eBay/Craigslist wow- ****** out there

[joshuabardwell]

If you are selling do your research so you know what similar items are selling for, set your price there and stick to it. I had a Honda 50 for sale, 5 years old but with maybe 10 hours on it. I priced it at the high end of what I saw others selling for on CL. The first buyer looked at it and offered me 2/3 of what I was asking, cash. I told him I had priced the bike fairly, the price was firm and if he could find another at a better price he should buy it. He was back 2 days later and paid what I was asking.

I had a similar experience selling a Dodge Ram 1500. I had it listed at $4500, which I thought was a little high (room for haggling), and I had my absolute bottom price decided at $4000, which I thought was fair. The first person showed up, took a look at it, and offered me $3k. I rolled my eyes and said, thanks, but no thanks. He said, "Here's my card. Think of me as your ace in the hole. If you end up needing to come down give me a call." Now, I don't know if there is some weird interpretation of the phrase, "ace in the hole," but usually that means something good, not some terrible, low-ball offer that is 25% of what you would like to get paid. Anyway, I think he makes a habit of low-balling people and occasionally gets lucky. I bet if I had sold him the truck, it would have been re-listed for $4k the next day.

The second person ended up buying it for $4k. He seemed like a nice guy--a kid, and I think it was "his" first truck "all his own." He seemed to really want the truck so I said to him, "Look. I know you're going to try to talk me down, so I'll cut to the chase. $4k is my current bottom offer. I think it's a fair price, and if you don't like it, no hard feelings. I'm going to leave the truck listed at that price for a while, and if I don't sell it, I'll come down another few hundred, and you're welcome to take another stab at it." He tried to offer me $3800 and I said sorry, and he gave me $4000 and that was that.

I wanted to call up that first guy and laugh in his face, but I restrained myself.

I think that's the beauty of CL for sellers. You don't really have to haggle if you don't want to, as long as you can afford to wait. Just keep the item listed and drop the price a tad every week or two. Eventually, you'll hit the sweet spot and the phone will start ringing. It really lets you dial in the right price for your item. Oh, and if you list the item and get twenty calls in the first five minutes, it's priced too low!

 

[IndyIan]

I've dealt with both types, sometimes you can see it on their face, when they walk up on you...Sometimes it make me very uneasy, but I never make an outragious cut to a man's price. If it is way too high, i just shrug and wallk off....no need to insult a guy...

+1 I stopped to see a MF 216gtx lawn tractor on the side of the road. It was old and sort of beat up so but it had a front blower, so I was thinking ~$1000. The old fellow says he wants $2500 frim! Well, at that point I made my exit. I didn't want it at $1500 so nothing good was going to happen by offering him $800.

 

[Looking4new]

I really like the people that try to shove PayPal down my throat. The ad says cash and they try to get you to go with paypal. I had one guy email me 5 times trying to convince me to take his money via paypal. The final time I returned his email I told him that the ad clearly states cash and that means cash only, no checks or any other form of payment. I blocked his email addy after that. I have sat on this stuff for 10 years and I can sit on it for another 10 or I can call the scrapper to come and get it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'll play devils advocate here.

I negotiate for everything, I'm not afraid in any way to offer someone less than what they are asking. I did have a guy last month tell me I insulted him on an offer I made him for a used post hole digger, but that was the first time I ever got that attitude. For the most part it's just sorry can't sell it for that much or let me think about it, sometimes they call me back.

No reason for you to get upset, just tell him to check back in a week, after all the other interested parties have a chance to look at it. that will force him to crap or get off the pot. Make him aware he's competing with serious buyers.

I had a guy try low balling me on a super clean full size Chevy Blazer I had for sale. We were standing in the front yard and he was acting out his best poker play. Then another guy pulled in the driveway, I politely even encouragingly told the low baller that maybe if this other guy doesn't buy it we could talk. Before the other guy could get out of the car he reached in his pocket and pulled a wad of cash out, said he would pay the asking price. It was perfect timing

40someyrs ago I was looking for a motorcycle. Responded to an ad 1st thing in the morning, gave the guy my name and said Id be right over. When I got there about 45minutes later a guy was trying to give the seller more than the asking price. Seller said to me "Are you Larry?" Youve got 1st dibs. Class act. ... I bought the bike.
larry

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have bought a lot of stuff from Craiglist ads and never got bit. Most of them I bought from 6-7000 miles away via photos and emails. It seems I find my best deals when I am out of the country. Right now I have a deal on two Items that I havent seen other than photos. I am buying a new 12k GVW bumper pull trailer that only my daughter has seen when she put down a down payment that was required to order one per my specs. THe reason I needed a 12K trailer was to haul the new to me B26 TLB that I have a deal on with a fellow TBNer that I have not talked to on the phone but have emailed a bunch. Deal made, certified check setting in my safe at home awaiting my return to go pick it up. MissingTexas told me the whole story about how the dealer low balled him on the price and what he wants which is a good deal for him, good deal for me as it is about 7 grand less than even the cheapest advertised one but he doesnt use it much, is not in a hurry to sell it and agreed to hold it for me till I come in June to pick it up. We have a mutual trust that I dont know many sellers would go for, and am just glad that we found each other thanks to another TBNer who wanted it too but couldnt sell his B21. Now I agreed to wait for him to see if he could get his money and all three of us had gentlemans agreement. Andy wouldnt think of trying to make it into a bidding war, which really showed me what kind of honest guy he is and even agreed to get a dealer inspection and service done on it prior to me picking it up. Dealer to email me his findings prior to pick up also so I have a chance to review and make final decision. When this deal is closed, I have to say that it will have been the best transaction I believe I have ever had and I am really looking forward to meeting Andy in person. This is a win/win for both of us and we both know about the higher prices on the net, lower price offering from dealers and as the old song goes we both gained alot of ground but meet in the middle.

 

[EE_Bota]

i had a 1990 jeep grand wagoneer for sale on CL all rusted out. we called it the heap-O- jeep. i was asking $2000. caller lowballs me at $500. then gets pushy. caller has only seen pics on net. when they asked me again on price i responded " I am more than willing to take more" after a small laugh they low ball me again (some nerve) so i told them i would now need $3000. they stammered then hung up : )

If I wanted one, but didn't want one (any of them) $2000 worth, I might have done you the very same way...except I would not get pushy. I'd say..."I hope you get out of it what you are asking and more, but if you get impatient, or tired of the calls, my offer of $750 is good until I call you to retract it. So, think of that is the minimum you will get, and top that by as much as possible."

I make it clear what is about condition and what is about me, and my needs, and how much I value that need. Having a "digger" may only be worth $4000 to me, but a guy may have one for sale for $5000. I don't tell him his is only worth $4000. I tell him I want a digger only $4000 worth, and his looks like a good one, so keep me in mind as a last resort.

 

[EE_Bota]

I had a similar experience selling a Dodge Ram 1500. I had it listed at $4500, which I thought was a little high (room for haggling), and I had my absolute bottom price decided at $4000, which I thought was fair. The first person showed up, took a look at it, and offered me $3k. I rolled my eyes and said, thanks, but no thanks. He said, "Here's my card. Think of me as your ace in the hole. If you end up needing to come down give me a call." Now, I don't know if there is some weird interpretation of the phrase, "ace in the hole," but usually that means something good, not some terrible, low-ball offer that is 25% of what you would like to get paid. Anyway, I think he makes a habit of low-balling people and occasionally gets lucky. I bet if I had sold him the truck, it would have been re-listed for $4k the next day.

This sounds like what I do, but in fact is quite a bit different. He is throwing a net in the water. He sounds like a reseller to me. I see nothing wrong with that...I consider folks like that "market makers."

When I show up, I expect things to be as described and I expect to make the deal that day. I think of it less as going to buy it as actually going to get it. Obviously, I am assuming it will be found in the condition described.


The only evidence I have that what I do is fair and reasonable is so far: sellers have tried to best my offer for at least three weeks, and I have wound up with everything I placed an offer for, but one. The one, a month passed, so I retracted the offer. Three months after that, he called and offered it at the price I retracted, but I had already purchased new.

The above paragraph suggests I, in fact, overpay, but I don't care. I am not in business, and all I want is a deal that we can both live with.

 

[crashz]

I buy and sell very few things on CL, but I take the same stance I do on anything. I buy and sell at a price that I feel is worth to me.

What this means is that after I get my old 1 ton dump fixed up, its going up for sale at a price that I feel is unreasonable, but is actually worth to me. So while I bought it at $1800, and will have about $3000 in parts, I will sell at $6000.

I'm mentally preparing for the wild backlash from potential buyers: $6K for a 25 yr old former city plow truck? Are you crazy?

Well - yes, but thats beside the point. $6000 is my personal breaking point, where I feel its a good sum of money for the loss of a very useful vehicle. Below that price, I can find work for the truck that will earn that sum, or save my other vehicles by using that for rough tasks around our land. I'm in no need to sell, and its not currently registerd, so it does not cost me anything to keep it.

A realistic value of the truck would be $3500 or so. I would definately lose money at that price. A break-even price is about $5K, for just the price the truck and parts alone. Many hours of my labor not inlcuded. Nobody would buy it for that. And if I sold it at that price I would prove to myself that I could buy, fix and re-sell vehicles at an incredible loss. But a $1000 to account for profit and many hours of labor (that works out to be < $5.00/hr at this point and its not done yet) seems like a very small success.

When I get low-balled on the price I will politely explain my veiw. The next step is up to the buyer. If its acceptable, I'll sell. If they offer an amount above $5K, I may consider it (depending if I'm feeling generous that day or not) and go from there. Still below $5K, gets a waive and "Have a pleasant day!".

 

[foggy1111]

When selling my JD 790 I had discussed it on the phone with the buyer....and he came 100 miles to look at it with a truck and his trailer. THEN...he tried to negotiate (chizzel) the price.

I told him I wuddn't take a penny MORE than the price we had decided on over the phone. He knew he was had....and he paid my number. :thumbsup:

 

[garacuda]

I really like the people that try to shove PayPal down my throat. The ad says cash and they try to get you to go with paypal. I had one guy email me 5 times trying to convince me to take his money via paypal. The final time I returned his email I told him that the ad clearly states cash and that means cash only, no checks or any other form of payment. I blocked his email addy after that. I have sat on this stuff for 10 years and I can sit on it for another 10 or I can call the scrapper to come and get it.

That happened to me once before too. Guy was pushing for me to take a payment that way. I finally asked him what was his hang up with PayPal........found out he could put it on his credit card that way......didn't have the cash. By the way, PayPal charges you to get your money from them, so you should "raise" the price if you ever go that route.

 

[Jay4200]

So I have my MF GC2300 for sale on Craigslist- guy comes out to look at it and says he's interested and that he will think about it...so he calls me up and says that he can buy a new one for less than I bought mine new and for only 1k more than I am asking for it now...I checked the online equipment houses and my price is spot on if not a little low for the hours (2004-2005 model with only 189.5 hours) and with a FEL, custom toothbar, and 3 lift hooks...he says the MF dealer says that mine is only worth half of what I am asking......where did people's manners go...if you're not interested, just don't call back or just say call and say you're not interested...period. Obviously I know he was trying to get me to lower the price, but really, half of what I'm asking, that's a bit much. Also, he obviously didn't think of the taxes, fees, and cost of adding the TB and hooks to the new one, but I felt like asking him why didn't he just go buy a new one then? I told him a don't HAVE to sell it...its paid for and just sitting in my shed, just don't use it much, or really, didn't ever use it much...only 190 hrs in 6/7 hrs!

Anyway, sorry for the rant, he just really p*ssed me off!

I don't know - what is the best way to approach someone who's price is completely unrealistic. I generally do what you suggest, and simply don't bother, but what of the people who don't know any better? Your tractor is likely "worth" about 60-65% of current MSRP. A savvy buyer can get a new machine at roughly 85% of MSRP, so if you are trying to get 80%, you are being unrealistic IMHO. So, what is better, to never get an offer, or to get some that are lower than what you want?

Ever watch pawn stars? Everyone on that show starts off with twice what they are willing to take and/or what something is really worth, hoping to get an uninformed buyer or just get lucky. From what I've seen (at least in the vintage garden tractor market), Craigs list sellers are no different. Don't confuse asking prices that you see on the 'net with actual selling prices (which you don't necessarily see).

JayC

 

[arrow]

I don't know - what is the best way to approach someone who's price is completely unrealistic. ).

JayC

I can tell you what I say: "Thank you very much, I will consider your offer amongst the others" Most are left in complete confusion as I have not ex'd them, got angry or told them I'd sell it or not sell it to them. They are left in a "limbo" type state with a slight sense of hope. It's great. Most of the time they leave. Others will up their price without me asking. Makes you wonder who came first, the customer or the salesman.

 

[MasseyWV]

I don't know - what is the best way to approach someone who's price is completely unrealistic.

When it comes to buying and selling, something is only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay, and what might be considered an unrealistic price by some, may be considered completely realistic by others.

As a seller, I want to make as much money as possible, and know that some buyers are willing to pay more than others, so a higher price is still likely to get a sale, it will just take a little longer.

Personally, I cannot stand lowballers, and have no problem with telling them to go pound sand, but as a buyer I completely understand their motivation because I want to save as much money as possible.

Like it or not, that's just the way it works.

 

[joshuabardwell]

When it comes to buying and selling, something is only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay, and what might be considered an unrealistic price by some, may be considered completely realistic by others.

Personally, I cannot stand lowballers, and have no problem with telling them to go pound sand, but as a buyer I completely understand their motivation because I want to save as much money as possible.

Well, you're right, but I still think there's a difference between a person who has a different assessment of an item's value than you do, and a true lowballer. Two people can have a difference of opinion and still respect each other. But a lowballer is just trying to figure out if you're stupid or desperate enough to let something go for less than its fair value, and he knows it. A true lowballer is trying to take advantage of the seller. And that's why they annoy me so much.

 

[MasseyWV]

Well, you're right, but I still think there's a difference between a person who has a different assessment of an item's value than you do, and a true lowballer. Two people can have a difference of opinion and still respect each other. But a lowballer is just trying to figure out if you're stupid or desperate enough to let something go for less than its fair value, and he knows it. A true lowballer is trying to take advantage of the seller. And that's why they annoy me so much.

Again, it all depends on definitions, because what may be considered a lowball offer by some, may be considered a legitimate offer by others. That, and you can never know for sure what the buyers intentions really are.

Lets say that someone is selling a widget for $100, and a buyer offers them $50. Does that make the potential buyer a lowballer? Sure, they may be hoping to get the widget for a steal, but they may also be using the "meet in the middle" strategy, hoping to get the widget for $75.

Take the recently popular "Tractor Definition" TBN thread for example. One would think it would be easy to define what is or is not a tractor, but as is true with most things in life, it isn't quite so simple.

 

[beppington]

Again, it all depends on definitions, because what may be considered a lowball offer by some, may be considered a legitimate offer by others. That, and you can never know for sure what the buyers intentions really are.

Lets say that someone is selling a widget for $100, and a buyer offers them $50. Does that make the potential buyer a lowballer? Sure, they may be hoping to get the widget for a steal, but they may also be using the "meet in the middle" strategy, hoping to get the widget for $75.

Take the recently popular "Tractor Definitions" TBN thread for example. One would think it would be easy to define what is or is not a tractor, but as is true with most things in life, it isn't quite so simple.

This is the way it's done on Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and American Pickers ... & they're pro's

Yeah I guess I watch too much TV.

 

[Looking4new]

By the way, PayPal charges you to get your money from them, so you should "raise" the price if you ever go that route.

That's good to know, Thanks.:thumbsup:

 

[yelbike]

I once, not long ago, found an old farmer posting several things online. I went out and met him for a set of harrows bars that he was asking $35 OBO.
I went there and we talked, he told he sold his farm operation to his grand daughter and her new husband for 2.3 million. So he finally takes me to the harrows, there's two sets of harrows Both identical, ones old but in like new condition(this one was pictured in the ad), the other same vintage but totally worn out with many broken tines and a flat tire. He tells me the nice one is now $70 and the other one was $35 firm prices. I was a little shock but I still thought $70 was a good deal so I gave him the $35 cash I had shook his hand and told him I would pick it up the next morning as I was pulling a work trailer already. He was ok with it. He showed me other stuff he was selling. I left to pick up job material in the next town over. On my way back I passed by the his yard again.

To my complete surprise and dismay the frincken guy had MY harrow bar loaded on someone elses trailer. He was completely surprised when I stopped and pulled in his driveway. He tried to BS his way out of it. I couldn't believe this guy. He was caught. I took my money back. We HAD made an honest mans agreement, with a hand shake. I left empty handed by my doing. I told him to keep all his equipment and wished him a good day.

I really couldn't believe this old, church going, small town farmer could screw someone over like that for $35.....$35. He sold his farm for 2.3 million.:confused2::confused2::confused2:

 

[Agent Blue]

CL does put alot of iron on the market. It doesn't take long to find the buyer/ seller middleman as some know nothing about what they are selling. They only know they saw one sell for this amount and theirs is always better. Low offers never bother me. Shows interest and many times they call back with a better offer. If your not against the wall it is almost amusing.
I agree they should charge a buck or so for an ad. Keeps the constant beggers off the list.... oh and its always for someone less fortunate, yah right !

 

[jlawso21]

Craigslist is a real crap shoot most of the time. A lot of the stuff is worn out junk, but not described that way. It's always in "good condition" or "like new".

I have recently started doing several things with the listings I might be interested in. First, I no longer email; if they don't put a phone number in the listing I don't bother. Most people don't reply to their email postings, less than half in my experience. Second, I try to negotiate a price based on some definition of condition. So, if the seller says it's in excellent condition I say "okay, assuming excellent condition I will give you ____$, OK? If they agree I go look at it. Now, I'm not pulling anybody's chain. If it is in excellent condition I buy it. If not I tell them I can't pay what we discussed.

I recently bought a drill press that was offered at $400, and a Unisaw at$500. I paid a total of $500 for both of them. (I had already agreed on $300 for the drill press in excellent condition) but had not discussed the unisaw. This fellow really wanted to sell some of his equipment and although they weren't in the best condition I offered him what I thought they were worth. He said he had to talk with his wife first. He did and came back and said ok.

Most people have no objective idea what something is worth, folks on this forum being the exception to that rule. I have found that simply talking with them about what you will have to do to either repair or fix something up brings them to reality and if they want to sell they will. If we are too far apart to make an offer I will usually say I don't want to insult them and leave it at that. Most will still invite the offer. Call it low ball if you want but if they agree to it, it's a fair price (widows being the exception)