Are people not haggling?

Pretty much what everyone else is saying. If the seller is very nice and polite, and the price is reasonable then I don't haggle. If I get there and the item isn't what they described or the price doesn't reflect the item, i'll try and talk them down. I also never haggle over the phone either, unless the item is too far away to take a look at it.

I hate haggling, and I'm old. :)

If I see something I want and the price is fair, I buy it.

Never been disappointed yet and I don't have to go through the mental masturbation of whether I paid too much or if I let a good one get away.

Often, when I've paid asking price, I've also been sent home with all the extra parts, manuals and everything else that I wouldn't have gotten had I been a cheap bastard.

People who whine about price all the time are also the ones who never seem to get ahead. They're so busy trying to stiff someone else that they miss out on all the good opportunities.

If I see something I want bad enough, I have a friend who is really good at haggling. Part of it is his salesmanship, part of it is how freaking annoying he can be, but he's great at getting people to drop prices on anything. He's talked a few tractors down from $200 to $75-100.

I personally won't even call if I think the price is too high. Although it seems there's a big gap between average price and what I think something is worth.

Toyman01 wrote:

NOHOME wrote: Not a haggler...If I like the price, I buy. If I don't like the price, I don't call.

This.

This again. I don't haggle, i just won't bother if it's not a price i want to pay. Last car i bought i didn't haggle at all, the guy still dropped 500 off because it wouldn't work for me to take a test drive first. I didn't care, i saw the car move under it's own power, good enough for his asking price.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/02/26/american-pickers-coyote-killer-vw-bus-for-sale.html

Here's a VW bus from the show American Pickers that most likely isn't gonna get asking price. Judging by the e-bay bids.

I just bought a set of 4 alloys and tires from a later Integra to use on my '90.

To me, the value of this set was $200. It was listed on CL for $275. I called the seller and told him it was worth $200 to me. He took the offer without hesitation.

I would have gone another $20, or maybe even $40. But he didn't try.

Datsun310Guy wrote: 30 year old Craftsmen 3-drawer tool box $240 new? Sold at $130.

A 30-year-old Craftsman toolbox is probably worth more than a new one.

I have a weird Karma thing going on with haggling. I've found that the vehicles I've bought at full asking have been the most reliable for me, and the ones I've chewed down the seller the most on have been more troublesome. Now I'm almost afraid to haggle, for fear the comic forces of the universe will smite me with breakdowns.

I dont usually do much haggling. When i sell stuff i typically price it cheap to get it sold quickly and look for the same when buying. That being said i do have a number in mind when i sell something and add a little expecting people will want to haggle, and occasionally see if i can get a seller to tell me what their "real" price is, but not often.

The last several buying and selling deals on CL have been no haggle but I priced more than fair to start with to move 'em fast. Phone is better than texts to weed out low ballers but a few still get through. I have no problem sending insulting low ballers out the door. You know what it's worth, ain't even close, don't insult me. Ain't desperate for money just need room, wait it out. After wasting my time there is some genuine satisfaction in sayin' thanks but no deal, thanks for stoppin' over. They took that chance not me.

Last few items I priced on the low end to move they says I won't even try, fair enough.

Last CL buy was about a 1.5 hour drive for a half keg. Seller volunteered to meet off the interstate saving me 30 minutes each way, he didn't have to do that. Keg was worth all the asking money anyway.

I'd rather deal w/o haggling, that's only a game for some people. If it's worth the money buy it.

trucke wrote:

This, sort of. I love to haggle but I also don't lowball either. I assume on larger purchases like a car that the seller has it listed at his most hopeful price but will take some lower while being satisfied. I'd love to buy it a much cheaper number, but there's a higher number that I'd still be satisfied with. Many times there is an absolute value that something is worth to me. If that's lower than what the seller needs, no problem. I hope someone buys it for that, but it won't be me.

but, as I said, I don't lowball, I'm polite about it, and I don't stretch it out forever. I also don't talk numbers until after I've actually looked at something. I tend to be more aggressive with ads listed as OBO or make offer. After I look at something I figure what the worst-case cost is repair/modify said object to my satisfaction, then start a little below that. If it really is a good price, though, sometimes that's what I'll pay, but that's rare.

I never liked haggling until after I went to China. Buying in the markets there haggling is a way of life. If you don't start to walk away at least twice while negotiating, you're paying way too much. I started to enjoy it.

I will usually haggle a bit when buying and expect to be haggled when selling. Although I don't bother if the asking price is way above what I consider reasonable or is way above my price range, assuming that even the "haggle price" would still be far above what I want to spend.

Appleseed wrote:

aircooled wrote: I guess they don't watch all those car shows: "How much do you want for it?" "$40,000" "I'll give you 20"

Which would be quickly followed by me saying, "berkeley you. Get of my lawn."

Come on now brother. It's going to need a lot of work. I have shipping costs I have to consider. This is not the most desirable model...

....I ran out of gas. I... I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!

Ian F wrote: I will usually haggle a bit when buying and expect to be haggled when selling. Although I don't bother if the asking price is way above what I consider reasonable or is way above my price range, assuming that even the "haggle price" would still be far above what I want to spend.

This.

Things should be listed at a fair price where both parties get a fair deal whether they haggle or not.

I expect a token amount of haggling so the buyer knows they're getting the best deal possible, even if they're only rounding down a few bucks. Usually I just round up the insignificant unit in the price. E.g. If I want $1,900, I'll ask $1,990. If I wanted $15,000, I'll ask for $15,900.

When buying, I just show up with the exact amount in cash I want to pay, show them the cash in my hand, and say "I'll give you $X for it, here it is."

I have also been to known to pull the ol' "I don't have change for a 20" trick. Haggle them down to an odd (not multiple of 20) number, like 70 or 65. Pull out 3 20's and say "I don't have any change, you got any?" They usually never bother. "Nah just give me the $60".

Moral of the story - cash talks

patgizz wrote: As a rule i ask if they are firm, at which point if the answer is anything other than yes i will make a fair offer. It doesn't hurt to ask and most people come down immediately upon me asking that. The wrx was an exception because he had underpriced himself so much i told him he was more than fair and handed him an envelope with his asking price. I also hounded him for 2 hours to be the first to look at it as he had a line of people starting in the evening.

This, I ask, if they are open and I feel its a little high make an offer, if they say they are firm and I feel its fair, pay up.

Depends what prices I've been seeing for said item and what I consider to be fair. I recently did two deals on pairs of wheels. One of them, I haggled $150 down to $100. The other, I gladly handed over the $40 asking price and didn't say a thing. Your toolbox? Last time I bought one I haggled down to $125 from $200. If it was under $150 asking I'd have just paid it.

Typically my haggling for these types of items consists of "Would you take $XY?"

If they respond with a yes, then done. If a counter offer, I might bite or I might not--don't forget that walking is still a negotiating tactic ("Sorry, can't go that high--good luck with the sale, and BTW my offer still stands if you can't find anyone else interested")

ultraclyde wrote:

This, sort of. I love to haggle but I also don't lowball either. I assume on larger purchases like a car that the seller has it listed at his most hopeful price but will take some lower while being satisfied. I'd love to buy it a much cheaper number, but there's a higher number that I'd still be satisfied with. Many times there is an absolute value that something is worth to me. If that's lower than what the seller needs, no problem. I hope someone buys it for that, but it won't be me. but, as I said, I don't lowball, I'm polite about it, and I don't stretch it out forever. I also don't talk numbers until after I've actually looked at something. I tend to be more aggressive with ads listed as OBO or make offer. After I look at something I figure what the worst-case cost is repair/modify said object to my satisfaction, then start a little below that. If it really is a good price, though, sometimes that's what I'll pay, but that's rare. I never liked haggling until after I went to China. Buying in the markets there haggling is a way of life. If you don't start to walk away at least twice while negotiating, you're paying way too much. I started to enjoy it.

You and I negotiate about the same way. I hate when people offer (especially on cars) without even seeing what it looks like in real life. I've paid without haggling on a few things that either are already dirt cheap and we both know it, or I can't afford to lose the seller on. I am easy to negotiate when I sell, too, as I expect a little bit to come off usually and price my stuff higher than I expect to get.

In reply to classicJackets:

That's me as well. There's a number in my head that I believe is a "fair" price, i.e. equitable to both the buyer and seller. I'll try to do a little better than that, without being an ass about it, but if they can hit my number it's a deal. If they're way high in the first place, I probably just won't bother and if they're way low I'll happily pay asking price.

I generally think being on the seller's end is harder, as I'll always set my ask at least a little bit high in anticipation of negotiating down. Hard part is figuring out how much is enough to come down and make it feel substantial to the buyer, without driving them away in the first place. And of course, even at bargain price, there's still always the shiny happy people that offer you half what you're asking in the first text, before seeing or even asking any questions about the item. The best is when they get all indignant about it when you reject their offer.

I enjoy haggling, and usually do quite well, but I always go into a deal with a good idea what something is worth to me. If I can get it for that price, I buy it. If not, I move on. On lower priced deals, if it's priced right (to me), then I don't bother, I just pay full price.

When it comes to selling, I live by these words: Everything is for sale, you just have to want it more than me.

Currently waiting for a new car salesman to call me back about an offer I made last Friday. We're $1000 apart on a $25k (list) car. I was able to get my price over the phone from another dealer, but I prefer this car because of the colour and options.

I was looking for the Chevy running boards tube thingies. Chevy says $640 list and my dealer says $545. eBay Chevy dealer has them for $519 plus shipping.

Craigslist guy who runs a junkyard near Rockford puts a pair on for $150 used. They were his brothers and he pulled them for a chrome set.

I head over and decide to buy them. I ask if he will take less since some minor hardware was missing. Nope he says, that's a good price. I had to agree with him and bought them at his full $150 asking price. I would've paid $250!!

Bought a truck topper for the B4000 yesterday for asking. It's in great shape beyond needing a bath. I told the guy when I got there that he texted me his asking price, and I don't quite remember what it was. But it's fine with me given the shape it's in.

I think I surprised him. :)