Too shy/afraid to make offers?

sugarcels · Post by **sugarcels** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:03 pm

If you're like me, you don't really have a "network" of people to depend on or contact when you're looking for that one special cel, so you may have to resort to making offers on cels already displayed in other galleries (besides constantly searching through auctions).

When this happens, are you too shy to do so? Are you too afraid they'll say no, that you'll somehow become "bitter" about the person or cel if that happens? How successful are you when you make offers? Do you rarely do it, if at all?

Just asking, as I myself am thinking of stepping into this area, but I'm really nervous. I don't want to be seen as a "desperate newbie" or "annoying" D:

klet · Post by **klet** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:19 pm

I really don't like making offers.

I'm a little hesitant to say it, but I especially don't like it when people put their galleries up for offers with a disclaimer that they spent a lot on their cels. I mean, my definition of "a lot" and theirs might be completely different, so I'm afraid of making the gallery owner angry if my offer ends up being a low ball offer.

Actually, I've never had any real problems when I have made offers. I usually get what I want, and the sellers are always very polite about it. Then again, I've never made offers when the gallery owner has the aforementioned disclaimer. *shrugs*

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:53 pm

I hate, hate, HATE making offers. Generally I will ask a seller about a ballpark, or how much they paid for it, but some people get angry about that.

I've only made a few offers and I've been fairly insulted by the seller a couple of times. Once I e-mailed a seller to ask for a ballpark on what they wanted for a cel they were taking offers on and I got the response, "You couldn't afford it."

(not that the person could possibly have had any idea what I could or couldn't afford).

I'll generally only make offers if:

1) The person seems VERY nice and doesn't use phrases like, "I paid a lot for this and won't take any ridiculously low offers!" Well, considering there are people out there selling scene mates of cels I bought for $10 and $20 for over $100, I have NO IDEA what people could consider "ridiculously low".

2) It's a cel I REALLY REALLY want. And I mean WISHLIST want. I don't care how cute the cel is or how much it catches my eye, I will NOT make an offer unless it's something I'm peeing myself to get.

So...yeah....hate offers

glorff · Post by **glorff** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:00 pm

I just found myself going thru various website to try to figure out what to offer and was thinking about how much I hate doing it. So many people base their idea of value on what is up for sale on a web site, but the fact that it is still there (some for years) says that no one is willing to pay that amount for it. Kind of stinks, but I guess it is part of the hobby

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:11 pm

Yeah, some people can get really anal

about offers or inquiries and it's a shame they have to act that way. I'm sure they probably made offers/inquiries when they first started cel collecting. I'm never rude to anyone who inquires about my cels. I treat them the way I would want to be treated. After all, I thought this was supposed to be a hobby that brings people together and to learn from one another, right?

Anywho, I've aquired several cels in the past by emailing people about them in their galleries. I usually don't make offers at first but just send a friendly email about how I like their gallery/collection and I was also curious to know if they would ever part with certain cels (the one I'm interested in). I usually get a friendly response giving me a yes or no answer or a reply asking me which cel I'm interested in. Of course sometimes I'm totally ignored with no reply.

Good luck with whatever decision you choose Sugarcels.

~Sugar

HotIce · Post by **HotIce** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:37 pm

I'm not overly fond of making offers, i'd perfer having some sort of idea of what a person paid or whatever before i go making an offer. i know some people have gotten very angry/rude when i've offered something low... but on the flip, i don't want to offer someone 150 for a cel they would have taken 75-100 for.

maybe i just think too much about it all. i have made offers, and i have come away with some very great cels... so it's a 50/50 thing with me.

ljupco · Post by **ljupco** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:45 pm

I really HATE HATE making offer because I never know what to offer. Many times I try not to offer because people might think what is this guy saying I payed $300 and you only offer $100 this makes me feel stupid.

sugarcels · Post by **sugarcels** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:49 pm

Just thought I'd add to my own thread:

I've gotten a few offers on some of my cels in the past, and have always responded politely and quickly - I don't keep them in suspense for several days and don't try ro bum them out

Now that I'm on the other end, I'm terrified. I've just taken the step and made an offer on a cel. I said I'd "pay up to" a certain amount, and would be willing to throw in a few sketches if need be. She seems really nice, so I hope I don't anger or insult her

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:58 pm

Was it me? I bite.

Just kidding.

Good luck, I hope things work out for you.

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:01 pm

I don't like making offers. I've only made offers about five times in the past eight years. I tend to offer too much when I do, but I would rather be on the high side than low. Doing this means that I'll probably never get an "offered" item for a low price. That's one of the reasons I don't like making offers.

I think I would be more disappointed if I offered an amount that I considered "sort of high" and get turned down than if someone beat me to the cel the old fashioned way. A straight up or down answer to "Is the cel still avaiable?" carries less emotional baggage.

sugarcels wrote:How successful are you when you make offers?

?Four out of ?five times when I made offers, they were accepted. If I'm remembering correctly, there was only one time my offer didn't go through. That was when I mistakenly added the phrase:

"...assuming the cel is in good condition."

I shouldn't have said that.

Who wants to deal with someone who might be extremely picky

about the condition of their cel? I'm never going to say that phrase again.

miz ducky · Post by **miz ducky** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:11 pm

I don't like making offers.

I think one of the first times I did, I got a response that sounded like.
"You've got to be joking. Do you know how special this is?"
Thats not a real quote, but it's how the response felt to me.

It made me feel like saying, "well if you value it so highly, then you shouldn't be selling it."

But my most recent offer experience was a very nice one, and I think I might have even made a new friend! Yay!
I appreciated that she was willing to chat with me via IM so we could work out the details faster.

But mostly, I'm also afraid that someone will be insulted by my offer, so I prefer not to.

sugarcels · Post by **sugarcels** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:27 pm

Sugarflower wrote:Was it me? I bite. Just kidding. Good luck, I hope things work out for you.

No, it wasn't you, not that I don't ADORE your MGG collection

Huzzah for Kukuri and Nike!

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:48 pm

My recommendation is that you don't make an offer by e-mailing and only saying:

"How much do you want for your cels?"

My thoughts after receiving said e-mail:

"Have I ever said I was taking offers to sell anything?" ?^_^?

birdie · Post by **birdie** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:02 pm

I've made offers and I've had offers made to me, I don't mind doing either. What's the worst that can happen to an offer I make? It gets turned down. What's the worst that can happen to offers made to me - that's a different story....

The only thing that makes me just a little peeved is making an offer that is not followed through on. We agree on a price and I don't hear from the person ever again...or I hear from them and it's less than stellar news. If you are offering, be prepared to follow through. We're all in pretty much the same boat, if we sell it's for something important, car repairs, vet bills, or more cels. Sudden changes to the terms turn me off.

Take a chance, you never know. And good luck!

metheus · Post by **metheus** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:18 pm

Offers are as risky as auction bidding, that said I'd much rather have the seller say I want "$X" for this item. I've done very few offers and only as I recall when the seller had a notice about considering offers.

One I really over paid for, there's a tendancy to error on offering to much so as not to offend. Once I made an offer and had the seller corrected me, for the most part I inverted the prices on 2 items, for a little more he sold them both, no regrets there. Once I was turned down but later contacted. Once I really wanted to make an offer on an item a seller was not apt to part with, my only wish list cel, I decided not to and a year and a half later I picked up one of the few items that could top it for a reasonable price.

So ya it's like an auction you either place a bid or you don't, what happens happens. The longer your in the easier it becomes to lose items, you realize there's always something cool coming up : )

I still hate offers though. Maybe's it's bartering, ever since I started using a deputy for 95% of my purchases, I've become use to dealing less with the seller and all the issues related.

My 2 cent of unorganized thought.

-metheus