I actually understand that one. I may want cash, but you may only have trade offers. If I'm willing to trade it'll be for something I can turn into cash easier than what I already have. Or I may have something that is technically worth more money, but I just want your cheaper item more, so I would make that trade.
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ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
For sale $XXX OBO, no lowballers!
- Thread starter araomd
- Start date
I actually understand that one. I may want cash, but you may only have trade offers. If I'm willing to trade it'll be for something I can turn into cash easier than what I already have. Or I may have something that is technically worth more money, but I just want your cheaper item more, so I would make that trade.
OBO to me means there is some room for negotiation. How much is up to the seller to decide if he wants to move the item for the price offered or wait for more.
I consider proximity between the parties (less,or more gas to meet), condition of gun and how bad I want the firearm.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
I consider proximity between the parties (less,or more gas to meet), condition of gun and how bad I want the firearm.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
Well put. When you explain it that way I see it better.
I haven't had that problem yet...my stuff seems to be like a $5 hooker. Everyone's already had them at some point on here and doesn't want them again. Lol
OBO can be the most misunderstood phrase in an ad. Strictly speaking, if you only get one offer (no matter how low it is) you should let the item go. After all you did publicly state that you would accept the best offer. Are you a man of your word or not?
OTOH, as has already been pointed out, an OBO phrase can, indeed, turn a sale into an auction. A best offer doesn't necessarily have to be lower than your asking price. This actually happened to me a few years ago. I listed a Mustang in Auto Trader for $8000 OBO. Two guys showed up withing ten minutes of each other to look at the car. After a few minutes, the guy who had showed up first says he will take it for the asking price. The second guy immediately jumps in and says he will give me $8250. I let the first guy have it for $8000. The second guy was really pissed off; because my ad had said OBO and he had made the best offer. Technically, he was probably correct; but it just didn't seem fair to the first guy that met my asking price.
Until then, I had never even considered that OBO might result in an offer higher than asking price. I can easily see how someone on ODT might receive more than one PM offering the same price for something that is a good deal. If that happens, the seller will usually use his own criteria to determine who gets the item...ie: earliest PM received, most convenient buyer to meet FTF, buyer with best feedback, etc., etc. If the seller does it this way, has he held up his end of the bargain? After all is said and done, he really hasn't sold the item to the best offer.
OTOH, as has already been pointed out, an OBO phrase can, indeed, turn a sale into an auction. A best offer doesn't necessarily have to be lower than your asking price. This actually happened to me a few years ago. I listed a Mustang in Auto Trader for $8000 OBO. Two guys showed up withing ten minutes of each other to look at the car. After a few minutes, the guy who had showed up first says he will take it for the asking price. The second guy immediately jumps in and says he will give me $8250. I let the first guy have it for $8000. The second guy was really pissed off; because my ad had said OBO and he had made the best offer. Technically, he was probably correct; but it just didn't seem fair to the first guy that met my asking price.
Until then, I had never even considered that OBO might result in an offer higher than asking price. I can easily see how someone on ODT might receive more than one PM offering the same price for something that is a good deal. If that happens, the seller will usually use his own criteria to determine who gets the item...ie: earliest PM received, most convenient buyer to meet FTF, buyer with best feedback, etc., etc. If the seller does it this way, has he held up his end of the bargain? After all is said and done, he really hasn't sold the item to the best offer.
I almost always put OBO in my ads just to let others know that I will entertain lower offers. Never put that to expect anybody to have to offer more.
Maybe it's me, but I thought everything on here was negotiable. I thought that was the point of buying, selling, and trading, to try to get a good deal. If I want to just pay sticker price I can go to a retail store for that.
I thought the same thing. But nooooooo! Very first deal I tried to make a guy was had an item listed for 10 dollars less than drive out retail. In pm i offered him 30% off his listed price hoping, to settle for 15% off. Fifteen minutes later I see he edited his post to include a rant why he thought the price listed was fair, 24 hours later he answered my pm with no thanks. He didn't say price was firm in post. Everybody has a different set of guidelines for trading I guess.
Be real with the offers
I get offers that I think are too low for things. That's just part of it. I decline them and move on. It's not like it's difficult. It takes all of a couple seconds to politely decline an offer. If I make an offer, I expect a counter offer.
