What qualifies as lowball.

[IndyGunworks]

Wow. Please remind me to never be your realtor.

33%.... really? Jeez.

Not sure how why? The land that we bought was on the market for 58,000 We came in with a first offer at 30. Picked it up for under 40. Glad I didn't offer them 50 and cost myself an extra 10k

 

[OakRiver]

OKay, say a guy is listing a Sig P938 for $650. If the exact same pistol has been listed for several weeks at PSA for $499, is it lowballing him to offer $450? That would more than a 1/3 off of his asking more.

If someone has set a price above the market value with nothing that discernibly adds value then I don't see anything wrong with your counter offer

 

[slowG]

Depends. Some people have delusions about what something is really worth. If I offer them a fair market price, they may consider it a lowball offer where others would not.

This

 

[bwframe]

How do you all react to these "lowball" offers?

 

[Gluemanz28]

I enjoy the haggle process on both sides. I have given reasons why I'm holding firm at a certain price whether I'm buying or selling. I have sent a PM to a seller with my offer and attached a link with a price on the item to show where I can buy it at as a reference. I have recieved a few nasty grams telling me to go buy it there, which I did. For instance, I can buy five New Glock mags shipped for $100. This means I'm not going to pay $22 each for used and have to pick them up or pay extra for shipping.

We have all overpaid for item because we wanted them, didn't do our homework or the price has dropped. Just because you overpay doesn't mean it's my job to help you pay for your mistake. Keep it until the price goes back up or just take the hit and move on.

I have had a couple guys get crappy about a realistic market value offer and then bump the ad for a couple weeks until they drop the price to where I offered. If they had sent me a PM I would have still bought it, but I wasn't going to contact them after they got crappy. They never did sell the items in the classifieds.

Selling 101: If the item isn't selling after a couple weeks at most IT IS PRICED TOO HIGH. Lower the price or keep it.
Buying 101: Never swim upstream. If things don't just flow with a deal, then I will pass. We all have things happen in life to cause a meeting time to change, but jumping through hoops is a deal breaker.

 

[Hkindiana]

I just looked at a weapon on the INGO for sale section that is listed at well over twice what they currently sell for. SO, offering him HALF would STILL not be a good deal for you, as you would just be getting it at fair market. The SELLER might see it as a low ball offer, but knowledgable firearms owners would see it as a fair market value offer. If it DOES sell, I will DEFINATELY be listing mine.

 

[gregkl]

How do you all react to these "lowball" offers?

See post 19 for my response.

I enjoy the haggle process on both sides. I have given reasons why I'm holding firm at a certain price whether I'm buying or selling. I have sent a PM to a seller with my offer and attached a link with a price on the item to show where I can buy it at as a reference. I have recieved a few nasty grams telling me to go buy it there, which I did. For instance, I can buy five New Glock mags shipped for $100. This means I'm not going to pay $22 each for used and have to pick them up or pay extra for shipping.

We have all overpaid for item because we wanted them, didn't do our homework or the price has dropped. Just because you overpay doesn't mean it's my job to help you pay for your mistake. Keep it until the price goes back up or just take the hit and move on.

I have had a couple guys get crappy about a realistic market value offer and then bump the ad for a couple weeks until they drop the price to where I offered. If they had sent me a PM I would have still bought it, but I wasn't going to contact them after they got crappy. They never did sell the items in the classifieds.

Very well stated.

 

[bwframe]

See post 19 for my response...

I think you and I are on the same page. I will be respectful at worst. Interest is interest, and (like IGW) they may not be done.

 

[ModernGunner]

Depends on what the prevailing price is for the item. Typically, a quick internet search will give a Buyer or Seller will provide a fair price for their area. Finding a 'good price' for the same item selling on the opposite side of the planet may make the Seller 'feel good', but it's not a realistic 'fair market value'. The same holds true for using results on the opposite side of the country, or perhaps even the opposite side of the State.

Pricing and negotiation are skill sets, and skill sets that need to be developed. Not everyone is interested in developing those skill sets.

Typically, if someone is interested in selling an item for a specific, fixed price, they simply put 'firm' in the narrative.

Everyone buying is looking for that real bargain, so getting 'lowball' offers should be anticipated.

The value of an item actually has a definition: The price a ready, willing, and able Buyer is willing to pay to a ready, willing, and able Seller. ANY item is only worth what a Buyer (or group of Buyers) are willing to pay at that moment in time. 'Tomorrow', that item could be worth 50%, 25%, or less of what it was the day before.

 

[jkaetz]

This thread is amusing. Check your emotions at the door when buying and selling. The price of an item or services between two entities is entirely a factor of how badly one side wants to offload said item and how badly the other side wants to acquire the item. Values are irrelevant to the negotiation, the only important numbers are the one the seller will accept and the one the buyer will pay. If the two numbers intersect, a transaction is made, if not, life goes on. Some people like to negotiate or haggle, others simply give their price and that's the end of it. Getting upset over a failed transaction is a waste of energy.

I myself lean to the no haggle side of things. When I sold a sectional on craigslist I had several people adding if I would take less or what my rock bottom price was, I had a simple canned response that said thanks for your interest, my best price is listed in the ad. No one got upset and in less than a week the transaction was done at my listed price.