General discussion thread - keep the other threads clean 29 29

[wombat]

People let their emotions get the better of them. I don't care if the price is broken down between all the bills the seller is going to use the money for. Who cares? What's the final price? Does it work for me? Yes or no. End of story.

[jaybuck43]

The problem with building it into the price is GPA, and I don't mean this as a snub at George. GPA does not record the final sale price, only the price it ended at (so no accounting for tax, shipping etc.) This can really effect the final price paid For instance lets say I want to sell the AF 15 in my sig line. I throw it up on the boards and say "For Sale, $3,500 shipped US, worldwide you pay shipping & Duty cost, must be sent Fedex because of value and need for traceability". I've built the paypal and shipping costs into my price. But if you check GPA you'll see that I am asking $150 over last sale. So a buyer may chalk me up and pass because I'm trying to raise GPA, or think I am overpricing etc, when all I am doing is factoring in shipping and paypal so that I receive the actual value of the book. Now if instead I said "For Sale, $3,350 plus 3% paypal fee plus shipping fee, must be sent insured and overnight because of value. Many buyers are upset because they see the sausage being made. But is the price really that bad? In the end, aren't you just paying the same amount?

 

Nor does it include Paypal or auction house fees. Whomever sold that comic for $3350 probably only got ~$2900 for it. The problem for me is mostly when I see someone asking full GPA (or over GPA) plus PayPal fees plus shipping.

 

Time was the free cost of listing here was considered by most.

 

I think the point you are getting at here is that there was a time when people left a little meat on the bone because they were selling to another collector, then I get your point and respect it. But I think the problem is, you have people here (and everywhere really) selling who want to get 100% value of their item. Why am I going to eat 10%? Just so thunsucker can get the book cheaper? Who cares about that, I wan't my extra 10%!

 

Also remember, auction house fees are negotiable heck even eBay is negotiable (depending on what selling deals they have at the moment).

[EC ed]

I avoid the plus 3% plus shipping threads because it tells me there's no room for negotiation (not that there has to be room).

 

Even if the price + 3% is already a fair price? You'll avoid that thread just based on principle, and the fact that you think you can't negotiate an already fair price?

 

Also, let me ask the same basic question using a different scenario:

 

I list a book in a sales thread, asking price is $500 (let's assume it's already a fair price), and I accept PayPal or personal checks. Period.

 

You post up the 'take it.' We've done deals together before, we're chat board "friends"...for whatever reason, you trust me. So, I PM you and say - "Hey, thanks! You know, if you want to pay me with a personal check, let's just make it $485, since I won't have to pay the PayPal fee."

 

Will you say:

 

1) you stinking SOB...that means you were burying an implicit PayPal fee in your asking price...how could you.... "...or

 

2) Thanks, man...check works for me. I appreciate that.

 

 

Admittedly, psychology was one of my weaker subjects.

[Chip Cataldo]

I didn't see the stuff that went poof, but apparently there was an untruth said about me in one post. I am *NOT* "living out of my car" or homeless. Someone probably misremembered my post where I said that if I don't get some cash soon I *will* (future tense) be living out of my car. That's still the situation but as of right now I'm still in the house.

 

You are correct and I stand corrected.

 

I made an insensitive remark regarding you Chip and for that,

I am sorry. I apologize to you directly.

It means a LOT to me that you posted this, Brock.

 

Thank you so much.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Chip Cataldo

[KPR Comics]

It's never black and white, Ed. Fair price is a fair price. It's just that when I see someone try and squeeze every nickel out of a book, I'm turned off. It's totally psychological.

FTR, I'd pick option 2.

Have a great week.

[EC ed]

It's never black and white, Ed. Fair price is a fair price. It's just that when I see someone try and squeeze every nickel out of a book, I'm turned off.

 

I agree with you there.

[CatskillMike]

Wasn't there a post a few pages back that said adding a surcharge to use Paypal is a violation of their TOS?

[thehumantorch]

It's never black and white, Ed. Fair price is a fair price. It's just that when I see someone try and squeeze every nickel out of a book, I'm turned off. It's totally psychological.

FTR, I'd pick option 2.

Have a great week.

 

It goes beyond psychological to me. If they're trying to squeeze every nickle out of the book perhaps there will be other issues. Over grade a raw book, package poorly, fight a return, who knows.

 

Hey, a seller can price a book any way he wants and specify the terms but I don't like the optics of a 3% paypal fee and I click out.

[EC ed]

It's never black and white, Ed. Fair price is a fair price. It's just that when I see someone try and squeeze every nickel out of a book, I'm turned off. It's totally psychological.

FTR, I'd pick option 2.

Have a great week.

 

It goes beyond psychological to me. If they're trying to squeeze every nickle out of the book perhaps there will be other issues. Over grade a raw book, package poorly, fight a return, who knows.

 

Hey, a seller can price a book any way he wants and specify the terms but I don't like the optics of a 3% paypal fee and I click out.

 

But, wait a minute...in this discussion, you are equating (A) someone who happens to specify the terms with an explicit additional 3% fee for using PayPal with (B) someone who is trying to squeeze every nickel out of a book.

 

That's just not true. A can exist without B, or B can exist without A.

 

Stated differently (I love hypotheticals): If I offered, say, a Tales of Suspense #39 CGC 6.5 OW/W for "$5,500, add 3% if using PayPal"...would you really click out and say to yourself..."look at that SOB trying to squeeze every nickel out of that book"?

 

This subject is fascinating, every time we discuss it.

[NP_Gresham]

I think the bottom line is the bottom line.

If I buy a book on Heritage I know there is a steep buyers premium, so I subtract that from my bid. I also know that 'free shipping' is NOT free to the seller.

if I am going to pay $500 for "book X", and dealer A offers 'free shipping" at $510, while dealer B sells the book at $450 with an additional $45 in fees and premiums, I am going with dealer B.

It doesn't matter to me how you break it down whether it is PP fees or buyers premium or free shipping, it is the bottom line price I look at. In fact I kind of avoid 'free shipping' on some venues (eBay). Nothing like getting a slab in an envelope - "but hey its free"

 

[KPR Comics]

I would Add to Cart w/out hesitating in that hypo.

[wombat]

 

This subject is fascinating, every time we discuss it.

 

I agree. Mind bottling in fact.

[NP_Gresham]

Of course added into the bottom line is reputation. That was a glaring omission on my part. The bottom line from Robojo33 or a HOS matters to me.

Not getting my business

[jaybuck43]

 

This subject is fascinating, every time we discuss it.

 

I agree. Mind bottling in fact.

 

[vaillant]

I didn't see the stuff that went poof, but apparently there was an untruth said about me in one post. I am *NOT* "living out of my car" or homeless. Someone probably misremembered my post where I said that if I don't get some cash soon I *will* (future tense) be living out of my car. That's still the situation but as of right now I'm still in the house.

 

You are correct and I stand corrected.

 

I made an insensitive remark regarding you Chip and for that,

I am sorry. I apologize to you directly.

It means a LOT to me that you posted this, Brock.

 

Thank you so much.

As "bad" as it might have sounded I was pretty much sure that comment was just unfortunate humour and not a malignant one.

But hey, where do you get that kind of humour from, Brock? ::

[thehumantorch]

It's never black and white, Ed. Fair price is a fair price. It's just that when I see someone try and squeeze every nickel out of a book, I'm turned off. It's totally psychological.

FTR, I'd pick option 2.

Have a great week.

 

It goes beyond psychological to me. If they're trying to squeeze every nickle out of the book perhaps there will be other issues. Over grade a raw book, package poorly, fight a return, who knows.

 

Hey, a seller can price a book any way he wants and specify the terms but I don't like the optics of a 3% paypal fee and I click out.

 

But, wait a minute...in this discussion, you are equating (A) someone who happens to specify the terms with an explicit additional 3% fee for using PayPal with (B) someone who is trying to squeeze every nickel out of a book.

 

That's just not true. A can exist without B, or B can exist without A.

 

Stated differently (I love hypotheticals): If I offered, say, a Tales of Suspense #39 CGC 6.5 OW/W for "$5,500, add 3% if using PayPal"...would you really click out and say to yourself..."look at that SOB trying to squeeze every nickel out of that book"?

 

This subject is fascinating, every time we discuss it.

 

Sure, someone could price a TOS 39 under market and specify a additional 3% paypal fee but it's unlikely. Can you show me a recent sales thread with a 3% paypal fee and keys priced under market? Considering there is no other cost to listing here a 3% paypal fee is a pretty low cost of doing business.

 

 

 

[MustEatBrains]

People let their emotions get the better of them. I don't care if the price is broken down between all the bills the seller is going to use the money for. Who cares? What's the final price? Does it work for me? Yes or no. End of story.

 

Spot on.

[revat]

People let their emotions get the better of them. I don't care if the price is broken down between all the bills the seller is going to use the money for. Who cares? What's the final price? Does it work for me? Yes or no. End of story.

 

Spot on.

 

But you would be 'good to go' either way as a buyer, so it makes no difference to you whether or not they tack on the premium or not. So there is no benefit/detriment when dealing with a buyer like you.

 

But it has been shown that there is a potential detriment when dealing with other potential buyers by adding the 3%, so from a seller perspective, why risk alienating those potential buyers?

 

Category A buyers - indifferent to selling method

Category B buyers - dislike 'paypal premium' method

 

Wouldn't it be preferable from a selling perspective to have both Category A and Category B buyers as a potential market? Unless one thinks the Category B buyers are so few that the difference is negligible.

 

Seems simple, and yet....

Edited May 24, 2016 by Revat

[Doktor]

On the 3% issue? I won't buy in a sales thread that requires me to pay extra for using a certain form of payment. The same way that I would actively avoid gas stations that used to charge extra or have a different price for credit card payments (that's still a thing some places).

 

I don't mind if it's built into the price, since I'm not paying in any other way than paypal to anyone (unless I'm buying in-person). I realize that credit card processing fees are built into the cost of everything from a candy bar to the 65" flat screen at Best Buy these days. I just don't like it being rubbed in my face that "I'm going to charge you more because you're paying with this for of payment instead of this other form of payment"

 

Emphasis on the bolded text

Yeah but given the two scenarios below, you're not paying more either way

Asking price = $1,030

Asking price = $1,000 + 3%

 

I get it that people don't like it rubbed in their face but at the end of the day, you're paying the exact same amount. Being accepting of paying the extra if it's built in as opposed to the 3% add on has always seemed a little irrational to me. It's like saying that I don't mind paying more as long as it's invisible. Huh? Again, ignorance is bliss I guess. I don't know about you guys but I don't like paying more regardless of whether I know it or not.

 

 

 

 

I don't know... I don't really think about it that much. Just something about it bugs me & I think to myself "Nope. Next?" as a result. I can't exactly explain it. Just something about it bugs me. Maybe it's the "seeing the sausage being made" or something. I don't can't really explain it.

 

Just like my initial gut reactions is negative to seeing it be spelled out explicitly, that I pass right then & there rather than buy it and not feel as good about the price, if that makes any sense? Even if it's a good price with all those fees included. my initial negative feeling on seeing it spelled out is going to stick with me every time I look at that book. And I don't really want to associate a book that I really wanted & like having with a negative experience or a "well, look at the silver lining, it was still a pretty good deal" .. it's still gonna have that little bit of "dude wanted me to pay his freaking paypal fees" negative feeling muddying my otherwise enjoyment of having that book in my collection.

 

Does that make sense? I mean, I don't expect you to agree or anything. Just wanted to see if you could understand what I mean.

[revat]

On the 3% issue? I won't buy in a sales thread that requires me to pay extra for using a certain form of payment. The same way that I would actively avoid gas stations that used to charge extra or have a different price for credit card payments (that's still a thing some places).

 

I don't mind if it's built into the price, since I'm not paying in any other way than paypal to anyone (unless I'm buying in-person). I realize that credit card processing fees are built into the cost of everything from a candy bar to the 65" flat screen at Best Buy these days. I just don't like it being rubbed in my face that "I'm going to charge you more because you're paying with this for of payment instead of this other form of payment"

 

Emphasis on the bolded text

Yeah but given the two scenarios below, you're not paying more either way

Asking price = $1,030

Asking price = $1,000 + 3%

 

I get it that people don't like it rubbed in their face but at the end of the day, you're paying the exact same amount. Being accepting of paying the extra if it's built in as opposed to the 3% add on has always seemed a little irrational to me. It's like saying that I don't mind paying more as long as it's invisible. Huh? Again, ignorance is bliss I guess. I don't know about you guys but I don't like paying more regardless of whether I know it or not.

 

 

 

 

I don't know... I don't really think about it that much. Just something about it bugs me & I think to myself "Nope. Next?" as a result. I can't exactly explain it. Just something about it bugs me. Maybe it's the "seeing the sausage being made" or something. I don't can't really explain it.

 

Just like my initial gut reactions is negative to seeing it be spelled out explicitly, that I pass right then & there rather than buy it and not feel as good about the price, if that makes any sense? Even if it's a good price with all those fees included. my initial negative feeling on seeing it spelled out is going to stick with me every time I look at that book. And I don't really want to associate a book that I really wanted & like having with a negative experience or a "well, look at the silver lining, it was still a pretty good deal" .. it's still gonna have that little bit of "dude wanted me to pay his freaking paypal fees" negative feeling muddying my otherwise enjoyment of having that book in my collection.

 

Does that make sense? I mean, I don't expect you to agree or anything. Just wanted to see if you could understand what I mean.

 

I'm in the same boat. I'd say make it as easy for the buyer as possible to know the price and to know what they're buying. I don't want them to have to do math, nor do I want to.