The issue of lowballing... What does that mean?

ZYDO nailed it:

IN partcular:

" ... When someone sends a "lowball" offer, they know it. I don't really think anyone ever sells for that kind of price. .. Its a waste of time for both. ...I don't do it, and I personally find it irritating...."

IMO it goes well past simply "irritating" and takes it into "insulting" by all-too-many time-wasting bottom-feeders.

There used to be an honor code and an accepted /expected sense of fairplay in this hobby that is frequently now being ignored. These latter types also ignore the time honoured axion that says that if you are a pig you get fat, but if you are a hog you get slaughtered.

Result: I ignore the lowballers, also take note of them and brand them as such, and keep them out ad infinitum.

Well there certainly is a difference of opinion. And I guess in a sense that is the joy and mystery of Audiogon.

ZYDO and AKG take offense to those who would offer less than the value they believe appropriate. AKG to the extent that he notes the offender and brands them! (I'll bet he is hoot at parties).

Both posts fail to address the original questions of the post. If you are offended by offers why not make it a fixed price sale? And please don't say because some discount is OK but more than the mythical number you have in mind is offensive. That's just silly. Either you demand a certain price or you don't. The effort in not responding is ZERO.

I love Agon and it's been a great resource for me. It allows me a great forum to sell items I no longer need and to look for things my local dealer does not have. But first and foremost it is a COMMERCE web site. You PAY to use it. It's not a secret society and your ad, nor your affinity for something you are selling makes you better or worse than anyone else.

If someone offers you 1/10th of a current model product (and I've never seen anything resembling such an offer on the items I've sold), I'd suggest ignoring it, and maybe having a nice glass of wine or an ice cold martini (or heck fruit juice). Because in the final analysis it's the internet and life is too short to be cranky.

Cheers!

Most expensive items have a flexible price up to a certain extent. Car prices are not fixed, real estate prices are not fixed, luxury items are always Have a sale going on so there is a gray area which is fair game. I think we all have an internal sense of what is right and what is wrong. We are here for fun and not To make money.

I think fixed price items tend to get way less offers then negotiable items. Plus, there's something fun about the act of the haggle.

Truthfully, I look forward to haggling when I sell something. I remember a while ago I listed Rogue monoblocks and got an email a day later with the message, "I'll take 'em." No haggling, no initial lower offer; just a straight up offer for the going price. Of course I sold them, but that's the only time that's ever happened. Other than that, there's always the give-and-take element. That's half the fun.

I just find it odd that someone would see something offered for, say, $950, and make an offer of $600 or something like that. I mean, really? At least pretend you know how to play the game.

For me, Viridian and others with a similar take got it right. I also think we conveniently overlook our tendency (hipocracy?) to want the best possible price when selling, and the lowest possible when buying; that's human nature, with nothing insidious about it. Sure, some buyers get pretty ridiculous with ridiculously low offers; just ignore them. But, for some (me), buying used, sight unseen, on-line is a huge gamble with, potentially, little recourse if something is or goes wrong. The potential for something going wrong, regardless of the seller's feedback, is much much greater than when buying from a reputable dealer (duh!). Consequently, the price of a used piece needs to reflect what is a very substantial discount over buying new to make up for the potential hassle/loss. What that mount of discount needs to be, to make the purchase worthwhile to any given seller varies widely. It's called aversion to risk; its very different for each of us. So don't assume that a buyer is just being an unreasonable ahole. If you don't like the offer, just move on.