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Curmudgeon

Selling stuff

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Curmudgeon

Recently, I've had several items for sale. Parts, whole tractors, etc. in my ads I try to clearly state the price, it is firm, location, and the fact I'm doing cash sales. What do I get? Low ballers. People wanting to trade their junk. People who say they'll be out, then never show. People who get unbelievably rude and vulgar when I restate my original position and don't want their junk.

Therefore, it is most likely the future will see everything sold for scrap. You want a 520 swept axle with gear reduction steering? You will find it at my local scrap yard cut into pieces. No matter how desirable, how valuable, or how rare, rather than deal with rude, lying people who do not understand the concept of a cash deal, I'll take the scrap rate and have an easy sale. The parts, or even whole tractors will be cut up into unrestorable pieces.

It's just not worth dealing with those people while waiting for that one, honest, intelligent person to respond.

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bmsgaffer

Therefore, it is most likely the future will see everything sold for scrap. You want a 520 swept axle with gear reduction steering? You will find it at my local scrap yard cut into pieces. No matter how desirable, how valuable, or how rare, rather than deal with rude, lying people who do not understand the concept of a cash deal, I'll take the scrap rate and have an easy sale. The parts, or even whole tractors will be cut up into unrestorable pieces.

It's just not worth dealing with those people while waiting for that one, honest, intelligent person to respond.

 

Well that sentiment certainly lives up to your screen name... :teasing-poke:

 

I'm sorry that you have had bad luck. Where are you selling? If its on Craigslist, that's the nature of the beast, you get what you pay for in that case.

 

I wish I had collectors around me selling stuff on here. I have had a couple sales and purchases (on here and craigslist) and met some very nice people. Yes there are some that fall through, and that's quite annoying, but I didn't pay for the listing so its no skin off my back I will just keep it listed.

 

You could sell on ebay or demand a non-refundable deposit via paypal (if you use it) and then you will at least make some $$ off of the no shows.

 

I think the big thing is just not to take it personally and just delete the emails of the people that don't align with your listing... Pretty easy.

 

Just my :twocents-02cents:

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squonk

I've sold tons of stuff on CL And I think I only had to deal with 1 Jabrone that wanted to trade me everything under the sun for a Farmall A. He almost offered me the trailer he was living in!  :)

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Shuboxlover

I have sold many things on CL and for the most part, had good luck.  Sure you'll have your dumb a$$es....you'll always have that.  Curmudgeon, don't give up on humanity yet...there are good people out there...I list a some of my stuff on eBay....and, sometimes the stuff brings what I thought it would, some times less, some times more....that's kind of the fun part though.

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slammer302

That's just how it is its a hobby full of wheeler and dealers nobody ever wants to pay the asking price we all like the felling of getting a awesome deal I always think its weird if someone doesn't try to talk me down on something I know its annoying sometimes.

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AMC RULES

So...did you take your ads down yet?   :ychain: 

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squonk

Had one the other day. Tiller for $100. no belts,mounting bracket, or idler assembly.. I send a e-mail and a day later I get a response that the price was wrong. Should have been $200!  :rolleyes: Then he says another guy wanted it and he's planning on selling it to him for $150 but if he doesn't show he'd let me know. I decided to forget it. $150 might still have been a decent price but I figured, The Banana head wrote the ad, how was the price wrong? :confusion-scratchheadblue: Don't need any game players. I see the ad is gone.

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Ken B

I've learned to leave the word FIRM out of my ads. EVERYONE likes to try to get a better price and some enjoy thinking they are getting the upper hand in a deal. If your bottom line on something is 700 then list it for 900.00. I know I have listed items in the past for give away prices just to make space,  you always get a few guys that know your price is a real deal but they aren't happy unless they steal it from you. Bottom line is respect is left out of the deal too often these days but I still believe there are a heck of a lot more good guys out there than bad guys.

Keep in mind that when some people list something for sale they often have it listed for way more than its actually worth. Either they have no clue to its value or they do but they are willing to come way down on price. Ya never know unless ya ask.

I have no problem with some guy trying to low ball me via email as its not a real big waste of my time, and ya gotta believe he's just tryin to get a feel for what you'll really take. Its when I actually take the time out to meet someone for an in person viewing and they low ball and nit pick, that is when my patience is real thin. Whippin the cash out while low ballin me doesn't work....I had one guy shoot me a low ball offer via email on a tractor I was selling. I didn't take it personally and I wound up selling him two tractors at prices we were both comfortable with. Turns out he's a real nice guy to boot.

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rmaynard

I've had 4 tractors on Craigslist now for several months. They have been "sold" four times since January. First guy had to cancel due to 2 feet of snow. That's understandable, but he never rescheduled. Another said he was on the way and would call me when he was 30 minutes out. No call, no show. The last guy said he would be here after 12:00 noon Saturday. I had no problem since I was home all day doing yard work. 6:00 pm rolled around and no show, so I texted him. Again at 7:00. At 8:30 I get a text saying "sorry man, I was in a serious dirt bike accident and I'm in the hospital with a broken leg and collar bone". Yeah, right. So yesterday I got an offer for all 4 tractors that I accepted. I suppose that they will still be available this time next week.

 

Curmudgeon - you have every right to feel the way you do. There is something going on with society today that is just not right, and Craigslist brings out the worst of them.

 

Edit:  May 29. Two weeks after the offer for all 4, they are all still sitting.

Edited by rmaynard
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groundhog47

Had one the other day. Tiller for $100. no belts,mounting bracket, or idler assembly.. I send a e-mail and a day later I get a response that the price was wrong. Should have been $200!  :rolleyes: Then he says another guy wanted it and he's planning on selling it to him for $150 but if he doesn't show he'd let me know. I decided to forget it. $150 might still have been a decent price but I figured, The Banana head wrote the ad, how was the price wrong? :confusion-scratchheadblue: Don't need any game players. I see the ad is gone.

Seller should have honored posted price, I believe they do have a review and edit feature. Ive only had wanted on CL

 

:twocents-02cents: Curm....don't be discouraged. The 520 stuff is fought for on ebay it seems. Wish was closer to ya , I'd follow you to scrap yard. One of our local dealers sells back at $0.25lb, not that am lucky enough to find WH parts though. Please don't judge us all by those few #$%@&%$#@^ :handgestures-thumbup:

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Joefrommi65

I have been there too!!! Placed a add to do some trading got a reply from a guy with a tractor I was interested in, loaded it all up drove an hour  to meet him, We got ready to shake on the deal his wife came out and asked me to leave ,told me he wasnt trading anything and started chewing his butt telling him he needed to talk to her before he made any deals.......I loaded up and got the heck out of dodge,dang she scared me and Sad thing is he was getting a heck of a deal. A week went buy and I made a better deal with another guy!!!

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Curmudgeon

Wow, didn't expect so many responses!  :smile:

 

I first started this hobby over 25 years ago, and to say the least, it's changed.  It first really took that first downhill plunge several years ago when I got a divorce and was forced to liquidate a lot of stuff.    Did anyone want to help out a fellow enthusiast with some decent deals?  A few, but mostly, they wanted to take advantage of a guy in a pinch.   I had guys jewing me down from prices that were already at 25% of value.   They were only in it for profit at my expense.

 

Now, I'm not in a pinch, but I'm finding darn few "hobbyists", most are in it to make a buck at someone else's expense.   No more.   I'm done.   I'm tired of the "nature of the beast".   The nature used to be friendly, helpful, now it's, "How much can make off this sucker?"  That's been my experience for the last 8 years.  It's not new, it's not going to change any time soon.

 

There are a few good apples left, but most are spoiled.   You can thank the rotten apples, they spoiled the whole bushel for me.   Ever wonder where the Curmudgeon came from?   All those people who made a profit off my divorce are responsible for that.  Be nice to a guy in need, don't screw him over just because you can.

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nylyon

Dale, with the increase in popularity, somewhat due to this forum, there are certainly those who are in it for the money, it's not the nature of the beast, but it's human nature.  We see it all the time here the sum of the parts are greater than the whole.  I do however, think that there's mostly helpful individuals, here and elsewhere and I see it all the time.  In one post, someone was looking for a cam insert for a Techie, a member had one and offered to send it free of charge.  I'm sure that had that not been posted, there would have been 5 PM's selling the same part for $5 - $30.

 

Whether it be Wheel Horse's or collecting Scotch (which by the way still looking to sip some Crown with ya) the "game" is driven by the times, not by how things used to be or we wish they were.  You can thank places like eBay and other auctions where driving top dollar for things is part of the atmosphere. It's also why the classifieds here mention to have a price!  Granted, that never stops anyone from saying "will you take x?" in a personal message. The internet is impersonal, and as such many people have been desensitized with proper interaction, but this is age old and nothing new.

 

Now, are people in it for the help?  I think so.... the most accessed place on the forum is the Wheel Horse section, where people ask questions and get answers.

 

I know you've been frustrated with the way things have gone, and not just selling things, and we do miss seeing you around here.  I am truly sorry to see any one feel this way, especially someone who I have a great deal of respect for.  

 

post-5-0-09721700-1400191039_thumb.png

 

Edit: And I will add, the reply to your post enforces that too! :)

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bmsgaffer

I will be the first to admit that I almost always ask "will you take $x".

 

I am just starting a family,have been married for just under 2 years, have a 1 year old and another on the way. I really enjoy my tractors, but I try to get the best possible deal I can. Otherwise I would not have tractors.

 

I am both a 'low-baller' and a nice guy. There is no actual set value to any of these things, its just a number that people usually pull out of their rear end and around me they are usually WAY over priced. I am always willing to respect if someone is not interested in my offer, and if they respond I will either politely decline or come to a price that we can both agree on.

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IthacaJeff

I'm with Brandon. While I'm afraid to really low ball for something I really want, the fact is that the worth

of these tractors is only what someone thinks it is worth. A low ball offer, "Will you take . . . ? " can be 

met with a polite, "No, I'm pretty firm on the price."  Why does it need to be more complicated than that?

 

I sold a rusty WH tub trailer to a neighbor's grandkid for $10, gave away an easily restorable Simplicity

Yeoman tractor to a guy to also take away some junk, sold a small 1000 lb GVWR trailer for $40. Just metal,

and the folks got a great deal and went away really happy. Good times all around.

 

Jeff

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Curmudgeon

When a polite no thank you results in follow up emails telling me I'm stupid, my stuff is junk, criticizes every thing I have.... I'd like to post some of the emails but they would be deleted. I don't need that, I'm no longer going to expose myself to them. If you want to counter offer a reasonable price, fine,but when I ask for no low ball offers, WHY ask? It's just a waste of time. If it's felt my price is too high, ignore me, don't criticize me.

The last item in question did sell. It sold a little below asking price to someone who showed respect. Who made a reasonable counter offer.

I should add, there has been a few good people through all this. One guy in particular who just happens to collect Wheel Horse snowmobiles bought some stuff from me during my divorce at asking price. He later admitted to not really needing it. Eventually I bought the stuff back at the same price, essentially giving me an interest free loan and free storage.

If only there were more people like him! I'll say one thing, if he ever needs a 520 axle and steering for one of those snowmobiles..... I remember those who have been good to me as well as those who weren't!!

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grnlark

Here's my take on this topic. For those of you who know me, lord knows I've bought and sold my fair share of tractors - most for profit (but not all). My asking price is never firm. It's the thrill of the chase in my opinion - for both sides of the deal. I have an idea in my head of what I want and always apply the "friendly markup" to compensate for wiggle room. :) On rare occasion you do get the person to pay asking price with no haggle, but more often than not its a negotiation. That's part of the fun. There are also plenty of cases where I'll drop below my desired price because it's someone I know or another member I've done business with in the past. In the process, I have "low-balled". Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My overall intent though is not to kick the man while he's down. Like I tell my wife, he didn't have to say yes...  I buy and sell, making small gains along the way, so I can buy tractors I want to add to my collection of keepers. With a family, house etc. it's my way of continuing my hobby while also keeping this addiction self-sustaining. I agree with Curmudgeon that there is no need for rude and inconsiderate people - that unfortunately will come with the CL territory though. Pad your prices, don't announce "firm" and roll with the punches a bit. I don't care how bad you think you have it, because in every hospital on every part of this earth, there are people living their last day wishing for just one more.

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chazm

Very good topic here guys for everyone to vent,  :handgestures-thumbupright:  because we all been there in way or another...  I think Karl hit the nail on the head ..." Its human nature "

Its just sad that the world is this way today  :bitch:  but  like Curmudgeon said...   "You remember those who have been good to you as well as those who weren't!!  "

And with that being said I feel we all need a  :wh::romance-grouphug: ....sorry guys ,you knew I had to go there... :eusa-doh:

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AMC RULES

 

And with that being said I feel we all need a  :wh::romance-grouphug:

 

...or two, or more. 

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boovuc

Hang in there Dale!

I have seen these people you referred to and they are everywhere! I know before I drive somewhere that I make sure I have a "or best offer" from the buyer because pictures do lie. For me, if the buyer says, nope! This is as low as I go, I honor that and won't haggle. I'm polite, I'll pass along parting greetings and I go home. Period. I don't sell much and there are a few on this site that know I will give things away that I have that I know they may need and I have none. There are those who are in it solely for the money and that is OK to a certain point. I don't like being looked at as prey for nothing more than a hobby. I don't want to see any WH Garden Tractor get cut up for scrap but I have empathy for your frustration. These tractors are not like cash. They can't be turned over quickly for the value you know they hold. The term "land wealthy, cash poor" comes to mind. Land has great value but try selling it in a week!

I think large collections are better auctioned as that brings people who are interested in buying what you have together and it all gets done in one day. Selling multiple tractors and parts on Craigslist is not easy and not quick and as you have found out, very frustrating.

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Curmudgeon

When I list something for sale, which isn't very often, I list it for what I believe is true market value. To list it higher expecting a lower offer is, in essence to me, a lie. I would be lying about the price and it's up to you to catch me and by how much. That is NOT the way this kid does business. I start fair, will entertain reasonable offers, anything else is dirty dealing in my book.

Since this is obviously, judging by most of the comments, how things are done, I'm not going to participate.

It's that simple.

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Save Old Iron

When I list something for sale, which isn't very often, I list it for what I believe is true market value. To list it higher expecting a lower offer is, in essence to me, a lie. I would be lying about the price and it's up to you to catch me and by how much. That is NOT the way this kid does business. I start fair, will entertain reasonable offers, anything else is dirty dealing in my book.

Since this is obviously, judging by most of the comments, how things are done, I'm not going to participate.

It's that simple.

I agree completely. When looking for a new car, major appliance or any high price item, my opening line to the sales rep is "I'm accepting only one price quote from you for this item. One and one only. Make it your best shot."

 

I can't tell you how to describe the look on their face when I start to walk away from the initial bogus quote. The ONLY time I bother turning around to give a second chance is if I cannot possibly find the same item elsewhere.

 

I have always taught my kids the most powerful bargaining tool is the ability to walk away from any deal.

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squonk

I've haven't had too many issues selling, it's the buying that has frustrated me. I see something I want. I call if there is a number. E-mail if There isn't. I don't hear back. Try again in a few days. Same thing leave messages. Days or weeks go by. Ad is still up. Finally get a hold of the guy and find out it was sold a month ago! Take your stupid ad down and at least reply to 1 e-mail and tell me it's sold!  :banghead:

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Curmudgeon

Save Old Iron: Most items bought involves a single price. Do we dicker at the gas pump? Grocery store? Clothing store? NO, you simply buy it at asking price, or you don't buy it. So simple. So easy. So logical.

Mike: YES! Has respect totally disappeared? For many, yes.

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grnlark

I haggle everything. I guess I enjoy the challenge. My wife and I still shake our head at how I managed to get $400 off the shelf price on our 52" Samsung flat screen TV at Best Buy and got them to throw in the $250 wall mount too. Of course she took off once I got started, but in the end I saved $650 off what I would have spent had I just paid sticker price.

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