[gator1221]

Totally your right to ask my friend that's a chunk of change for a card.... and if you're in the business of selling you definitely should be in the business of answering questions about it and that seller has a lot of nice Mike Trout's by the way.!!! Wow

[zeprock]

PEOPLE NO LONGER KNOW HOW TO TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE. Plain and simple, it's become where the simple act of conversing is bothersome to many. What with how it's so much easier to get your point across with abbreviated words and a smiley face, how can you blame them, :-(

+1

[tdog4468]

I think he's putting the card out there high to get offers and judge the market. If he gets a price he likes then he will sell, if not then he holds it. As a seller I would be turned off by a "what's your lowest price?" question out of the gate, if you want the card put in an offer and see if he takes it.

Also as a seller if the offer is too low, just refuse the offer, no need to getting into words with people, if they want to raise their offer they will submit another offer. Same thing happens on COMC if I get an offer I don't like I reject it, if I think there is ground to meet in the middle on a card I'll counter the offer, no biggie either way. We all want the most we can get out of the item, so why would you jump to give the least you would take?

BTW to answer the question I don't think you are being an a-hole, just shopping for a deal, most people don't want to give.

[ryanmo5]

I don't really see what the big deal is, people are too damn sensitive these days. If your going to post something for sale be prepared to answer questions or don't post the damn thing!

[ellis2211]

I will add my two cents as a frequent seller on ebay. I don't get angry or consider it a slap in the face to ask what the bottom line is, but I just find it a little annoying. I am not one who sells my collection to make fast money or out of need, therefore I am only trying to maximize profit. It is to no advantage at all for me to reveal my bottom line. If my bottom line is $50 and you would have paid $60 then I lose out. I have often reversed the question and replied with what is the most you will pay? This seems to end communication, which is fine by me, but it is the same question they are asking you. The difference is I like to be in the driver's seat of the cards I am selling. If somebody wants something I have, then I would expect them to make an offer to me then we can negotiate a little.

[Hofcollector]

I think he's putting the card out there high to get offers and judge the market. If he gets a price he likes then he will sell, if not then he holds it. As a seller I would be turned off by a "what's your lowest price?" question out of the gate, if you want the card put in an offer and see if he takes it.

Also as a seller if the offer is too low, just refuse the offer, no need to getting into words with people, if they want to raise their offer they will submit another offer. Same thing happens on COMC if I get an offer I don't like I reject it, if I think there is ground to meet in the middle on a card I'll counter the offer, no biggie either way. We all want the most we can get out of the item, so why would you jump to give the least you would take?

BTW to answer the question I don't think you are being an a-hole, just shopping for a deal, most people don't want to give.

I never stated I wanted a deal, nor did I ask for one. The seller had an extremely unrealistic asking price which was $800-$1000 out of reality. I didn't say "what's the cheapest you'll let this go for"? I asked what his bottom line was. Meaning, what will get this deal done? Do you know how many times I've been at a show or just trying to make a deal and someone walks up and asks me what my bottom line is on a card(or something similar)? It's not offensive. It means how much is it going to take for them to walk away with that card? Now I can choose to try and gouge them and lose the sale or give them a realistic number where we can both be happy.

---

I will add my two cents as a frequent seller on ebay. I don't get angry or consider it a slap in the face to ask what the bottom line is, but I just find it a little annoying. I am not one who sells my collection to make fast money or out of need, therefore I am only trying to maximize profit. It is to no advantage at all for me to reveal my bottom line. If my bottom line is $50 and you would have paid $60 then I lose out. I have often reversed the question and replied with what is the most you will pay? This seems to end communication, which is fine by me, but it is the same question they are asking you. The difference is I like to be in the driver's seat of the cards I am selling. If somebody wants something I have, then I would expect them to make an offer to me then we can negotiate a little.

I understand completely and I wish more ebay sellers were like you ( not in such a rush to sell their cards). Had he asked me I would have given an answer. But he didn't. As for the whole bottom line thing, I'm all for making as much cash as you can but if you already have a predetermined bottom line of $50, then that's you saying to yourself it's good enough. No one's forcing a number down your throat. Could you have made an extra $10? Maybe. Who knows? But your talking about a $50 card and I'm talking about a way overpriced $1500 card. And my intention isn't to be cross with you because like I said, I wish more sellers were willing to hold out as you do selling on ebay. If someone asks me what my bottom line is I tell them. I don't leave myself short. I have a number I can live with. If it doesn't work for them then we move on. The way the best offer is set up plays against the buyer sometimes. When there is an item that has a bin $1000 over market value that generally means the seller is over evaluating his card. Now if you turn around and start extremely low with a bid to hopefully get it around market value pricing by the time negotiations are done, he's most likely going to turn down your offer or counter ridiculously high. If you start your bidding at market value you have to over pay big time by the time negotiations are done. Again, just tell me what you need to make you happy.

On a side note, I own a construction company. When builders and developers come to me for my services I have to give them a price. I don't sit back and say, well how much are you willing to pay me? Particularly when the economy crashed my clients all would come to me and say "what can you do this for"? They already knew the price I wanted. They all had hundreds of invoices but, the economy would no longer support it. It's not offensive. It's negotiating.

[GoStros]

I sell on eBay quite a bit. I do not use Best Offer option much, I found lowballers to insulting to do that. In a face to face environment it would be a great idea to do so. But when someone does not have to face the person to ask "what's the lowest you would go" a lot of folks will be just down right rude if you respond. That is what auctions are for. You put something up for bids, and start it at your lowest point, that way you are not disappointed in whatever it sells for.

I do not feel you were an Ahole here, but I too might have been offended if you did not even make an offer first. That is why it is call Best Offer. The seller has done their part by placing a starting point on negotiations, now it is your turn to counter. If you asked me what my bottom doller was on an item without first making an offer, I would not be very inclined to answer. I have seen so many times where a seller is actually offering at a fair price only to come down at the urging of the buyer, and still the buyer wants more. If you ask for bottomline and don't like what you are given, should you really have the gumption to ask for more. I mean after all you did ask for their bottom price and were given an answer.

The problem with eBay is that the majority of the buying public is ill informed. Meaning they do not understand the true costs involved like: eBay fees, PayPal fees, shipping costs, shipping material costs, and item protection costs. All of those have to be factored in by the seller, and unfortunately most buyers on eBay do not even think of what those expenditures end up costing the seller.

Do you walk into Walmart and ask the cashier, "what is least you would tke on this box of Bowman?"

---

On a side note, I own a construction company. When builders and developers come to me for my services I have to give them a price. I don't sit back and say, well how much are you willing to pay me? Particularly when the economy crashed my clients all would come to me and say "what can you do this for"? They already knew the price I wanted. They all had hundreds of invoices but, the economy would no longer support it. It's not offensive. It's negotiating.

I just caught this last statement you made. You are absolutely correct when people come to you you have to give them a price. That is what a seller on eBay has already done by the Buy it Now price they have placed. In your line of work you truly are not the seller, you are the buyer. Your "price" is the bottomline you are willing to buy the contract for. They are offering the product you are bidding on it.

[petillo64]

Nope. You did nothing wrong.

Although I usually send a message/offer with "I can do $xxx on this" and if I really want the card, reference past sales, making mine just a bit higher. If they don't move off their price or aren't reasonable, I let them know that my offer stands and to let me know if they change their mind. You'd be surprised how many times they come back and are willing to accept, often within a few days

[bonds20001]

I sell a lot..very seldom best offer..or long term sales..he is judging market..you are the market. Seller needs to be ready to field ?s and make decisions to sell card..otherwise..looks nice on his desk..
Personally..I would send offer on my bottom line and move on..

True: people can not communicate directly anymore..
True: neither party is out of line..yet...


Good luck...

[tdog4468]

If the seller has a price point stated... even an unrealistic one then I think it is on the buyer to put out the next number. That could be close to the BIN number or it could be 10% of that number, but an opened question invites a less enthusiastic response.

I liked the approach of "I'm willing to pay $$$ for this card, will this get the deal done" much better than "what is the lowest you will go?"

Like I posted earlier if the card is that out of line with the market he is just fishing for a whale, or testing the market to get an idea of what people will pay. I don't think either party is out of line, just think if you put out the number you were comfortable with, he would respond with a yes or no and you can both move on from there.

He may be hoping for a super collector who wants that card to complete a rainbow or to collect all of the run and the card has more value in those terms than in cardboard value.

I have a dealer friend who does the same thing with every listing very high buy it now listing to get offers or snag a whale every once in a while, it works for him. Not my style but it works for him.