You need this guy.

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In life, not just pinball, one way to lose my business if someone who is trying to sell me something starts the negotiations with, "Well what is it worth to ya?"

This is hands down the best answer I have ever heard! A great way to throw it back in their court but still saying you are willing to negotiate. You already started with your selling price for them to ask for another selling price before giving you a buying price is silly...

Yep, they are trying to get you to conter-offer your own selling price.

But why why can’t you just say thanks but no thanks. Lowest I’ll go is $Xxx

If that were true ads wouldn’t have prices.

I'm saying if they don't have a price already and they are asking you to make an offer....you are better off to have the other person make the first offer.

Because their next offer is below whatever you say. Guaranteed.

Then you say thanks but no thanks. Haha

Why should I as a seller throw out the lowest I will go is $X right away? That is horrible negotiating, especially if someone just low balled me. Lets get a round or two of offers going 1st, then throw out the lowest I will go is $X.

Because it’s easy? Take off $100 and stay there. My lowest is usually much higher with this type of potential buyer.

Yeah I guess I don’t want to go round and round. I’d rather sell the game and move on.

I think a lot of it comes down to a big split on hagglers vs no non hagglers.
Obviously there are tire kickers and morons in everything, but I think a lot of people are really saying "Can we cut the back and forth and just give me a price and I'll pay it."

If we can’t agree on a price within three exchanges, one of us is wasting the other’s time.

Another approach is to engage the low baller in negotiations back and forth for a few days. Then if you sell it to someone else, string them along a few more days after it’s sold and you already have someone else’s cash. Then tell them, sorry it sold three days ago, but since you’ve been wasting my time, how does it feel for you? Or if it hasn’t sold tell them that you decided to keep it, but leave the ad up until it sells.

I had no idea you were such a meanie!

Evil, love it

I’m usually not, but most of these types of buyers either don’t have any real interest in buying something unless they can buy it from you half off because you’re desperate for cash, or they don’t have the cash to buy it for 90% of asking price anyways.

I guess the term "lowball" means something different to everyone. Is it half of the price? 5% off? 90% off? What if the person is asking $10,000 for a $2,000 game. Is offering $2,000 lowballing them?

No you’re just educating the seller. If enough people reach out and e plain that it’s worth $2,000, maybe they’ll lower their price to a realistic number.

Why is lowballing bad? I’ve never understood that. If I’m selling a $2,000 game and someone offers me two dollars for it, I’m going to say thanks but no thanks, lowest I’ll go is $1800. Let me know if you change your mind.

“Educating a seller” never works..if you engage, you are simply wasting YOUR time.

Some people love to negotiate and are good at it. Others are afraid to negotiate, or just don't know the art of bargaining. I don't mind stepping up to the plate to buy something if the price is appropriate, but I love to find out if I can get it for less.

I agree...some people are just terrible at negotiating...if the seller has a reasonable price and the buyer contacts with a reasonable offer, whats the problem....i assume unless the ad says firm, there is room for negotiation. I always offer less than ASKING because i want to see what the least the seller is willing to take..these are expensive (for me) toys. When i list a game, i look at what they have been selling for and put it at that...less room for negotiating but if priced right it will sell quickly!

I don't mind them either, part and parcel of dealing with people. Depending on how close they are I might take it or counter offer. Sometimes I have a "pad" in the price for people looking to haggle. Some people simply can't buy something unless there is a discount regardless how great the price is.

The quickest way to get added to an ignore list is when you start arguing with me its a fair offer and I should take it. Particularly when its a know shady pin flipper in the area. I'll sit on the SOB for the listed price for months then and more often than not get it if I'm patient.

there's no strategy that's right or wrong. it's the approach that defines a good negotiator, from a bad one. simply put, it's not what you say, but how you say it.

Here’s an idea, how about everyone stops being a dick to each other and answers the god dammed question with some respect. Not everyone is a master negotiator.

I agree,I dont mind a low ball offer.I just dont want a story of any kind especially how you can get it at an auction a million miles away for 50% less.

Anymore I will tell people off if they send an obvious lowball. Same goes if they ask what my bottom dollar is. I typically sell my games within a few days of listing, but always get a few immediate messages that are ridiculous offers.

I am not walmart. I do not have to put up with idiots.

I have also torpedoed deals I would otherwise have taken. Ie tried to re-negotiate after coming to an agreement a week before. Being open to selling something, but someone publicly listed my game before owning it.

Just have a low tolerance for bullshit anymore.

On the opposite side, I really like the "yeah, X is fucked up but you can find a replacement cheap."
In this case, a closer pic showed the blown out playfield. Sure, it's not hard to find a replacement. And I've also just doubled the cost of the pin for me. So...not such a good deal...
I was inclined to lowball, but I decided it was too much of a hassle on top of a two hour 1way drive.

Fuck low ballers! I don’t respond anymore. You know who you are.

This.

"Buyer": How much?

Seller: $1500

"Buyer": What's the least you'll take?

Seller: $1550

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Note to self: don't use quote marks in titles, it cuts the title off.
(I presume Levi's title was supposed to be: Do you prefer lowballs or "How low will you go?")

When I'm truly interested, the conversation is basically . . .

Me: If I were to commit right now, what is your absolute best price?
The normal counter: If you commit/buy now, I would take $X
Me (If I think their price is reasonable): Would you take $X minus $Y (in a pin, I might go $100 - $200 less than what they say), then we work things out from there
Me (If I think their price is unreasonable): Well, I think you price is high based upon my research for this title sold recently in similar condition (I did my homework ahead of time). I'd be willing to offer $Y as my best price. Depending upon response we either work it out, or I walk away with no hard feelings.

Once someone pulls out the "based on my research" it becomes here is the price, take it or fucking beat it.

That's because they do not know how to negotiate. I honestly hate the "how much is the lowest you will take" question. I like to respond, IDK what the lowest is, make me an offer.

I did recently have a vehicle up for sale and it was priced at $4500. Some guy offered me $2K for it and I replied "Is that your down payment or deposit?"

I'll admit, I'm not a good negotiator which I probably shouldn't admit on a forum where I have bought, and will continue to buy, machines through... From a seller perspective, I don't have any issues with perceived low ball offers, I don't think anyones trying to insult me and so I don't take it personally. As a buyer, I try to start low but see sentence 1 in this post... LOL

Jeff

I think there are plenty that want to play stupid. We all visit the same places. After awhile you recognize names. When they are low balling me on my ad, but you know it will shortly be relisted for more, it is insulting.

Those guys can go sit on a cactus!

I can say no all day long, but what I do hate and absolutely cannot stand is the "I'll take it!" "PM Sent" "Gorgeous, lets make a deal, PM Sent" in the discussion thread of my for sale ad accompanied by a "I'll give you 40% of your asking price or a crappy golf cart and be there in 5 weeks" in the PM. You will find my for sale ads riddled with "still available" posts, not because I am bumping my ads, but because I don't want someone to be discouraged or hold off on sending me a note not wanting to undercut the other guy.

i thought this thread was going to be about a different set of lowballs

Sorry to disappoint you

That's a different story and I agree that's BS...

Jeff

I always ask what do you want for it. I hate to negotiate over things. You become a dick, ill be nice but I wont buy it later on if you come back to me.

When I sell, I always say, This is what I want for it. I wont take less. They get a good deal and I get what I think is fair for me.

Actually, I used that exact verbiage recently when helping a friend by his new pin. Seller was asking about $600 too much IMO based upon the game's current value. He came down to about $100 higher than what I told him I thought the game was worth, and deal got done. Of course, this occurred face-to-face, so neither of us took things personally or out of context at the time.

It's not for sale if it doesn't have an asking price.
On the other hand, if someone sees one of my machines that is not for sale and wants to buy it, then it is up to them to to throw out the first number.

While someone leading off with “what’s your best price” or something along those lines is irritating, I don’t mind when people ask me about what sort of offers I’ve been fielding from would be suitors on a listed game. That question seems to be popped more and more recently and seems reasonable.

If someone has an ad listed with obo, I’ve always felt it was more respectful to just ask what their best and final price would be; versus throwing out a price that might be considered low to them. If someone responds with their best price , and it’s higher than I am willing to pay, I can say thanks and move on.