Do you block low ball buyers?

[quicksilver]

Does anyone else get the feeling that it's not the collectors who are lowballing, but flippers scrounging around for a big payoff? I wouldn't dream of insulting a seller with an offer of 50%

 

I wouldn't either, but I lost out on a book I wanted seeing it sell for under 50% of ASK price, I regretted not trying obviously.

[kav]

The last time I was offered that much of a price cut on a book, was from a 12 year old WHOWASSUPEREXCITEDABOUTEVERYTHING. So I'm wary.

Well I'm 55 and I do it....just sayin....

WHAT???????

I'd have bet the farm that you were 22-23 tops

 

There is no way in hell the person behind that keyboard is 55.

 

man, and i thought I was an immature 38 year old. Tip of the hat to Kav.

[Dark Prime 0]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

[kav]

I just don't understand the emotional reactions of some sellers. someone lowballs me I see what I can do with them. Getting huffy and dismissing the 'insulting' offer just seems foolish. I've gotten lowball offers, negotiated, got a fair price and repeat business.

Guess I'm just 'immature'...

[Dr. Balls]

I just don't understand the emotional reactions of some sellers. someone lowballs me I see what I can do with them. Getting huffy and dismissing the 'insulting' offer just seems foolish. I've gotten lowball offers, negotiated, got a fair price and repeat business.

Guess I'm just 'immature'...

 

I don't think it so much that - I think it's the trouble that can come from someone who throws out lowball bids, as obnoxious or unrealistic expectations of sales are seldom the only problems those kinds of buyers bring to the table. I have no interest in building a client base with people who don't understand the concept of FMV, or even worse: they think that I don't understand it either. Having customers who's primary intentions are ripping you off are not really the kind of customers I want, regardless of what I could actually negotiate with them.

 

And like a lot of people here - selling books is my hobby. I'm not interested in monkeying around with someone who honestly thinks they can obtain a book at 75% off the value it's listed. Lowball offers like 40% off get a decent counter - but ridiculous ones get blocked.

[rjpb]

I just don't understand the emotional reactions of some sellers. someone lowballs me I see what I can do with them. Getting huffy and dismissing the 'insulting' offer just seems foolish. I've gotten lowball offers, negotiated, got a fair price and repeat business.

Guess I'm just 'immature'...

 

I agree. Put an auto reject for anything you consider too low to reach a compromise with, and counter-offer everything else that comes up short of your minimum. I've offered 50% of asking on books and even had acceptance of the offer with no haggling in the past, so I don't blame folks for trying, though it's generally clear when that's reasonable vis-a-vis the asking and when it's not.

 

When someone messages me a "ridiculous" low ball on a book I've not even listed with a best offer option, I either ignore it or send an email back thanking them for their offer but that I'm not interested in selling at that price. I'm not going to get my dander up over obtuse ebayers, even the ones that try to "educate" me as to why their offer is more than fair.

[mschmidt]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

 

Have you gone to many dealers' booths at shows and offered them $350 for a book that was priced at $1000? How did that go?

[kav]

I can see dismissing someone offering $11 for a $400 item. But $350 for a $1000 item-I'd see what I could do with that. I've often had people offer me a third and I ended up selling for 10% less than list....

[Dark Prime 0]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

 

Have you gone to many dealers' booths at shows and offered them $350 for a book that was priced at $1000? How did that go?

 

sry but i don't play in the 1k range on books.......have done a book the dealer wanted 800 for and got it for 650, though that was a one off as i norm don't play in that range of the pool either (250-300 is my high range)

 

+ keep in mind i only hit 1 possibly 2 major cons a yr so all the books i buy for the most part are off the same dealers and they already discount the books when figureing out the price for me, and even then i'll sometimes attempt to get it slighty lower, sometimes they agree and sometimes they don't, but as i spend a nice amt with them i keep going back bc they work with me (repeat costumers are always a good thing)

 

and while the 1k for 350 is not a price i would have submitted, 600-700 is what i prob would have started offering and see where it goes from there if i got a responce

 

remember everyone is trying to get the best deal wither as a dealer buying, a collector buying, or a fliper which is basicly just a dealer again trying to get the best price so they can make the most.........buy low, sell high

[kav]

Yep

[RCheli]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

 

Have you gone to many dealers' booths at shows and offered them $350 for a book that was priced at $1000? How did that go?

 

Look, people will lowball you wherever. I have gotten numerous PMs for stuff I have up offering 1/3 or less of the asking price. I happily tell them (here or on eBay or when I'm setting up at a convention) my counteroffer, and we can go from there.

[kav]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

 

Have you gone to many dealers' booths at shows and offered them $350 for a book that was priced at $1000? How did that go?

 

Look, people will lowball you wherever. I have gotten numerous PMs for stuff I have up offering 1/3 or less of the asking price. I happily tell them (here or on eBay or when I'm setting up at a convention) my counteroffer, and we can go from there.

This

[slym2none]

Dumbest thing you can do is get huffy and confrontational. You have no idea where he's at and may lose a potential customer with a fair final price.

 

I politely declined his offer. Huffy and confrontational is the quickest way to get a neg or an 'empty box' claim on ebay.

No counteroffer?

 

Ehh, I'll counteroffer if we're close on price. Offering half of the lowest price the book has ever gone for, I think is one of those 'We're too far apart on this' situations.

You're missing out.....sometimes I low ball something I'm willing to pay full price for. Haggling, you know. You've closed the door ..... play the game-you have nothing to lose.

 

I am with 'jay on this - I had someone offer me $5 on a $20 comic. In my mind, they won't want to pay more than $10, and I didn't want to come down any further than $15, so I declined the offer with no counter-offer. I know it's a bit of conjecture on my part, but it is my system and it works for me.

 

 

 

-slym

[slym2none]

Someone can offer me a penny and I'll see what I can do with em.....

 

I'll give you for your Action #1 I keep hearing about.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[RockMyAmadeus]

Do sellers haggle with lowballers here on the boards? There are some buyers here that have taken the art of lowballing to a level unseen even on ebay.

 

True....and there are also sellers here who make contact from a WTB thread, tell you they have several of the books you want....and then never get back to you with a price.

 

After two weeks, they give you an offer which is wayyyyyyy above reason for the book (a 9.0 Modern SS with no value on its own: $75.)

 

So, you make an offer for everything, taking the time to research all the prices beforehand (definitely NOT lowball), and the seller tells you very abruptly that they "will not be selling those books for that."

 

People are weird.

[DEATHLOK9147]

i agree with kav on this....or lets switch it you all go to cons i assume, don't tell me you never attempt to get the books for cheaper off of dealers

 

how is doing it on ebay any different, remember ebay is escentaly a fleamarket

 

Have you gone to many dealers' booths at shows and offered them $350 for a book that was priced at $1000? How did that go?

 

Look, people will lowball you wherever. I have gotten numerous PMs for stuff I have up offering 1/3 or less of the asking price. I happily tell them (here or on eBay or when I'm setting up at a convention) my counteroffer, and we can go from there.

This

I respect that Sometimes if u just want that book gone work with them, They come closer to your asking price. I would wait until no one bites then get backto the guy with a lower price close to your price and so on ya digg..

[kav]

Someone can offer me a penny and I'll see what I can do with em.....

 

I'll give you for your Action #1 I keep hearing about.

 

 

 

 

-slym

I'll counter with $160,000....

[slym2none]

what about $800?

 

 

 

You, I believe, are the minority of 'I'll low ball ya, but then I'll pay what you were asking'.

 

I'm going to have to agree with Kav here. I've offerred 50% of an asking price because I've had a seller accept that. But then i'll come up significantly. Why guess whether the buyer will come up when you can spend the 20 seconds to counter and see if he actually does.

 

If a prospective buyer offers 50% of the asking price for his first offer, I think he is serious and will deal with them. 20-25% and they are not worth my time, IMHO.

 

 

 

-slym

[kav]

what about $800?

 

 

 

You, I believe, are the minority of 'I'll low ball ya, but then I'll pay what you were asking'.

 

I'm going to have to agree with Kav here. I've offerred 50% of an asking price because I've had a seller accept that. But then i'll come up significantly. Why guess whether the buyer will come up when you can spend the 20 seconds to counter and see if he actually does.

 

If a prospective buyer offers 50% of the asking price for his first offer, I think he is serious and will deal with them. 20-25% and they are not worth my time, IMHO.

 

 

 

-slym

So what would you have done in this case where buyer offered 35%?

[slym2none]

YOU NEVER COUNTERED ANY OF THIS BUYER'S OFFERS!

Think of it like a game-see how high you can get him to go. Make it fun.

I seriously think you are selling yourself short here....

I'm not trying to be confrontational or anything-I really think you can do better as a seller.

I myself have incredible success as a seller, so I'm not just talking out my spoon.

I want to pass on my skills, is all. I like sharing.

 

 

 

 

-slym