My pet peeve

[cardsnstuff]

OK; if you do this; can you just give me your reasoning behind it; it drives me crazy.

Say, I have any card on ebay; you make an offer; I counter and than silence; two days later offer expires. If you don't like my counter why not just decline rather than go into silence mode? Or why not counter, with your reasoning as to why I should accept your price {quote past sales etc} in the messages? I just don't get it.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by cardsnstuff

OK; if you do this; can you just give me your reasoning behind it; it drives me crazy.

Say, I have any card on ebay; you make an offer; I counter and than silence; two days later offer expires. If you don't like my counter why not just decline rather than go into silence mode? Or why not counter, with your reasoning as to why I should accept your price {quote past sales etc} in the messages? I just don't get it.

One reason: are you going to negotiate the next time the same member sends a different offer? Or are you going to understand that it's the only offer you're likely to get from the member and therefore are more likely to accept it outright rather than countering? Some people don't really like haggling, but will toss a line in the water since you offer Best Offers. Nobody likes to pay full price when a seller considers offers, right?

[bnorth]

This is what I do because I hate negotiating and completely ignore those that like to do it. If someone has an item I want and it is more than I will pay I will make my absolute best offer. If the seller does not accept it I move on and feel no need to communicate anymore.

As far as quoting recent sales it is the best way to get me to ignore that person no matter if I am the seller or buyer. We all do stuff different and I am not saying my way is perfect, it is just how I do it.

[frankbmd]

Avoid my wife, if you don't want to haggle.

She haggled for two hours on our last car purchase, had both the salesman and the owner of the dealership in a cold sweat and saved us $7000 off their first offer. Finally they accepted our offer when I tossed in $100 at the end, because she refused to budge, when we were $200 apart.

And guess what...........she was mad at me for doing so.

(Fact checker confirms this is a true story)

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Avoid my wife, if you don't want to haggle.

She haggled for two hours on our last car purchase, had both the salesman and the owner of the dealership in a cold sweat and saved us $7000 off their first offer. Finally they accepted our offer when I tossed in $100 at the end, because she refused to budge, when we were $200 apart.

And guess what...........she was mad at me for doing so.

(Fact checker confirms this is a true story)

Frank my wife is the same way. We are still on the new customer special with our internet provider and have had the same one for over 10 years. When she bought the Jeep she is driving now I had to go walk around the lot because I couldn't take her haggling anymore. I will say she paid exactly what she wanted to though.

[cardsnstuff]

Originally Posted by bnorth

We are still on the new customer special with our internet provider and have had the same one for over 10 years.

How do you do this? I have FIOS and everytime I call they basically shut me down and say sorry, these offers don't apply to existing customers. I have even threatened to switch to xfinity to no avail.

[vintagerookies51]

I usually try to decline, but sometimes I'll get the notification of the counteroffer and it's just not in the same ballpark as I'm willing to pay, so I forget to go into the app to decline it

[kmac32]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Frank my wife is the same way. We are still on the new customer special with our internet provider and have had the same one for over 10 years. When she bought the Jeep she is driving now I had to go walk around the lot because I couldn't take her haggling anymore. I will say she paid exactly what she wanted to though.

I also let my wife negotiate for cars. She is better at it than me.

[Exhibitman]

I sent a seller an offer the other day and stated in the offer that it is the only offer I am going to make. it was above market but I was willing to pay a bit more to check the card off my list. he responded with a counter halfway between my offer and his ask. I let it expire. People need to believe what you say.

[cardsnstuff]

Originally Posted by bnorth

This is what I do because I hate negotiating and completely ignore those that like to do it. If someone has an item I want and it is more than I will pay I will make my absolute best offer. If the seller does not accept it I move on and feel no need to communicate anymore.

I can understand this; but why not just decline the counter and than move on.

Maybe it's just me; I frequently adjust my pricing to try and find a buyer and if I have offers outstanding I don't want to drop the price on that particular item because I don't want to offend the potential buyer. It seems that card prices can change daily based on the previous sales method. Sometimes higher, Sometimes lower. I personally would rather negotiate than just wait for a buyer at my fixed price, I guess that's why I list everything at best offer.

[Luke]

I do this sometimes, but it's not on purpose. Sometimes I'll be out running errands and get the email that my offer was countered. If it's not close to a price I would pay, I might completely forget about it, even though I always intend to click decline later when I'm not busy.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by cardsnstuff

I can understand this; but why not just decline the counter and than move on.

Maybe it's just me; I frequently adjust my pricing to try and find a buyer and if I have offers outstanding I don't want to drop the price on that particular item because I don't want to offend the potential buyer. It seems that card prices can change daily based on the previous sales method. Sometimes higher, Sometimes lower. I personally would rather negotiate than just wait for a buyer at my fixed price, I guess that's why I list everything at best offer.

Because for me the the entire deal is over when the seller rejects my offer. I do my absolute best to make transactions smooth and easy. Haggling is not smooth or easy and I consider it a complete waste of time. To me it is simply take my money or not, if the seller wants to try to add to that it is their problem.

[cardsnstuff]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Because for me the the entire deal is over when the seller rejects my offer. I do my absolute best to make transactions smooth and easy. Haggling is not smooth or easy and I consider it a complete waste of time. To me it is simply take my money or not, if the seller wants to try to add to that it is their problem.

That seems reasonable. I was not trying to offend you; I wish more people were like that.

[frankbmd]

As a seller I might add a bit of wiggle room in my pricing.

As a buyer my first offer is not necessarily (and rarely is) my max, call it negative wiggle room if you will.

Sellers should be motivated to make a sale and unless the price is listed as "firm", I would assume that their asking price probably is not so firm.

I would maintain that the assumption that the buyer's first offer represents the max he is willing to pay is fallacious much of the time. A non-negotiable buy-it-now coupled with a non-negotiable sell-it-now with two different numbers is a waste of time, like looking at all those outrageous BINs on eBay.

To walk away from a deal at this point without counters virtually eliminates a deal that both parties would gladly accept. If that happy medium is not reached, either party may walk away at any time, but that party should notify the other that that is their intent.

Haggling is not a disease or a waste of time, but a tool of free market economics.

That said I realize there are many who prefer to eschew negotiation, which is their right, but unfortunate in my opinion, unless of course as a buyer they simply say "I'll take it".

[hangman62]

doesn't bother me either way

whats the rush ? ..low ball high ball, offer expire, quick response. I don't see an issue..its just baseball card bartering/bargaining/ negotiating

[GoCubsGo32]

eBay - When the seller runs an auction. Bids are placed. Someone contacts the seller to buy the item off eBay/on the side. The auction then is suddenly ended...while numerous bids were placed.Item is then sold to whoever contacted the seller.

In life -- People pulling an item out of the microwave with less than 3 secs on the timer...then they don't clear it.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by cardsnstuff

OK; if you do this; can you just give me your reasoning behind it; it drives me crazy.

Say, I have any card on ebay; you make an offer; I counter and than silence; two days later offer expires. If you don't like my counter why not just decline rather than go into silence mode? Or why not counter, with your reasoning as to why I should accept your price {quote past sales etc} in the messages? I just don't get it.

My pet peeve is when you offer above VCP and get ignored. In your case, I would question how realistic your price is. If you are wanting a record price for an obtainable card, I can understand the buyer not thinking you are serious about selling and deciding not to reply. If your counter is around the average sale and they ignore you, then they are probably just fishing for bargains and not very interested in buying.

[cardsnstuff]

Originally Posted by rats60

If you are wanting a record price for an obtainable card, I can understand the buyer not thinking you are serious about selling and deciding not to reply.

I could see this; although every card is different based on eye appeal, but you make a very valid point.

If your counter is around the average sale and they ignore you, then they are probably just fishing for bargains and not very interested in buying.

[/QUOTE]

I'm sure this happens often.

It is interesting how people think and see things differently. I am enjoying this thread; thx for responding.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by cardsnstuff

I could see this; although every card is different based on eye appeal, but you make a very valid point.

I'm sure this happens often.

It is interesting how people think and see things differently. I am enjoying this thread; thx for responding.[/QUOTE]

If your price is fair, I wouldn't worry about. I had a card for sale at the high end of sales, looking for offers. A guy low balled me. I countered at the lowest sale price. He countered at his first offer. I passed. A little while later I got an offer at the lowest sale price and I accepted. If you are patient, you will get a fair price.

I agree if your card is perfectly centered, you should ask more. Price it against centered examples only. If your card is rare, price it at the high end. I have paid record or close to record prices for rare cards that I really wanted. It is worth it to pay a little more than spend years searching.

[Santo10Fan]

If I submit a best offer, the number represents a starting point to negotiations. Unfortunately very few sellers see it that way. I rarely receive counteroffers, usually just the radio silence described at the beginning of this thread.
As a seller I've received offers for items (not cards) that were so low and represented too big a gap to even start negotiations. Unless I forgot after the email notification, I would actually decline officials. I believe some sellers simply forget to officially decline after seeing the email. Maybe.

[EvilKing00]

Originally Posted by cardsnstuff

OK; if you do this; can you just give me your reasoning behind it; it drives me crazy.

Say, I have any card on ebay; you make an offer; I counter and than silence; two days later offer expires. If you don't like my counter why not just decline rather than go into silence mode? Or why not counter, with your reasoning as to why I should accept your price {quote past sales etc} in the messages? I just don't get it.

Agree, accept, decline or counter.

Silence isnt cool

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by EvilKing00

Agree, accept, decline or counter.

Silejustnce isnt cool

I agree, nothing chaps me more than not to get a reply on my best offer.
For what its worth I don't haggle either, thats not me.

[pclpads]

Well your title got me. I was expecting a picture of your pet dog named Peeve.

[Butch7999]

Just wondering if vendors, other bidders, or disinterested parties consider it a "lowball offer" if fair market value is offered
for an item when the item is at auction in BIN/BO format at literally ten or twenty times its established, easily researched
fair market value... ?

[T206Collector]

Every item has a different strategy based, e.g., on the difference between the seller's listing price and the apparent market value based on recent comparable sales. Some items warrant a line in the water at or near FMV to see how serious the seller is about his outrageous demand; some warrant a meaningful and respectful back and forth. I have remained silent, both out of spite, and also hoping the seller would pursue me offline for a cheaper sale for both of us. It really all depends on circumstance.

Having said that, I sold a ton of T206s on eBay from May-August this year. I hadn't done much ebay selling before that in four or five years. The tone and candor of the buyers this year has been way worse than ever in my 20 years on eBay. I had winners cancel after winning, I had buyers not pay until I complained to eBay about them, and I had a buyer try to scam me out of my card and money by filing a false PayPal "counterfeit card" report, and then send me an empty envelope to trigger an automatic refund by PayPal. So the level of professionalism and respect of those collecting T206 cards has gone way down in my estimation. A failure to respond to a counter would be the least of my worries!