Are there any guidelines?
I'm not sure how to approach an offer for sale on this forum. The one and only time I did show interest in an item, the seller decided to put the item on Ebay where it sold for more money. He begged out of the sale by stating that the item generated more interest than he had anticipated. From his own account, it sounds like he left at least 6 prospective buyers holding whatever it is they hold in situations like that. What really happened, plain and simple, was that he got greedy.
Some sellers appear to be simply fishing for market value, which they can gauge by the number of responses.
I'm sure sellers have to deal with buyers who are long on enthusiasm and excuses but short on cash.
Since the seller really holds all of the cards here, the first buyer to respond may well lose the item to someone more well-liked by the seller - or who offers more money behind the scenes, or to a face-to-face sale.
My question is, why do people put themselves through this at all? This forum is not designed for efficient, fair and orderly transactions, so why is everyone beating their heads up against the wall trying to make it work?
Why not just use Ebay? All it takes to attract an audience is a notice posted here, and away you go. Seller usually gets market value (plus bonus due to buyer competitiveness) and the biggest, fastest, boldest buyer wins. Of course, there are risks - the item may sit unbid because the minimum bid was too high, or it may sell for minimum bid because of lack of interest, but that's just the way it goes. Win some, lose some. I think that in the end, the sellers make out in that arena.
When I sell something, I do some research to determine what it's worth, then decide what it's worth to me, and then I just sell it. No regrets. Usually, the buyer gets a really good deal, and they get that deal by being the first to speak up.
Sellers need to make an informed decision to sell, sell the item, and then forget about it. You can always get more money if you want to wait for the right buyer to come along, but there is probably a reason you want to sell now, so a balance needs to be struck. Make a decision, and out of fairness to the buyers, stick to it. It's called the Honor System for a reason. If you can't work within that, then use Ebay.
Sellers also need to post some good pictures (or links to same) and a full description/disclosure. If not, don't complain because you have to field a million questions from all interested parties.
I believe that people will be a lot better off if they step back and realize that their self-worth doesn't hinge on the sales price - they're just getting rid of things that they no longer want. If they die holding on to it, I guarantee that their precious cues - along with whatever else they own, will likely be sold off at bargain prices by their survivors. Step up and give some new kid a good deal on his first real playing cue. What's wrong with that?
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Having said that, it's obvious from the "Sticky" transaction threads that a lot of good deals have gone down successfully, so there must be a set of unwritten guidelines that earnest buyers and sellers go by in order to do business here.
Can someone offer a few? I think that on a basic level, the sale should be first-come, first-served. When the first buyer opts out, then it moves to the second buyer, etc.
Haggling? Always an option, I figure. There are three prices on everything, always have been. The seller can either entertain fine-tuning of the deal by PM, or offer the merchandise to the next buyer if buyer #1 opts out. Nothing wrong with that. The seller who jettisons a buyer for haggling might find that the next respondent in line wants to haggle too, but harder. What then? Better to just make a deal you can live with and move on. Everyone has more important things to do. The seller already knows how much he really needs to get for the item.
Ken
MastClass (Chris) was selling 2 cues here 2 weeks ago, it was a X Breaker, and Predator sneaky , linen wrap and ivory joint, that deal was buy 1 cue is $275.00, buy both cues $300.00 or maybe $350.00 depending on shipping cost. No one buying at that time so i sent him pm and say I'll take it.He reply said he got a business meeting to go to this week and be back in about a week, I said " ok no problem, we'll talk when you come back" He sent me pm yesterday and i reply asking how much did he want for total. And today he sent me pm said "someone already sending him money"
and thank GOD for the chance to see this here.
I had apologized what happen.And i offer other cues to you at a very good price. did i????????or did i not?????also if you look back to the old thread said " shipped