The Classifieds are horrible right now (is the economy really that bad???)

[yenniedn]

Exactly this. I'm pathologically incapable of just hitting an ask unless it's something genuinely scarce and I like the price anyways.

For the OP:

If people haggling bugs you, just put "bids under ask will be ignored" or something similar.

Personally, I'd always prefer to have at least some bid when I'm selling something. I can always say no

Haggling doesn't bother me; I haggle where it makes sense. Someone selling a $2,000 rifle I want that doesn't have a transferable warranty for $1,800, I'll try to haggle $100-$150 off to buy it at a price that more justifies the lack of warranty. But if I see an item listed at $50 and either can't afford (or at least mentally accept) paying a cent over $45 then I would just move on.

Psychological to be able to shave some off...like at a flea market. The buyer feels more incentive to be able to get $5 off a $60 item. Price your item at $65 along with "OBO" and let it go for $60. Everybody feels happy.

That $5 shaved off will almost get a full bottle of beer here in DC

You're right...I see this at work too. Not matter how I try to tell customers this is the best offer/lowest price, they inevitably ask for more. I try to save cycles by going to a bottom line price that I think is fair but it seems that you really do need to go through the whole process of starting high to end up at your final price.

Yes, but ignoring those messages has been my best policy.

On most days, I practice the same. But for particularly heinous lowballs, it's kinda hard to hold your tongue sometimes.

 

[MartyMcFly]

There are many cheapskates out there, as well as people who love to bargain and a select few for whom that $5 does make a difference. Seldom will you know which type you are dealing with, it’s best to accept it as just a part of the game or save yourself the annoyance and not sell stuff on classifieds.

By the way, it also makes a huge difference depending on what culture the buyer is coming from. I’ve dealt with folks where it’s ingrained in their mind that if it’s a private sale then haggling MUST be part of the process.

-Marty

 

[corny]

15-20% off new price doesn’t really make sense if you factor in shipping costs.

Most website offer free or nearly free shipping.

Personally, I prefer to trade.

 

[yenniedn]

15-20% off new price doesn’t really make sense if you factor in shipping costs.

Most website offer free or nearly free shipping.

Personally, I prefer to trade.

I'm currently watching the classifieds. 10% off isn't worth looking at I'll by new every time. 20% off is a bare minimum even if you've just opened the box. What is the open box discount in most of retail? And no I'm not saving shipping and tax since many places have free shipping and I have no sales tax.

Again, I'm not talking about stuff you can readily find on Amazon with free Prime Shipping. Most airgun shops do NOT have free shipping and the ones that do, require a minimum purchase to qualify for free shipping because their overhead/margin aren't enough to justify free shipping when you're not spending above some minimum. In fact, I hardly ever recall getting free shipping on a $2,000+ rifle so, no, most airgun places don't do free shipping across the board.

So when you go to buy that $80 accessory and it doesn't qualify for free shipping, you're going to have to pay for shipping because it's not on Amazon. As for the sales tax - MOST of us do have to pay it because only the lucky few in a couple of outlier states don't have it.

 

[Ricochet]

You may be encountering people wanting to buy your stuff for resale. Some folks try to make a living trading stuff, and those people will milk every penny they can out of you. If i see something i want, i'll always ask a seller, "is this your best price?" but $5 sounds like a wheeler dealer kinda scenario.

 

[Ricochet]

This could also be a ploy to ""advertise your classifieds."" JS ... after i looked, you may be the wheeler dealer salesman type i was just speaking of. HA !!

 

[Ricochet]

I have drawers full of stuff, and it's never occurred to me to post my spare parts up for sale on here, until I searched your profile. I may be a wealthy man after all.

 

[Miami Airgunner]

I mean, yeah, maybe I'm unusual, because I have plenty of budget, but I'm trolling classifieds for a real deal on something that strikes my interest... If I want a specific gun, I'll just pay retail for a brand new one, and even 20% off wouldn't tempt me at all.

If the economy gets genuinely bad, then you'll see a lot of real deals popping up and no one buying.

 

[bigHUN]

I compete in archery for almost two decades, and all equipment I have is tip of the hill. I got some surgeries on my back below the R side shoulder blade and I had to gave up that sport. Well over $10K worth of equipment posted in Canadian classifieds about a year ago, I sold one small miserable piece.
I have no other comment but what is still coming is scary.

 

[Miami Airgunner]

I compete in archery for almost two decades, and all equipment I have is tip of the hill. I got some surgeries on my back below the R side shoulder blade and I had to gave up that sport. Well over $10K worth of equipment posted in Canadian classifieds about a year ago, I sold one small miserable piece.
I have no other comment but what is still coming is scary.

So, honest question, what is stopping you from just listing it and letting it go at, literally, whatever price it sells for?

I get the psychological pain, but pragmatically, you can't even use it, and never will, so why keep it?

(Asking as someone who has the same problem, but at least with stuff I can theoretically use)

 

[Miami Airgunner]

There is a reason the economy is bad.

View attachment 301904

That's probably a topic better suited to FB, LOL - it'll run afoul of Rule #10 here in about 3.2.1. ;-)

 

[DaveSa]

for me it depends... sometimes I am browsing and I don't need anything and something catches my eye... sometimes I offer a bit less because I don't really need it and was just looking for a deal... it is Ok is the seller says they would like to wait on someone else

I just bought some pellets, I didn't really need them either but I did a quick calc and the listing seemed like a good deal already so I just paid what they were asking...

if I was going to buy something already and I can find your listing at 20% off... yes I will probably go with it - for the reasons you mentioned

 

[Fatmike]

Sometimes that 5$ is what itd take to fit into my budget. Airguns are a hobby and not needed so I have a strict budget when it comes to parts. I try to get my purchases for 25% or more off. The simple 5$ makes those cheaper items fall into my parameters. It's not me trying to scam the seller I'm just trying to make it work for me. I figure a seller sets their prices with haggle room whether its 50$ or 2000$. If it's to hard to reply to a message maybe you should find another way to sell things. To solve the issue say price firm in the ad.

 

[Scotty1]

Of course, the real question that nobody has asked…does yenniedn take coupons?

 

[Jlowe]

From what I have seen in the last 22 years of buying, selling and trading, the classifieds are seasonal, both in the air gun world and definitely in the firearm world. For most things on here there is a past history of what the going rate is for used airguns and accessories, unless someone deletes their price, which you are not supposed to do.

 

[yenniedn]

Sometimes that 5$ is what itd take to fit into my budget. Airguns are a hobby and not needed so I have a strict budget when it comes to parts. I try to get my purchases for 25% or more off. The simple 5$ makes those cheaper items fall into my parameters. It's not me trying to scam the seller I'm just trying to make it work for me. I figure a seller sets their prices with haggle room whether its 50$ or 2000$. If it's to hard to reply to a message maybe you should find another way to sell things. To solve the issue say price firm in the ad.

May I never be in a situation where $5 is the difference between whether I buy an item or not. I've sold hundreds of items on these forums over the years and I have zero problems answering endless messages from legit, well intentioned traders - it's an entirely different story for tire-kickers, lowballers and nickel & dimers. And do you really think that stating that the price is firm stops lower offers?

Of course, the real question that nobody has asked…does yenniedn take coupons?

Great question . . . and I DO! Use FREEFEEDBACK2022 with any purchase and I'll post positive feedback upon the successful conclusion of our deal! No limit on the coupon either.

 

[L.Leon]

Hello AGN:

The Fall is when I leave the golf course and pick up my PCPs again. Part of that annual ritual involves buying a bunch of new items that I "need" to start up shooting again (the fun part) and selling off all the extras that I no longer need (the not so fun part). Selling on forum classifieds are always an adventure but I've noticed that it's been particularly brutal this year and am wondering what's behind it...

Lowball offers have always been and will always be an issue so I'm not even talking about those (although I did get a super nice half price offer on a $1,200 rifle that AT WORST would need a $100 replacement part if not a free fix altogether with the right tools/know how). What I've found interesting are repeated offers that are $5 (five dollars) off of my $50 or $60 items . . . and they're hard limits too - meaning that the buyer states that they don't have the budget to spend the extra $5 to make the purchase!

I'm in Sales by profession so I deal with negotiations on a daily basis and am not necessarily put off by them. I'm fine with haggling over discounts of 5 or 6 figures because it makes sense to negotiate in those instances . . . but not for FIVE DOLLARS!!! So while it wouldn't kill me to knock off $5 on an item, the Sales guy in me doesn't want to do it just out of principle because it's kind of ridiculous IMO. My pricing policy is the same as it has always been: I price my well cared for, like new items at 10-20% off from what it would cost to buy new - and you don't have to pay taxes or shipping. In years past, that would lead to most items selling pretty quickly at the asking price. That's not the case this year; people want their $5 off! [Yeah, I get it...everyone wants to feel like they're getting a good deal but $5???]

So is it the economy and the looming recession or what other reason(s) are driving these $5 negotiations?

I doubt people are haggling over $5 USD on hobby purchases here. Have many been reporting such haggling to you? Economy? Recession? This is an airgun site.… sounds like “politics” haggling over $5 here? I highly doubt it. This is a luxury hobby…

 

[landshark]

I understand the op exactly, I have not sold or bought much here, but the same thing has happened to me on the knife forums. Low ball offers are fine, i do not have to say yes, but when i am selling a knife for $150 that costs $240 new, and someone tells me they can do $125 and I respond with lets meet close to the middle at $135, and they tell me. that have to ask their wife if they can spend the extra $10. I am blown away, because it seems like the"wife"says no because they never get back.

 

[yenniedn]

I doubt people are haggling over $5 USD on hobby purchases here. Have many been reporting such haggling to you? Economy? Recession? This is an airgun site.… sounds like “politics” haggling over $5 here? I highly doubt it. This is a luxury hobby…

I don't understand what you're trying to say. I've had multiple people haggle literally over $5 on an item in the last week. Two said that the extra $5 was over their budget so they could not make the purchase. The third agreed to pay the $5 more (i.e. the listed asking price) and bought the item. I don't need anyone to "report" this behavior to me - I'm seeing it first hand in my inbox. What's the reference to politics about? Are you saying I'm trying to make this a political issue? If so, you could not be further from the truth b/c anyone that knows me IRL knows that I am the most a-political person you may ever meet. I have zero interest in talking politics to anyone, ever.

I understand the op exactly, I have not sold or bought much here, but the same thing has happened to me on the knife forums. Low ball offers are fine, i do not have to say yes, but when i am selling a knife for $150 that costs $240 new, and someone tells me they can do $125 and I respond with lets meet close to the middle at $135, and they tell me. that have to ask their wife if they can spend the extra $10. I am blown away, because it seems like the"wife"says no because they never get back.

Yes, I've gotten that many times too - asking the boss to spend an extra $5 or $10 is pretty awesome. Another great one that I got again last week was "that's all I have in my Paypal account"...because it's SOOOOOO hard to fund your Paypal account for the extra $10 he was short.

 

[Bigragu]

Yen, it’s probably because they don’t want to get dinged the extra $3 (for a $55 item) from PP when buying FF.

I’ve bought a few things from Yen over the years and his stuff is always in pristine shape. This reminds me of a guy that’s no longer a member here, that tried to haggle over a guy we all know, over a saber tactical cheek riser. The owner mounted it, saw it wasn’t for him, and immediate removed it. Puts it on the classifieds for $55, when brand new that item is $65 plus tax and shipping from ST.

The guy insisted on only paying $45 and pretty much harassed the seller for not dropping his price thru numerous PM’s.

You know him, Yen. He sent you like $10 less than what you were selling an o ring kit for, lol. Dang squirrelly character he was