Ever make and Offer on somethign that gets denied, then it sells for less than the offer?

[jake33]

Just curious if this has happened to others on here. This kind of plays on my perception that many sellers over price items on ebay. As of December 2014, I am seeing 3 items on ebay that I made offers on earlier in 2014 (at least 6 months prior) and all went for LESS (or still did not sell at all without a bids).

At the time of my offers, the sellers all acted shocked or insulted about my offers and they tried to inform me how blatantly wrong I was about the value of the item. I am not posting this to be like "haha told you so" but moreso that I have a hard time with a lot of sellers value on items and trying to mark up to mark down.

Does anyone have any stories of that happening to them?

------
Honestly as a collector in game used, I RARELY even make my money back. Back in 2011 when I bought all those locker plates and resold them, I usually had the thought process that I wanted to get rid of them and dump them at reasonable costs.

I did not make fortune off them at all, but amazed to see how many of those buyers put them on ebay with $30 OBO and I am sure they made money and that is great for them but I always am surprised how long some people will wait to turn merchandise, sometimes it takes the better part of a year until prospective buyers realize that they cannot get that same item anywhere else and they give in. It just surprises me that someone will hold on to something for a long period of time for the sole purpose of reselling it and making like $20. Are you telling me there wasn't something else that person couldn't have done in that same period of time to make a $20, but it si their right to do that, just seems silly to me.

[gingi79]

I have had this experience both work in my favor and proven myself to be more aware of resale vs. retail pricing.

I collect a very specific group of players and teams and I'm now celebrating my 10th anniversary as a full time collector. In that time, I've researched how much my players/teams sell for in the primary market (Like MeiGray) and how much they sell at Auction (Like Classic and Gwa.net) verses forums, craigslist type sites and eBay.

I've made fair offers on items in all of these situations and have been turned down for two specific items which are still listed on their respective sites 2-3 years later with no relenting in price point. (In fact one was listed and won a couple of times. Either shill bidding or canceled before it expired because it was way lower than what the seller believes it's worth. I guess the free market and I are wrong....)

On occasion, a seller has sold me an item for less than he wanted but more than I could resell for.

My favorite though, I made an offer on an item BIN eBay. The seller scoffed and assured me it would sell much higher than my paltry offer. I placed a bid for 75% of my Best Offer. And I won it.

We all hate hearing our stuff doesn't hold the resale value we thought it did and that everything from the common era doesn't command anywhere near what we initially buy it for. I also know eBay has become full of cocky buyers who seem to lowball and manipulate the now completely unfair and biased feedback system thereby making honest buyers who provide rational BIN offers seem like just another person trying to pay pennies on the dollar. How many times has this very site provided sincere assistance to a seller on an auction site be it the big dealer owned sites or eBay, only to be told we are wrong and stupid because it affects their bottom line and honestly, their pride?

I'll admit I was a little smug about winning that auction for less than my BIN now but because I was knowledgeable about the item, did my homework and research and offered fair market value for it, it serves the seller right for overpricing and ignoring my research, all of which I provided to him for free. Yet another reason in this hobby to live by the Milt Byron mantra: "Do your homework."

[woody1351]

I made an offer on a house to a guy and he told him how I insulted him and how his place was worth so much more than that and he would never sell it that cheap. well 6months later and after paying realtor fees, he neted 15k less than I offered.

[Bhawk2]

I have occasionally rejected offers and sold for less, but only when the offers have come when an auction is under way. I recently listed a half dozen SAM bobbleheads and a guy bought 2 BIN. He drove 3 hours to pick them up and tried to talk me into selling 2 more at a very good price. I would have taken the money, but there were several bids on each of them and I don't like to sell out from under people like that. Ultimately he won both at auction for less than he offered.

[Samets]

Sadly, this happens all the time... A guy buys item X at full retail and later on dumps it on eBay hoping to make profit or at least break even and the reality sets in. It aint worth what he has into it. Retail and secondary markets vary vastly most of the time.

I see the same items re-listed time after time because the seller and the reality seem to be too far apart but the seller keeps the hope alive that they will catch the idiot that was born at night and doesn't know any better!

I have personally noticed two types on eBay, the collector or one off seller that thinks they own the Holy Grail and the investor that "knows" the market yet is unable to move the item(s). I personally hate the latter.

[Samets]

Ronnie,

You seem to take my comments very personally! Do you feel that it hits too close to home?

[yanks12025]

Not sure I get the point of this thread as the bottom line is if you own an item you are entitled to do with it as you please.

What's it to anyone or even on a level their business how many times an item is listed or whom or what the seller decides to sell for outside of sour grapes, jealousy, leverage, & at times an agenda to bottom feed.

Without sellers there is no supply and there are many different reasons people choose to sell/move an item none of which inherently makes them bad.

Its insulting & extremly ignorant to assume that just cause an item is listed on ebay or anywhere else for that matter that it means that the item is being "dumped" not everyone collects &/or sells trash or for that matter is desperado to sell at any price. Common sense dictates that the more value a collectable has increases the probability of increased time to sell to the select few who can actually afford such a purchase.

Unfortunately for some the demographic market for sellers of such items doesn't include the current mass of people who can't afford such a purchase or choose "A Deal" & "Quantity over Quality" while instead looking for the weak moments of some to try & bottom feed on these items which I guess is where the rub comes in.

I'm also not sure I get Sam's post slamming sellers &/or the "investor" Hatred on eBay as he is the seller (Which is his right) of the following $25 Bears pants marked up to $400-600.

Check out Brandon Marshall Chicago Bears Game Used Pants from 2012/2013 seasons**http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/111376759659?roken=cUgayN&soutkn=59OEtv via @eBay

Check out Matt Forte Chicago Bears Game Used Pants from 2012/2013 seasons**http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/111376765760?roken=cUgayN&soutkn=TFO7Lz via @eBay

Check out Alshon Jeffery Chicago Bears Game Used Pants from 2012/2013 seasons**http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/111376757851?roken=cUgayN&soutkn=r3KhLi via @eBay

In a twilight zone world & directly out of the mouth of some the 3 listings above epitomize IMO their never ending crying/bitching on this forum of the re-listing of "Sad" items over & over again while looking for as they call it "the idiot that was born at night & doesn't know any better"

Isn't it interesting how some of the bottom feeding in the hobby value the items of others at 1/2 price that is unless they own it then of course its double!! LOL

Agree to disagree as everyone has their own opinion and values of their collectables none of which is worth the "sad" constant crying/bitching that takes place so move on or handle that business its really that simple.



Lol. Your complaining post has nothing to really do with that the original poster is talking about.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Conversely, an experience I have had more than once, is when something doesn't sell, doesn't sell, doesn't sell on eBay. It has been run lower and lower priced. Lets say it started at $350, then went to $300, then finally after a few runs at $300 they run it at $250 and it doesn't sell. So you contact the seller, ask what their best price is, and they say $350. What gives?

[sek122482]

Along those same lines...someone on ebay had an item for $100 buy it now plus $20 shipping. Posted it for over 6 months over and over again with no bids. I messaged to see if they would make a deal. They responded saying they needed $150 for it and it was a great deal at that price.

[mad87man]

Yeah, guy had a Jets jersey on ebay for 400. I asked him what his best offer was he said shoot him an offer I said I wouldn't go more thank 200, he said no its worth more. He relisted a few times then just had a regular auction that I won it at 173.00. worked out better for me

[Mark17]

This thread is simply Economics 101.

Seller has an item they paid $200 for. They want to sell it for $300 if they can, so they list it at that price. Somebody sees it and right away offers $200, but the seller, at this point, wants to see if he can make a profit so he declines.

After a couple months and no interest at $300, the seller tries $250. Still no interest, so now he has learned that $250 is too high, and that just breaking even is a more realistic goal. So he offers it at $200.

After a few weeks of it still not selling, the original guy comes back and offers $180 and the seller agrees, figuring the constant listing fees were starting to add up, and he gave it his best shot at higher prices, but in all that time, just this one guy was showing interest. So he takes a $20 hit to get 90% of his money back and have the whole thing concluded.

This scenario, to me makes a lot of sense. I think the implication of the thread, though, is that the seller was an idiot for taking $180 when he could've had $200. What isn't factored in is the value of the possibility that he would've found a more eager buyer at a higher price.

[jake33]

This statement "What isn't factored in is the value of the possibility"
is what causes everything to drag on and hope for some buyer to overpay.

Possibility is not reality though, just like "Potential."


I look at things not necessarily in the "right" way. However, I never really understand why someone who SERIOUSLY wants to sell something and is willing to hold on to it for an extra 6 months to a year over trying to get $50-$80 more for it.

Is waiting an extra 5-6 months to sell an item for $350 instead of $300 really that big of a deal? To me I would rather have the cash to reinvest in something else or to purchase something else for my own personal collection. Most likely, I would think there would be an opportunity that would come up in 5-6 months where actually having the money from that sale helps something else in their life or in business.

[jake33]

I have listed things on ebay that I have had the attitude of I don't really care if it sells or not, but I know a certain listing will attract viewers/tire kickers/people that just want to add that item to their watch list with no intention to buy it and the extra views I will use that allow me to promote other auction(s) that I have listed, by making mention in the listing to "view my other auctions."

[Mark17]

This statement "What isn't factored in is the value of the possibility"
is what causes everything to drag on and hope for some buyer to overpay.

Possibility is not reality though, just like "Potential."

Suppose the scenario I described involves 10 items instead of just one, and the seller does get $300 for three of them, and $250 for another one, and then $200 for two more. He dumps the last 4 at $180 each.

In this case, he's made $270.00. This is how dealers, and people moving large chunks of their collection, think. You can't just isolate one of the items he's trying to move and from that conclude his strategy is flawed.

[Mark17]

I have listed things on ebay that I have had the attitude of I don't really care if it sells or not, but I know a certain listing will attract viewers/tire kickers/people that just want to add that item to their watch list with no intention to buy it and the extra views I will use that allow me to promote other auction(s) that I have listed, by making mention in the listing to "view my other auctions."

Excellent point. I do the same with Metropolitan Stadium seats - I'll list a couple just to have them out there, and most of the business those listings generate take place outside of ebay, as customers want something a little different from the listing, or a slightly better price, or they want to save shipping by arranging pick-up, and so on. I figure each seat I list on ebay generates about 3 sales.

[jake33]

Correct, but in that scenario it sounds like someone getting the EXACT same margin loss on 10 items all at the same time? The odds of that are pretty slim. I know I never have listed even 5 items all at once with the exact same value. In game used, every item is a one of a kind.

And if those identical offers came from 10 different people, wouldn't that be a fair amount of evidence of providing more true market value for those items?

[jake33]

Furthermore, why would you list 10 of the exact same item at once and flood the market on yourself?

[jake33]

Again, yes sellers can do what they want.

Whether you sell items as a hobby or as your profession, sales is a black and white industry in terms of these points

1) Did it sell?
2) Did the buyer pay?
3) Did you lose or make money?

It isn't well maybe this and maybe that. It is just yes or no. It isn't like saying, "Oh she is sort of pregnant."

The original point of the thread though is the negative flip of these strategies. Offering more for an item,, getting that declined, then the seller sells it for less than what the offer was initially.

[Mark17]

Furthermore, why would you list 10 of the exact same item at once and flood the market on yourself?

It was an example. I could've made the price points all different to be more realistic (and also more complicated.)

Here's my current real-life situation. A friend is helping me offer about 100 1960s bats for sale. Some are in the 100 range, some 200, several much more, and so on. I've come up with a number I'm looking for, for the entire bunch.

I know that since the last bats I sell will bring less than I want (by definition, the last ones I sell are the ones with the least interest,) the first bats that get offers need to sell for something above my original estimate.

Think of it this way. Say you go to a dog breeder, who tells you they have a litter of 8 pups and need to get $4000 total to cover all expenses and stay in business. That averages out to $500 each. Now, if you want pick of the litter, it will cost more than $500, but if you tell the breeder you'll take the last one left, you'll probably get it for less than $500.

The breeder probably has no idea which pup will be sold first, since markings on dogs, and personality, is subjective. But the breeder knows, there is value in someone having first pick vs. 8th pick.

Same general concept when selling several memorabilia items. The ones you sell first are, by definition, the ones with most demand, and the ones that linger in inventory will eventually be sold for less.

For all the examples in this thread of sellers settling for less than they wanted, there are also many times when sellers get their asking prices almost immediately, and end up wondering if maybe they sold too cheaply.

[jake33]

I assume the 100+ 1960's bats vary in use and vary in which player(s) used them, so those all do not have equal value across the board.

Also, with dog breeding, I bought dog before from a breed for about 50% value because the dog was born with a hip issue. So that too, not every single item or product is 100% equal

[Mark17]

I'm not saying all items have to be equal.....................

My point is that it makes sense to ask a higher price for items you're selling at first, and then lower the price as time goes by. So an item you wouldn't sell for $250 today, you might sell for $200 6 months from now.

That's the best I can explain what I'm trying to say...

[commando]

Makes perfect sense to me, Mark 17.

Let's say you're having a garage sale, and someone arrives when you first open in the morning. They pick out all of the nicer items you have and ask to get a huge discount. Would you do that? I guess you could, but there's a great chance you'll sell most of those items for a higher price when others put eyes on them as the morning wears on.

You may guess wrong on a few items, and still be holding them at the end of the day. Blow 'em out or hold them till the next sale. But overall, if you know what you're doing and have confidence in what your items are worth in the secondary market, you'll come out ahead if you don't fire-sale everything.