Make offer just never ends well - here's why and proof

Deadly

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Make offer just never ends well - here's why and proof

I run an ad looking for a Tron. This person emails me and states he has one that he has been teetering back and forth about getting rid of and says the machine has typical wear and tear, no burn in on the monitor and the rare red joystick and to make him an offer. Uhhhh huh. Ok then ............. Red joystick - rare .... make an offer without seeing pictures or in person. I had a gut feeling this was not going to end well.

I respond stating that everytime I've had someone say, "Make offer" it never ends well. In fact if I don't get a shitty response I get no response at all. I ask the seller to please state a price he will accept.

He responds stating he doesn't have to get rid of it and to make an offer - if he doesn't like it then no harm done. I figured it was a lost cause at this point but I'd try anyway. I research the forums here for price guide lines for Tron. I see Blkdog just got one - I PM him asking what he paid. I now have a solid and honest price line to use with this guy. Not looking to screw anyone - fair market value.

Friday night I respond stating the red handle is a Satans Hollow handle. Tron never had red - always blue so the handle isn't original and the game isn't rare. With no pictures and going off of what you have described I can only tell you typical pricing would be $450 - $600. He doesn't respond.
I just pinged him again this morning and he responds, "I will hold to it for that I am looking around 9". I thanked him for his time and wished him good luck.

So, I am not in the least bit upset in the fact he wants $900. It is his after all and he can ask what ever he wants for it. What I am complaing about is the simple fact this person could have simply avoided all this uneccesary bullshit and stated a price up front. He already had a figure in mid - but instead of comming right out and asking it he played me. And if you are going to ask that kind of money at least send pictures. No one in their right mind wnould agree to that much money site unseen.

Moral of the story - state your price, you already know a price you will accept. Just because you have time to waste doesn't entitle you to waste someone elses time. .
 
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Agreed.
The reason he didn't state a price, is he was hoping you'd offer $1500. If he would have said he wanted $900, he may have screwed himself out of screwing you out of the extra $600 :D
 
I research the forums here for price guide lines for Tron. I see Blkdog just got one - I PM him asking what he paid. I now have a solid and honest price line to use with this guy. Not looking to screw anyone - fair market value.

But most everyone here on KLoV is a frackin' "CHEEPASS" idiot, so any fair-market values are gonna be grossly incorrect, amirite? ;)

And yes, if the guy knew what he had to have to let it go, then he should have just said so from the beginning. He didn't, because (unrealistically) he was hoping you would offer MORE than the $900 he was thinking.
 
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Any time someone solicits you to make an offer, they aren't a motivated seller. They do not want a reasonable price, and are hoping you are stupid or desperate.
 
Cheap asses - hell yes. But for the shape this was in (his desciption) and comparing it to the others the price I offered was fair. I wasn;t looking to drive hom a killer deal - simply trying to purchase a machine.
 
Yeah, every time I deal with the "make an offer" guy it never ends well.
They always think their stuff is one of a kind and made of solid gold.
 
Really weird, I have a tron with a red handle but it was not me.

One thing to keep in mind, the red original SH handle still brings pretty good money on ebay and can be replaced with a groovy gear Tron handle for $24.



Oh... and this.......

Agreed.
The reason he didn't state a price, is he was hoping you'd offer $1500. If he would have said he wanted $900, he may have screwed himself out of screwing you out of the extra $600 :D

I would sell mine for $600 but could I get more? Probably? Maybe?
Who knows, by not being a jerk to him he may not get a better offer and tell you a week from now you can have it for $450.
 
Hey, I gotta golden gate bridge in California for sale (just painted the gate last week) Make offer!
those people kill me. I got this nice game for sale, make me an offer. It ought to be worth a couple thousand (thats what my drinking buddies tell me anyway, they used to play one 20 years ago). Sorry, no pictures, but you can take my word about it. If you do manage to come to some arrangement, when you get there odds are you dont find what you were expecting. Come expecting a dedicated machine and find a chopped jamma cab thats falling apart, and the seller astonished that you dont agree with his assessment.

I had one guy here list 3 games for sale, like you say, best offer. I got a real kick out of this one, after several emails back and forth trying to gain some info I came to realize that he wanted at least 500 apeice for them, and he didnt even know what games they were or if they worked
 
The real reason he went with the make offer thing is because no matter what you offered he would want more. Offer him $1500? Ha, he would've turned that down too, thinking you know something he doesn't...like they're going for $2K on ebay. No sense even trying to be nice with one of those make offer jerkoffs. You should've offered him $50. In his mind its always worth more than what he gets offered. A guy like that would never say "$600? Hey that's a good deal! Sold! Hurry and come get it." People like to play games.
 
Any time someone solicits you to make an offer, they aren't a motivated seller. They do not want a reasonable price, and are hoping you are stupid or desperate.

I'll tell you now that while I do ask for offers I'm not looking for people to be stupid. I'll usually research price before but ask for an offer and if I like it I'll take it. Most times it's because I don't know EXACTLY what its worth.
 
Making an offer over the phone on a game sight unseen is tough. If it is working, that gives you some idea of minimum value, but not much. Condition is king, and if you don't know that, you're walking into a deal blind.

Make an offer has worked well for me in some instances though.. i.e. when at a warehouse to pick up a specific game for a specific price, and the op says "go ahead and make me an offer on that other one". You have already established the ballpark (that you're paying on the first game) and have a good idea of seller's expectations.
 
I'll tell you now that while I do ask for offers I'm not looking for people to be stupid. I'll usually research price before but ask for an offer and if I like it I'll take it. Most times it's because I don't know EXACTLY what its worth.

If you research the price, then you have all you need to name you price. The worst that happens when you name your price is that noone buys it.

So yes, you are taking the pussy way out, and are searching for a sucker. I don't care what you say.
 
When someone makes me an unsolicited make offer, I usually low ball them. Then they either turn out to not be a motivated seller - weren't gonna sell anyway, or they out their high end price. Then I can come back with my more reasonable offer if their price is only moderately higher than average.

And yes, there are reverse tire kickers out there who will dangle an item for sale, just for shits and giggles. Rednecks are notoriously famous for doing that crap.
 
When I have gotten these kinds of people of the phone (or via email usually), I always say I never buy sight unseen. There is a lot of volatility in pricing depending on several factors, cosmetic condition, original components and the working condition to name a few. Let me stop over and I'll give you an honest assessment of the condition and what I would pay for it.

So far, I've had three people take me up on it. I've bought 2 and disappointed one. His machine is still on the Houston CraigsList a year later. One of these days he will make the final drop in price and someone will buy it.

I agree though, anybody who says make an offer, either doesn't know the value or thinks they are going to get hyperinflated EBay prices. Just watch that pawn shop show on the History channel, how many of those people get what they are looking for?

ken
 
If you research the price, then you have all you need to name you price. The worst that happens when you name your price is that noone buys it.

So yes, you are taking the pussy way out, and are searching for a sucker. I don't care what you say.

No, I just don't like it when I tell them a price not knowing whats its fully worth and it ends up too much and they say to fuck off. If I list stuff I know I put a price, but things like older game systems etc or game boards I want people to offer.
 
I've never understood the whole "make me an offer" thing and generally despise it. If you're committed to selling something, then you will have researched its value and will also know how much money you need to get in order to let it go. (Well, unless you're fairly thick, that is.)

Just let any potential buyer know the price and be done with it. If you just HAVE to play some kind of little property transfer game, then you can play the price-haggle game if the buyer seems to be into it after hearing your price.
 
Here's to YOU, Mr. Make an offer guy.
Real men of genius
 

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yea, then there are those "others"...........

Guy had three games on Craigs list, no description, make offer. I emailed, what games do you have, what condition are they in, do they work, how much would you want for them.

guy emails back Supermario Brothers, Ninja Emaki and street fighter. SF doesnt work but the other two do. Make offer

I respond, Ok, is there and busted/swelled/missing wood on the cases? what shape are the cases in (no pics, remember)

theyre 20-30 year old games, theyre in 20-30 year old condition

at this point (since theyre over a hundred miles away and Im not driving that far to look at them) I respond back, best I could do sight unseen is around $300

3 days go by and no responce. I have my wife call on her cell (caller id blocked) and ask about the games, yadda, yadda, yadda, how much do you want for them. Answer "we like to get $300 out of them" ?!?!?!?

I ignore the fact that they never replied to me and told her to tell them shed take em (been looking for a vertical jamma for a while, and never turn down a working nintendo)

I go and pick them up. They plug in the emaki, works fine. I reach on top of the game and turn it off, he turns around "what did you do?" "I flipped the on/off switch. "They have one? Wow, didnt know that"

next game, the Supermario turns out to be a Vs in a Popeye cab, monitor is degraded to the point to where it needs an overhaul yesterday, severe separation around the edges of the plywood to the point to where the sides are actually flapping. going to take some work but I believe I can save it

last game is a Street Fighter. Good thing, all woodwork is rock solid. Other than that, it looks like it had been dipped in a swimming pool. Rust/corrosion everywhere on everything. laminant on sides was shredded.

I already had $100 invested in the trip in gas, so I wasnt leaving them. Went down thinking I had a good deal, on the way back wondering whether or not I did
 
ha! I was wondering which one of you guys posted that ad! I hate when people try to 'surf' you for a magic number. Its bullshit. Just tell me how much for it! Damn! So annoying. Keep at it though, I'm sure one will turn up.
 
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