deal with extra entities (auction companies, FFLs, paypal, etc.) and pay their fees, but the benefit of a much wider buyer audience more than made up for those expenses.

 

[fried1765]

I don't buy or sell very often, and I hate dealing with people, so no haggling for me. A couple of examples: I had a truck to sell. KBB valued it at about $1.5k. It had 200k miles, had some issues. I put it on CL for $1.5k OBO, expecting to get offers in the $1k - $1.2k range. I received an e-mail that offered me $500, and the guy assured me that was a "reasonable offer." Ugh. Whatever. I pulled the listing and put it up on ebay instead. Yeah, that meant I had to pay ebay's fee and paypal's fee, but at least that would let the market set the price. It sold for $2.2k, over four times his "reasonable offer."

I also had an older and kind of unique gun to sell. It had interchangeable barrels, with options for up to four different calibers. I found a complete set that sold for $600. Mine was incomplete (only had 3 of the 4 possible barrels) and had some other issues. I took it to a gun show. When people asked about it I started at $400, fully expecting to be talked down to about $300 or even $250. I had no counter offers. One guy even laughed at me as he walked away. I put it up on an auction site knowing that I'd have to pay a FFL about $25-$50 to ship it, plus the auction fee, but at least it would sell. When the auction ended, it sold for about $750, well over what I expected.

So in these cases I had to deal with extra entities (auction companies, FFLs, paypal, etc.) and pay their fees, but the benefit of a much wider buyer audience more than made up for those expenses.

Yup....always the same.
The international exposure on E-Bay is always better....but, some items are too heavy/bulky to ship economically.
I sold a used diesel vehicle for twice the price offered locally, to a buyer in the Bahamas, and had a competing bidder in Germany.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yup....always the same.
The international exposure on E-Bay is always better....but, some items are too heavy/bulky to ship economically.
I sold a used diesel vehicle for twice the price offered locally, to a buyer in the Bahamas, and had a competing bidder in Germany.

What was it? A old Volvo Diesel?
I might be giving ebay a try on a truck I need to sell. Local calls are all lowball BS in first few weeks....

 

[ding beep]

Yup, I have had good luck on eBay; buying 2 motorcycles and 3 trucks. No haggling, just bidding.

Now, in Canada, it's kijiji. So far, just a boat (I haggled $100 on a weak battery) but I have plenty of saved searches.

I agree with Gale: new purchases seem to be "order-taking" but buying or selling used items has many more variables--age, condition, etc.

Buying new, I try to shop the promotions eg. factory incentives, rebates, Spring Power Package on the tractor implements.

My new Mahindra 2638 TLB was not a 'package deal' but the dealer put together a nice discount for me.

In the end, I did not haggle, although I did catch 2 small math errors on the invoice.

He gladly acknowledged his errors and corrected the numbers.

I don't sell much, I seem to keep what I buy.

:tractor: ding beep

On the other hand, my wife is a haggling queen on the local buy & sell. LOL

 

[fried1765]

What was it? A old Volvo Diesel?
I might be giving ebay a try on a truck I need to sell. Local calls are all lowball BS in first few weeks....

Not a Volvo.....it was a 1986 GMC Jimmy 6,2L diesel.
29 years old,165K miles, in excellent condition.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not a Volvo.....it was a 1986 GMC Jimmy 6,2L diesel.
29 years old,165K miles, in excellent condition.

Whoa!!! A very cool retro ride! I like those things! :thumbsup:

 

[LittleBill21]

to continue the loss of haggling. I just bought a "new" land plane. looks like it was sitting for 2+ years, Can you move on the price at all "No" and that was it. with a 14 week lead time from most manufacture's I was thrilled to even get it, but again. 0 Haggle. EA literally told me they are "relentlessly" selling every attachment they had. Take with this what you will.

 

[dnw64]

to continue the loss of haggling. I just bought a "new" land plane. looks like it was sitting for 2+ years, Can you move on the price at all "No" and that was it. with a 14 week lead time from most manufacture's I was thrilled to even get it, but again. 0 Haggle. EA literally told me they are "relentlessly" selling every attachment they had. Take with this what you will.

It's the age-old supply-and-demand situation.

Building supplies are up 50-200% in the last year. Finally trickling down to finish-grade hardwoods - Hard Maple and Poplar went up 50-100% in 2 weeks.

Thankfully, I had confirmed POs in November for 5 T/Ls of HM at 2150. More thankfully, the mill is honoring those even though current pricing is at 3500 or even more.

 

[JethroB]

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.

I say it depends on the circumstances. Cash discounts or x.x% financing is generally known in advance. Do the math. At 0% or 0.9% an auto or tractor dealer isn’t making money on financing. I ask for their best price, try to haggle a little, then ask the cash price. Shopping the monthly payment is asking to get burned. Price, financing, insurance and any trade-in are separate items, don’t let the salesperson mix them.