[Hofcollector]

If I were to read "what is your bottom line?" I would definitely assume I'm being asked what's the cheapest I'll go on it. I don't know how to read it any other way. Now, I don't really get being offended by that, but that's on this particular seller I guess.

I hate Best Offer feature because I hate haggling. I never use it to sell, but sometimes I'll throw in an offer on Junior cards I want. I always just put what I'm willing to pay. I don't start low and expect to go back and forth to meet where I want. That's dumb. Just put in what you are willing to pay and be done with it. Which is why I always reject counters. I should probably start including that information with my offer... In any case, I don't get mad if I don't get it and would assume the seller doesn't get mad at my offer. It's just cardboard.

Basically I was looking for responses to my question to determine whether or not I should re-word my line of questioning. I guess I'm going to have to but no one has ever gotten agitated before. Everyone has replied with a number and I chose to buy at that point or not. If it's fair I'll buy it. I always message back saying thank you for your response regardless of if I buy or not. If I don't buy the item I usually get a message a few days later asking if I was interested in the item. At that point I tell them I am but it's just more than I was looking to spend and I didn't counter because I wasn't looking to offend anyone. Some drop their prices astronomically right then and there. This is kind of my point on asking a bottom line. You don't need to give me your bargain basement price, just what your comfortable with. As I stated before, most sellers aren't going to be honest about their rock bottom price anyway if you asked for it. At any rate, I'll have to rethink my delivery. Thanks for the responses everyone.

---

+1

Without at least an offer from you he is basically bidding against himself on his card automatically taking lower. I personally wouldn't respond with my lowest acceptable price. That is why you get 3 chances to bid, for a back and forth negotiation. If your high is above my low we end up somewhere between and both should be happy.

Once again, didn't ask for a lowest acceptable price. Keep in kind I'm not buying $25 auto's. I go after hard to find, rare cards that don't have set market prices. I have been in a position a few times where a seller has an extremely high asking price and I send a fair initial offer but knowing full well it's not going to get it done. Being that I only have 2 bids left and I'm sticking as close to a fair offer as possible I end up running out of bids because I counter but the seller's counters stay hundreds to thousands away from a reasonable price. If I cut to the chase before hand I don't need to do this ridiculous dance and lose my bids and my ability to buy the item.

---

The typed word can have a totaly different meaning then when spoken based on the perspective of the reader. "What is your bottom line" means to me, what is the cheapest you will go if I'm reading it, very different than if I'm in an actual conversation (the start of negotiating perhaps). Nobody right or wrong here.

I like Dom's approch.....make an offer on what you think a card is worth with maybe a little message conveying that you would still be interested if they wanted to come back to you later. Regardless of how much of a moron or gougher the seller may be......bottom line, it's thier card, so they can ask what they want for it. Like mentioned above....there are plenty of other cards to chase.

(not enough time or energy to get into the whole lack of respect / courtesey on ebay but I will say it's sad)

Maybe my limited dealings with Ebay has left me with the wrong impression. Most of the seller's I've sent offers to on ridiculously over priced cards have gotten angry and insulted. I figured this would be the best way to tiptoe around people's feelings.