Best offer...pfft!

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I have had good and bad luck with the best offer but I understand that some people want to stick by a price.

[pawpawdiv9]

FYI- you can select where to auto decline if under a specific price option

[Kenny Cole]

A few months back there was a D304 I wanted with a buy it now price of $360 and a best offer option. I offered $325 and was completely ignored, which kind of pissed me off. The offer expired but I kept the card on my watch list. A couple of months later the seller drops the bin to $322.50 and I buy the card for less than I'd offered.

If you are going to list a card with a best offer option doesn't it make sense to actually watch and respond to offers? I guess I don't really get the whole best offer option very well.

[ksabet]

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9

FYI- you can select where to auto decline if under a specific price option

Yeah I have used that before, but I had a guy tell me he used up his three offers coming in around $5 short of my floor. I guess I prefer to have more control but in the end I may be a glutton for punishment as I get frustrated as well.

[bobbyw8469]

I myself have seen it both ways as well. In a nutshell, there are unrealistic buyers as well as unrealistic sellers. It's a shame that they can't only deal with each other and leave all us normal people alone!

[ullmandds]

it's a crapshoot...some people are reasonable...some are not!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by ksabet

Yeah I have used that before, but I had a guy tell me he used up his three offers coming in around $5 short of my floor. I guess I prefer to have more control but in the end I may be a glutton for punishment as I get frustrated as well.

Seller should know the market value of what he is selling, or he should run straight auctions. And the buyer should know what things are worth, or should not be buying. Sometimes a seller is wrong, realizes it after an item gathers dust, and should then lower his price or take them to a show where overhead is lower.

You obviously know your product's value, and want to offer a range, which makes complete sense. But I've personally found 'best offer' to be a waste of time, precisely because of what you just described. After the customer uses up his 3 offers trying to find your bottom-line, he then comes back and asks you for it

[bn2cardz]

I was just saying to my wife within the last couple of months that it is "BEST OFFER", not "the Lowest you think you can buy this card for offer".

I had a card that I listed for $50 and based that off the recent auctions on ebay and going with the lower sales, ebay had defaulted the offer option on and I missed it. I got an offer from a person for $20. I declined and left the best offer on as I was going to be on later listing more and figured I could fix that listing and a few others at that point. Later on the same person offered $30. I quickly declined. Then they offered $40. SERIOUSLY? Obviously $20 wasn't your best was it? There are times where I may have accepted that, but he had upset me so much by his original low ball offer I declined. I got to ebay and fixed the offer option at that point. Within an hour of his last offer someone bought it at my full asking price.

[Section103]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I was just saying to my wife within the last couple of months that it is "BEST OFFER", not "the Lowest you think you can buy this card for offer".

I had a card that I listed for $50 and based that off the recent auctions on ebay and going with the lower sales, ebay had defaulted the offer option on and I missed it. I got an offer from a person for $20. I declined and left the best offer on as I was going to be on later listing more and figured I could fix that listing and a few others at that point. Later on the same person offered $30. I quickly declined. Then they offered $40. SERIOUSLY? Obviously $20 wasn't your best was it? There are times where I may have accepted that, but he had upset me so much by his original low ball offer I declined. I got to ebay and fixed the offer option at that point. Within an hour of his last offer someone bought it at my full asking price.

By definition, isn't it illogical for ebay to offer buyers 3 best offers then? "Best Offer" is clearly a misnomer.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Section103

By definition, isn't it illogical for ebay to offer buyers 3 best offers then? "Best Offer" is clearly a misnomer.

I think that this is the reason has a limit actually. The only reason I see why they allow 3 still is for negotiating as GLCHEN mentions...

Originally Posted by glchen

I've always interpreted the Best Offer process on ebay as a negotiation since you can counter-offer. Therefore, if the seller has a card for $100 w/ BO, and I think the highest price that I am willing to go is $75, then I will give an offer of $50. I completely expect the seller to counter-offer, and my hope is that we can reach a price around $75. If I make the offer $75 as my first offer, and the seller counters w/a $90, then I'm stuck. I've already given my best price, but that $90 might not have been the lowest the seller was willing to go.

As far as negotiating you don't have to start at $20 to get to $40 on a $50 item. That is just a low ball offer. If you are going to offer less than you are willing to pay I will just deny it I no longer do the negotiating without a conversation. If you want to tell me why you are only willing to pay $20 put it in the comment section to the seller. Okay ebay allows 3 offers... guess what they also allow you to communicate with the seller. These people should try it sometime they will get farther in negotiating if they don't just throw out a stupid low ball offer.

[t206hof]

I for one am sick and tired of these buy it now prices of 3 and 4 times what a card is worth. I know many will disagree with me but that is fine it's what makes the world go around. These sellers are for a lack of better words on the fence and there are too many like this on ebay. The fence will collapse sooner or later. I will go ahead and further say I believe everything should be started for either .99 or 9.99 and let fly. I am aware that this will bring shilling more to the front but I for one only put in what I am comfortable paying. Where the problem comes in is when people overpay due to getting caught up in the frenzy and overpay. I hope I do not offend anyone because that is not my intention. Dennis.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by t206hof

I will go ahead and further say I believe everything should be started for either .99 or 9.99 and let fly. I am aware that this will bring shilling more to the front but I for one only put in what I am comfortable paying.

With such a rule, you will no longer have any legitimate vintage card sellers on ebay. I know this is lost on many buyers, but unless sellers make a profit, they move to another venue or go broke.

[glchen]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I was just saying to my wife within the last couple of months that it is "BEST OFFER", not "the Lowest you think you can buy this card for offer".

I had a card that I listed for $50 and based that off the recent auctions on ebay and going with the lower sales, ebay had defaulted the offer option on and I missed it. I got an offer from a person for $20. I declined and left the best offer on as I was going to be on later listing more and figured I could fix that listing and a few others at that point. Later on the same person offered $30. I quickly declined. Then they offered $40. SERIOUSLY? Obviously $20 wasn't your best was it? There are times where I may have accepted that, but he had upset me so much by his original low ball offer I declined. I got to ebay and fixed the offer option at that point. Within an hour of his last offer someone bought it at my full asking price.

I've always interpreted the Best Offer process on ebay as a negotiation since you can counter-offer. Therefore, if the seller has a card for $100 w/ BO, and I think the highest price that I am willing to go is $75, then I will give an offer of $50. I completely expect the seller to counter-offer, and my hope is that we can reach a price around $75. If I make the offer $75 as my first offer, and the seller counters w/a $90, then I'm stuck. I've already given my best price, but that $90 might not have been the lowest the seller was willing to go.