OT Selling

John T · Aug 15, 2014

I always get a kick out of some of the ads and responses when I advertise on Craigs List. I just posted an item for sale with lots of good pics and a detailed description plus price. I get a short e mail "What's your lowest price". Of course its impossible for anyone to buy it unless they come here first (kind of hard to buy it over phone or e mail), so my response is always "Whats the most you will give" lol That usually shuts them up.

As a former used truck, tractor and implement dealer over the years I've heard and see it all for the most part. Some dudes wont make an Offer, they only demand you give them your lowest price, but experience taught me what they want to do is for you to come down to your "lowest" price and only then will they make an even lower offer and expect you to start negotiating from there SORRY CHARLIE I don't play that game. I price it, feel free to make an offer, worst I can do is say yes or no. I don't come down unless and until someone is serious enough to make an offer, otherwise they probably arent gonna buy it anyway. Of course at my age and stage in life the world will probably go on if I make a sale or not lol and that's such a good feeling and place to be.

I still enjoy watching people play their little games however, makes it interesting for sure.

Yall take care now n God Bless

Ol John T and all

Greg K · Aug 15, 2014

Will you take $5 for that restored 8n?

supergrumpy · Aug 15, 2014

you speak the truth

Unruh · Aug 15, 2014

Must be one of the same people who ask me the same question, BUT, they never mention the NAME of the article I have for sale. They call it "The Item". I don't even bother to answer them.

Royse · Aug 15, 2014

"Will you take $5 for that restored 8n?"

For you? Sure! Shipping/pickup fee will be $4995.00 LOL
Some of these guys are really bad.
I had a guy spend a couple hours going over a pickup I have for
sale. He made an offer, I said I'd take it, he said he'd be back
tomorrow. We all know tomorrow never comes. Truck's still here.

What's worse is to put something on CL for free!
You'll get swamped with responses for sure.
Some of them will even ask you to deliver it to them for free, so
they can hold it until they have their own yard sale and maybe
make a few dollars to feed their starving children. True story.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 15, 2014

Dumb people always think they are smarter than everyone else. I tell them - gosh, I must have made a mistake. That (whatever it was) should have been advertised at (way $ more than the price in the ad) but if you are willing to pay the advertised price, I guess I'd have to take it.

Ray · Aug 15, 2014

I get the ones from craigslist that ask 50 questions about a 300 dollar field sprayer.How long have you had it,why are you selling,how tall is it,how wide is it,how many nozzles does it have,what size tires,and on and on.They say they will take it,discuus there work schedule and when they can pick it up and you never hear from them again.This has happened 5 times so far.

bja105 · Aug 15, 2014

I frequently get that when I quote furnaces.
"$3000."
"Is that your best price?"
"No, my best price is closer to $6000, but I didn't think you would go for it. Oh, did you mean best for YOU?"

john in la · Aug 15, 2014

When ever I go buy a new car that is my question.

What is your absolute lowest price?

If I like the price I buy; If I do not like the price I walk out.
If they then say well let me go ask manager if he will go lower; I tell them I asked you for your lowest price from the get go. I do not play your back and forth games; and keep walking.

Dean · Aug 15, 2014

Phishing scam to get your email address to sell.

No doubt you will soon be receiving unsolicited spam for male enhancement pills, etc.

Dean

Russ from MN · Aug 15, 2014

What is so hard about selling something over the phone? I would be hesitant but I have sold a motorcycle and a tractor that way. On the motorcycle the guy said take a video of it starting and running and send it to me. He called in a few minutes and said a check is coming tomorrow, and he is a 1000 miles away! Now I have the money in the bank and the bike is in my garage,can't beat that! He is going to pick it up next week.

Billy Shafer · Aug 15, 2014

Does that 8n come with a warranty.

John T · Aug 15, 2014

PS, when you hear "I will have to talk it over with the wife" you know that's a NO SALE LOL

1) Years ago if a guy was say at my farm looking at a truck and a lot of time had expired and he just wouldn't commit IF MY WIFE CAME OUT AND SAID THERES A GUY ON THE PHONE WANTS TO KNOW IF THE TRUCK IS STILL FOR SALE

The dude would either buy it or leave and I really didn't care which.

2) Years ago I went to an Illinois farm inquiring about an IHC 1066 for sale, I drive up and find farmer Billy Bob who was laying under a truck working all hot n greasy who peeks out and says the tractor is over there in the shed, its $10,000 if you want it fine otherwise Im busy so get the H outa here lol (so did I buy it???)

With years n years in the business you get to know who is a buyer and who is not and that saved me time NOT even trying to deal with A holes lol

My now deceased older buddy used to tell me I also would be a grouchy old man some day and ya know he was right and I love every minute of it too

John T

60 acre hillside · Aug 15, 2014

My dad told me a story of a preacher who was visiting one of his deacons for Sunday Dinner. After eating they went out to the barn to look at the stock. Both parties believed in strict Baptist observance of the Sabbath. The preacher asked, " If this was not Sunday, what would be the least you would take for the little mare?"

Anonymous-0 · Aug 15, 2014

Selling is very interesting. Once in a while I will get fooled about a buyer, but not very often. My wife and I use to run a used merchandise, antique, and etc. store. We got so we could tell about 95% of the time if they were a buyer when they came through the door. The most fun was when they were dealing with the wife and giving her a bunch of baloney about how the item was priced to high, and running it down. I knew she was fuming inside, but on the outside she was cool as a cucumber. Held her cool perfectly till they left. My biggest gripe about the buying end is when you call about an advertised item, and tell them you will be there in 30 minutes and will take it if it is as advertised. Get there and they just sold it. Have had that happen several times on tractors. I don't like to wait on people to come for an item, but will give them the benefit of doubt, and wait an hour or two.

Bob · Aug 15, 2014

"We all know tomorrow never comes. Truck's still here."

I've been doing this stuff darned near as long as "OL JohnT", and the funny part is, ONCE in a while "tomorrow" DOES come and the low-ball guy DOES come back with CASH for the asking price.

Had that happen just a few days ago with an 80's Dorf pickup. And he brought is CUTE "significant other" to hand over the cash.

Surprised the heck out of me, and even more so, my son, who I am trying to teach the "art of the deal".

ShadetreeRet · Aug 15, 2014

Few people are born grouchy, that is an honor that is earned with time and experience.

da.bees · Aug 15, 2014

My response to asking for lowest price before they have seen it is,$xxxx if you are saying you want to buy sight unseen.
I don't think those kind are any worse than sellers saying "runs and drives great,just neeeds new fuel pump,$62 online". Better still "ran until parked".

Anonymous-0 · Aug 15, 2014

I have found that if sumone looks at an article I have for sale and the significant other half sits in the truck, usually he doesn"t buy it.
If his wife gets out and joins the conversation it usually sells.

Chris Jones · Aug 15, 2014

I just can't figure out when putting your phone number in an ad stopped meaning call me and started meaning text me.

People that text or email I find are far less likely to buy than those that care enough to voice call. Hence I don't allow emails when selling on CL and I discourage texting.

I only hold items long enough for them to drive here--not till they get off work or tomorrow or till they get their check or whatever. I reply that because so many perfectly nice sounding people have been no shows I don't hold things longer than it takes someone to drive over here. Call me when your ready to head this way and if it's still here then I'll have it here when you get here.

I expect the same when buying. I usually say I'll call when I get off work to be sure you still have it. If possible I try to go right then. I get their address and google it and tell them Google says you are 30 miles / 45 minutes from me so give me 50 minutes and I'll be there. Don't sell it while I'm driving. Thankfully so far folks have understood.

Sometimes I slip and like yesterday a guy called at 9:30am and said he wanted X and he'd come get it about 11:00. I say ok. 11:00 comes and goes. 11:30 and he calls again saying he's been delayed and it'll be 10-15 minutes. No problem come on. 1:30pm he showes up. I had a good mind to tell him I'd assumed he was a no show and just sold it to someone else 5 minutes ago--but I wanted his money and nobody else wanted the item.

Chuck (CA) · Aug 15, 2014

I just retired from over 35 years in retail sales and found that the old saying that The Customer is Always Right should often be that Buyers are Liars.

Robert Major · Aug 15, 2014

Hi
if I had $100 for all the complete time wasters The last time i sold 2 tractors, I could of given them to the genuine buyers, and still made more money than asking price on tractors.
1 was advertised no 3 point, guy came looked and told me go get all the 3 point and he'd be back, Just had time waster all over him, he had an IH b275, and wanted to use his 3 point stuff on an MF 1135, like the 6ft cultivator was going on a 130 hp tractor with duals L.O.L.

For the low ball offer guys I figure out, I say yes you can make an offer "But I reserve the right to make a counter suggestion".

When I was buying tractors guys used to call to look at stuff,they had for sale. they used to say make an offer, learned that can make a guy look stupid sometimes. So started asking for a starting point.
their start might be $8000, so id say no I'm not even going to counter bid and wasn't interested. some of those tractors were junk and worth $1200 real time value. Figured that was better than offending them as we were so far apart on the real and their value.
Regards Robert

MarkB_MI · Aug 16, 2014

One need only list something on craigslist to confirm the failure of public schools. The texters are the worst, but I've had plenty of time wasters who actually bothered to call me as well.

Item for sale was Yamaha XV535 Virago. Texter: How many cc's is it? Me: 535. [Even if you didn't know that that Yamaha models number almost always include the displacement, how long does it take to google the model number?]

Sale price was $1500. Texter: I have $900. Me: Great. You can buy an $900 motorcycle.

And of course you have the no-shows, and the guys who can't be bothered with driving 40 minutes to look at what you're selling. But sometimes the most off-the-wall buyers turn out to be legit. I ended up selling the Virago to a Canuck with a Russian accent from Toronto. Toronto is four hour drive away! He turned out to be a great guy and wanted that particular bike for his wife.

TomH in PA · Aug 16, 2014

One of my favorites was a guy trying to sell his boat - needed "some TLC" but his daughter is handicapped and needs expensive treatment so he had to get his price...but would also consider trading the boat for a gun.

Dean · Aug 16, 2014

I do not often sell items but when I do, I price the item at the price that I must have and state "firm."

I list only a phone number.

If it does not sell, I just keep it.

Dean

Mike (WA) · Aug 16, 2014

Guess I'd have given Billy Bob a pass for his attitude (probably behind on his farm work, not really enjoying the surprise repair job, and just generally not having one of his best days). Would have at least given the tractor a look, if the price was in the ballpark. Offer him 9, and if he crawls out with a wrench in his hand, yelling obscenities, sprint for the pickup.

I just say "no texts" in my ads, and ingnore 'em. Its a phone. You can talk on it. And its just a scosh too small to be a good typewriter.

Dave H (MI) · Aug 16, 2014

I buy a lot on Craigslist and have sold some too. There are time wasters on both sides of that road. To fabricate an example, you would figure that a fella asking $1500 for a non-running Farmall M would be looking for somewhere around $1000...a fair range for a good running one. So you look at it and see you can get it running cheaply and quickly. You explain to him that it is not a running tractor and $1500 is too high. You offer $5-600 hoping he will agree but knowing you can give him $1000 whilst having some fun dickering. Seller however, just states that he is asking what he wants for it and he will just "leave it sit there" until he gets it. Or he will take the engine off it and put it in his go-cart or some other such idiocy. Meanwhile, you have $30-40 gas into a round trip waste of time. For this reason, I will try to feel out the seller to see if he is negotiable on price. Any indication he is firm on an inflated price and I will not waste my time traveling to see it...and I tell him as much.

Hay hay hay · Aug 16, 2014

Knock on wood, I have had good luck buying and selling on CL, and to this point have not generated any e-mail scams. I try to give a good description, a photo and a fair price, when selling. And I have not been inundated with calls from tire kickers
When buying, generally I call the seller to check details before I waste my time driving to see something.

Cash talks, lots of the lookers don't have any.

I am amazed by people that advertise something for a higher price than new, like Riding mower, $1800.
Same mower new $1695.

As someone else said on this post, "some dumb people think they are smarter than everyone else"

Dr. Walt · Aug 16, 2014

Yeh, Warranteed for 3 inches or 3 seconds (whichever comes first) after it crosses my property line! LOL

:>)

bison · Aug 16, 2014

i just got back from a guy that had a pile of steel like flat bar and pipe and plate he wanted to sell cause he was moving.
i offered $300 for the pile, he said OK.
That steel would be worth at least a grand new.

He also had a 5010 JD with a flat rear( he said it runs)
And 2 MF 90's,.one with loader,the other one with 3 point hitch.Both have bad tin and missing grills, tires so so.
All 3 tractors been sitting for at least 15 years and he can't sell them, no body is interested.
I said i have no use for them either.
He said do me an offer,I said i don't want to insult you.
He said,, go ahead i can take it.
I said,..how about 5 bux for all 3.
He figured on getting 9 grand!.
I said ,good luck,loaded the steel and left.

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