There's really no way to say. I've sold a few and offers are all over the place. I think you could also take OBO to mean that someone's else might get the machine if they offer more than the list price, which may be rape likely these days with prices disconnected from reality.

As a seller it would feel bothersome if someone took a smaller percentage off a higher priced item.

If I had a game for sale for $6000 and he’s like would you go $5900 that just seems silly. If I know I’m priced a bit higher I’d have more respect for an offer at $5500

There is no magic formula unfortunately. It all depends on two main factors - how “fairly” do you think it is priced and how badly do you want it?

…and maybe “how long has it been on the market”. If it was listed at reasonable price 5 minutes ago and you want the machine, Seller probably won’t bend much. If it’s priced kinda high and on the market for weeks…maybe Seller is beginning to realize he’s asking too much (or maybe Seller is just holding out and doesn’t really care that much about selling the game).

I usually say ‘thanks for the offer but I’m going to hold out for closer to my asking’…despite what I really want to say. But in the end…why be rude or make enemies…who knows their situation.

“Piss away off” would be a more likely response to someone offering half of the asking price.

I say adios

I wouldn’t respond to an offer 50% lower than asking price, that’s not reasonable in most cases.

I counter the offer if I have room and take it or leave it.

Is say up to 20% depending. I know some folks may take poorly to it, but you don’t get if you don’t ask. I’ve made some outrageous offers on stale machine ads and been taken up on them. In the same vein I wouldn’t be offended by low offers on my machine, never know! Once bought a Switch for $100 right after they came out and were sold out everywhere cuz the guy had just been in a car accident without insurance and needed cash ASAP. Best deal ever. Came with 6 games and carrying case and all sorts of bells and whistles!!

Usually OBO means 100 - 500 off. Nowadays and unfortunately OBO means 100 - 500 more.

You ignore them, a ridiculous offer like that doesn't deserve a response.

I had it happen last week. I just replied with a LOL and left it at that.

OBO now means exactly that. Best offer gets it.
Lately I have been outbid when even agreeing to the asking price to be told someone offered more than the ask and on their way with cash.
Crazy times.
-Mike

Anything is a reasonable offer. Worst they can say is no.

I say thanks but no thanks.

Sadly it means higher than the listed amount these days.

Depends on what the starting price is and what the machine's are currently selling for. I've offered the full asking amount..... I've come down a few hundred and the most someone has ever come down was $1K (asking price was $7500 and they took $6500). Some folks will start sky high and see what happens while others will start at a reasonable amount and not move much.

I either don't respond or respond 'no' if it's more than 10% less than my asking. But I don't price my games sky high in my opinion so it of course depends on the situation. If you see a game you want at a good price but it's or best offer, don't waste your time or theirs with an offer less than asking.

People who put OBO in their ads are more likely than not going to end up being dishonest when all is said and done. If you list game for 6K and the best offer you receive is 4k, then you should sell it for that since it was in fact the best offer and your ad included an asking price OR BEST OFFER.

If the game is in the Pinside range or a little over, I think most people expect only to discount at most a few hundred bucks. 10% off is not really reasonable on a $5-6k game. Reasonably people do not overprice that much or they don’t sell if you ask me.

Prices more then a couple hundred bucks off are ignored or a polite no thanks. Like it or not Pinside ranges reflect actual sales even if you think it is unreasonable to pay that.

When pins are priced reasonably or cheap you would never get it because it would sell immediately. When at market price things sell in a week or so, is my experience.

People who want a game half off can - f -off.

Desperate people will sell and sell fast - the obo - never happens or the game would be gone right away.

This is stupid.

When you advertise that you'll take "best offer" and then don't, that's stupid. Otherwise, it should be called an auction with a reserve. I realize that in reality that that's not how it really plays out, but it should. Otherwise, why say OBO if you don't really mean it? Or perhaps you should say "OBO unless you're offer is less the $X, then don't bother" or something to that effect. Otherwise, OBO means that offer is game.

I’m fine with any offer but I hate when people low ball you and then write an entire explanation about why that is their offer. I’ve had OBO listings where I receive numerous full price offers and then one super low one with an explanation of why it’s the best I’ll get haha.

Well, of course. A lowball offer with other and better offers was never the best offer to begin with.

Except the options are OBO or Firm. So, to me, OBO expresses a willingness to go down a little within reason if that’s really the best offer you got. I don’t think you should have to say not to go below a certain amount because doing so telegraphs your bottom line, never a smart thing to do when negotiating.

I usually say FU! But that is just me. I love all the offers before people see it. Will you take half that? Sure but no take backs after you see there are no boards.

OBO also designates higher than advertised. Used to be rare but more active in this market now.

I’ve sold pins in minutes years ago. You know you priced it low then. 10-12 offers within 5 minutes. Great feeling.

OBO to me means whatever I’m willing to except for a price. You know what your best lowest money to go out the door is. And that goes both ways. I’ve listed things on CL for $100 when I really only wanted $50. Knowing full well someone was going to message me and offer me half.

OBO simply means that the seller accepts offers and is willing to negotiate. I does not mean that the seller has to accept anything. Its not like there is a timeframe where any specific offer must be deemed “best”.

I once listed games as “firm”. Thought it was making it easy as i was telling buyers what i was willing to accept and all they had to do was decide if the condition of the game was worth that price. A lot of people however feel the need to negotiate - regardless of the price - as they feel the sellers have left room intentionally for just this occasion. Bottom line: a good deal is only a good deal when both parties walk away satisfied.

So if you list a game for $6k and they offer you half and you get no other offers you just take it because it’s the right thing to do? If Pinside adds a “negotiable” option that would fit better but right now it’s obo or firm.

I accepted a sellers price,but he said he was offered 500.00 more for the game. Then he says he feels bad ,so he offered me the game at the higher price. I told him no thanks, sell it to the other guy.Then I get a pm that the buyer backed out of the sale,and the seller asked if I was still interested .
My gut told me that there never was another buyer,and he was a liar,so I told him to keep it.
Turned out to be good move on my part because I found the same game from a collector with only 250 games on it.

Pinball prices really have people losing their goddamn minds.

Half of the hobby is in a complete free fall mental meltdown right now. People need to take a nap, wake up, and think about if they really want to be in this hobby anymore. It’s changed a lot.

Can’t wait for someone to threaten a lawsuit when their “best offer” isn’t accepted as advertised.

Kiss My Grits!

When I sell anything, I don't get bad at low ball offers. I just either politely decline or tell them I'm fairly firm on my asking price and will let them know if something changes. Typically, that's the last I hear from them.

In some cases, I have people that are persistent and try to "educate" me on my asking price, or try to string me along. Those people go right to my blocked list.

Selling games is still my least favorite part of this hobby. Anyone who reaches out that I’ve dealt with in the past and I like automatically gets first shot and my best price. I’m willing to leave a few bucks on the table vs being strung along by a dude with a story. I’ve also found that if you price them right, the low ballers don’t even bother. Listing a game this week, wish me luck.

Actually, ads listed with OBO do not include a time limit. The $4k may be the best offer they have received to date but who's to say they won't get a better offer tomorrow or the next day or the next week or month. By your reasoning, the seller should always take the first offer since it is always the best offer they have received at that point. You are imposing some arbitrary time limit, which is not part of the ad. Therefore, OBO means the best offer the seller receives up until he/she decides to no longer accept offers.

OBO is like "shopped", means different thing to different people.

There's an OBO machine currently listed that I might be interesting in.. It's way over the typical sale price, around 15%. I'm not in a big hurry, so I'll just keep an eye on it. If the asking price was a little closer to reality, I'd be more likely to make an offer. Can't blame someone for trying to get whatever they can though.

That's it. It simply means different things to different people. The way I take it is clearly not the norm- haha. It's all pretty moot for me anyway because whenever I've sold a game, I've made sure that it was the lowest price for comparable condition around because I don't like to waste time on tire kickers. When it's time to say goodbye a game, it's time to say goodbye. I've never needed to anchor my price with OBO.

...

What is a reasonable asking price? Your idea of reasonable and the seller's idea of reasonable might be completely different.

If the price is too high to sound reasonable (for you), then you pass.

If the price is close to the average listing price that you are talking, then you offer something that is in that average price range of which you speak.

And if the seller priced it too low? It will be gone before you even had a chance to call.