Selling a very nice fresh 57 Ford 2dr HT for a SELLING price of 18k. First tire kicker asked if 15k would buy it. I replied that if he wanted a 3k price change the new price to him was 21k. Others could buy it for 18k. He tried to backtrack but it was too late. Why didn't I think of this time saver decades ago?
Well the way it go's can be fun. I'm retired,but when I owned my speed shop,I did engine balancing{SW],would get those asking about paying less then my V8 balance prices listed on the wall. "Sure,I can do it for 50% less an only do 4 pistons an rods an 1/2 ass job on the rest",,was never any takers. Unlike all the other shops that did engine balance work,I was the only speed shop that would let you watch it being done if you wanted.
I have a problem with people who call and lowball you without ever seeing the car, won't even try to deal with them.
How would he know where you need to be unless he asks, if you stated the price was firm all you had to say was no, most people list a higher price expecting the buyers to come back with a lower price. If I want to sell for 18 i list for 20 or 21. I don't get mad at offers, just counter or say no.
What I hate is offers over the phone or email I won’t respond. I have, and have had happen to me low ball offers face to face, worse someone can say is no, and you negotiate from there. bought my 50 for 5 grand asking price was 9!!!!! Did I low ball , hell yes! Did the seller need the money, nope..... needed to clean out his dads estate and as he said “ ya know what it’s gone and not my problem anymore !” And when I’ve been low balled I’ll chuckle and say nope not even close ! If they are close then I’ll negotiate sorry but to me there’s no firm price on a car, there is the lowest dollar amount someone will take and it’s often less then asking.
Yeah i don't mind to haggle at all, part of the fun, but it's gonna be face to face. At least when somebody shows up to look, it kinda shows they're interested.
Just like Van said. Most folks inflate their advertised price so that they can come down to the real price. Now, if you have a set price just say “ firm”. I‘m kinda opposite of the original poster, when I go to a swap meet, I expect to pay a lower price that marked on an item. I like to bunch and haggle. To me that’s part of the fun of buying. I recently advertised a vehicle for $17,500, that I didn’t have to sell. Got very few hits. I blamed the virus, but it did have one thing folks didn’t like. So.... when a prospective buyer talked me down to $13,000......on the phone..... I sold it! $12,500 was my actual bottom dollar. Different strokes for different folks! Bones
Last five cars I bought, I never met the seller and never saw the car in person till it showed up in my shop. If I'm using my time to call, I'm interested. Meeting the seller in person, or viewing the car in person is a waste of my time. Seller doesn't want to deal over the phone or by email, that's fine by me. I don't have to buy his, when there'll be one right around the corner. I assume he's got it for sale because he wants/needs to sell it. I, on the other hand don't need to buy that one, when there's more out there. Sellers have to remember they are only selling one commodity, while I, as a buyer , have many of that same commodity to choose from. Sellers who don't realize this quickly become hoarders.
Some people don't inflate the price and know exactly what they want. Haggling can turn off a seller as much as it can turn off a buyer. Haggling isn't for everyone. Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No offense to the op but seems you are taking it a bit personal with that first offer. To go as far as say others could buy for 18 but now his price is 21 simply because he offered a price that you obviously weren't gonna take is a bit childish in my opinion. Sorry but don't get the point.
It sounded like a reasonable counter offer to me. You must not do much selling. If you came down some, he may have come up to something more of your liking Thats my opinion.
I always expect people to haggle when I set a price and just did the opposite of the OP. Had my 52 Forf 8n tractor up for sale last month. A couple came to look at it. Young farmers in thier second growing season. They check the tractor out, test drive it and agree to my asking price. They didn't even try to haggle. I said great and they went off to get thier cash. Meanwhile I started to feel guilty that they were going to just pay the asking price, which was more than I expected to get out of it. When they came back to pick up the tractor, I asked them why they didn't try to get my price down. Bottom line - inexperienced buyers and a little naive. I then explained how to negotiate a deal to them. I also dropped the price for them to what thought I would get out of it. I figured they needed the extra cash way more than me. Needless to say, they were thrilled. Hopefully it wasn't them who tried to buy the OP's car! Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
So I like to have fun on the rare occasion I sell. I put my price with no offers. If you don’t understand what that means just ask. It works as people know what I will take period. Has worked very well. The guy that still try’s to low ball is open season for me I have fun at his expense
Like it or not haggling is part of buying and selling cars and parts. 99% of buyers and sellers do it and expect it. As a buyer I think a $15k offer is reasonable on a car with a $18k asking price. A counter of $16.5k or $17k may have resulted in a sale. If the buyer would've made a low-ball offer of $10k then I could maybe understand the seller getting a little miffed. If there is no negotiation and the price is firm I think that should be stated from the get-go.
Gotta grow some hide if your going to play the game. I always tell potential buyers at swaps or private sales I can't be insulted. Life's too short to get whipped up about a sale. I've sold stuff to low ballers and no negotiation buyers. It's just stuff.
I haggle a lot but I buy and sell lots of stuff so its just part of it to me. When I'm buying stuff I usually haggle because I dont want to pay that price for the condition of the item in front of me. If I think its worth it I just pay the asking price. Its a value issue to me not a pissing match. I dont feel like I "have to win." When I sell stuff I expect offers and even lowball offers dont bother me because if Im still making money and Im sick of looking at something that dude might just get the deal. Fuck it.
This only applies to swap meets and even then, only if the immediate situation feels like its helpful. Two of the things I always have with me at swap meets is a black marking pen and a piece of soapstone. When the booth is unattended and the price isn't marked on what ever item that catches my eye, ( mostly junk and small items that have no real value other than if I think its cool ) I will mark a price on the piece that I think is amenable to haggle over. It really helps to get the seller to have a starting point at which to start from. Fair warning, don't try this if you don't have the skills to bargain and consolidate a few other parts in the deal. It saves a lot of time when the booth is unattended. And the seller actually gets some money for something that originally had no price on it !
If your asking 18K and someone is there offering 15K, I think its time to talk. I suspect you may not see anyone else offering you close to that these days. My grandson was trying to sell his off topic car, someone stopped by with cash, just $200 less then his asking price, and he stood firm, and the guy walked away. 4 months later, that extra $200 he was trying to get doesn't look so important any more. At the same time, I have a truck for sale, the guy that offered less then 1/2 my asking price doesn't deserve a response, but I did tell him I didn't think his offer was a legitimate offer, but in case it was, the answer is NO! I still have the truck, but at 1/2 price, I'm going to keep it. Gene
I agree with Gene, when I sell stuff, (I hate selling stuff, never been good at it), my philosophy is, a fast nickel is better than a slow dime. When Dad and I used to go a venden’ at motorcycle swap meets, we would tell people that we were The Cheapest Fuckers there. We priced our stuff to move and the goal was to not take anything home. Buy high and sell low is my motto. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I do not enjoy haggling when buying or selling. Sometimes it is difficult to avoid. When selling something of significant value, I make a sincere effort to figure out what a reasonable market value is, all factors considered. Then I price it accordingly, neither a "steal' nor a 'wishful thinking' price. An informed buyer, if they are also a reasonable person, hopefully will see the value is there and we can dispense with 'the game'. I have sold cars, motorcycles, boats and airplanes in this manner. As a buyer, I assess the value of the item in a similar manner. If interested, I will so state and will probably ask "can you do any better on the price?". Depending on the answer, I will either buy it, or thank the seller for his time and politely move on. Or, if invited to make an offer, I may or may not, depending on my perception of how far apart we are and how motivated I am to own the item. I am not recommending my methods or disagreeing with others' approach. It's just my comfort zone. Ray
I love to haggle as a seller and a buyer, the art of the deal, the dance...but never take it personal. I learned a long time ago that the Buyer's job is to "steal" it, the Seller's job is not let him "steal" it...and anything in-between is just good negotiations. Nothing personal.
I think this is what some folks have trouble with....they can't separate a business transaction from their own ego, or something.
I think the low ball email or PM offer is the thing now. That and guys who ride around the country looking at old cars for sale as their hobby. I did take the serous cash offer for the 31 I just sold and he paid me abut 2 bucks a mile to deliver it. I didn't get rich on it for sure but came out ahead a bit. It found a great home and I have cash to deal on something I really want right now. I've got 3 17 inch wires with an odd 6 lug pattern that I have no idea of what they fit that actually will go to the first guy who makes an offer on them low ball or not. The "stick what you want to pay for them in my hand and get them out of here" thing. That or they will be interesting hose and cord hangers in my shop.
A number of years ago I received some advice about selling stuff. It goes against a lot of peoples ideas but it has worked for me. The advice is to aim that every sale is a fair sale and the end goal is both parties leave happy. Yes I don't get top dollar but I have found that is not the point. I try to avoid buying off assholes who's whole motto for life appears to be screw the next guy over as much as possible. I also try to be fair on a sale even when a buyer tries to push the point and just be a general dick. I am not sure why but since adopting this strategy I seem to be having better luck with the buying and selling deal. It has happened a number of times that after the deal has been done and both of us are happy the buyer has a chat for a few minutes before leaving. I have had a few good leads or some great information as a result of these chats. Steve
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