Ever get tired of it?

[jLr]

Actualy what I was getting at.

But yes I am more than positive there have been times when I knew for a fact I did get the bottom dollar from the salesman, so it can happen.

Well the way I look at it is this:
A salesman can make a few hundred dollars of commission selling a car today, or he can hope to make more off of someone else and say no. More than once I have had a car salesman change his mind on his "bottom dollar" when he saw me (and my money) walking away...

The way I see it it's a win-win. You get a good deal, and I'm very doubtful a salesman will take any kind of loss, no matter what he tells you.

 

[churchmouse]

In the world we now live in everyone wants to get all they can for as little as possible.
It is part of putting yourself out there to the public.
In my trade haggling is an art form. I will bid a total HVAC package giving all pertinent info (ie...equip. etc.) and the customer will take my knowledge and time, shop it around and then come back and try to beat me down. It has gotten to be almost a waste of my time with so many people willing to do the work just to get by. Tough times out there and people are working out of station wagons and mini-vans.
Point....if you list anything expect the low ball offers. Just part of life.

 

[PistolBob]

I was a retail salesguy in my younger years...we got tire kickers all the time. It's a fact of life. If you are going to offer something for sale then be specific, if you leave room for negotiating and you do not wish to negotiate then you have already opened the door for haggling. What, may I ask, is wrong with haggling? Not a thing.

Say things like FIRM, Lesser offers not considered, etc and you'll get virtually no haggling...what you will get is several dozen buyers reading your ad and then not giving it another thought other than "that guy is out of his tree". You may be, or the buyer may be...regardless, you've avoided the haggling and the potential embarrassment you may feel if you decide you went too cheap. Some sellers are afraid to haggle, some sellers just don't want to haggle.

I haggle with Walmart. I like to say things like "I see the price, but what is my price?" because folks, if you don't ask, you don't get. I have never gotten a better deal at Walmart on anything, but I still ask....especially on close out and discontinued stuff.

If a seller is WTT - never be afraid to offer him something. He's willing to consider it. Even if he says WTT for Mossburg 500 with slug barrel and a blue web sling....if you have a 870 in a red sling, offer it...he'll say no or he'll say yes.

Buyers usually don't care that your dad gave you this gun when you were 10 years old....the buyer has no sentiment toward it, and obviously you don't either or it would not be for sale...because your grandpa owned it, doesn't make it any more valuable to the average buyer...unless grandpa was a celebrity or some sort...then maybe.

If your great grandpa was John Dillinger and you have his pistol for sale, let's talk.

 

[Mrbill69]

I love to haggle and do it all the time. The ones I hate are those that call on the phone and try to lowball me without ever seeing the item. I generally tell them I won't haggle until they've seen the item or in some cases I just hang up on them if their offer is too rediculous. I think a lot of those people are flippers. I also hate and don't respond to the "what's your bottom dollar".

 

[Goodcat]

When people ask my bott dollar, I either don't reply or reply only with my asking price.

 

[findingZzero]

My price is $450. If you want to haggle, it's $600. Problem solved.

 

[Leo]

When you are offering something at a fair price the constant offers at 1/2 get tiring, but that goes with the territory. It is worse in Indiana than anywhere else I have been except for Mexico. If a person knows he is selling at a good price, you do not need to apologize and stick to your fair price.

What REALLY upsets me is when some keyboard rambo grinds you down well under fair price and you just give him the break more or less to make him go away. This is the guy that calls you and texts you 3 times a day for a week. Then you see him posting on the internet how much you ripped him off. He comes up with some silly, "my step brothers, half sisters, ex husband knows this guy that can always get them for 1/2 what that guy ripped me off". I have only had that happen a couple times, but what an annoying attitude.

 

[thumperdogg]

Panties in a bunch, butthurt, and whinning?

I am merely saying if you have interest in an item and don't want to pay the price listed, make an offer. It is not up to me to determine what you want to pay for an item.

I have shown my card, no you show me yours. I have said many times, you can low ball me all you wish, but I'm not going to figure out your price for you.

 

[6mm Shoot]

What I like is when some one is trying to sell something and are asking $100 more than you can buy it new for. Then its, Well I paid XXX for it. I don't care what you paid for it. It has nothing to do with what is worth or what you can get out of it. I am getting to the point that I just buy new.

 

[iChokePeople]

What I like is when some one is trying to sell something and are asking $100 more than you can buy it new for. Then its, Well I paid XXX for it. I don't care what you paid for it. It has nothing to do with what is worth or what you can get out of it. I am getting to the point that I just buy new.

Well, that certainly seems the logical thing to do in that situation... You're just now getting to that point?

 

[BigMatt]

I never buy a gun without asking for a better price and I have never had a guy just walk away because I asked.

I always ask for a better price except for at the gas station and the grocery store.

When I was buying a day planner from Coach for my wife, I asked them what their best price was and they acted like I was from a different planet. In the end, I got 20% off the list price and everyone was happy.

My wife used to act embarassed, but now she does it all the time.

 

[jcwit]

I used to go to the Fort Wayne Coliseum gun show. There was always a large dealer there from the Mishawaka area there. I asked if they could do any better on a handgun once and was promptly told the sticker price was the price, take it or leave it. I replied that $ .50 cents would have made the sale, then he wanted to talk, I told him to stick it. Later in the show I found the same model for $20 bucks less anyway. So I still came out the winner.

 

[Small's]

It must be something with the younger culture. Im only 32 and everytime ive bought something used i try to haggle the price down just like when selling something that is used. It should be expected that someone is going to offer you less. But then i did sell a car and a motorcycle on craigslist for asking price to younger people. I thought they were retarded for giving me what i asked because i put o.b.o. "or best offer" which means i will probably take less on the sale price. I always put the asking price a little higher than what i will take for a vehicle or anything else. Now if someone puts firm then i expect them to shoot me down but i will still try but i dot get all affended like a little girl. Thats just how the used market works fellers. Heck you can haggle prices at H.H.Greg. I got a tv down $50 just by asking/giving an offer. I think it has alot to do with how guys my age and older grew up. We didnt have internet, cell phones etc. We had the trader paper and auto rv or newspaper classifieds. Im not dogging the new technology because i love it but It seems like the younger generations dont know how to deal with people socially as well as the older crowd who had to by choice.

 

[HoughMade]

After reading more than a few threads about buying and selling, I've come to the conclusion that you just can't win....on either side.

There are threads complaining about being offered less than what you ask.

There are threads complaining about asking too much for a gun.

There are threads complaining about wanting a bottom line price.

If someone was willing to pay the exact asking price, there would be threads complaining that they didn't ask enough.

If someone took the first counteroffer, there's be threads complaining that they should have offered less.

This is the way the world works. Don't like it that someone wants you to lower the price first: "I wouldn't ask it if I didn't think it was worth it, what's your offer," seems like a simple response.

I sold used cars for 3 years right out of college. The back and forth is annoying at times, but it's the name of the game. It's no use getting too exercised over it.

...BTW...."I see the asking price, but what will you take for it, bottom line...." was the way almost everyone started a car negotiation.

I got so tired of it that at this point in my life, I won't even look at something if the asking price isn't pretty much what I'm willing to pay- I've given something about myself away here, but I don't buy over the internet, so.....

 

[junior438]

if you ask for a lil more than you want for it, then let them chew you down to what you really want, that way you take the chance on getting a lil more than you want.

 

[Miles42]

My price would be the price listed I do not like the back and forth BS. I do not like to haggle with car dealers either. I go into the process knowing what I want and am willing to pay for it. I will not spend hours in a car dealers office. When buying a gun I know what is worth to me. I will not low ball some one selling and in most cases do not express an interest at all. I would never make a good sales person I am afraid. I hate the process.

 

[TheFireArmorer]

To the OP:

I agree with you the whole "what's the lowest you will go?" is annoying. If I have something for sale it's not because i'm hard up for cash, it's generally because i'm trying to fund a new gun/ gun related purchase. I don't want to lose my *** on a deal, that's why I'm selling it here and not trading it in at the LGS.

I don't overpay for guns. I find the best price before I buy at LGS or online. So, when I go to sell, I don't list a high asking price.

In my mind if you're selling on the used market, it's essential to leave some wiggle room. That way you can be happy as well as the buyer. But, asking for the lowest price someone will go is pretty much saying, "Hey buddy... just seeing how desperate you are right now...".

 

[223 Gunner]

I have used the "bottom dollar line" only a handful of times, to be honest I really don't like the way it sounds either. But I also did not realize it was offensive to some. To me I found it more polite than an offer that may be offensive and kill the deal right out of the gate. I have had the line used on me several times, and just thought that it was an acceptable part of the haggling process.

 

[Mark 1911]

I listed it for $500, but since you asked, I gotta special deal just for you, $600.

 

[Pyriel]

I've received a bottom dollar request on items that I had listed for trade.........if it's up for trade then I more than likely don't really need or want the money to begin with, therefore I won't dignify that with a response.