Sorry, But I'm Not Your Wholesaler- How Would You Respond?
MooseDog
Posts: 1,946 ✭✭✭
I have some items posted at admittedly "top of the range" prices with Best Offer. I have been in a bit of a financial bind for the past 8 years, but not so bad I have to sell at any price. If I sell any nice pieces from my collection I want top dollar and I make no apologies for that. I prefer to see these things in the hands of collectors rather than bought by dealers with bigger and better mailing lists than me.
Someone first makes an offer at 55% of my price which of course I decline. Next he comes back with 63% offer which I decline also. Since he's used up two of his three offers, he emails me and asks what I will take. I tell him 75% of the price, which I sold a similar item just a week before at that price and the buyer was very happy.
His reply:
"Sorry, that's more than I can resell it for"
I'm not going to respond, but I am curious if anyone has a good comeback.
Someone first makes an offer at 55% of my price which of course I decline. Next he comes back with 63% offer which I decline also. Since he's used up two of his three offers, he emails me and asks what I will take. I tell him 75% of the price, which I sold a similar item just a week before at that price and the buyer was very happy.
His reply:
"Sorry, that's more than I can resell it for"
I'm not going to respond, but I am curious if anyone has a good comeback.
0
Comments
NathanSr
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If you put a Best Offer on the card you need to expect to recieve bids that you won't like.
Its becoming the business model of people like KHW.
All he does is buy autographs and put them in an ebay store for 3 times what he pays for them.
Its a business model that is destined to fail....
<< <i>Tell him you slept with his wife. >>
At the Holiday Inn last night
<< <i>Tell him you slept with his wife. >>
I actually laughed out loud at that. Thanks Lee.
My Podcast - Now FEATURED on iTunes
So when the dealer complains that he can't resell it for more, who cares? You'll be happy selling it to a collector then. No sweat!
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Sellers with plenty of money are silly to worry about
moving stuff quickly.
Just load a store with high-priced stuff; eventually, it sells.
<< <i>Tell him you slept with his wife. >>
Ok George Gastanza.
Tell him YOU are his wife
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>storm- that is right on the money. I see what baseballfanatic is saying about common items being overpriced, but I have put some very hard to find cards in my store and put the price high and still had buyers hit BIN without sending a best offer. There are people who want that item and after looking on ebay and not finding any they will happily buy the only one available. >>
Agreed!
Agreed on best offer option being an invitation to low ballers. I never put them on there anymore, and it doesn't deter the offers, just leads to more reasonable ones.
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
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I agree with ya there , pieces that are hard to find , in a particularly great condition they're not going to find everyday, if at all .
I see nothing wrong with asking for top dollar , however, of course you know that if you put " Best offer " the re-sellers are going to contact with ridiculous offers in your eyes , whereas looking through their eyes , they might see it as a chance to make a profit if they can get it for X .
As far as collectors , you would definitely have to wait until that particular person see's it and I guess that is what the re-sellers bank on ?
Often times a collector will pay whatever the price is , within reason and sometimes above that if they want it bad enough .
Personally I would let it roll right off my back , because I would have to expect things like this if I put in , Best offer .
I have had some ridiculously stupid offers for some pieces in both directions ,
I think often times sentimental value holds us back from making deals as well , others could not consider that when buying, naturally .
I have about 5 monster pieces that I wouldn't ever sell unless I was getting an offer from someone that was willing to pay me the world , so I understand where yer commin from .
A dealer has to make a profit , he's not in business to break even , so he figures why not give it a shot , he's got nothing to lose .
When these people make stupid remarks though is when your blood begins to boil , there really is no reason for the extra talk after the offer is declined .
<< <i>"Well the jerkstore called, and they're running out of you!" >>
"What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller."
"How about a little fire Scarecrow ?"
Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
I had someone come in the other night and make offers a stack of PSA 10's in my store. All listed between $20 and $40 and currently 15% as it is. I got offers of $8 - $12.50. I declined all but one and made a counteroffer on that one. I have gotten no replies or no new offers. Fine with me. I wasn't offended but I felt the offers were low. Adding a snide remark to them wouldn't have been prudent and I don't think it is here either. Give the buyer the benefit of the doubt that their comment wasn't meant as a sleight to you.
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As others have said, there is usually another buyer out there who will pay the BIN or within your sell range. Unless you really need the cash, no reason to sell right away.
As other posters have noted, if you are not willing to consider lower bids (and/or the fact that your BIN price is too high), then you either shouldn't include the "Best Offer" option, or should set it to automatically reject any bids below your reserve price.
Remember that buyers have no idea how motivated sellers are. I routinely make best offers around 50-60% of the BIN price for one-of-a-kind items that I am interested in, and while they usually are rejected, I have gotten several counteroffers from motivated sellers and been able to snag a couple of items at what I consider to be very reasonable prices.
Especially considering how the economy is doing these days, there are probably going to be even more motivated sellers out there looking to convert cardboard into grocery money who are willing to take 50% of their BIN price if that's the best they can get.
Remember that the money you spent to buy the card is, to use economic terminology, a sunk cost. What you paid should have no influence over what you are willing to accept. I've met many, many sellers out there who do not understand the concept of sunk costs and refuse to part with an item unless they can sell it at a profit.
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IF a seller does NOT need/want money, there is ZERO motivation
to sell anything w/o making a profit.
I agree that the economy is going into the toilet. This will expose
MANY weak-hands on EBAY to a new set of "motivations."
I have been through MANY business cycles. My advice: NEVER
sell into a bad market at depressed prices. ALWAYS be a
buyer in those markets.
2009 should provide bargains.
Doubtful.
If sellers are desperate, they'll simply convert those fixed priced listings to auctions and, if necessary, have a friend protect their investment.
I don't shill my auctions, but most ebay sellers I've spoken with personally have had someone shill their auctions at least a few times, and they've never been caught.
someone shill their auctions at least a few times, and they've never been caught. .."
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I do NOT doubt your personal account.
BUT, I know - casually - hundreds of EBAY sellers. Most,
I have met at seminars and EBAY-LIVE events.
The worst of them have nothing but disdain for shillers.
They would NEVER shill their own, or anybody else's
listings.
Shilling is a CRIME.
Perhaps fishing for a comeback was not the correct way to put it in my initial post...I put BIN on a lot of my items and have no problem declining any offers including lowballers. And frankly I wasn't really offended by the offer, as it was at least reasonable. I sell to dealers often, if the guy had come out right away and said he was a dealer and what was my best price I might have reacted differently as that is the way it usually goes.
Fact is the similar item that I sold last week was to a dealer, and he was quite happy with the price.
<< <i>His reply:
"Sorry, that's more than I can resell it for" >>
Your response:
"Sorry, that's what I can sell it for"
BTW, that jerk store comment was priceless!
If you need to restort to name calling and insulting comments because you are offened by low ball offers
maybe you should not be on the selling side.
Nobody seems to complain when sellers put ridiculously high prices on items in their ebay stores.
Decline the offer and thank the buyer for his interest. Name calling will only stand to show you as
an unproffesional classless seller.