Years ago i knew a guy who went to look at an $1800 64 impala and drove it home for $300. I would’ve loved to witness that negotiation.
I think most people when they have something for sale ask more expecting the buyer will offer less. If your selling something and don’t want to take an offer advertise as the asking price is firm. Most buyers have an idea what they are looking at is worth. Making an offer is the start of negotiations. When I make an offer I intend to buy If the price is right. If the seller gets insulted about an offer or starts giving me a hard time I just walk away. All the seller has to say is “no not for that price” also could mean the seller really doesn’t want to sell anyway and is doing the same routine as the so called “tire kickers”
The last vehicle I sold the price was marked as FIRM. My wife questioned what I was doing as she knew I'd take less. I felt I was eliminating all those low ballers by letting them know low offers were off the table. I figured if someone was serious they would speak up with a decent offer. I sold it in three weeks for more than I was looking for and only had to deal with one serious buyer.
15 on 18 was in my opinion is not a slap in the face the to me the seller felt it was.. it was the buyers time to walk away, say nothing....no harm no foul. A pissing match does neither any good. I mess with guys at a swap meet when I’m selling a little with the u go low I move higher but since I’m not in business swap meet stuff is for going “going down the road” even if it’s just a few spaces.
I had a Ford PU chassis with full floating rear end. must have been late 50's/early 60's that used a odd 6 lug 17 inch wheel. Long gone or I'd measure BP for you, but google might help you out.
The usual message on the internet when I'm selling something for say, $100, goes like this - "20"- no values, figures, question marks, nothing else, just a stupid number. I just hit "delete". If someone calls about something, and makes a ridiculous offer ($40 on a $300 car), I just hang up without answering . They rarely ring back.
My thought is , price the car reasonable , within what other cars are bringing in like condition, don't think because you saw a 50 ford on ebay priced at 59 grand you are going to get that, be reasonable, I find it funny when people say they don't have to sell or they don't really care if they sell it , bullshit, if you don't want to sell , dont advertise it. Also hate when the add says " serious inquiries only" what the hell constitutes a serious enquiry, I figure if make the call, I'm serious. Had a smart ass reply to me once when I committed how nice his hemi Cuda was and I asked if he would consider selling he quickly said " you ain't got enough money to buy that car" . Suppose I did and offered him 5 million, bet he would have changed that smart ass attitude quick . Rant about over.
I’m with Ray as well, I hate haggling buying or selling. If your stuff isn’t marked with a price at a swap meet, I’m not buying it. If I don’t like your price, I’m not going to insult you or bargain you down. I just won’t buy. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I guess some guys get insulted by a low offer. I don't, I just figure the guy is telling me what it's worth to him. I do the same thing, when I see something that I think is way over priced...I politely let the seller know what it's worth to me, he can sell it to me, or not. Occasionally I get a reasonable deal that way.
I’ve said this very thing...told a seller this is what I can pay for it, if he can’t sell it for that then no big deal, we both move on. If someone offers me less than I can take I just say no. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
When I was handling my Dad's estate for Mom, I always started out saying "I'd like to get this amount." Meaning that's where I want to start at. I knew the figures in my head and what the bottom dollar would be. Sold 10 cars that way. Now only have two left that are for sale. On a side note, when the local car guys asked why most of the cars went out of state, I had to explain to them that they were unwilling to pay the actual value of the vehicles. While the gentlemen I sold to were willing to pay a fair price. Two people bought the majority of the cars. The thing I learned is the more honest and forthright you are, the more people are willing to deal.
I just sold an off topic Chrysler, I was more than happy with what I got for it, since it sold I have had a ton of people tell me it was underpriced but not one of them bought it... Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I agree with Darin. Never insult a buyer with that “you can’t afford it “line. Because you don’t really know their financial situation .jmho. Snowman
hey, I dont care what the initial offer is. If they offer, the discussion has started. Thats a good thing. Why kick away a potential sale? Who knows what it will sell for. Sometimes STRANGE things happen.
Yep, long time ago, - knew a teenager who wanted to sell his T bucket, advertised his price - two guys wanted it and got into an auction type situation, and he sold it for more than the asking price !
There used to be a well known parts business in Batesburg SC named Altmans , they had everything early ford related as well as other makes , the 2 story building was probably a total of 100 feet wide and at least that deep, folks said they used to have all sorts of machinery, built engines I understand, He and his wife ran the business for many years , I went in there in 1979 and asked if he had a carb for my then 39 ford truck.he went in the back for 10 or so minutes and cam out with a box containing a ford script carb , I asked how much (at that time they were over 100.00 ) he looked on the side of the box and it had $7.00 written on the box so he said well $7.00. He once had 32 ford Tudor I believe , had really low miles , I cant say for sure but I wanna say a few thousand. He drove it to work every day for years and finally sold it . I went to a car show in Cola SC about 1981 and saw the car there , talked to the guy and he said , he had approached Mr Altman and offered him $2000.00 but Mt Altman said hr thought the car was worth $1200.00 and that is what he sold it for according to this gentleman at the car show.
Now that is nice. You got your price, you helped folks out and you got to share some knowledge with younger folks. That's the right way to behave, but,too rare any more.
See, the thing is, 95 percent of the replies on this thread disagree with you. Almost everyone expects negotiation on a big ticket item like a car. Even new car dealers will negotiate prices. So, your position is not what people expect. I could see it on an $18 item, but your attitude on a car will likely drive away more buyers than it attracts. I think in these times of uncertainty, with the economy headed south, nobody "needs" a '57 Ford and it is a buyer's market. I hope you get a price that satisfies you, but you might be waiting a while.
Most offers over the phone {which I always decline} are the same guys that will beat you down from that price they offered once they are in front of you.
If you won't sell it for less than 18k, advertise it for 18k firm. It'll filter out the lowballers and hopefully connect you with a serious buyer-IF the car is truly worth 18k. It'll also keep you from being insulted-apparently you don't like the negotiating game. Most people want to negotiate so they think they got a "deal". In all actuality, 15k initial offer on an 18k "asking" price was not at all out of line or a lowball offer. He was probably a serious buyer in the mid 16's that you turned away. BTW, how does the thread title "Seventy years later" relate to the topic. I don't get it.
Kind of off theme but I raced sailboats for a long time. A guy in our area I knew and belonged to the same club put his boat up for sale. It was a bit over priced but still out of my price range. After many months of not selling I went to talk to him. I told him I have two kids in college plus some other stuff going on. The maximum I can pay you is $XXXXX but I would really like to have the boat. He got real indignant and acted like I really insulted him. I told him I wasn’t trying to make him mad but what I offered was reality for me. A couple months went by and he called me and said I could have the boat for what I offered. I paid him was polite and very happy to get the boat which was a good deal. He went out and bought another bigger and nicer boat. Even though we raced against each other were in the same circle of friends he never spoke to me again or acknowledged I was even there even though I tried to be friendly. I wasn’t trying to take advantage of him, was honest when I made the offer, it was all very awkward and hard to understand. Others who knew the story also thought it was very strange.
I go both ways, I really do not like to haggle. If I want to buy something ... if the price is way to high, I just walk on by. Once when cleaning out my storage shed, I was selling a Girard turntable. I had original receipts when bought in Germany, had spare new belt and needles and asking $15. One guy was fascinated by it, he had to have it but had to work ... after work would pick it up. Called me 4 times during the day and I assured him I took it off the add and was his when he got off work. He came by, and right off he had a tool to check the timing he agreed it all checked out good. Then tried to beat me down from $15 to $5, for a $100 turntable. I picked it up and threw it back into the shed I was cleaning out, told him to leave. I put it in the trash later. I really am not a people person. But yeah. If the guy really did inspect your $18k Ford and offered $15k ... And you threw him out. You and I could probably hang out and drink beer, be 2 grumpy ol men together
I don't haggle well, and I hate guys who think they'll drive me to the absolute bottom dollar, just cause they want it. I really hate the guys who think you're stupid and they got it all over you. A guy contacted me about my roadster, said he'd take it for the price asked, then asked me to meet him halfway for delivery, as he was five hours from me, would I meet him with the car in Midway BC, we'd load the car from my trailer to his and life would be good. A few well placed questions led to the truth, he only wanted to look at it, didn't want to drive five hours to see it, I still have the car.
I've had that "meet me halfway" several times lately. I guess the potential buyer thinks that the seller is that stupid then maybe a low ball offer would not hurt. I'm in the grumpy old guy camp........If you want to make an offer do it in person.
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