Post a Price..or "Make an Offer?"

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by bnorth

For me not having to post a price in the BST section is one of the few rules on this site I do not like. If it is for sale put a price on it. Just my opinion but not posting a price and asking for offers is trying to find a "guppy" to highly overpay for an item.

Edited to add I agree with this also: It's the seller's property so he/she can post any price they feel comfortable with.

As a buyer/customer, if you don't like the price just walk away. It's that simple in my opinion.

I agree with this. A seller can price his card at whatever price he wants. I also do not agree with the rule of allowing listings without a price. There aren't many other instances I can think of in which something is publicly for sale without a price. I get that some cards are rare and hard to estimate a market for, but I have never tried to sell something without having an idea of what I'm willing to take.

I think this would make for an interesting poll. My vote would be to ban b/s/t listings with no price.

[Filthy]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I agree with this. A seller can price his card at whatever price he wants. I also do not agree with the rule of allowing listings without a price. There aren't many other instances I can think of in which something is publicly for sale without a price. I get that some cards are rare and hard to estimate a market for, but I have never tried to sell something without having an idea of what I'm willing to take.

I think this would make for an interesting poll. My vote would be to ban b/s/t listings with no price.

Honestly, I originally thought about making it a poll. And I am confident in exactly how that poll would look. (VERY Heavily weighted in one direction.) Yet, it doesn't change the fact that there are those in the business...err...I mean hobby for all the wrong reasons, that have a very strong here on Net54. So, I am pretty confident, that the poll/thread would have been removed/deleted within minutes of its inception.







.

[Sean]

This isn't C U.

Leon rarely shuts down any threads, including polls.

[Filthy]

Originally Posted by Sean

This isn't C U.

Leon rarely shuts down any threads, including polls.

Sorry, I guess it was more of a tongue in cheek comment, as I would think Leon's integrity would be worth much more than a few members requesting such a thing. But, i did just notice that within 5 seconds of sending that aklst post...that I heard a few noises outside the house. When I look outisde, there is a black unmarked SUV, and a black helicopter directly overhead.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Filthy

Sorry, I guess it was more of a tongue in cheek comment, as I would think Leon's integrity would be worth much more than a few members requesting such a thing. But, i did just notice that within 5 seconds of sending that aklst post...that I heard a few noises outside the house. When I look outisde, there is a black unmarked SUV, and a black helicopter directly overhead.

They were probably there well before that post.

[sbfinley]

I've sold 100+ items on this site and the old one and twice (2) I did not post a price because I was either unsure of the market or just testing the waters. Both sold within the first 24 hours if I remember correctly. In my opinion, price or no price, competency of both the buyer and seller in terms of communication, negotiation, and consolation far outweigh rather or not there is a number on a sticker on an item. This is by far the safest, broadest, and fair buying arena in the vintage market and in my opinion complaining about not having a price rule is akin to telling Kate Upton she could stand to shed five pounds. Just my two cents.

[bobbyw8469]

can someone share how to ignore users?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

can someone share how to ignore users?

PM sent.

[pokerplyr80]

Well I started a poll if any one feels like voting. You guys already know my vote. I am curious to see the results. No helicopters or black suvs in sight yet.

[bobbyw8469]

Ahhh...thanks everyone!

[Filthy]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

Well I started a poll if any one feels like voting. You guys already know my vote. I am curious to see the results. No helicopters or black suvs in sight yet.

No conspiracys here, but I wolud guess that you will have quite a few voting in the poll, that didn't have the chutzpah to post in this thread.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

It's pretty simple, you'd post without a price in hopes that someone will offer an amount that's more than what you expected. For both buyer and seller this is obviously a more complicated transaction scenario but at the end of the day a bst buyer doesn't have to participate and can move on the the next. For me the back and forth is fun in finding out if there's a deal to be had. As a buyer I know what I want to pay and if it's not enough for the seller no hard feelings

[Filthy]

Originally Posted by ajjohnsonsoxfan

It's pretty simple, you'd post without a price in hopes that someone will offer an amount
that's more than what you expected. For both buyer and seller this is obviously a more complicated transaction scenario but at the end of the day a bst buyer doesn't have to participate and can move on the the next. For me the back and forth is fun in finding out if there's a deal to be had. As a buyer I know what I want to pay and if it's not enough for the seller no hard feelings

I understand the importance of the "art of negotiation", and its intricacies. In a previous post, you mentioned that a "good buyer" wouldn't mind navigating/structuring such a deal, as if someone who doesn't want to take a day or two negotiating a deal for a baseball card, isn't worth their salt. These are baseball cards, not life altering decisions. I would guess, that for most....that this is a waste of time. (Not a badge of honor, or a measure of your badassness in buying bubble gum cards.)

[frankbmd]

A large number of buyers see a price, want the card and pay the price. If they don't see a price, they then either walk or have a hissy fit. For transactions of this type there should be a DFZ.

Other buyers will routinely see a price, want the card and offer less. If the seller doesn't comply, both parties either walk or have a hissy fit. If negotiation ensues, then this type of listing does not belong in a DFZ.

Other buyers will routinely ignore the price, want the card and make a lowball offer. If the listing price is much higher than market (and the seller knows it), a deal might ensue but is extremely unlikely, but can occur. Making a reasonable lower offer on a BIN (without the OBO option) can result in a deal. Here the BIN is essentially an irrelevant price.

So what is a seller to do. Basically this is influenced by a number of factors.

Does he need the cash yesterday? If so, he prices for a quick sale.

Does he price exactly at market price and wait for the first "I'll take it" while fending off multiple offers for less?

Does he price a little above market to be able to accomodate reasonable "hagglers" that are BTH?

Does he intentionally overprice thinking that when he announces a "price drop" he will attract bargain hunters? Have you ever been to Hawaii where all the shirts for tourists are 50% off?

I would venture to say that everything we have is for sale if the offer is high enough. Motivation to sell is extremely variable.

Conclusion Recipe

Mix many types of buyers with many types of sellers.

Create a BST with as few rules as possible placing restrictions on the market itself. No price, no problem. High price, no problem. Lowball offer, no problem. DFZ, not needed. BTH, why not.

Let free market economics work in the real world.

I will not buy from every seller, nor will I sell to every buyer, but I will sell anything I have one way or the other.


Footnotes:

DFZ = dicker free zone
BTH = born to haggle

[Peter_Spaeth]

Have you ever seen a mattress or rug that was not on a clearance sale?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Have you ever seen a mattress or rug that was not on a clearance sale?

I used to work in retail (bed linens) at Marshall Fields in Houston. I believe (it's been a few to several decades) by law we were only allowed to have items on sale for 9 months.