OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

[cliffjmp33]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Bumping this topic up just vent before I go to bed.

Not necessarily a ridiculous offer, but ridiculous sour grapes response after.

Long story short, I sold an item that I strongly liked, but had to move for some other reasons. Got an offer, kinda low, so I counter with message to let me know what you're thinking and I'm here anytime. This is 2 days before the auction ends. No response back, in meantime another person contacts me. Me and the other person hammer out the details and that person offers and I except (with an hour to go and no response from the first person). I'm happy with what I got for it.

So now a day after the item ended, the person who I originally counter offered and never heard back from contacts me telling me I should have let him know that I was selling the jersey to someone else at that price and he would have beat that price and ends with a "wish I could say thanks."

1) I did contact you! You just let that "contact" sit for two days without responding!
2) I was open to negotiating. My counter offer was just that, a counter offer. I had the common sense to add a note saying so. I was anticipating you'd respond back. You didn't.
3) My goal was to sell an item. I did and I'm happy.
4) Sending a note after the fact because you didn't win/buy an item is a poor showing, especially when the ball was in your court.
5) Venting and ranting on-and-on about this is just as poor behavior, so my apologies to anyone who reads this for stealing a minute of your life. I needed to vent and this has actually helped. I promise to not be a useless, complaining twit from here out.

[godwulf]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Not eBay-related, but along the same lines...

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by someone from whom I'd bought GU bats last Spring. Our original contact was through this board. At the time, I paid $420 cash for eight bats, because I really wanted them (obviously) and had the money to spend.

The seller had some more bats, but declined to state firm prices. These were all prospects' bats, by the way, and from guys all of whom I already had at least one bat from. He asked me to make an offer, and I did - $25 each, which is actually a little more than I've been getting comparable bats for from other sources lately. No response. So I emailed again, saying that I hoped I hadn't offended him with my "lowball" offer, but explaining, once again, that these were not bats I needed desperately for my collection, but would like to own, and 25 each was what they were worth to me and in keeping with my current money situation. As I say, that was a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't heard back.

A simple, brief "Sorry, I can't let them go for that" would be nice, and I would totally understand.

[slab0meat]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Check the Classified section, vintage Phillies sale, and see why I'm a little ticked off.

No contact info, so I post that, and give my email and ask for pics. The reply is for ME to then email him with any inquiries? Then they get sold? Wasn't my inquiry in my ORIGINAL post with my email address??????

No?

[jake33]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

I usually dislike the buy it now or make an offer.

Let me say this about the whole offering and getting offers thing.
In my real job, my company has me in charge of selling our left over inventory to closeout companies. I get around 10 calls/emails a week from closeout companies. They all have the thought process that becuase we are selling old inventory their mindset is that maybe we are in a financial hardship, which is not true. However, the person/company making the offer doesn't know that, so almost every day i get offers at 30 cents on the dollar for a top quality product that IS NOT a factory second. They will make 10-20 of these offers to various companies each day, hoping 2-3 offers go through. They play the percentages and that is how they survive.

Now as for game used, when I see someone offer an item with a buy it now or best offer on an item that is at market value already, I will likely low ball them. I would say 2 out of 20 offers will go through, that is fine with me. By doing that method, it preys on taking advantage of someone in a bad financial state, which I am indifferent about at best.
So from the buyer's point of it makes sense, while at the same time often pisses off the seller. I've been on both sides of the table, not always pleasant.

Also, as a lot fo us know, we in the industry may try to get an item from a seller who isn't that knowledgeable of the items value. Are you guilty of ever doing this? I know I am. Back in 1999 when iw as in college, I bought a game used Saints jersey from a person at my school where the Saints used to practice. It was a O-Lineman's pounded game used jersey, not a big name player. The person selling it offered it to me for $30, I talked him down to $20, only knowing I'd flip it for $100. That is kind of a jackass move that I did. I don't really regret it, but doesn't take away from that fact it wasn't a great thing to do, in my opinion.

Now as a buyer I hate the "High-Low" approach. Mark up a $250 jersey up to $995 in hopes of selling for around $300, i.e. ZANEBATS selling approach. Just like the closeout buyer above, that approach preys on the buyer who maybe went to high school with that player or is from their hometown, etc.... factors that artifically raise the value of an item to a specific buyer. Those buyers aren't price shoppers, they value authenticity and quality more. From a frequent game used buyers point of view, it is a joke. Give me a price to work with, not this hidden mark up to mark down crap.

[rufusandherschel]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Now as a buyer I hate the "High-Low" approach. Mark up a $250 jersey up to $995 in hopes of selling for around $300, i.e. ZANEBATS selling approach. Just like the closeout buyer above, that approach preys on the buyer who maybe went to high school with that player or is from their hometown, etc.... factors that artifically raise the value of an item to a specific buyer. Those buyers aren't price shoppers, they value authenticity and quality more. From a frequent game used buyers point of view, it is a joke. Give me a price to work with, not this hidden mark up to mark down crap.[/quote]

Amen ! ! !

[eisenreich8]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Not my most outrageous offer, or message, but very recent, from yesterday. I have in my eBay store several MiLB jerseys that I paid over $100 apiece for most of them, and am losing money on each one. The one I am referencing is a beautiful Trenton Thunder road gray Red Sox jersey from a dozen years ago. Here is the email I got:

I was wondering if the price on this jersey is solid or would you accept less than $100? I'm not a baseball fan and I don't care about the thunder, red sox, or that this was game worn. I'm just from Trenton and like the fact that it says Trenton on it... but the price is steep for a used shirt.

(bolded by me).

[gingi79]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Considering the fact that eBay is 90% knockoffs and fakes, I don't offer anything close to market value for anything on there. Sure, a couple of sellers have blocked me from bidding, I'd be upset if they ever had anything close to unique and not the usual everyday schlock.

Zanebats had a 50% off sale one day and I found an item and paid.....a very fair price. Mind you I stopped sending them offers when they declined my numerous offers and then sold 2 of them for considerably less. The jersey in question that I did buy was 40% less than I offered.

As a buyer, everything on eBay is overpriced. As a seller, there are no buyers willing to pay market value. Hence, either it's a steal on an item I really want or I stopped buying all together.

[godwulf]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

... but the price is steep for a used shirt.

(bolded by me).

That's pretty funny. Of course, when the Seller thinks it's just "a used shirt", it can lead to a real bargain. I picked up a very nice GU jersey a while back for $34.95 'cause the Seller had it listed in "Used Clothing", thinking that's all it was.

[jake33]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

talking about a "used" shirt brigns up a good point.

With being in game used collecting, we value something most of the regular population doesn't value - namely a worn item, making it a true piece of memorabilia.

But we also do this within our niche in game used. I recently bought a lineup card for $30 - just because I was at the game. Normally, I wouldn't value it, and not that game was any more hisotric than any other game and I wouldn't have touch it otherwise.

Even look at game used items that are not within your collections' scope. For just my OWN collection and not re-selling, I wouldn't touch a Derek Jeter game used authenticated yankees jersey for even $650 and as most of us know it would be a steal at that price. I just don't have a lot of value for it due to the items I collect.

[flota89]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Count me in the camp that believes the problem lies with both sellers and buyers.

I've been given a rude remarks for simply offering market value. It's not my fault the seller has his bat for 3x the average paid price.

On the other hand, I've listed items for slightly above market value (with the hope of just getting the market value) and have fielded offers of about 15-25% of my asking price. I don't get too upset. I just decline it and move on.

I do think there is a lot of oversensitivity surrounding those on eBay. If you don't like an offer, just don't accept it. No need to get insulted.

-Tyler

[cohibasmoker]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

I never have nor will I ever understand the term "low-ball" offer. Just because someone makes an offer on an item that some would consider a low-ball offer, there are too many factors at play to try and determine why a person makes a offer they do. With the sports memorabilia market changing daily along and current economic conditions, the market is in a constant state of flux so it is understandable why folks make offers they do.

I start my auctions with the minimum price I will accept for an item. If it doesn't sell, I'll routinely get offers after the auction ends that I always consider. If I don't like the offer, I'll just send back a polite, "I appreciate the generous offer - but I'll pass".

Finally, if an item sells, so be it. If it doesn't sell, I really don't care because I can keep it and continue to enjoy it.

Just my opinion,

Jim

[jppopma]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Often my offers will be determined by what I have received other similar jerseys for, regardless of how ridiculous the asking price is.

With as many bad jerseys as are out there, I will admit that there are some times when I make "lowball" offers. That is to cover my butt in the event that the jerseys has some issues.

Another time I will do a lowball offer is if I am only slightly interested in the item. One of those, I'd take it if only it was $xx type jerseys.

[earlywynnfan]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Can I bring up the flip side of this?

There's a DVD I'd like to buy, but since I'm so cheap, I'm waiting for a deal. I can buy it new from many sellers for $12-15 (and free shipping) right this very moment. But last week, someone listed one in auction format starting at a buck, so I bid. With under 24 hours to go, it's almost at $16 with $3 shipping. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE?? This isn't the first time I've watched this happen.

Ken

[yanks12025]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Do you guys think someone offering $250 for a bat worth $800-1,000 is a blatantly low ball offer?

[jppopma]

Re: OT: Ridiculous eBay offers

Can I bring up the flip side of this?

There's a DVD I'd like to buy, but since I'm so cheap, I'm waiting for a deal. I can buy it new from many sellers for $12-15 (and free shipping) right this very moment. But last week, someone listed one in auction format starting at a buck, so I bid. With under 24 hours to go, it's almost at $16 with $3 shipping. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE?? This isn't the first time I've watched this happen.

Ken

Sometimes people get caught up in the bidding and forget everything else. The power of auctions!