Why no ?make me an offer? forum?

[plinker202020]

I get that nobody wants auctions on here, although I don?t really understand why, but what better way to get current value for an item? If it was a separate forum people who are opposed to the idea could just stay out.

I know everyone wants sellers to research through other sites but there are so many unknown variables to that.

Not sure why a member shouldn?t be able to post an item, say accepting offers through PMs only, and maybe choose to come back to post the final price or trade.

[plinker202020]

P.S. These freaking question marks are irritating.

[Dan_Eastvale]

If I sell a gun on a local rag we usually say obo if negotiable, or simply say price negotiable and have a non public minimum we're willing to accept.

Even if I don't say these things buyers still offer less.

It kind of produces the same result

[plinker202020]

Very simply send a private message to the seller and make an offer to him. Problem solved, there's your why is there no offer option solution

And imagine how annoying it would be if this was an auction site where multiple people kept making offers on a firearm that's for sale and the seller sat back and waited to see if anything better came along. Weeks could pass. You set a price and if somebody meets that price you sell it. If somebody wants to make an offer that's less than the stated price then you have the option to think about it as long as you want or decline.

All true. I guess I will just do that.

[sealocan]

I'd like to see (but I'm not pushing anyone into it) something like three standard types of asking price qualifiers...

1.) "Firm" , that means the seller wants that asking amount and nothing else will be considered.

2.) "Negotiable" that means Reasonable offers that are close to the asking price will be considered.

3.) "Or best offer" / "OBO" , that means the seller really wants to sell the item as soon as possible and if the potential buyers wants to throw out some lowball offers it won't hurt anybody's feelings.




We could even have a fourth qualifier for married guys, like...


"M.W.I.M.M.P.T.B.I.W.N.S.I.. L.T.M.N."
which of course means...

My wife is making me post this but I will never sell it. Lord take me now.

[CSACANNONEER]

YOU agreed to the forum rules and are now trying to figure out a way to get around them? If you want to use an auction site, there are several for you to go use.

[9Cal_OC]

YOU agreed to the forum rules and are now trying to figure out a way to get around them? If you want to use an auction site, there are several for you to go use.

but those platforms charge to auction

Next thing you know, OP is going to wonder why don’t we split the MP by region

[plinker202020]

YOU agreed to the forum rules and are now trying to figure out a way to get around them? If you want to use an auction site, there are several for you to go use.

Take your chill pills, just asking a question.

[Oldmandan]

I’m pretty sure the reason for that, is a guy could start the auction at $1, and would get 100’s of bumps as a bid would equal 1 bump

Some guns may draw 100’s of bumps in 1 day


It would drive us all crazy

[IVC]

Auctions have rules, it's not just an open-ended thread where it's free for all. To run an auction, there would have to be parameters such as the reserve, the time frame, etc. When an auction closes, if the reserve is met, the item is sold. There's no going back.

Could CalGuns implement something like that? Sure. But why add the extra complexity and cost? This is a forum of members, not an auction house. There are easy ways to sell at an auction. But it costs money, because it takes infrastructure and work to enforce the rules.

[CSACANNONEER]

Take your chill pills, just asking a question.

Take a chill pill, just answering a question.

BTW, I believe auction houses have to be licensed and regulated.

[plinker202020]

I obviously made a mistake using the word auction, because that?s what everyone is focusing on. I really meant the last part of the OP:

?Not sure why a member shouldn?t be able to post an item, say accepting offers through PMs only, and maybe choose to come back to post the final price or trade?.

[9Cal_OC]

I obviously made a mistake using the word auction, because that?s what everyone is focusing on. I really meant the last part of the OP:

?Not sure why a member shouldn?t be able to post an item, say accepting offers through PMs only, and maybe choose to come back to post the final price or trade?.

As it has been said, some sellers will just wait it out for who knows how long AND to expect them to come back and list their final price or trade? Some can?t edit after the initial post. Not much buying would occur if people are guessing what you might want for it (or you?ll receive a ton a low ball offers and choose to hold out). Best to list a price and go from there. Seller adds OBO if flexible.

A person listing a ?custom? G19 G3 might get offers for what people think they?re worth, not what the OP may want. Waste of time on both ends. So it?s easier to let sellers list their price (whether inflated or not) and let the market decide to buy.

[IVC]

?Not sure why a member shouldn?t be able to post an item, say accepting offers through PMs only, and maybe choose to come back to post the final price or trade?.

It's the same as at your local store - imagine not only not seeing the price, but not being able to ask what the price is. Instead, you make an offer on the loaf of bread an wait to get a response. And the justification is that it's more convenient for the store to get a better price this way. The problem is that it is much less convenient for the byer. In fact, if you had a store like that, nobody would go to it because it wastes buyer's time for the benefit of the store.

This is a forum for the members. If you offer something in the marketplace, it needs to have a price so that someone else can purchase it. You can still barter and negotiate on price.

More importantly, you're allowed to put "OBO" ("Or the Best Offer"), so you can play the game you suggest. Put a butchered Glock and list price at 2K, then add "or the best offer." Those who want to play your game get to do exactly what you suggest, the rest of us can recognize a time waster. A win-win.

[IVC]

... I don?t really understand why, but what better way to get current value for an item?

It's a terrible way to *pay* the current value for an item.

It sounds good if you're a buyer and have no idea what your item is worth, or you believe your item is worth much more than it is, but you're afraid to post the price. If you want the "current value," start high and lower the price as it doesn't sell. You end up wasting your own time for your own item you're trying to sell, and not wasting buyer's time playing games based on your inability to determine the price.

Compare this to the real estate market. You can post lower price and try to entice a bidding war, you can post higher price and wait until someone bites, you can post a realistic price and negotiate. All of these are options here, including negotiating over PMs.