How do you talk the price down?

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

I got some good tips on how to sell. So now I'm hoping for advice on how to buy. In particular, how do you talk down those gbase dealers?

 

[killdeer43]

I got some good tips on how to sell. So now I'm hoping for advice on how to buy. In particular, how do you talk down those gbase dealers?

Fire off your maximum offer and sit back. If it's meant to be yours, it will happen. If not....c'est la vie! 8)

Pretty basic, I know, but it works in a lot of different venues. And I'm a pretty basic guy. :wink:

Joe

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Joe,

Do you tell them it's your max offer?

hf

 

[walrus]

Depending on your comfort level carrying cash around, a reasonable non-negotiable offer in "cash, right now" can sometimes sway any seller...

Good luck at this event, by the way!

walrus

 

[killdeer43]

Joe,

Do you tell them it's your max offer?

hf

No, I set the maximum that I'm willing to pay and make my offer. Then I just wait for the meant-to-be factor to kick in....or not.
When I got the great deal on my now-deceased 4Runner I decided how much I wanted to pay and offered cash, and the rest is history. Of course, here I am shopping again! :lol:

Joe

 

[DJGranite]

I do it like this...first I do homework, research prices,(ebay SOLD listings can give you a good idea of price range for different conditions) average conditon for age,what are common defects,or upgrades, options for the model etc to get a good idea of what I should be paying for a particular instrument... I offer a bit less than what Im willing to pay giving me room to improve my offer, while giving them room to lower their price. If I think its a fair price...I just pay it if I can afford it, or move on and save more money if I cant.
If I think they are way over pricing it, Ill contact and ask if something "special" has been done to it as I usually see them going for"X" amount, with possibly a link to a completed EBay sale or two as reference. Many times these sellers are uninformed and after seeing reality they come back with a different , more reasonabl price. opening the door for a counter offer and the dickering begins
I always point out and mention and defects or damage and discount my offer to reflect them.
and then I sometimes am in a position where money is tight and I just tell them...look, I think your price is fair..but all I have that I can spend on this is "X" amount and let them decide..I often get a call back in a few days if no one els shows interest.
Hope this helps...Its worked for me..
74 Guild f112.....$400 pawnshop
1 year old Gibson Les Paul.... car I bought for $50 and $50 cash
MIJ Squier A series (85).....$84 Pawnshop
96 Guild DCE-1 ....$250 CList (needs Binding reglued)
Epiphone Masterbilt DR500M HR ...$147 flea market guitar stall
Squier VM Tele Custom.....$25 needed 1 pickup
these are just some of the deals Ive gotten over the years on guitars I still have. Most of these were situations where I didnt have much cash and offered what I had as opposed to what they were asking while doing all the other bits about condition, etc...all were accepted obviously lol
mostly you have to "feel" your way through it with each person, as we are all different.
I try hard not to be insulting, and If do end up giving a low Offer, I apoligize in advance...I hate to be a lowballer, but all I have is "X" to offer right now...sometimes people just want to move something along and will meety you more than halfway...
hell Im doing it right now as a seller...meeting someone more than half way that is..
truth is I sometimes offer more than they want if I think they are ripping themselves off..
for instance, a "friend of a friend" that I know a bit has offered me a MIM Strat and a smaller Peavey tweed amp for $100..told him I wouldnt feel right if I didnt give him AT LEAST $150...and truth is Im thinking of going up to $200....He bought the stuff new, its been sitting in the corner with rusty strings ever since..he's played it maybe 4 times according to him. Hwe loves his acoustic and never plays electric. Its perfect.amp too.
not my best bargaining techinique....lol
Good Luck and I hope this helps

 

[walrus]

Right Joe, the "offered cash" part often makes the difference...

walrus

 

[zulu]

If you're in person I suggest physically showing them the crisp bills when you make the offer. A wad of cash in sight is very tempting.

 

[fronobulax]

When I was on the other side of the counter - antiques at retail - I knew that we could survive selling anything at 25% off of our price. Some of the big ticket items had even more room. I hate to dicker so if asked for my best price on a low ticket item I would quote whatever 25% off was. Since folks asked for my best, I wouldn't budge after that. Big ticket items we'd do a song and dance and I'd go lower if I thought the sale was imminent. But with me it wasn't a case of talking the price down as much as it was just asking. I was never in the business because I got some kind of thrill bartering over $1.00 on a $10.00 item.

 

[Bikerdoc]

I don't recall that I haggled much with Joe on the guitars I bought from him and that's normally the way I am. If I want it sometimes the price just doesn't make that much different. Now if I really believe it's out of line I'll pretty much make that known in any number of ways, follow that up with my bottom line offer "I don't mean to insult you" and "you have my number". Then I just wait to see what happens.

peace

 

[adorshki]

I try hard not to be insulting...."I hate to be a lowballer, but all I have is "X" to offer right now"...sometimes people just want to move something along and will meet you more than halfway...

+1 on everything DJ says, but that particular little group of insights is negotiating gold.
Always leave the seller a way to "change their mind for a good reason" and not just have to "be the loser in the negotiation".
If you're going to walk away but you really do like the instrument, let 'em know it really is about price and you need to go find some more funds. That way they can even have a last minute change of heart if they want.
Or if you come back the next day with more money everybody's credibility is still good.
:wink:

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Great posts, geezers. I think the the hardest part is pointing out the instrument's flaws while not being too negative.

 

[killdeer43]

Great posts, geezers. I think the the hardest part is pointing out the instrument's flaws while not being too negative.

Heck, if you're just stating the facts, let the seller deal with his emotions. :wink:

Joe

 

[tjmangum]

Buying or selling for a good price at a "collector -dealer" gathering, like a guitar show, can be difficult. Killer deals often are a factor of timing. A well educated buyer and/or seller usually does not lead to steals.
Good deals for a seller are usually to a "retail" buyer who wants it for himself, not to flip it. Good deals for a buyer come from desperation and need for $$$$.
T

 

[davismanLV]

I'm not certain if this is pertinent to a guitar show or not. Or what situation, other than mine, it would be appropriate in. When I bought my Taylor GC8 last October from Guitar Center, I'd been stalking that particular guitar for over a month. I finally decided that I was going to go for it. I had dinner and drinks in the shopping center where the GC is located. I found the guitar that evening and played it a little while. I had done my homework with internet searches and knew exactly what that guitar was advertized for online and in the stores. $2149. That was the bottom number at that time. Guitar Center had it marked down to $2049, which was a good price. This was during Rocktoberfest, so they had marked this particular guitar down to $1949. A great price. I found Mark, the sales guy I had dealt with before and I knew he was a really nice guy and reasonable to deal with. I told him I wanted to make an offer on the guitar. I told him I'd give him $1800 for the guitar. Of course, he shook his head and said, "I don't think I can authorize a price like that." So I told him to get someone who COULD do that. So he got the big manager guy. I restated my offer of $1800. He said, "Well let me go crunch the numbers and see what we can do."

He came back and said "No, we can't sell the guitar for that price, it's just too low."

So at that time I started talking across the room to my roomie Don and said, "Dude, it's getting late and I'm half drunk and I don't need to be buying a damn guitar anyway, so wrap it up and let's go."

The manager said, "I just can't go that low."

So I told him I understood and that I really needed to get going. I thanked him for his trouble and started to herd the roomie out of the acoustic room. I told the manager that, "If you could do the guitar and the case INCLUDING tax for $2000 I'd take it otherwise, I gotta go."

That offer was actually LOWER than the $1800 that I had offered once case and tax was factored in.

He knew I was gonna leave and that once I left that they'd probably lost the sale. So he quickly said, "Okay lemme go crunch the numbers .... just give me one minute."

He came back in a minute and said, "You gotta deal."

He monkeyed around with the price of the guitar and charged me full price for the case and then the tax. Didn't matter. I think I got a smoking hot deal on that awesome little guitar.

So that's the little game I play when buying a guitar. Don't know if it works in your situation.

 

[FNG]

Americans hate to dicker. Go overseas and they get insulted if you don't try and negotiate. Overseas, people act insulted if you try and get a lower price, but they don't mean it. Here, they actually get insulted. You know you've been in the Phillipines too long when you'll argue over a nickel. I drive my wife crazy when I ask for a discount, or for them to throw in some "boots". My old man would always ask what the "Baptist Preacher" discount was. No..he wasn't a Baptist Preacher.

For example, I had a nice butcher block rolling cart that I listed on craigslist. Young couple called and wanted to look at it. I had priced it with some cushion, fully expecting them to offer lower, since craigslist buyers around here are some cheap bas****s. They just handed me the asking price and basically said they thought it was worth more.

Hatted Frau..you seem to know the product and can research prices. I'd say just make an offer, and the worse the guy can say is no. Online makes it more difficult, because you can't see the person, or the guitar. Or show him the greenbacks when you make an offer.

 

[southernGuild]

:lol: ^^^ I'm going to try for that "Baptist Preacher" discount down here.
I'm Not Baptist, nor a preacher, but It's worth a try.
It could be a memorable transaction. :wink:

 

[davismanLV]

:lol: ^^^ I'm going to try for that "Baptist Preacher" discount down here.
I'm Not Baptist, nor a preacher, but It's worth a try.
It could be a memorable transaction. :wink:

A fine time to "get religion", John..... :lol: :lol:

 

[southernGuild]

8) ^^^Too late Tom.........I've already sold my soul. No chance to buy it back. :lol:

 

[killdeer43]

From the other side, as a seller, someone just offered me $100 less than I was asking for an item on craigslist.
I declined his offer because I've set my acceptable price. 8)

Joe