Lowballers an tyre kickers.

[Rammer Jammer]

I appreciate how Armslist doesn't give any of the seller's personal info until they reply to any offer. When I get ridiculous lowball offers I just don't take any time out of my day to respond to them.

I've also had stupid questions like the time I was selling a 9mm SP101. Guy asked why anyone would want a semi auto cartridge revolver...figure it out yourself bud and don't waste my time. Another guy on Armslist asked what the cash price was. There is nothing but cash price on Armslist, I don't take checks, credit cards or barter for other goods and services.

The following line is something I saw on another guys ad on Armslist and I've been using the line since. "I'm neither broke or impatient. Serious inquiries only please."

 

[paplinker]

Interesting thread,

I have lost out on a few really nice guns not discussing realistic prices with the seller or auction house.

Recently Rock Island had a very unique 38/44 OD for sale. Starting bid was 4500.00

It was more than I wanted to be in it so I did not pursue it anymore.

Ended up selling for 3250.00. Quite a bit lower than ask!

 

[doublesharp]

"Would you consider" is a magic phrase. No ill will could be construed from an offer presented in that matter.

My stock answer when badgered to make an offer on unpriced items is "I never price another's merchandise."

I'm not offended by lowball offers, just laugh and decline often with a retort like "best offer I've had in the last 10 minutes but no thanks"

and this old adage is still valid "one firm offer is better than a thousand lookers"

 

[BigBill]

I do ebay a lot. I will make an offer if the opening bid is too high, over priced. If the opening bid is reasonable I'll bid that.

What gets my goat is when they have a opening bid then say or make an offer. I make an offer exactly what the opening bid is yet they wait then turn me down. Why have the make an offer there. Bill

 

[Old TexMex]

When selling, I just say " no, thanks" if an offer is less than I would consider. Pretty simple. I'm not so sensitive as some.

On the other hand, when buying, if the seller doesn't like my offer, he can get as offended as he wants, I won't lose sleep over it, because my offer was made in earnest. What he values so greatly might not be that far up my list.

 

[Old TexMex]

Just to chime in, the same with people who request more information or additional pictures and when you send them, no response. Not so much as "Thanks for the additional info." You never hear from them again. I guess people are just rude.

Now that....is a different issue. Those clowns cost me time and money. No bueno..

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I have used Craigslist often and sold a number of items including real estate.
But the send me more info, maps, plats, etc requests do happen quite often.
You cant always tell the sheep from the goats with one email.
But I can tell cabrito from mutton!
So can the S Tex guys!
So the apparently lonely losers have the early advantage and provoke you to respond to their empty inquiries.
It's just a short lose of time that I would probably waste anyway playing freecell!
I hope it provides these losers with some small measure of satisfaction and sense of power that they were successful in soliciting a response from this ego maniac who normally passes them by and completely ignores their presence in this world.
The internet not only provides anonymity it levels the playing field.
An idiotic request on an expensive item like real estate for sale is at least initially as valid as one from a multimillionaire.
This charade don't last long, just long enough to waste your time and to irritate you.
That would appear to be the desired results.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

As my dad was preparing to retire. He had 2 apartment complexes left, and put them on the market. Someone from one town would make a low offer and work on negotiating dad into a lower price. This would burn up months of time. When he would relist it a year or so later an offer from a different town would come with the exact same offer and never work their way as high. So he just didn't bother to respond to repeated same offers after that. Saved him a lot of time but would aggravate the listing agent like crazy, but it wasn't their time that was wasted!

I had a similar thing happen on a WWII Nazi PPk with police proofs, I held firm for 2 years and at a show I came down a little. next show 3 different people tried to get me into that game, I just took it off the table and told them it was gone, and traded it off for something I liked but didn't have to argue over!

Ivan

 

[Roller Delayed]

Rather than do a lowball I just say..give me your bottom figure (which usually is not a bottom figure). If they won't I won't make an offer.

I have to say that I think this is a little rude. Bargaining is a process and a social convention. When people say "what's your bottom price?" they are saying "I want all the benefits of bargaining without doing any of the work." Which is why people sometimes find it offensive.

But I don't think everyone automatically knows that, so I'm not saying you're being intentionally rude.

If someone want to list a gun and accept offers, then I guess you need to make an offer. That's the house rules - no different than how you can't walk into an auction house and demand to Buy It Now.

 

[Roller Delayed]

What gets my goat is when they have a opening bid then say or make an offer. I make an offer exactly what the opening bid is yet they wait then turn me down. Why have the make an offer there. Bill

"Make offer" is "Buy it now". BIN is never opening bid price. If the seller wanted to do no better than opening bid, they would have just listed it as BIN.

 

[Roller Delayed]

I heard this story in Bahrain when I was stationed there in the Navy:

The storyteller went to Persian carpet store with his friend. At the store, the friend looked at some carpets and showed a little interest in one, but was quick to tell the proprietor that he really wasn't in the market for a rug, and it was well out of his price range. Over the next several hours the friend and proprietor went back and forth, had tea, discussed family and bargained some more. At the end the proprietor came down much more than the average discount and the friend agreed to buy the carpet.

The storyteller, realizing what a bargain has friend drove, turned to the proprietor and said "At that price, I'll take one too!"

The proprietor replied "That is his price, that he earned. Your price is the one marked on the tag."

 

[Kiwi cop]

Well a bit of good news this evening.

Jus over 24 hours after listing both auctions the M 14 bolt action rifle has been sold with the "buy now" option.

Even better is the fact that it has been bought locally.

 

[Ackley1952]

No one has mentioned the "high ballers"who can be equally offensive. A gun is worth what it sells for. I'll bet the guy who low balls you buys more guns per year than you sell. If potential buyers offend you you probably won't be a seller long.

 

[Drm50]

There are those in business to surf the net and make low ball offers that
will insure a profit percentage that they target. They usually just make one
offer and move on to next "customer". If they can't buy at their price they
don't want it.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

When I ran my I Buy Guns ads,
I'm buying wholesale for resale.
I would buy any gun if I thought I could sell at a profit.
Well almost-
A woman calls me and says she has some family inherited heirloom guns.
Am I interested? You bet!
I go down to a large apartment complex and she takes me out to her car.
The trunk is full of the collectibles.
Oh Man! They are all no-name hardware store long guns in pretty bad shape. The guns you see screwed to the wall in restaurants.
I tell her that unfortunately her guns have little to no market value and I'm not interested.
She starts to cry.
But just in case I'm wrong - get a second opinion.
I told her to go down to Ron Peterson's , park behind the store and ask them to come out and evaluate those pieces.
So I leave her distraught in the parking lot and beat a hasty retreat.

 

[kraynky]

Years ago,when I still did my photos with a 35mm, I had a fairly expensive gun listed on a gun chat forum, with a few pics.Received an inquiry asking for more pics of certain areas,so off to buy film,take pics,get the film developed,scan the photos, etc.
After I sent them to him, he thanked me.Also said that he wasn't looking to buy the gun-he was just curious about what the features looked like.

I recall many times answering an ad in a local swap magazine (Pre-internet), having a phone call discussion, figuring out when we might both be able to make it to the same place in a city like Louisville, and having the guy look it over & say "Thanks, I'm still in the looking phase right now. If you still have it and a few weeks I might buy it." GRRRR! TireKickers!! "Don't bother calling me later, your chance is today, & right now."

You seldom got to see a photo of the item being sold, just when you finally got together. I do not miss those days at all. I did go to more Gun Shows back in those days. Haven't been to one in 20 years now I'd guess.

 

[Camster]

I do ebay a lot. I will make an offer if the opening bid is too high, over priced. If the opening bid is reasonable I'll bid that.

What gets my goat is when they have a opening bid then say or make an offer. I make an offer exactly what the opening bid is yet they wait then turn me down. Why have the make an offer there. Bill

Ebay now inserts an offer thing at every chance they get. It's often not the seller adding that feature to the ad.

 

[427mach1]

At our annual garage sale, a man came up to our multi-family group and asked if we had any tools, silver, gold, jewelry, guns, etc. I told him I had a Winchester Canadian Centennial and he indicated an interest. I showed it to him and told him I wanted $500 for it. He offered, "I'd be more comfortable at $400, because you have to understand that I'm going to sell it and I have to make a profit." I told him "I'm more comfortable at $500. What you do with the gun after you purchase it from me was none of my concern and that YOU have to understand that I have to get as much for the gun as I can." Needless to say, we didn't conclude the deal.

 

[crankyoldlady]

An "insult" is personal. This is not personal. It's business. Those who buy low and sell high go fishing with a low offer because some times it works.

I have made some very good deals because I made an offer
I thought the seller would never in a million years accept. And they did.

 

[Skeet 028]

.I have made some very good deals because I made an offer
I thought the seller would never in a million years accept. And they did.

I agree..It truly is business. I have bought items just like this poster stated. If someone makes me a ridiculous offer I just laugh. My reply to them quite often is..if it were yours and I offered that ridiculous sum...would you accept it? Quite often I will make a deal with a price I am comfortable with....after a bit of dickering. Don't take anything personally...not worth the headaches! If it is a repeat "customer" that I have never really done business with...you know the ones I mean...I will not even dicker with them.