Your thoughts on "I am having a sale, please make an offer" approach

[J.Sid]

Several times I have been the "highest offer" but not been given the piece at the price I offered.

 

 

[Terry Doyle]

Slightly OT to the OP question, I've been asked if a NFS piece was for sale and answered "no, but feel free to make an offer if you'd like."

 

This happens to me from time to time and (unless a NEVER FOR SALE piece) will usually respond likewise.

 

Very few collectors progress this through to making an offer (in my experience).

 

 

 

 

[vodou]

Slightly OT to the OP question, I've been asked if a NFS piece was for sale and answered "no, but feel free to make an offer if you'd like."

 

This happens to me from time to time and (unless a NEVER FOR SALE piece) will usually respond likewise.

 

Very few collectors progress this through to making an offer (in my experience).

My experience was considerably better, iirc 6:6, or maybe one guy never came back...but I actually wish they had walked away. In all cases, years later, I'd prefer to have the art today which I will not rebuy unless at least 50% of what I sold for, just cuz 'n all that. Instead two have resold for much more and one for about 25% less than I was paid. The others I've not seen again. Yet.

 

[Pete Marino]

Slightly OT to the OP question, I've been asked if a NFS piece was for sale and answered "no, but feel free to make an offer if you'd like."

 

This happens to me from time to time and (unless a NEVER FOR SALE piece) will usually respond likewise.

 

Very few collectors progress this through to making an offer (in my experience).

 

 

 

 

Happened to me today, and I said basically the same thing, plus the current things i'm looking to add to my collection that if they had access to them I'd be willing to trade for....

[BCarter27]

This is yet another method of shifting risk away from sellers that we are seeing more and more of that is really off-putting. Even if I have piles of cash sitting around, it is just one more barrier to purchase... in a hobby that is an escape and a stress relief for many of us.

 

If you are a rep or dealer or collector/dealer, you should know your market well enough to price accordingly. Anything else projects a lack of knowledge. For goodness sake's, at least price it high and accept offers. At least we'll all have a ballpark.

 

But if you are going to play the "make an offer" game, don't get offended I offer FMV + or - 25%. Come back with a real number... even a crazy one. I might surprise you and take it. Or politely move on. But I can't read your mind from the get go.

 

Re: NFS. I think NFS is the only time someone can get away with not playing ball fairly. They told you up front it is not for sale. The onus is on the buyer to come out guns a blazin'.

 

To date, I don't think I have ever asked after a piece on CAF that is marked NFS. Maybe I am naive and this is how the good pieces trade hands, but every time I consider it, something stops me. (There is one nostalgia page that I will probably cave on one day.) About as far as I've gotten is a "if you sell one day, give me a holler" on a piece I was underbidder on.

[Terry Doyle]

Re: NFS. I think NFS is the only time someone can get away with not playing ball fairly. They told you up front it is not for sale. The onus is on the buyer to come out guns a blazin'.

 

Except for those occasions when I'm actively selling (at which point I'll price-up items), my CAF is there to display and share.

 

If someone wants to come along and enquire after a NFS piece of art, I will do one of two things:

 

1. Advise that that the art in question really is Not For Sale.

 

2. Advise that a "tempting offer" may pry the art loose from my grasp.

 

If the latter, the onus is placed on the would-be-buyer to put his money where his mouth is. Certainly, as I wasn't looking to sell anything in the first place, I don't feel obliged to do any leg-work in working out an asking price.

 

And, yeah, "tempting offer" would have to equate to above FMV.

[Kohei]

Make An Offer or anything similar in my mind reads 'You can't afford this' and I don't try.

 

My budget is tight enough I don't need the added stress of playing games with this hobby.

[Meeley Man]

Make An Offer or anything similar in my mind reads 'You can't afford this' and I don't try.

 

My budget is tight enough I don't need the added stress of playing games with this hobby.

 

This. So much this! I'm the exact same way.

[jjonahjameson1]

These are nothing more than fishing expeditions, with art as the bait and it is especially disappointing seeing the proliferation of make an offer or please inquire on sites and CAF galleries of dealers, the so-called market experts.

[eewwnuk]

Sometimes the make an offer really does mean a person doesn't have a good grasp on the pricing. I've had a few occasions when the make an offer leads to a conversation where I ask for their ball park and it has led to favorable deals for me as a buyer.

[AKA Rick]

Make An Offer or anything similar in my mind reads 'You can't afford this' and I don't try.

 

My budget is tight enough I don't need the added stress of playing games with this hobby.

 

It also, in my mind says... "tell me what you're willing to offer me and I'll be sure not to accept it, and try to read into figuring out how to counter offer you and make you pay more, even 'tho your offer is legitimately fair and I'd accept it (i.e. you offer $800, he says $1,000; on the same piece you offer $600 and he'd counter with $800).

 

The games are so disheartening, it's rarely worth the inquiry, as you'd mentioned. There's lots of other people and pieces to spend the time and money on in the hobby.

[jjonahjameson1]

I'm happy it's worked well for you a few times. I tried a dozen or s times before stopping altogether... It was a waste of time, especially when dealing with art reps who list the art as "please inquire"... You folks missed your calling as used car salesmen!

[DirtyMartini]

Unless its a must have or I am very interested, I too will pass and not even bother. If I have to know, I will make an offer on the lower side of what I would even consider paying.

 

If the seller responds insulted, I politely say the only reason you are insulted is because you have a price in mind so lets stop playing games and hit me with it.

 

Then we usually get to business.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

[spracknetch23]

It turns me off big time unless it's something I really really want. I like to see a price up front, then decide if I want to buy or negotiate a little lower. On the other side, if there's a price listed but I only want to pay, say half, I probably won't send an offer either because I don't want to lowball.

[Terry Doyle]

I agree with most thoughts being expressed here. That is, if you have art to sell, price it up (and don't play games).

 

Not too sure how others appreciate my stance on CAF art deemed NFS (that other collectors might want to enquire about)?

 

Personally, I don't feel obliged to work out a price-tag every time someone wants to ask about buying my NFS stuff.

 

Why should I?

 

 

[Terry Doyle]

I agree with most thoughts being expressed here. That is, if you have art to sell, price it up (and don't play games).

 

Not too sure how others appreciate my stance on CAF art deemed NFS (that other collectors might want to enquire about)?

 

Personally, I don't feel obliged to work out a price-tag every time someone wants to ask about buying my NFS stuff.

 

Why should I?

 

 

i.e. if I'm looking to sell something, I should have an asking price in mind.

 

If I'm not looking to sell something (and I receive an out-of-the-blue enquiry), why would an asking price figure in my thoughts

[jeBailey]

I have had several people ask me about selling items marked not for sale. They then made offers on the very low side of FMV. I can't imagine they get many/any one to bite. I do put prices on anything I put up for sale.I also move on when I see things priced way above FMV as I don't think I can get them down to a reasonable price.

 

John

 

 

[NinjaSealed]

I think it is pretty simple, if you are soliciting to sell, the onus is in the seller to come up with a price. If you are soliciting to buy something NFS, the buyer should be willing to come up with a price (and it should probably be top range of FMV or higher if they don't want to come off as a person_too_unaware_of_social_graces.)

[JadeGiant]

I agree with the idea that a potential buyer inquiring about a NFS piece should start the negotiation process with an offer. I think that is pretty well a commonly accepted practice.

 

I have actually had success with buying art that was offered for sale without an asking price. It is by far the exception to the rule as it seems very common in this scenario that the asking price is too high to put out publicly and preferred to do via email. For this reason I don't even inquire about most pieces listed this way.

[Bill C]

Not a real big fan of the selling practice as outlined in the original post. I've tried buying a couple things that way (very recently, both on comicconnect IIRC)- sending reasonable offers- and the offers get rejected, with the seller putting my high bid out there so others know they have to shoot higher.

 

That said, if it's a piece I want I'll make some effort. I'm not one of these people who will walk away on principle if the seller doesn't reveal a selling price. Never know if you don't try. That said, I'm more than happy to walk away from a transaction/ cut negotiations short if there seems to be a lot of drama or unnecessary hoops attached to the purchase. I'm at a point with the hobby now (as addictive that it is) that I could basically walk away from any personal A+ piece happy if I think the situation isn't kosher.