Trade Value vs Sale Price

[Bayouhunting]

Purchase or trade, 99% of people on here ask new or more than new prices for guns/parts/ammo.

I always get a good laugh when I check the classifieds.

Like new is not new

 

[JR1572]

I've been lowballed by a bunch of people lately. I just don't respond to their PM's.

JR1572

 

[Emperor]

I've been lowballed by a bunch of people lately. I just don't respond to their PM's.

JR1572

That's not nice!

 

[DAVE_M]

Here's my take on it.

Say the MSRP on a new flashlight (that I have) is $150. Let's say I paid $130 retail online. Let's also say it's LNIB and I'm going to sell it for $85. That's $55 less than I paid new for a lightly used light. Now the trade value comes in when I want to trade it for something of equal or HIGHER value. If I'm going to take a loss, it will be with cash, otherwise I will be trading for something of lesser value. When I go to sell the lesser value item, I will make even less than the value of the trade. Thus losing money altogether.

I've been lowballed by a bunch of people lately. I just don't respond to their PM's.

JR1572

You mean, you won't take $50 for the $300 item you listed? It's been happening to me lately as well, sometimes from the BayouShooter regulars.

 

[JR1572]

That's not nice!

Yeah, I figured if I replied to the pm and told them how stupid they are the tattling would begin.

"JR1572 hurt my feelings. He's a meanie."

Then another thread about me would get started in the moderator forum and me being a meanie would be discussed again.

JR1572

 

[JR1572]

You mean, you won't take $50 for the $300 item you listed? It's been happening to me lately as well, sometimes from the BayouShooter regulars.

Exactly.

JR1572

 

[Emperor]

You mean, you won't take $50 for the $300 item you listed? It's been happening to me lately as well, sometimes from the BayouShooter regulars.

This is not really what I mean. But that's funny!

To my query and only in this context; If a guy is trying to sell a compass, let's say. And he starts out wanting $50 for it in January. Then two weeks later he bumps it with a price drop to $40. Then another two weeks later he bumps it again with another price drop to $30 and then says, "or make offer." He's been trying to sell an item that is difficult to sell anywhere second hand, much less here. So two weeks later he bumps again, and writes, Still available will consider any offer.

So I notice his ad, and have been watching it's progression through the process. I PM him and say, "Look man, if you can't sell it and you just give up on trying, I will give you $20 for it." I don't even need the damn compass! I have compasses! But, I can part with $20 bucks for a $50 compass and not have to take out a loan at the bank. It doesn't even matter what I do with it. And I'm not talking about guns. I don't need any more guns!

Am I wrong for assuming I am sincerely trying to help him out?

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, I figured if I replied to the pm and told them how stupid they are the tattling would begin.

"JR1572 hurt my feelings. He's a meanie."

Then another thread about me would get started in the moderator forum and me being a meanie would be discussed again.

JR1572

 

[Treadwisely]

I've been lowballed by a bunch of people lately. I just don't respond to their PM's.

JR1572

I've been tempted to stop responding as well but it is part of the forum setup. Someone has to have the last word in the PM convo.

 

[JR1572]

I've been tempted to stop responding as well but it is part of the forum setup. Someone has to have the last word in the PM convo.

The ignoring thing works.

We can always get the forum gods to let people other than the OP post in the marketplace. That would turn into a bickering festival. That will also probably double the amount of daily posts on here because I would post in every ad telling people their price is too high, ask for a round count, ask how come it doesn't come with any magazines, etc.

JR1572

 

[whodat247]

If someone is selling a NIB firearm and I can get it cheaper online, but after shipping and FFL it equals the same amount, I'm still going to purchase it myself. There's no incentive not to. For the same price I can get the firearm I know for sure is brand new in the finish/color I want and I can pick it up on my own time at an FFL near my house. Why would I pay the same amount and then waste gas driving to meet someone that we had to agree on a time and place that meets both parties needs and not just at my convenience. I have yet to run into this situation on BS but that is just my 2 cents on the whole value of FFL and shipping deal.

 

[JadeRaven]

This is not really what I mean. But that's funny!

To my query and only in this context; If a guy is trying to sell a compass, let's say. And he starts out wanting $50 for it in January. Then two weeks later he bumps it with a price drop to $40. Then another two weeks later he bumps it again with another price drop to $30 and then says, "or make offer." He's been trying to sell an item that is difficult to sell anywhere second hand, much less here. So two weeks later he bumps again, and writes, Still available will consider any offer.

So I notice his ad, and have been watching it's progression through the process. I PM him and say, "Look man, if you can't sell it and you just give up on trying, I will give you $20 for it." I don't even need the damn compass! I have compasses! But, I can part with $20 bucks for a $50 compass and not have to take out a loan at the bank. It doesn't even matter what I do with it. And I'm not talking about guns. I don't need any more guns!

Am I wrong for assuming I am sincerely trying to help him out?

No.

If someone lists something for sale, and even moreso if he says "OBO" or "make offer," then he should expect lowball offers. If that person gets offended or upset about the offer, that's his own problem. All you have to do is say "No" or ignore it in JR fashion.

 

[Emperor]

If someone is selling a NIB firearm and I can get it cheaper online, but after shipping and FFL it equals the same amount, I'm still going to purchase it myself. There's no incentive not to. For the same price I can get the firearm I know for sure is brand new in the finish/color I want and I can pick it up on my own time at an FFL near my house. Why would I pay the same amount and then waste gas driving to meet someone that we had to agree on a time and place that meets both parties needs and not just at my convenience. I have yet to run into this situation on BS but that is just my 2 cents on the whole value of FFL and shipping deal.

Any seller that expects a buyer to endure this^ would be a pinhead!

Let's face it! If you are trying to sell a gun on here, or any 2nd hand market place for that matter, and your gun is not a collector's item or is a gun you got for free or cheaper than mkt value, and/or you built it for cheaper; I can't see how you could expect to make a "net" profit?

 

[Emperor]

No.

If someone lists something for sale, and even moreso if he says "OBO" or "make offer," then he should expect lowball offers. If that person gets offended or upset about the offer, that's his own problem. All you have to do is say "No" or ignore it in JR fashion.

But see, that is going to **** me off! And then I am going to want to tell him he's an a-hole. And that makes me feel like an a-hole! Everyone who posts crap for sale here ought to expect everything we are discussing.

I get, there are people in the world that have no idea what protocol is for the fluid and proper transferring of goods and services. But Jeez, what world are some people living in?

 

[JadeRaven]

But see, that is going to **** me off! And then I am going to want to tell him he's an a-hole. And that makes me feel like an a-hole! Everyone who posts crap for sale here ought to expect everything we are discussing.

I get, there are people in the world that have no idea what protocol is for the fluid and proper transferring of goods and services. But Jeez, what world are some people living in?

Yeah.... you risk that with any interpersonal conversation.

Sometimes I will say something like "I can give you cash today for $XXX, but I understand if you want to wait for a better price." If someone still gets pissed off at that, or at what you said, then that's really just his own problem. Can't let it bug you when somebody freaks out

 

[Nomad.2nd]

Interesting points. But what I'm hearing is that I'm looking for logic in the illogical.

Consider that in a trade: most epople will NOT be trading exactly what they have for exactly what they want.

Also consider that (Excepting absolutely perfect NIB items) no 2 guns are identical.
I've bought "Worn out" glocks with 1k rounds through them which have never been in a holster.
so your going to need room to come to an agreement.

BOTH of these reasons are logical reasons "Trade value" is different than cash.

 

[nolaradio]

I was looking at a piece of radio gear on another site about a year ago. I kept seeing the same item listed with the wording "or best offer." After about a month of seeing the same listing, I email the guy and simply asked what offers he has received. He replied that he had not received any offers, only a couple or replies from Canada and he was not willing to ship to Canada. So I replied with an offer of $50 when I know damn well he should be able to get around $300. Then the fun started.

He replied with a real defensive email. telling all sorts of nonsense, blah, blah, blah...
To which my reply was that he listed the item with the wording "or best offer." Quoting his earlier email where he said he received no offers, I pointed out that my offer was by default the best offer since he receive no other offers. I got no response to that email but the next day his ad was up again with the words "or best offer" removed from the listing.

 

[olivs260]

The ignoring thing works.

We can always get the forum gods to let people other than the OP post in the marketplace. That would turn into a bickering festival. That will also probably double the amount of daily posts on here because I would post in every ad telling people their price is too high, ask for a round count, ask how come it doesn't come with any magazines, etc.

JR1572

Today, in reasons why we don't allow that anymore....

 

[olivs260]

My approach has always been, if it's a quality gun (and that means a Glock), and it's not beat to hell, I'm willing to pay within $0-$50 under retail price for it. A $550 gun new is going to set me back an extra $50 or so on taxes. So yeah, I'm cool with paying $500-$550 instead of $600 for it. Plus, you're helping somebody out that might really need the money. Not to say I won't turn down a better deal, of course.

 

[Redd508]

Words have meanings, atleast in my mind. Cash "value" and trade "value" should be the same. Value is dictated by the market conditions as some are quick to point out (22 lr). Its not dependant on terms of payment. I can see how ppl may take a cash discount on their merchandise but then that discount becomes the value, atleast for that transaction, be it cash or trade.

 

[JR1572]

No.

If someone lists something for sale, and even moreso if he says "OBO" or "make offer," then he should expect lowball offers. If that person gets offended or upset about the offer, that's his own problem. All you have to do is say "No" or ignore it in JR fashion.

I use the the "reasonable offer" line in my ads. As we all know, my "reasonable" is sometimes much different that some of the people here interpretation of "reasonable."

JR1572