Doug Henning disappearing act

Kehut's example is not uncommon, except for its exceptional brashness. I've had several people here use this tactic to price me out (negotiate a price as if they were a buyer, then disappear into thin air with no explanation) - some good feedbacks as well. I notice them when they sell their own piece (same model) a month or two later. Fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice - shame on me... I don't return their emails when they inquire on another item in the future, whether or not they may actually be a buyer this time.

That only speaks to a certain element here... I have been blessed (both by luck and by caution) to conduct my business here with some of the best hobbyists one could find anywhere.

I just assume nobody is a buyer until we've exchanged a series of emails culminating in me writing, "Please confirm the deal with the following terms...." Then, if I were to not hear from the prospective buyer for more than 24 hours, I would send another email saying that I was moving on. I don't really care if somebody is just trying to figure out what my price could be for some ulterior motive - I'm not going to spend a lot of time on any inquiry and I don't care if somebody is just trying to get some competitive pricing. Personally, if I was doing that, I'd just ask. -Kirk

Maybe it's a stretch in this anonymous, fear of intimacy, internet age but I've found the telephone a useful tool to seal a bargain, buying or selling. If they're too chicken to put there mouth where their money is, how interested could they be?

Yes, I had a buyer hammer me for a month to lower my price and when I finally did, he changed his mind the day before the check was to be sent to me. I almost gave him a neutral for the lack of coutesy, but he caught me in a good mood and I let him pass. By the way his moniker is....

Why do sellers bother to put O.B.O. on an ad when their price is firm in the first place? It doesn't hurt to ask someone with a O.B.O tag on their price what their bottom line is and invariably when asked in my experience O.B.O. sellers either get offended or do not respond to questions. A simple FIRM on the price in the ad goes a long way to stave off low ballers.