Why do people want things for almost nothing

[tamiyarcguy]

Why do people want things darn near given to them? I had a guy post he wanted a Peugeot 306 and his reply was... a guy is selling one on ebay for 65BP(british pounds ?) buy it now and i guess the runner would be worth 45BP and the NIB 55BP. [!] UMMMM math quiz kids if the seller thinks HIS is worth 65 BP [!][!][!]WHY WOULD MINE ONLY BE WORTH 55 bp AM I STUPID? [!][!][!] Do some people think Im going to GIVE stuff away? I work for my money and I think If I pay a set ammount for it and its in the same condition I purchased it, shrink wrap still on. why would I just hand it over??? OK I think Im better now [8)]

[netsmithUK]

(This is not aimed at tamiyarcguy - I've no idea of his transaction)

To be fair I think if sellers invite offers with no clue as to what region they should be in, (and 'sensible offers' is not really a clue) then any offer is a fair one. Its just up to the seller to say 'no thanks'. As a buyer you have got no idea of what the seller wants for the item. It could be something they are looking to sell fast and so cheap, or something they value very highly so want a bigger price. Its only natural for buyers to try and get things for as cheap as they can.

Its all avoidable if the seller just names his price or range (this is covered in lots of threads here) at the end of the day its the seller that has to accept the deal so it is them that sets the price anyway. If they really have no idea of an items worth then any offers are valid, if before they advertise they know a price which is too low - then just state it in the advert and you won't get people offering below that price.

It all seems so simple to me - but perhaps I'm missing something[?]

I use both fixed price and 'make me an offer' sales and don't get upset at any offers if I don't specify my range

Chris

[Shodog]

I find that people are always fishing for a deal. I have had many ridiculous offers on my cars. Like Chris said, if someone inquires about your cars, it's up to you to set the price.

Jim

[Pellandine-sports]

I've had unsolicited offers for items in my showroom which is both flattering and annoying at the same time.....a case of mixed emotions. Other members, some of whom I have dealt with directly or through Ebay, have asked me if I could help them out with parts. If they ask politely I'm more than willing to offer them a deal or in some instances freebies. Unfotunately there are a number of people/members out there who are both ignorant and take the proverbial when talking money. These people get the bum's rush from me I'm afraid.

[Neil_S2000]

I agree with Chris. The problem is 99% of people always ask for offers.

There's only 2 reasons that I can see for doing this:

1) They're hoping that someone out there really wants what they're selling and will make a stupid offer for it.

2) They genuinely have no idea how much it's worth.

I suspect that most of the time it's option 1). If you know how much you want for it then just say, that way you can't be offended when someone makes an offer you don't like. If noone buys it the price is too high, simple as that - an item is only worth the price it can be sold for!

I posted a couple of WANT ads when I had first started buying Tamiya stuff, and had a few people asking me to make offers. I didn't really know what to offer, so I used Ebay as a rough guide. Some people were obviously offended as they didn't even bother to reply, I expected at least for them to say "No thanks" or counter offer - ie "that's a bit less than I wanted for it, how about £xxx".

Whatever happened to good old bartering?[]

(Edit: Just wanted to add that I have had some great deals with TC members as well!)

Going back to the original post, the guy obviously (rightly or wrongly!) thought a built car was worth more for some reason.[?]

[PTV70R]

An interest thread, I have seen items listed with 'make me a sensible offer' and not wishing to risk upsetting the seller I do nothing. Sometimes you later see the listing amended to include a price which I find acceptable and contact is made and a deal done. I therefore think it is in the sellers interest to at least give a starting price, otherwise use e-bay to sell it and see what the market will take at that time.

[scoobs]

Well as the guy in question tamiyarcguy was talking to, I thought I'd chime in here with my side...

I've been looking for a 306 for a little while, as a nice next car. It seems that they can be had new for typically £80 (UK pounds) here, although I've seen a couple of places where it can be had for a bit less. (£70 from one uk shop, £80 from james at Fusion less my tamiyaclub discount.)

So before splashing, I posted a trade saying I'd quite like a 306. One guy mailed me and pointed me to a german auction where 3 nib kits were being sold for £46 (worked out at around £55-60 including shipping - I didn't know the actual shipping cost at the time, but it would have been around there I guess), which I thanked him for.

Tamiyaguyrc sent me an email saying he had three, a NIB, a shelfer and a runner, and to make him an offer, so I sent him what I thought would be a fair offer, given the current prices.

In all fairness, I did actually say (and I quote from my email to him):

"I'm most interested in the 306 - ideally NIB but I don't know whether it'll be worth your while to get rid of it? - NIB kits can be had new for £70 and there's one on ebay with a buy it now price of 65 euros (works out about £50 inc postage). So I guess we'd be talking about £50 for NIB, £40 or so for the shelfer..?"

So I thought that the current new prices would mean it probably wouldn't be worth his while selling it (he has three, so he obviously likes them.)

I'm sorry if the seller thought my offer was unreasonable - all he had to do was say no thanks or "I'd really want more than that" and it would be up to us to decide whether to agree on a transaction price or not to trade at all.

> WHY WOULD MINE ONLY BE WORTH 55 bp AM I STUPID?

Well, maybe if you had replied back and said you'd want £65-£70 then I might have bought it - otherwise, I'd have bought from Fusion. As it was, I offered the same as the new kits on ebay were for - why would I offer more than I can have them from new?

I also offered him less for the complete car, as I wanted to build it, so an already built car has less value to me.

In any case, I asked whether you were in the UK, as if not the postage/import duty etc would make the whole thing pointless anyway. [V]

> Do some people think Im going to GIVE stuff away?

Yes, OF COURSE I THINK THAT!! Sheesh! You offered to possibly sell, I gave you an indication as to where I was coming from financially. If we can work out a deal, fine, if not, fine.

Netsmithuk wrote:

>To be fair I think if sellers invite offers with no clue as to what

> region they should be in

I asked the seller if he was in the UK, to which he didn't respond.

> As a buyer you have got no idea of what the seller wants for the item.

> It could be something they are looking to sell fast and so cheap, or

> something they value very highly so want a bigger price. Its only natural

> for buyers to try and get things for as cheap as they can.

Usually it's common to be able to buy things from people at less than they can be had new from shops. I'm sorry that in this case the seller wanted the same as or more than shop price. That's fine, but for me, I'd rather not take the risk and order from Fusion than a private individual, with guarantees etc, if the prices are going to be the same.

In this case, I have bought a 306.

I'm sorry if my offers insulted the seller, but in this case I did point out that fact in my original email, that for what these kits seem to be going, it probably wasn't worth his while in selling (but then, I don't really have any idea of why he is selling - he may need some cash fast.)

He replied to me saying my math doesn't work out, so he'd pass, which actually came across quite harsh (I did wonder what I'd said). I was expecting a simple "thanks but no thanks" or a "I will sell for xx pounds" but no.

I didn't think my email to him was out of order, and I'm sorry if he seems to have taken offence to it.

Oh well.

In answer to the topic "Why do people want things for almost nothing", I would also ask:

"Why do people expect to get more than their things are worth?"

If its worth to you is more than its financial worth, then it's simple - DON"T SELL IT!

BTW I was surprised at the response I had to my trade ad, so thanks to everyone who sent me offers.

Sorry for the lengthy (first) post! [:I]

[Shodog]

quote:Originally posted by benj_sp

Well as the guy in question tamiyarcguy was talking to.....Sorry for the lengthy (first) post! [:I]

---

id="quote">id="quote">

Nice reply. I think in this case, the 306 was worth more to Tamiyaguy than they are actually worth. I find myself in that same predicament as I think a lot of my stuff is worth more to me than what I could get for it on the club or on ebay.

Jim

[Pellandine-sports]

Ditto.............that's put the record straight.

[netsmithUK]

I think in answer to the very first question "Why do people want things for nothing" - its just human nature isn't it? These forums are full of posts about very happy members that have picked up Hiluxes, Scorchers etc for next to nothing - nothing brings a smile to your face more than when bagging a bargain.

If someone says 'make me an offer' it stands to reason they will offer as low a price as they think they can get away with.

Chris.

[Dirt Racer]

quote:Originally posted by netsmithUK

I think in answer to the very first question "Why do people want things for nothing" - its just human nature isn't it? These forums are full of posts about very happy members that have picked up Hiluxes, Scorchers etc for next to nothing - nothing brings a smile to your face more than when bagging a bargain.

If someone says 'make me an offer' it stands to reason they will offer as low a price as they think they can get away with.

Chris.

---

id="quote">id="quote">

Could'nt put it better myself...Hear Hear

[DJTheo]

I also agree with the last 5 responses []