Why are so many people so cheap these days?

[neveriiold]

I thought it was only at yard sales and on Craigslist that shoppers want everything for nothing.  I am findng the same mentality on eBay now.   I have been selling for about 10 years through various avenues and have never seen anything like this.  Have a brand new in package $175 quilt for sale on Craigslist (right now won't even think about listing it on eBay because of shipping costs) and am asking only $40.  Email I get yesterday only asks, "How low will you go?"  Really?  I know some people like this "game," but I am really tired of all the lowball offers.  

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@coolections wrote:

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

ersatz I always make sure I take those 59 cent thrift store price tags off my merchandise buyers tend to pop a cork if they paid a $100.00 and see you only paid 59 cents...

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Please don't say that. This thread is suppose to be about cheapskate buyers not cheapskate sellers who pay 59 cents at a thrift store or garage sell walking out with that $100 item. lol

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Why do you think we continue to do this? Or do you think we are masochists? NOT! 

[rixstuff]

Sorry but I am so not a fan of Craigslist.  There are some here on Ebay with the same cheapo thinking but I dont use Craigslist because of the crazies.  It is just easier and safer to sell it here.

[bubbleman2010]

ersatz free goodwillie also has the date on their price tags. I sold a item last week for $150.00 that I purchased in Sept. of 04 for 89 cents its been listed here for $300.00 for 13 years I lowered it to $150.00 because life has culled alot of the items interested buying pool from planet earth in the last 13 years...

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Good job bubbleman! Get it gone! Otherwise our kids are going to sell this stuff with no price tags at our estate sale, you want it for a buck? It's yours! 

[ersatz_sobriquet]

I think my husband wants the hoard decreased and if I was to die first he would PAY SOMEONE to take it away. 

[vintagecraze50]

Tell them to go to Home Depot Plumbing depart and haggle there.

[bubbleman2010]

ersatz we could take the ebay easy road and just sell cellphones and used CDs,but our endorphins get excited from the hunt the hunt is what drives us....

[rixstuff]

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@retrose1 wrote:

ebay has been encouraging buyers to haggle for years now.

And national news programs and talk shows have been instructing viewers on how to haggle a better price at even retail outlets to save money, so cheap has become a cancer that has metastasized to other areas.

If I were you, I'd send a I'll go $50. to the buyer (yes, I know it's priced at $40) and let them know that you aren't playing the haggle game.  Or you can spend the better part of your selling life figuring out what you want for your items and then adding 30 - 60% onto all the prices and telling them you will take offers so you can play the haggle game with success.

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Haggling is international.  It is just basic economics.  Retail stores mark items up THREE HUNDRED PERCENT and totally make out like bandits.  I know it, now YOU know it. So you can get it for 75% off and they STILL make money.  Why WOULD you pay full price for it?  and honestly - online or in the store - havent you seen items that you would gladly pay $40 for but not the $95 asking price?  And we know that many Ebay sellers mimic the outrageous unjustified price that some other seller has put on items (and that has sat unsold for two years straight now) without checking to see what people really SOLD it for.  And others use way too much emotion when pricing - I wont pay $50 for that shirt because it was your Dad's before he passed away.  I will only give the same $10 as every other seller is asking for it.  And some sellers thing every brass and rhinestone piece of jewelry is the hope diamond.  An itm is only "worth" what someone will pay you for it. It is "worth" nothing if nobody will buy it.

BTW-My mom and aunt are NOTORIOUS for getting deals at department stores (like the weekend sale on Thursday so they dont have to come back, a discount on the dress with a spot because it will need drycleaning, etc).

[rixstuff]

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@rw011164 wrote:

EBay began as an auction format wheree things were listed far below their value and the bidding wars would bring the price up to what the market would bear.

Those days are long gone, many EBay buyers want to have their purchase in their hands yesterday so there are far more fixed price listings. Most sellers will list their item at a competative price (as experienced by recent sales of the same kind of item), some sellers with list them at list (retail price) and some seller just guess at a price. Regardless, most sellers do not go with their bottom number since it leaves them no wiggle room to make deals.

More and more on EBay we have seen negotiating buyers and we joined in that fray. It often gives us opportunities to negotiate multiple sales to the same buyer.

Good negotiating skills are an art where when done right, leave both parties feeling they got a good deal. It is always understood that the asking price is higher than the bottom number though. We often have buyers purchase at asking price since we are competatively priced to begin with

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Too true! Why miss out on a sale over a difference of opinion on the price when you can negotiate and get it sold?

[rixstuff]

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@chrysylys wrote:
Money is not plentiful. Having a job does not mean you have unlimited funds to spend, so you try for any deal you can find. And despite the reports, a WHOLE lotta folks ain't got no jobs.

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My granddaddy always said it isnt how much money you make but how much you KEEP.  Why would anyone EVER pay more than they have to?

[moo*cow*corner]

@southern*sweet*tea said:

Every seller's price will be different, just like every buyer's price will be different. But according to some, that's a baaaaaaad thing.  Playing price hardball is fine if that's how you roll, but some sellers just want to sell, move their inventory and make money.  Why is that wrong?

It's not!

Here's an exchange I had with a prospective buyer awhile back-

1950's era item was priced at $39....not verbatim, but you get the gist---

Entitled Haggler- Will you take $33?

Moo-No. I'm not accepting offers on this item at this time. Best Offer is not available on this listing. Thanks!

Entitled Haggler-How about $36?

Moo-No. I'm not accepting offers on this item at this time. Best Offer is not available on this listing. Thanks!

Entitled Haggler- C'mon! It's only $3!! Don't you want to make the sale and have a happy customer? Is a lousy $3 that important to you? Why are you so greedy?

Moo-Yes, it is. If $3 one way or another doesn't matter much, why won't you just pay the listed price?

At this point, they got blocked. They tried to pay full price and could not.

Entitled Haggler- I tried to pay your price but I'm blocked. Why? (Many added insults and cuss words deleted).

Moo-You are blocked because you have violated ebay policy by sending offers when Best Offer is not in the listing. See ebay's policy here-LINK.  I won't report you, but you should be aware of this policy. Have a good day and hope you find your item in a more acceptable price range soon!

Of course that particular policy doesn't exist any more, but this one still just makes me shake my head.

And the item sold at full price a couple of days later, and a service member stationed in S. Korea was tickled pink to get it. I even sprung for the addional postage the LFRB required.

[rixstuff]

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@pinkrose442 wrote:

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@neveriiold wrote:

I thought it was only at yard sales and on Craigslist that shoppers want everything for nothing.  I am findng the same mentality on eBay now.   I have been selling for about 10 years through various avenues and have never seen anything like this.  Have a brand new in package $175 quilt for sale on Craigslist (right now won't even think about listing it on eBay because of shipping costs) and am asking only $40.  Email I get yesterday only asks, "How low will you go?"  Really?  I know some people like this "game," but I am really tired of all the lowball offers.  

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Well that mentality won't last forever...went to some rummage sale's this past week...couldn't believe each one had ton's of stuff...priced possible too high for the low baller's...this will all end up in thrift stores or good will's at higher prices...

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Right?!  I couldnt believe that some of the folks at the last flea market I went to were disappointed that the buyers didnt come armed withe $300 cash to buy their old broken dining chairs at $50 each (for 6 chairs)!  They hated my mom's friend who sold all four of hers for $40.  We sold an entire box of jeans (about 20 pairs) for $10 each just to get rid of them.  Got total hate from the women selling Mart brand raggedy jeans for $50 each - who got NO SALES all day.  We took home empty plastic bins.

[rixstuff]

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@thatsallfolks wrote:

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

They're a dealer. 

Put it on ebay for $100. Quilts aren't that heavy...

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But they are bulky. Dimensional weight issue.

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My aunt has DOZENS of quilts bought here on Ebay for not much and shipped USPS with no problem.

[rixstuff]

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@neveriiold wrote:

You raise a couple of valid points, but my premise remains.  If buyers can't afford the goods, they should move on and buy something else they can afford.

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I get tons of sob stories at the flea market (and occasionally here).  One woman wanted a sapphire and sterling bracelet for $3 because her 4 year old "liked it so much".  After she left I got full price (many many many times more than $3) for it from another buyer who had stood there terrified that I would let the 4 year old have it (sorry not so much).  There is no law that says life liberty and the ownership of jewelry.  If someone cant afford to buy jewelry and pay for bus home then maybe they dont really need jewelry so much. It isnt essential to life!

And of course there are the Ebay sob stories - the couple who wants to "borrow" vintage jewelry for their theme wedding (uh no) or the organization allegedly asking for donations for the wounded vets returning to the workforce (how does having vintage jewelry help them get a job?)  So cheap AND lame...

[rixstuff]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Ebay is unique to other types of sites in that you are competing with folks who do not do proper market research of their items. You get a lot of quick cash seekers here and they compete with people who are putting their stuff up at fair market value. Then, the whole history of Ebay being the place to get all things CHEAPO.  This has dramatically changed with big companies selling on Ebay now, but you still have the hagglers everywhere. You gotta know when to haggle and when to step back . A lot has to do with cash flow for your business in terms of a haggle point. 

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I agree that failure to research is a problem but it also goes both ways.  For every person selling Mart brand rags with designer price tags there are those selling vintage rhinestones that turn out to be sapphires and emeralds (yep totally bought a lot of "costume" jewelry that wasnt so fake after all).