"What's Your Best Price?"

I believe most here, including myself, who won't acknowledge a "what is your best price" buyer (particularly as an opening statement) do so from prior experience. I am sure there are just a small hand full that might actually be buyers, but most are not. I think they are in hopes that the seller might be desperate and perhaps the buyer thinking he might get this "deal of a lifetime". I say this from experience of selling a fair amount of audio here on Agon. I get this occasionally in my business as well (not audio related). Never, ever had a buyer.

I realize that my position here, which I am restating, is in the minority, but I've bought more than a fair amount of equipment here. More often than not, I've requested the seller's best price. And, more often than that, I would say the seller, thinking I would use that as the beginning of the price negotiation (instead of his initial asking price, which I actually do) probably got a lot more out of the deal than he expected. I think the statement which has been suggested, "I know your optimal price but let's cut to the chase, what will you sell it to me for?" sums up my intent perfectly.

In no way do I suggest someone is not justified for feeling the way they do, but taking things the absolute wrong way or ignoring my e-mails would have been to most probably leave money on the table by losing a good sale.

I think some of you sellers would like to turn OBO in to an auction?

Ok, whats your reserve? (aka......whats your bottom dollar shipped to my zip, and paying with paypal?

I don't have a problem asking this as a buyer, and I don't have a problem with it as a seller.

I got it, you want it........you got it, I want it, lets get er done.

Dave

Sogood51,

I am not sure if you were referring to my post or not. I am not intentionally trying to turn "OBO" into an auction. I was merely pointing out that it has some similarities to an auction if there are multiple bidders. Best offer wins.

Even fixed-price ads get offers for less than the asking price and can take on some aspects of an auction. My point is that anytime there are multiple buyers competing there are elements of an auction in play.

Try standing up at a real auction and bidding "what's your best price?". Auctioneer's don't have gavels just to bang on the podium.