What's up with the ridiculous offers?!?


Is it just me or are the high volume of low-ball offers surprising anyone else?

Example: I list an item at 60% off what a current, desirable  component sold for new, and I get an offer for half (or less) of what I am asking! I've have been buying and selling high end audio & video gear for over 40 years and I know the value of gear, but I have never experienced such an destructive trend. I expect it from Craigslst or at a garage sale, but not from Audiogon.

I understand an occasional low offer, and it's usually accompanied with an explanation or apology for the balz it takes to make such an offer, but I am getting absolutely offensive offers for more than 75% of what I list.  

Are there any other sellers that would like to commiserate with me? Am I missing something? Is it just me?

- REV
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xva6007
Assume you are a very truly honest with your sale, right. You only really know the real value of the item you have. You only, of course you can describe it as honestly as you can. But usually buyers speculate that the seller is just trying to sell for a too high price compared to its "real" value or whatever. So lowballers who maybe really don´t want the item at all just make stupid offers, just try to get it cheap to sell it again for a higher price perhaps. Others just like to have it for cheap, whatever the real "value" may be.
Simply ignore low ballers, you owe then nothing. Wait for a person who truly wants your item (maybe has searched it for ages) AND HE WIIL GET IT and is happy ´cos he ever had the change to get it.
I was selling a NOS Oracle Groove Isolator for nearly 2 years on regular basis here on A´gon. I asked 250 euros for it... reasonable price. A german guy bought it and never asked anything. He even may have had paid for some more perhaps. We both were very very happy. Once I had one very rare record for sale on another (totally free) auction site for 7 years. Suddenly a guy from Åland bought it and couldn´t be more happy.
Collectors search for items that have reasonable prices for THEM, of course. Some wealthy fanatics don´t have to consider the price, just get the desired thing,
IME it´s sellers market but you must be very patient. And wait for another thousand years... but it is worth. Frankly, I prefer eBay and always auction ´cos that reveals the real deals.
greginnh, I like it. That is exactly what you do. Buyer should make a formal offer and the seller either accepts it or makes a counter offer. This is work in progress.
I think there are many low-ball offers around, but also many sellers asking for unrealistic prices (I am not implying that you are one of them!). I understand is hard to swallow the loss when you are selling an equipment you bought new and you took lot care of it, but the market always wins...
I just put an offer in of $20 on the op's listing for a jvc projector and selected the $450 overnight shipping option.
You know, by reading this thread, you might think that someone is forcing our poor unsuspecting sellers to sell gear for less than they are willing to take.

i once bought a piece of equipment- my initial offer was accepted without any question- only thereafter to be told my offer was a lowball offer. That was interesting!

I think it’s time for this thread to die.