Haggling: OK or not OK?

[In_Gabriel_We_Trust]

I see no harm in haggling but I really believe you have to be realistic about not as not to insult the seller.
Otherwise, the deal may be off or if you really want the item you'll have to go a lot higher than the seller initially wanted to sell it for.

[Not Sir Phobos]

I can even haggle at department stores.

Eh... I never quite understood folks who haggle at retail stores. For one, the person you're usually haggling with is but a lowly cashier jockey (I should know, I was one!) who really doesn't have any say in what the prices are and would get in some serious trouble if they did sell the item for a lower price. Prices in department stores are usually set by corporate, not by anyone that works at that particular store. In the end it's kind of a stressful situation for the cashier because they have to balance not trying to make the customer angry while telling them no.

But that's getting off topic. jcaliff hit on many reasons why I don't like the whole 'offers' system at all from both a seller's and buyer's POV.

Here is the deal: Prepare to make a big purchaseand ask to see the manager, (you are correct, you CANNOT talk turkey with an ordinary employee, it puts them on the spot and they have no authority anyways),
Once the manager is there and they are well aware you are spending lots of money ask they for 2% off if you use cash. Credit card surcharges will cost them more money if you whip out your CC for such a large purchase.

Voila, creative haggling.

[glorff]

Often a first offer is designed specifically to see how badly you need to sell the item, so simply regard it as fishing and go on. I am in the process of selling my house in Florida and my last contract fell out. A new buyer made an offer hours after the house was relisted that was almost an insult. Bugged me and I sat on it for a few days and then counter offered with the original offering price. They accepted immediately and we are headed to closing Weird negotiation

[Pomidor]

I, like the majority it seems, voted that it depends. I have come across situations where the seller has put up a piece for offer at a specific price and after gettingt hat price from several people decided to have them make counter-offers in order to attain an even higher price... which is unfair to the first buyer to say the least. But I have also come across situations where people have made very low offer of cels... some out of ignorance and some to test how low they could get the cel, either way in such a situation I think its fair for the seller to ask for a higher price (just like its fair for the interested buyer to ask for a lower price).

[fetish4minx]

I know that many of the offers I have made on gallery pieces are low (of course, I know this only because of the counter-offer).

For example...one beta member had a cel that I wanted really really bad. I thought about it and really tried to pinpoint what I would willingly pay for that cel on ebay.

I offered $60. I was politely rejected. I believe they said they paid between $100-$1000 for their cels and I should check the following web sites for price comparisons.
I did. And yes, $60 turned out to be low. And I couldn't go over $100 at that time (which I countered and was politely refused).
A few months later it was back up for offers and when I inquired the seller let me know "I wouldn't part with it for less than ____". (More than double my last offer--and quite a bit the most expensive cel in my gallery). Now it's been a few months and this piece still haunts me...so when they start selling some different cels for fundraising I email about this particular cel and ask if payment plans are OK...and bingo! Everything works out! I still really can't say it I got *market value* on the cel since I haven't seen anything comparable. But I'm happy. The seller is happy.

Many times I check out gallery offers and see something that catches my eye. Not something I would normally pursue...usually not even a film I've seen or know. I'll offer $20-$35 (my price range for the *extra* pieces I just like in my collection).
Sometimes the seller tells me NOPE! It's worth $300. This shocked me the first few times it happened...but now I know that no matter if I try to research you just NEVER KNOW what a cel is worth to someone.

Sometimes they say GREAT! It's yours.

I think politeness in both parties is the best ingredient to a good transaction.

I would just as soon people make any offer on my stuff. Any offer. Then I can counter or accept.

I learned a LOT last time I opened my gallery for offers. And I'm learning a lot from this post.

marie
fetish4minx

[Not Sir Phobos]

Marie

[fetish4minx]

Also keep in mind with gallery offers, that time is a major issue.

I woud prefer to put a basic offer on the table and get my name first in line, than to go spend 30-60 minutes researching a *suggested retail* price and lose it to someone else.

Plus suggested retails isn't always something I'm interested in paying...and the seller may be interested in selling at my original offer.

If someone counters my original offer, then I'll really think about the cel's value to me, research similar cels, and make a 24-48 hr decision (usually).

marie
fetish4minx

[graymouser]

I'm always very uncomfortable haggling and making offers. In fact, I rarely bother. If I do make the effort, I tend to make my first offer a serious offer. If I get a counter offer that's close, its all good. Otherwise, I politely decline and move on.

The hardest part is that its not easy to keep track of every cel, character and scene that's out there. I know the prices very well for the four main series I collect from, but have only a vague idea about others. This is especially true since the prices for some series can wax and wane quite a bit over time.

Either way politeness is very important. Treat the seller as you would wish to be treated.

EDIT....I marked off that haggling is fine for offers. Sorry to wander off topic.

[Not Sir Phobos]

Lets not forget that sometimes people get screwed on the price of a cel, and that can cause prices to fluctuate. Like paying $200 for a Goldenboy cel and thinking that's what they are worth.

[fetish4minx]

*pulls out the fire extinquisher to save herself from the flame war rising around her*

[sensei]

Starts a backfire out of unwanted Naruto gengas.

-->

[Not Sir Phobos]

*pulls out the fire extinquisher to save herself from the flame war rising around her*

*gets bag of marsh mellows*

Get it mellows?

I kill me sometimes.

[JWR]

*pulls out the fire extinquisher to save herself from the flame war rising around her*

*gets bag of marsh mellows*

Get it mellows?

I kill me sometimes.

More like load the tranquiler dart guns

[Katrina]

Here is the deal: Prepare to make a big purchaseand ask to see the manager, (you are correct, you CANNOT talk turkey with an ordinary employee, it puts them on the spot and they have no authority anyways),
Once the manager is there and they are well aware you are spending lots of money ask they for 2% off if you use cash. Credit card surcharges will cost them more money if you whip out your CC for such a large purchase.

Voila, creative haggling.

That's still not very fair to the manager who trust me, has a lot more to think about than customers who are trying to get a few bucks off. No offense, but to me a 2% discount is not worth the time it would take to cause all that fuss. Most big stores that offer discounts for cash payments rather than credit card say so up front, such as a furinture store. Like was said before, stuff in retail stores has retail value, cels from private collections do not.[/quote]

[kymaera]

I hate "for offers" with a passion. It would take a absolute wishlist cel for me
to consider dealing with the whole mess.