When you’re selling, what is a “lowball”?

[MissStepcut]

Sometimes when I’m thinking about making an offer I end up skipping it because I’m nervous I’m entering lowball territory. What % off of your listing constitutes a “lowball” to you? 30%? 40%?

 

[Dancing Fire]

If I can't offer within 15% of the asking price. I would just pass.

 

[OreoRosies86]

To me half off or more is lowball, but I have been SHOCKED so many times when people accepted offers I was internally cringing over. You never know

 

[joelly]

If I can't offer within 15% of the asking price. I would just pass.

Interesting. Do you do this to vendor as well?

 

[whitewave]

I recently offered 20% less and received no reply at all. (Which I was happy with in the end)

 

[Dancing Fire]

Interesting. Do you do this to vendor as well?

I'd try but they hung up on me.

 

[joelly]

I'd try but they hung up on me.

Thought so. Have you done it on IG’s vendor?

 

[jordyonbass]

I'd say that once you start to hit 40% off then you're starting to hit lowball territory. 30% isn't unreasonable as it's typically around what the trade discount is and some vendors may be happy to sell their items at a trade rate to a retail customer just to move it off the shelf.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Thought so. Have you done it on IG’s vendor?

I'm not on IG nor FB.

 

[joelly]

I'm not on IG nor FB.

Good! IG can be addictive. FB is for my other addiction, crochet

 

[dk168]

I normally try my luck with 40% off to start with, and increase if it is not accepted.

To me, being refused a bid or offer as it is too low is no big deal to me, and do not feel embarrassed about it.

At the end of the day, I shall only pay what I am prepared to pay, and shall not go beyond that amount.

When selling, I would set a minimum that I would accept, and auto reject any bids below that amount. No particular figure, just what I would be willing to accept.

DK

 

[Bron357]

I wouldn’t ask for more than a 20% discount. I don’t like to be rude. If an item is overpriced, I don’t bother to even make an offer. When I occasionally sell on eBay I don’t even bother replying to people who offer ridiculous low amounts, like less than melt value!

 

[Dancing Fire]

I normally try my luck with 40% off to start with, and increase if it is not accepted.

Don't try that on watch forums. They'll think you are

 

[missy]

Depends on the piece. If it is a fair price (IMO) I wouldn't ask for anything off the original price. If I think it is overpriced I would offer what I thought it is worth or what I am willing to pay.

If a price is more than 20% what I am willing to pay I won't generally make an offer at all. Depends on my relationship with the vendor. I saw a piece a long time ago that I LOVED and while the price was fair I couldn't go that much over my budget. However I have a good relationship with the vendor so I did ask and unfortunately but not surpisingly the vendor said they paid more for it than what I could pay so I couldn't get the piece. BUT since I have a good relationship with the vendor I felt comfortable being completely honest and saying while I realize it is a low offer it was all I could offer. And the vendor was gracious and understanding and not offended. However I would never do that with a vendor I didn't know. And if a piece is way more than I can pay I won't even make an offer with most vendors.

 

[Rubymal]

I was at a swap meep and had a booth at a local convention recently. Had an item tagged for $20 and a guy ran by and asked if I would do $5. Definitely a low ball, I declined and he shrugged and walked off. Before the night was over, someone else purchased the item for $20.

 

[yssie]

I put “price is firm” when I’m going to decline anything less than asking price (magnitude of “less” doesn’t matter), and don’t add that snippet if I’ll consider offers. I always do my best to price fairly!

It never hurts to ask, but offers on “price is firm” will be met with an eye roll and a “my pricing is firm, see listing” response, and I’ll add that person to my personal hesitate to sell to list for future. I just don’t have patience for poor reading comprehension - my listings are usually quite detailed, and I don’t want to have to babysit a potential buyer through paying attention to all of what I’ve said.

When I’m considering offers I just wait for my stomach to tell me how I feel, honestly Sometimes I find that I’m comfortable with a much larger discount than I expect to be... Sometimes I’m not willing to budge even 5%. There’s no eye rolling here though - I solicited offers, no point being offended by them right?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

For me- I do my research and search out the prices of similar items of same quality and size. I then offer 80 to 90% of that if I really like the item. This might not set well with a seller who bought an item from a higher priced vendor. I have been on both sides of the fence when buying and selling pre-loved. I try not to get offended by receiving a low offer when I list that I am receiving offers. I can either decline, negotiate for a higher price or keep the item. The only time I remember getting offended was receiving a low ball offer from someone who told me they "kinda like" the item. For some reason the "kinda like" bothered me.

 

[daintyG]

I’ve had someone offer me 36% of what I asked for. I was only thinking of coming down like 10%, as I asked for what I really wanted for the piece and it wasn’t an expensive item. I just said no thanks and didn’t even try to counter offer. I took the listing down eventually, continued wearing my jewelry item, and then sold it for the original asking price a couple of years later.

To me, a lowball offer is more than 30% off when the seller didn’t indicate she was taking offers. If she’s taking offers, maybe 40% off and beyond is a lowball IMO.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would call 40% off a low ball.

I noticed that when I have listed things on LT, if the asking price is not within about $100 of what people are willing to pay, they won't even make offers.