How do you decide if something is a good deal?

[HopeDream]

For those that buy on the used market (bling or otherwise), how do you decide if something is a good deal?

Do you choose a certain percentage below retail?
Calculate the materials value (how much what it's made of is worth)?
Calculate the reproduction value (calculate how much it would cost to have it remade)?

What makes it a "deal" for you? (aside from "a deal is only a deal if you're getting everything you want")

PS,
I found this cool decision calculatorhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/decisions/equations/buy.shtml

 

[Dancing Fire]

Does that calculator work for picking a gf or wife?

 

[Calliecake]

It really all comes down to how badly I want it. If it was a piece of jewelry I found that I fell I love with and knew I'd have a hard time finding something like it, I'd probably not worry about it being a great deal.

If it was a piece of jewelry that I like but can find at many stores it would probably have to be around 30 or 40% less.

 

[HopeDream]

DF, I don't know, do you usually buy your wives or girlfriends? If you can give her a monetary "buy" value, then yes, the calculator would probably work.

Calliecake, The heart wants what the heart wants, right?

 

[Calliecake]

When I think of a couple of Circe's pieces I would probably pay more than I should but I would probably never see anther piece exactly like it. I found a beautiful ring in an antique shop a few years ago. It was only around $5,000. I thought about it for 2 days and it had sold. I'm still mad at myself for not getting it and still think about it all the time. The heart wants what it wants! A very hard lesson!

 

[Circe]

When I think of a couple of Circe's pieces I would probably pay more than I should but I would probably never see anther piece exactly like it. I found a beautiful ring in an antique shop a few years ago. It was only around $5,000. I thought about it for 2 days and it had sold. I'm still mad at myself for not getting it and still think about it all the time. The heart wants what it wants! A very hard lesson!

A) Thank you! What a lovely compliment.

B) That is EXACTLY the logic I use. The first time I saw my big FC target ring, I talked myself out of it because it was impractical and REASONS. And then it disappeared out of the window, and I felt wistfulness and regret for MONTHS. And then I wandered in for an unrelated reason, and it turned out the dealer had just started putting it inside where HE could admire it throughout the day. I took that second chance like a SHOT.

C) As a general rule ... I will buy something if I love it, and if it is at or slightly below second-hand value. Basically, I want to know that I can resell it for what I paid in a worst-case scenario.

 

[kenny]

Pricing varies.

In America a can of corn always sells for the list price.
A car, piano, house, or $45,000 hand-knotted Persian rug will sell for the 'list' price to only the stupidest buyers.

So assigning some universal 'discount' below list to all goods is more broken thinking.

 

[stracci2000]

When I see something that beckons to me, the biggest factor is value.
Is it priced well below what is it worth or what it would cost to have made?
Sometimes I look at a beautiful piece of jewelry, but if similar stones and setting would cost less if purchased separately, I always decline.
I am lucky to live in a town(Albuquerque) with a thriving jewelry industry. There are numerous gem/mineral shops, and outlets for the jewelry industry, so I am spoiled. I talk myself out of alot of jewelry purchases because if this.

 

[Gypsy]

It depends on the piece and why I am buying it. In general, if it has a large diamond/sapphire in it or is a used piece that is still available for sale or I know how much it originally sold for, I will look to see what the retail price for it is. And then decide if the price listed is one I am comfortable, given how badly I want it. If it doesn't have a diamond or sapphire or isn't for sale currently, then I just use my gut on pricing and decide if I think it's a good deal or not, given how badly I want it.

 

[missy]

If I love a piece of jewelry and it's unique and not easy to find then the price isn't as much as a factor for me. If it is easy to find and I still love it then it has to be a deal for me to purchase or else I can just wait till a better deal comes around.

The more difficult something is to find the less likely I am to bargain shop for a better price. Of course the better the price the more likely I am to pull the trigger without second-guessing and spending time and energy pondering the purchase.

I never consider what I can get for a piece if I decided to sell it because I have never sold a piece of jewelry and while I never say never selling just doesn't appeal to me at least at this time.

 

[SB621]

When I think of a couple of Circe's pieces I would probably pay more than I should but I would probably never see anther piece exactly like it. I found a beautiful ring in an antique shop a few years ago. It was only around $5,000. I thought about it for 2 days and it had sold. I'm still mad at myself for not getting it and still think about it all the time. The heart wants what it wants! A very hard lesson!

A) Thank you! What a lovely compliment.

B) That is EXACTLY the logic I use. The first time I saw my big FC target ring, I talked myself out of it because it was impractical and REASONS. And then it disappeared out of the window, and I felt wistfulness and regret for MONTHS. And then I wandered in for an unrelated reason, and it turned out the dealer had just started putting it inside where HE could admire it throughout the day. I took that second chance like a SHOT.

C) As a general rule ... I will buy something if I love it, and if it is at or slightly below second-hand value. Basically, I want to know that I can resell it for what I paid in a worst-case scenario.

THIS Exactly!!!! If my heart truly wants it I buy it, but I like to know in the back of my mind if I have to resell it I can get what I paid or close to it. Then it is a good deal to me.