Items for Sale and their Price.

[Hagar]

Seems a lot of people on this forum are after purchases at prices way below their value.

As you may be aware I have had an EQ6 and accessories for sale. I listed a price for the items for sale.
I was amazed to find that I have recieved a few emails making absolutely rediculous offers for the mount and one quite rude PM stating that I had bought it for about $1295 from Andrews and was trying to make a profit.
What a bucket full of Bull. I actually rang Andrews and they were able to give me the price I had paid for it and for general info I paid $2000 including postage. The interesting comment was that the EQ6 has never sold at $1295 including Postage.

Comments of this type and other rude replies which just say My offer is $1400 for the lot. make me want to jump down the net swinging. The fact that I place a price on an item and choose to quote the replacement costs is up to me and really not open for discussion.

To those concerned get off your backsides and GO BUY ONE FROM ANDREWS.


How many have been infuriated with these sort of replies?

[madwayne]

Hi Doug

I had a look at your ad and thought that your mount was more than reasonably priced, particularly with the extras you have added on to it.

Don't take it to heart, the last item I sold on the classifieds had similar responses. Almost like the "negotiators" are doing you a favour was the impression I got.

There also seems to be alot of "tyre kickers" out there too, well that is my impression any way.

Good luck with your sale, a buyer will come along before you know it.

Regards
Wayne

[Zuts]

I have sold heaps of stuff on iceinspace. As far as I am concerned the price can be a bit negotiable but some of the lowball offers I get are outrageous and usually i dont bother replying to them.

If you price something too high then it wont sell; as far as making a profit on second hand gear; no problem. If someone doesnt want to buy it noone is forcing them.

If I see something outrageously high I may send a private message to the seller as possibly they dont know the current new price; but i would never send a similar message in public. Generally though i feel its NONE OF MY BUSINESS what price someone wants to get for their used equipment.

EDIT -- That Star Stuff side by side plate is fantastic at that price. I recently spent nearly 300 AUD on a Losmandy side by side but if your gear was on sale then would have snapped this plate up no problems; and I also have the DEC adjustment levers as well, another great product from Star Stuff.


Cheers
Paul

[toryglen-boy]

Hi fella

You dont know me, but i have looked at your ad, and i certainly thinks your price is very fair, and very competitive.

But i think this is kinda subjective, and one that you're taking to heart. People want a bargain, your price is certainly that. So if people send you short, sharp, PM's with ridiculous offers, then just laugh at them!!

Its a buyers market, and if somone REALLY wants your mount, then they will accept your price, or make an offer very close to it.

Take heart in the fact that its not meant to offend you, its not "showfriends" its "showbusiness"

Duncan

:thumbsup:

[Omaroo]

I think that this happens to everyone who lists stuff for sale Doug - and not just here but in other forums and for-sale sites too. I had offers of $1,500 for my 12" LX200GPS when it was up for sale and they were serious! LOL!!!

Don't worry - if I were looking for an EQ6 I'd pay you double what you were asking for yours.... :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

I'm sorry that you've been made to feel this way.:sadeyes:

If I had the readies I'd have snapped up your mount, a bargain!

[leon]

That is one thing I would not do, if anything I would rather give my stuff away to people who could use it, and i have, some will know of this, or if that was not possible, at the cheapest price they can afford. ;)

I to have some stupid offers on stuff, and I would say to these people, "edited by houghy". :thumbsup:

Leon :thumbsup:

[Hagar]

It's great to hear that most of us think about this the same way. Restores a little bit of my sanity. If the mount wasn't such an expensive item and needed for other projects I would have given it to someone who needed it but couldn't afford it. I have given a bit of equipment away in the past to bypass having to sell the items.

As for the mount it has sold to a gentleman who is making a massive effort to pick it up. Many thanks.

I am glad there is still some honest, ethical and moral people left out there.

[mozzie]

hi doug ive seen your add very reasonable price dont take it to heart just ignore i sold mt telextender and was very happy with the sale any way how about $10 for the mount:lol::lol::lol: you know me better then that ill catch up on chat room over weekend mate
mozzie

[multiweb]

The asking price was so cheap I thought something was wrong with the mount? :poke: :lol: ;)

[Rodstar]

Seems like we are all in agreement...this is the game that is played all of the time in any commercial arena. I recall when we were selling our old Honda we had some ridiculous offers, which we simply chose to ignore. One particularly nasty individual decided to pour water into the boot, and then tried to negotiate a discount on the basis that the boot leaked!!! There are indeed many tyre kickers out there.

Having said that, at the end of the day, if what you have on offer is a good deal, someone will come along and buy. If, on the other hand, no one shows the slightest interest to buy over a lengthy period of time, it suggests your market expectations are perhaps a bit too high.

Some people, whether rightly or wrongly, consider a seconds item very much devalued over new. There is certainly a huge difference in terms of one's legal standing if something is wrong with second hand gear as opposed to new gear with a warranty, and practically speaking it is harder to follow up an individual for a return on a used item than a company selling new goods with a reputation to protect. For that reason, I would be very hesitant to make a major astronomical purchase on a second hand item, and a considerable discount would be necessary for me even to consider it. Buying second hand involves taking a risk, without any comment on the particular vendor involved.

[mick pinner]

l see your point and understand your frustration, how often do you see an item listed at a very reasonable price and not get a bite but when the price is reduced once or twice to rock bottom people swarm on it like flies.
some people only want stuff when they can pay next to nothing for it, when l buy secondhand l generally know the new or replacement cost and make up my mind on the advertised price, by the time it gets reduced l've already deceided l don't want or really need it.
same thing when l sell, l know what l want for something and that's where the price stays, if it doesn't sell it stays put.

[Starkler]

Yep I've had my share of game players when trying to sell something, but my biggest peeve is people who feel a need to invade ones forsale thread and post comments detrimental to making a sale.

eg. eyepiece for sale at $x, new price $y at vendor x website.

Dimwit posts in my thread: I bought one at $z

:mad2: Thats just damn rude! A seller has a right to ask any price they feel like without interference unless they are misrepresenting their goods.

On a few occasions I have sent a pm to people who I thought were asking an unrealistic price, to enlighten them and thats the polite and correct way to do it.

[Moon]

I think the price is reasonable and you should stick to your guns if you can. It's just a matter of timing. I just bought one recently, and at the time there were none listed here (I looked first!)
James

[GrahamL]

I guess the buyers do have an ask on the price of a second hand item .
Sometimes an aggitated spouse( no names inferred here;) ) or finacial circumstances regarding astronomy purchases
might figure into the sellers thoughts on what they will take ..Calling dishonest as a bargaining tool just isn't right doug and for me I wouldn't sell to them even if they upped the dollars to what I asked !!!

[cookie8]

Doug
I have looked at your ad more than once and thought gee someone's going to snapped it up in no time. I would have taken it without hesitation if I had the $. I am very surprise that there was no taker to be honest.

[koputai]

Nastiness and impoliteness of course should not be tollerated.
On the subject of items for sale though, there are enough people on this forum such that if an item is fairly priced, it will sell in a reasonable time. If an item is underpriced it will sell quickly, and conversely, if an item is overpriced, it won't sell or may take a while to sell.
I think too many sellers around here expect too much for their second hand gear. Many items are listed at a mere 5-10% off retail. I won't buy second hand if I'm not saving at least 25% off retail, it's just not worth the hassle or risk buying a used (no matter how well looked after) item with no possibility of replacement/refund from the seller. I'd rather pay the little extra and get a shiny new one.
Sellers vary just like buyers. There are those that are fair, and there are those that want the deal to lean too much their way.
An item is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay, so as Rod says, if it isn't selling, you're probably asking too much.

Cheers,
Jason.
P.S. Of course, Dougs mount was reasonably priced, and has sold.

[Wavytone]

Unfortunately they're right - the secondhand value of astronomical gear was always appallingly low - basically insignificant - if you can get something back count yourself lucky because many end up throwing the stuff out.

One of the rotten consequences of the influx of cheap chinese stuff is that the morons seem to think they can pick up top-grade stuff for substantially less than the new price of the chinese rubbish.

The trouble for anyone holding high-end gear is that it won't be high-end for long; technology moves on and the chinese will do it for a fraction of the cost. It's like buying a luxury car - resale value is not a consideration.

For example the fellow with the Quantum 8 Maksutov which I see is still for sale elsewhere (not on IIS). While it certainly is worth a lot more than the chinese crap maks from Orion/Saxon, whether it has any "collectible" value is dubious. And while some might feel its worth what he's asking, it's a bit difficult to justify an 8" f/15 OTA on technical performance alone at a higher price than, say, a Meade 12" RCX - which comes with a modern electronic mount and all the bells and whistles. Ditto the refractor by Barry Adcock, and to some extent the Takahashi gear that pops up from time to time.

"Spent costs" must be ignored and have no bearing on what an item is worth - it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.

[matt]

Hey Doug.

Yep...have had similar experiences.

I just hit 'Delete', mate:) ....And add 'em to your ignore list if they persist or become repeat 'offenders'.

[CALISTO7]

A lot of people know the price of things, but very few know their value!

[gman]

Doug,

I fall into the catergory of if I had the cash, I would have bought it.
Have been looking around for an EQ6 fmount for my 10" dob for a while now but she who must be obeyed, (from time to time), insists that we need to spend the money on more important things like the kids education.
In real terms, an EQ6 is getting further form my reach with the low $Aus constantly taking a backward step.

Glad it sold to someone who appreciates the quality.

[TrevorW]

I recently sold an EQ5 mount with SS tripod and da motors for $300 and yet i've seen people trying to sell these mounts without the extras for similar prices . My point is if you want to really sell an item then you make it a price that realistic which i'm sure you have (i haven't seen your ad by the way) but I'd expect you'd would have advertised it below current replacement but in the end it's not about replacement cost etc if you sell the item to someone who really needs it.

[Stephen65]

It also depends on the item. Something like a filter is hard to damage and easy to safely ship so a secondhand item should retain a lot of its new value. On the other hand complex electromechanical items like mounts can have a lot go wrong with them and it might be difficult or impossible to enforce the warranty so I wouldn't buy a used mount except at a significant discount.

Mostly I think the items on IIS are fairly priced but I have seen a few listed at an insignificant discount to the new which makes me think why not just buy new or even on occasion for more than the item can be obtained for new if you hunt around.

[Outbackmanyep]

It's probably better for you to keep it then sell it for a price you're not happy with.....

[danielsun]

Doug, I thought your price was a bargain and if did not have my mount I would have jumped on it .


Cheers Daniel. ;)

[bmitchell82]

well I have to say the other end of the stick, i was deadly serious doug to buy your mount and i was quite happy to pay the postage in the end you refused to sell to me, so i went and brought a brand new eq6 for 1500 admittedly i got a new one, but i would rather help out others on the forums.

Sometimes people are un willing to sell the goods that they want to sell... unless it is really "convenient".

Im not upset i just thought i would say my piece.

[AlexN]

Yeah Doug... plenty of tyre kickers/dreamers/vultures when it comes to second hand gear...

Basically, yes, they have a right to bargain, but being rude, or quoting "I can get it new here for $xxx" is down right annoying... Nothing more annoying on the forums in my opinion... Why even bother contacting, if the listed price is so exorbitant, and one can buy it new for close to the price, or indeed lower as some of them claim... Why don't they?

I had a few people offer me well under what I asked for some items I've listed... One was a whooping $1900 under the listed price.. (nearly half what I was asking..) Its a joke..

Alex.

[matt]

Alex.

I think sometimes people are actually trying to be helpful and enlighten a seller to the reality of what price the second-hand market is generally accepting as a ballpark figure for a particular item.

Having bought and sold many items on astro fora...I can say I have been grateful on the occasion when someone's made me aware of a price which certain items generally sell for, which may have been below what I was asking. I just wasn't aware.

Likewise, I've had occasion to give the occasional 'heads up' to a seller about an item I've been interested in.

I've seen people trying to sell items for close to new price because they weren't aware a commercial vendor had moved downward on the retail price of the same item, new. That person would have had no chance of selling without that piece of info. Not unless they slavishly follow retail pricing at the major astro vendors and keep adjusting their price accordingly.

Bottom line....if you don't like the price you're offered. Don't sell.

Most people don't go out of their way to offend. And people shouldn't take it so hard when people do a little straight-talking during a haggling process:)

Just my 2c worth.

[Starman73]

Hi There,

Just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth. I had a Canon film camera on sale on another web site, for ages, no sale. I get an email from someone wanting to buy it from me, like over a year from the original add. The person was ofering over and above the price I was asking for it, I was immediately on alert. The person also wanted to pay me through PayPal and wanted to complete the transaction ASAP. I wrote back requesting where they were so that I could calculate the appropriate postage, turns out they were in Nigeria. Nigera money scam immediately came to mind. Calculated the postage and packing turned out to be just under the price of the camera. Sent it away, sent off a PayPal request for payment and got an email back from "PayPal" saying that my money had been transfered and being held, send the item within 5hrs of recieving the email, when it is recieved the money will be released.

Contact PayPal, sure enough the emails were a hoax, so everone out there, be careful. I didn't even put my bank details into PayPal when setting it up just to make sure I wasn't diddled.

Regards
Paul

[Hagar]

Hi Brendan I realised you were serious about the purchase and from my point of view I pointed out the weight of the item and the logistics of sending two or 3 large heavy packages to Perth by courier were probably more risk than I would like to take. If I had the original packaging I may have persued the matter further but the risk was extreme in my opinion. You also have to realise that living in Mt Beauty doesn't gain me access to any form of pack and send courier systems with the nearest being over an hours drive away. The target audience was really Melbourne as I travel up and down to Melbourne quite a bit for family. In this case I could be satisfied the mount would arrive in one piece and I was prepared to deliver to anywhere in Melbourne or local area free of charge. A couple of the offers that were made were about !/2 to 2/3 of my asking price and still wanting the mount delivered free to save on freight charges. As always the decision to sell is mine but I do find it objectionable to recieve rediculous offers and in future will stipulate the price is firm.

I am glad you got a mount and it looks like you did pretty well anyway. Look forward to seeing some images.
My appologies if I upset you with my refusal to send to you in Perth but I certainly value your honesty when looking at the purchase.

[Tandum]

Don't let it worry you doug. I've offered stupid dollars for some items either due to my fluctuating financial situation or due to sheer ignorance of current values. Sometimes the seller will do the deal offered and other times they won't. I got a 12" DOB for $400, but that's all I had and he couldn't sell it.

A buyer comparing your item to some random unfinalised entry on ebay as a price guide erks me. When I was a bit short I put the 4 month old modified 40D up for $1300, which was replacement cost for a standard one at the time and less than I paid all up while a hutech one was US$1600. I was told it was worth $900 cos you you could get one off ebay for that. Yeah right. Just ignore the vultures. I got out of the hole I was in and still have the 40D but my Gibson Guitar is gone :(

I believe that member has now paid over $1600 for a standard 40D :lol:

[Tandum]

Helpful and enlightening ... you are not serious are you? Geez matt, Threatening and Standover come to mind.

[Hagar]

I don't think at any point it is threatening or standover tactics. I doubt there is anyone on this forum who knows me would be game to try that with me of all people. I really just consider it to be a somewhat rude and unnecessary attempt to grab a bargain. Some cultures do all dealings with this approach and Australia being a very multicultural place these days may well be starting to take this approach. I still live in a small country town and never see the approaches towards sales in the big smoke.

[matt]

Yeah...I am serious:) Read/quote the entire thread. It can sometimes be helpful to get fair and reasonable feedback. I've been grateful for it in the past.

If you feel you've been threatened, though, you should report the action to the moderators...and let them deal with or judge the situation. As for 'standover', I thnk you're being a little melodramatic. Do you have photos or video evidence of anyone putting a gun to your head, forcing you to sell your goods at a ridiculous price?

[bmitchell82]

If you never ask you never know, its the way of the world now, sellers ask for 30% more than what the item is worth, knowing that somebody is going to try and bash them down in price.

put something on the market thats worth 1200 ask 1500, come down 150 - 200 buyer thinks they have a ripper price because they bargained you down, and you have 100- 150 bucks extra in your back burner to go towards that 40D :D

Im a hard bargainer when it comes to it and hell, ill play one sales man off against the other and let me tell you it works a dyam treat. How do i know how to bargain / barter? I used to be a sales man and yes a very good one sell esky's to the eskimo's and then add on the ice stating it would keep their food cold, and ask a kings ransom for it. I wasn't one of the 10 ten salesmen in qld/nt for Eb games for no reason I ended up going all over aust for them and set up a few stores to boot.

Gone are the days where a fair price was asked for a good product. now a exorbanent price is asked for a piece of 5h17, and a even more exorbanent price for quality (all be it worth it because it works).

Thats my two bobs worth, and now im on the track to astro photography with my new found eq6 that i got for a bargain, and the 10" dob that i paid just a bit over 600 brand new only a few months back and a meade DSI for 100 bucks. ive got the old blue newt that with a bit of tlc could quite easily become a guide scope and then all that is needed is the dslr. Smart shoppers get good deals dumb people get shafted!

HAZZAR.!:hi:

[matt]

That's the size of it, Brendan:thumbsup:

I too have a background which has exposed me to the realities of the commercial world and sales.

I understand that for some people it can be confronting to be faced with someone who knows how to and is keen to haggle. That's their issue. However, it is also important as a buyer to walk away if one senses that a seller is a little 'delicate' and unfamiliar with this robust form of behaviour.

But I'm with you on this one. You'll never know if you don't ask...within reason;)

[matt]

As an addendum...

A seller can really help themselves by making it clear in their ad where they stand on this.

If the price is the price....indicate the price as being FIRM

A lot of people give the price as negotiable (neg) or don't indicate one way or the other.

A little extra info goes a long...long way:D

[bloodhound31]

If someone was offering you a brand new commodore for ten thousand dollars, what would you expect them to say to you if you offered them three thousand for it because it has a crack in the windscreen?

That's what has been happening to me, trying to sell my C11 for 3K, with a crack in the corrector plate.

Just like a car, a crack does not stop you from using it effectively.

I just don't know what to say........

[Barrykgerdes]

I have advertised a couple of nolonger required items in the for sale area. Sometimes new and unopened. I only try to sell items I nolonger have a use for. I have managed to sell only one item.

I have a inventory of all the items I own that have some value and they are automatically depreciated to give a current value. I would always like to get this valuation but I am always open to an offer.

I have had some ridiculous offers on some items but after two or three haggles I realised that the person knew what he could get on ebay and was only looking for a bargain he could re-sell.

To tell the truth if a potential buyer with limited resources comes round to see me and gives a good enough reason that I can verify I would most likely give the item to him. My recent give aways include an operational 8" Dobsonian with a Dob II drive, an ETX125, a DS2080, a couple of computers complete with Windows XP (no older than 3 years) and other items non astronomy. I guess that as an OAP I have more money than I need and just need to clear some space for my next project.

Barry

[Jen]

Awwwwwww Doug dam it man if i had the spare cash i would buy it in a second, you know i would im after one big time and with the few extras too sounds good to me (do you have a layby option) :lol::lol:
Well if your not desperate to sell it Doug just keep it there till the right offer comes along :thumbsup: if you need to get rid of it quick drop the price ;) we are always looking for a bargin times are tuff these days :lol::lol::P

[Starkler]

I use astromart as a starting point to current market value.

Items that are current, and in excellent condition should get 70-75% of new price imo and i wont go much lower. Most often on IIS if you want to get a fair price, you often have to wait for a genuinely interested buyer instead of entertaining opportunistic bargain hunters who want everything for nothing.



Reminds me of a "gentleman" at my garage sale who thought he might try bargaining with me on a quality and perfectly good clock radio with a sticker price of $5 on it. He got told where to go in no uncertain terms.



Nobody forces you to buy anything and the buyer always has a choice. Sometimes the seller does not.

[mick pinner]

personally l don't haggle, although l rarely buy second hand anyway.
in my experience anyone who has a substancial item for sale and knows their gear will ask a fair price in the beginning with the hope of not being besieged by the bargain hunter who would not know a good deal if it bit them.
my main criteria when buying secondhand is who l am buying from in the first place, l tend to get a feeling by the way the for sale ad is structured and the impression l get of the seller from past history of their posts on the forum in all catergories not just buy/sell.
l have bought various items although not many and on every occassion what l have bought has been as advertised and in very good condition and on one occassion an absolute bargain and all witout haggling.

[John0z]

Hi, I realize that this is an old thread, but I came across it while researching on prices for items to sell. I have noticed that if it is a bargain, it gets snapped up quite quickly, and then occasionally, it is offered up for sale again at an inflated price. I am about to get a granny flat built and a swimming pool removed, which is an opportunity to put in a small observatory, albeit in suburban Sydney, so a lot of portable equipment will have to go.