Low Ball Offers

[The Gleam]

Threads on "low ball offers will be ignored".

[I Swan]

[QUOTE=1911whore;17095111]you offer what it is worth to you based on your research.....if you can get it new at an lgs for less then make the offer worth your time. if they take it, great, if they dont....buy it new.....easy[

Yes the key is based on your research. If you are doing correct research you will know what a realistic offer is. I have a FFL I have a business relationship with so I can generally get a free or very cheap ship in transfer from them. So if I can get a gun shipped in and only pay DROS and tax it gives me less of a reason to pay more.

I generally do not mention this when negotiating a deal because it is not the sellers problem, he can sell it to someone who does not have my advantage. But on my last deal I explained nicely to the seller why I couldn't see paying more and he accepted. Sometimes it also helps if you always have cash ready and a flexible schedule to do PPT's on and are willing to travel.

Money talks, BS, empty promises and flakes walk. Another reason I don't lowball much is I will only generally buy guns when they are a very good deal. I already own over 300 so there is not much I have to have or haven't already owned so it makes more sense for me to hold out for better deals that I usually just eventually find on my travels.

I have been known to ask FFL's though for a better price especially when I know the gun has been sitting unsold and is not a popular gun the general public usually wants.

[I Swan]

Something I have run into frequently (not just here but also on Ebay, Craigslist, etc) is that many sellers will slightly inflate the price because they anticipate people offering lower. If someone takes an $800 gun and lists it for $1000, some poor uninformed soul might offer $800 thinking they're getting a great deal.

It all comes down to doing your research before making the offer since there are so many factors to consider.

Just go find out what it sells for new in your local shop... then check any past listings that have sold either here or on other auction/classified sites (if the seller didn't delete the price). That should give you a good idea of what the gun is actually worth and then, if you really need to, you can deduct from that depending on a particular gun's condition, availability (ie - AR-15 market saturation), etc.

I have done that on occasion it can work. A friend of mine does it all the time. It seems to work better than just putting the slightly lower price and saying firm. What's that old saying? Like the best deals are when both parties walk away thinking they got the better of the deal. The thing is in 99% of cases I know for a fact I did. Knowledge is power.

[meno377]

I will ignore and if bad enough I consider the person to be insulting me or mentally ill or something and add then to ignore list. A reasonable offer is fine. Some situations piss me off though. I've sold stuff on the auctions sites that was rare and desirable and that I was the only person on the whole site selling it consistently in bulk.

I'd still get lowball offers. Anybody with half a brain would see I was getting my starting bid price and more so why would I want to sell for a lower price? Also I don't understand people that put OBO but really it isn't. That has happened to me two times recently. On one item it is listed at $400.

It has been bumped multiple times. $400 is a fairly OK price but it seems there is some minor cosmetic damage so maybe that's why no interest. I offered $300 guy acting weird or offended. I then said $350 and still, "I'll think about it." So if it is OBO what was he willing to take, $399.69? Obviously $300-350 was the best offer so sale post is misleading and false.

It should say will consider offers. I may start putting or best reasonable offer.

What it means is that someone else may give him the "best offer". You could offer him 399.00 but he can still wait for 399.99 if he chooses to do so. That's what OBO can mean to a seller.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Sellers frequently expect more for their item than the market will bear. Look at all the ads for AR-15 "builds"...An inflated list of the costs of the parts used, and the seller is looking to at least break even. The seller illustrates that the buyer saves money on the tax and and the labor used in building the rifle.

These ads are a joke because people are understandably wary of amateur frankenbuilds, and the seller's labor and time only have value to the seller. No one else cares. And most likely the parts were bought online and the seller didn't pay sales tax either.

[I Swan]

I like when one seller here claims bringback status on his milsurp guns he is selling but has no proof or documentation you're just suppose to take his word for it. That's almost as bad as sellers that attach sentimenal or emotional attachment to the asking price.

Even stupider is people that got bent over in a panic purchase saying in their sale post, "I just want what I have in to it."

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Every once in a while, I see an ad written in such a rude or abrupt way that the seller essentially talked me out of buying from them.

Those are the best! Two or three paragraphs of snooty rules and conditions, where the seller is clearly expecting a stampede of buyers. When it has been bumped 8-10 times you know the seller has been served a slice of humble pie.

[I Swan]

Those are the best! Two or three paragraphs of snooty rules and conditions, where the seller is clearly expecting a stampede of buyers. When it has been bumped 8-10 times you know the seller has been served a slice of humble pie.

I've seen rules and conditions so long by Gunbroker sellers that I was shocked. Maybe a good rule of thumb would be that if the rules and conditions are longer than the actual description of the guns just pass it up. I understand why they do it but some just go overboard.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Even stupider is people that got bent over in a panic purchase saying in their sale post, "I just want what I have in to it."

"I paid $1,800 for this bare bones, off brand strippo AR-15 during the '09 panic, and I am just looking to break even."

"I am also offering a sealed 1K case of 5.56 bought during the panic for $700... not making a dime here, just want to break even."

[jeffrice6]

Two or three paragraphs of snooty rules and conditions, where the seller is clearly expecting a stampede of buyers. When it has been bumped 8-10 times you know the seller has been served a slice of humble pie.

Love those! I too, get turned off by such ads & never even make it half way through before moving on.

[meno377]

Those are the best! Two or three paragraphs of snooty rules and conditions, where the seller is clearly expecting a stampede of buyers. When it has been bumped 8-10 times you know the seller has been served a slice of humble pie.

I would rather see those instead of seeing what is below here:

PLEASE LOOK AT 2ND PAGE OF THIS AD FOR 'COLLECTOR'S CORNER ITEMS.'

SFO Bay Area Presence meeting by appointment Oct 17th SFO Bay Area

Choose Wisely -- Calgunner. Choose Detroit ...




Introducing a very special and Collectible 1911. I have one and only one left over. Many of these have been sold to Calgunners. NIB.

The Warren Tactical Series 9mm Operator made by the Legendary Springfield Custom Shop under the Auspices of Dave Williams is for sale here. These are the same clever elves that make the FBI/HRT Professionals and Railed Professionals. Here is a link to the American Pistolsmith Guild:

http://americanpistolsmithsguild.com/2013-pistolsmith-of-the-year/

This pistol is the closest thing to getting the new HRT Professionals carried by the FBI special field agents - without being a special SWAT operator. Special Two Tone finish, Recessed Lanyard attachment, and Scott Warren's famous WTS fibre optik sights.

Here is the Scoop on this particular pistol:

Scott Warren, the proprietor of Warren Tactical Sights and a great IDPA competitor, was instrumental in directing the FBI's HRT unit towards getting a new pistol platform. He wrote out the specs and invited the different manufacturers to undergo an intensive shootoff of the best 1911's that money or in this case - your taxpayers' money could buy. At the very end, it was the Springfield Custom Shop with Dave Williams at the helm which won this selection process and the 'Bureau' model was born. Later this pistol became known as the 'Professional' and then the 'Operator' -- also called the Railed Professional.




When Scott retired from the FBI, he started his own company called Warren Tactical Series. He commissioned Dave at Springfield Custom to build a small series of these limited handmade pistols. It encompasses the next generation of HRT pistols: namely the two TONE look of attractive olive drab and black. It also has the maritime/repelling requirement of the lanyard loop.

Here is the chance to own the pistol that has it's lineage with the originator of the FBI HRT Railed Professional.

Link to the Torture test done on this pistol:

http://pistol-training.com/archives/6936

Here is the pistol -- File copy from the endurance test and the write up.











This pistol uses the same great fibre optik sights and great for outdoor shooting and practice.


I am asking an audacious price but these are non roster difficult to get pistols. You can have one now by PPT in Southern Kal (OC area) or NoKal (SFO and Tracy area).


Asking $3998 FTF private party transfer only. This pistol cannot be shipped within Kalif as many of you are aware.
Fresno County
Orange County, SFO Bay Area, East Bay by appt

Just to let you know this was the original run of WTS serial number pistols. This last one in 9mm has the prefix WTS 01x new in box. If you are going to buy this for collection purpose, this is the one to get. Many of these first batch have been shot a lot because they are fun pistols to shoot. I've put a lot of rounds through my daughter's WTS 9mm 0xx (but still looks brand new) is not for sale only this last NIB early prefix 01x is available.
Please PM me with questions and don't post on my ad. Many of the limited WTS available I've seen are WTS 05x and higher.

Thanks very much,

DD
Fresno County
Orange County, SFO Bay Area, East Bay by appt

You have to love that Scott Warren did all this stuff in service of our country and his agency. The music composed by Harold Faltermeyer - theme music from Top Gun.

[highpower]

I usually try to negotiate a lower price on an item unless the price is so good that I give the seller what they are asking before someone else gets it. What I don't do is make an insulting offer. When I sell something I always do my due diligence and research the market so I offer it at a fair price.

There are a LOT of jackasses out there that will routinely offer you half of what you are listing your item for and then act butt-hurt when you tell them to kick rocks.

But, that is the risk you take when you try and sell something on the open marketplace. You just have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

[antiseen]

Low ball offer to me is less than half of asking. I always price my stuff lower than what you can buy it for its current condition,but not by much. I'll maybe negotiate a little lower than that but not much.

It's a deal but some people want to push it.

[Intimid8tor]

Hello all. Looking for your thoughts. I find myself looking a few times a day in the marketplace and often times come across ads where the seller writes "low ball offers will be ignored"

I'm curions what you all consider a low ball offer???? I mean sure... 1/2 off asking prices seems a little ridiculous. But what about 10 or 20% off?

I sometimes come across ads that interest me and want to make an offer at a lower than asking price, but don't necessarily want to offend anyone.

This is the other side of the argument. Not what I expected when I opened it.

First, "no low ball offers" means nothing to me. My low ball is likely different than their low ball.

Pricing on a forum is completely aligned with the two people making the transaction.

I have a price in my mind that something is worth to me. It doesn't matter what it sells for elsewhere or how much it's going for on eBay. I might use that info to determine my offer price. I have a closet with parts. Rails from Troy, Daniel Defense, Seekins and Odin works. Trigger groups, buffer tubes, scopes, etc., so I don't really need much. That makes my price point lower.

So, if I see something I would like to have a make a very cordial offer recognizing they might not be interested as my offer is below their asking. I tell them that if they are interested in making as deal now or in the future to let me know.

Sometimes they accept. Often they decline and usually says thanks, but no.

Life is not nearly as complicated as ss we make it. If someone gets butthurt that is their problem, not mine.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[mrvash]

Personally I always take at least a 25% loss of msrp from everything I sell. If a potential buyer offers me a price of 25%+ off my asking price I would consider that "low balling"