eBay "Best Offers"--what's up with that

[Runscott]

It really all depends. If the seller doesn't know what his item is worth, then it's a waste of the buyer's time. If the buyer doesn't know what the item is worth, then it's a waste of the seller's time. As a seller, if I don't know what my item is worth, I don't do 'Buy it Now' - I run it as a straight auction.

[caramelcard]

Originally Posted by Runscott

It really all depends. If the seller doesn't know what his item is worth, then it's a waste of the buyer's time. If the buyer doesn't know what the item is worth, then it's a waste of the seller's time. As a seller, if I don't know what my item is worth, I don't do 'Buy it Now' - I run it as a straight auction.

Exactly.

Unfortunately, a lot of the "sellers" know what the cards are worth. They just choose to list them ridiculously high and then choose to counter a good offer in a silly way that is just a waste of time.

If you have a $500 card listed at $1000 with a best offer and you're going to counter at $975 then just list it at $975 fixed already.

Of course I know they believe this is some kind of business model. The better model would be to sell me a card at a fairly reasonable price so I buy another card from you in the future. Collectors are willing to pay a premium for something they want, but don't really enjoy being insulted with a silly counter offer.

[z28jd]

I've come back with high counteroffers as a seller when the initial offer was ridiculous. I usually list cards just over what I think they are worth. If it is worth $175, I will put $200 and I'd take $150 if someone wouldn't go any higher. But if someone offers $85, I'm only dropping to $190 just because they were wasting my time.

Basically, you don't always get a good counteroffer from a seller if your first offer sucks.

In the above scenario, if I had $150 and someone offered $50, I'd probably come back with $135-140 and stick with it because if they aren't trying, neither am I. I might be willing to take $120, but not from them, I can wait.

The only person I've ever offered less than half to on ebay is that helping humans group because they put insane prices on their items, sometimes 20x the value. They will work with you though, so once we actually made a deal when my offer was well below asking price

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by caramelcard

Exactly.

Unfortunately, a lot of the "sellers" know what the cards are worth. They just choose to list them ridiculously high and then choose to counter a good offer in a silly way that is just a waste of time.

I deal exactly once with each such dealer.

My prices might be too high, but if someone makes an offer I will go back and check my costs before responding. I think some dealers have no idea what items are worth or what their costs are, and/or don't need to make much money, so they don't care.

[GregMitch34]

I was not outlining a "ridiculous" original BIN price. It's more like: Say the card is "worth" 150 and you set opening price at, say, 160. First offer comes in at, say, 90. Seller comes down to 140--and then gets no counter-offer. That's why it seems like it's mere trolling, not semi-serious offers.

[PowderedH2O]

I often will make an offer that is probably too low. For an item listed at $100 that I think is worth $90, I will offer $60. If the seller wants to sell and needs the money right away, it is $60 they will have today and be done with it. I have offered half of the asking price on many occasions and had the offer accepted with no further negotiations. If the seller wants to negotiate, I am willing to work with them and we can hammer out a deal in the $80-90 range on the above scenario. But, if they come back at $99 as their negotiated price, I don't bother with them anymore. And, if I make a high offer and you don't accept, I never make a second offer. For instance, a fellow had a card for $14 obo. I offered $12. Only two bucks, but if you said obo, then a best offer you shall receive. He came back at $13.90. Forget him. I waited and bought the card for $11 a few weeks later at auction, and his $14 card is still sitting there two years later. I like to negotiate. Don't always think the initial lowball offer guy is not going to make a deal with you. If you don't ask you don't receive.

[caramelcard]

Greg,

As a seller, I totally get what you're talking about. I've had a couple interesting interactions lately as a buyer so just venting a bit. By the way, great price on your D304. Priced to sell.

Rob

[GregMitch34]

So buy it!

[Butch7999]

Just an anecdote, and memorabilia, not cards, but...
A few years ago, an eBay vendor put up a $40.-$50. item with a starting bid/BIN price of $200.
It sat there for year, repeatedly relisted at $200., until he added a best-offer option.
Figuring he might be losing patience with it or having realized his $200. figure was too high,
we sent him a fair-market offer of $40., which was auto-rejected.
A few days later, we tried again, offering $45.
This time we got a counter-offer: $199.99.
That was the end of our trying to negotiate.
Have to add, he got the last laugh:
it sat there for another year and a half, but somebody eventually did hit the $200. BIN.

[caramelcard]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

So buy it!

Well, I already have it or I would.