The Numbers Game

[Guest MattB]

Evening all,

Just thought i'd put up a thread about something which has been bothering me recently.

Why is it that people selling records without clear prices insist on you "Making them an offer".

Whenever i'm in this position i feel really uncomfortable because i don't want to cause offence but i want to get hold of a record at a reasonable price. If i do offer up a bid and they're expecting alot more then i feel like i've been rude to offer them that.

Why don't people just go balls out and ask for a figure that they would be happy to accept for a record opposed to being too scared to do that because they might let something go too cheap, it just seems like a way that sellers can play people also by saying they have been bid a certain amount so that another prospective buyer can be influenced to bid up more.

I don't mean to sound negative about this and i'm not directing this at anyone, i'm just saying i don't like to offend people.

Same situation as when someone does ask for a price on a record and it flies right out then they think, i've sold that too cheap and start having second thoughts...

What are your views?

Get annoyed by bogus offers?

Feel that offers are a better way to achieve a reasonable sale price for a record?

Matt

[Dave Moore]

If you wanna make an offer, make an offer. If you don't then don't.

I make offers on records all the time. If people don't like the offer then they won't take it. Simple as that.

Fill yer boots Mate, you never know or.... if you don't ask you don't get.

[pikeys dog]

I sent you a PM outlining exactly how much i wanted for a 45, including postage and Paypal.

Not had a yay or nay yet.

So it probably cuts both ways.

[Guest MattB]

Touche. Touche.

[paultp]

Matt,

Most people who put records up on here asking for offers are just trying to find out how much people will pay for them and/or how in demand they are. They probably only sell them if they get a surprisingly high offer

I really like the ones that say "no silly offers" - What on earth does that mean?

Generally these are accompanied by an artist & title I have never heard of never mind have any idea of price. I guess they only want to either highlight the fact that they have a record AND will sell it or alternatively will only sell it to another member of their small social group. There's a lot of assumptions on here.

I've always taken the view that if people ask for offers that is the start of negotiations so I make an offer at the least I want to pay expecting a reply containing either a figure that is the most they are expecting or a simple "***k off!".

To be honest I've given up responding to alleged sales posts asking for offers as mostly you don't get a reply.

Just MHO

Cheers

Paul

[Simon T]

Equally annoying are some 'wants' requests

Wanted "xxxxxx"

PM me with an offer for "xxxxxx"

PM: How much do you want for it?

[boba]

Equally annoying are some 'wants' requests

Wanted "xxxxxx"

PM me with an offer for "xxxxxx"

PM: How much do you want for it?

The offers are really a one-way street though. The buyer can't possibly offer too much though and only risks offending the seller. The seller can ask some stupid price and won't really 'offend' anyone, at least here. It's really the seller's game, so I don't think it's unreasonable for a buyer to ask how much the seller wants.

[Simon T]

The offers are really a one-way street though. The buyer can't possibly offer too much though and only risks offending the seller. The seller can ask some stupid price and won't really 'offend' anyone, at least here. It's really the seller's game, so I don't think it's unreasonable for a buyer to ask how much the seller wants.

soliciting

[Guest]

Evening all,

Just thought i'd put up a thread about something which has been bothering me recently.

Why is it that people selling records without clear prices insist on you "Making them an offer".

Whenever i'm in this position i feel really uncomfortable because i don't want to cause offence but i want to get hold of a record at a reasonable price. If i do offer up a bid and they're expecting alot more then i feel like i've been rude to offer them that.

What are your views?

Get annoyed by bogus offers?

Feel that offers are a better way to achieve a reasonable sale price for a record?

Matt

STOP BEING A PEDANTIC TIGHT ARSE !

TRY SELLING CARS FOR A LIVING !

I DONT SELL 60S SOUL 45S I BUY THE FUCKING THINGS CAUSE I LOVE THEM !

EVERYONE KNOWS THE RULES BY NOW?

Edited August 6, 2008 by mossy

[Guest in town Mikey]

I've found it far easier shifting records when I put them up for offers. Maybe I'm easily pleased.

I made a massive horlicks on a Lou Courtenay track that the Funk lads were after. I put up my ridiculously low price and had 8 PMs in the first 2 0r 3 minutes and 37 in 30 minutes.

Still I sold it at the asking price. But HOW I wished I had just put offers.

[Ian Dewhirst]

I've found it far easier shifting records when I put them up for offers. Maybe I'm easily pleased.

I made a massive horlicks on a Lou Courtenay track that the Funk lads were after. I put up my ridiculously low price and had 8 PMs in the first 2 0r 3 minutes and 37 in 30 minutes.

Still I sold it at the asking price. But HOW I wished I had just put offers.

I just did exactly the same thing elsewhere and sold a HORRIBLE 80's U.S. 12" of something which made no discernable sense to me at all, but obviously is in high-demand in California!

Ian D

[Guest ScooterNik]

Why worry if you offend the seller? If they knew roughly what they wanted then wouldn't they stick a price on it? It strikes me (as above) that the seller has no idea what its worth and will (obviously) take the best offer. You, on the other hand, want to get as much vinyl for your hard earned as you can. Offer what its worth to you - THAT is its true value.

If you really want a copy then make a note of what you offer and if one comes up again add a bit to it?

(Spoken like someone who sadly hasn't bought any vinyl for about 6 or 7 years )

[pikeys dog]

Touche. Touche.

And still no response.

A thank you, or even a kiss my arse would be better than nothing.

IMO it's extremely rude to pm someone several times to give you a price on a record, then not even respond to them when they do.

I've got at tleast half a dozen records on your current wants list, but won't bother giving you the titles for fear of the 'silent treatment'.

And you wonder why peope ask for offers?

[Dave Thorley]

I've found it far easier shifting records when I put them up for offers. Maybe I'm easily pleased.

I made a massive horlicks on a Lou Courtenay track that the Funk lads were after. I put up my ridiculously low price and had 8 PMs in the first 2 0r 3 minutes and 37 in 30 minutes.

Still I sold it at the asking price. But HOW I wished I had just put offers.

Hi Mikey

But I think you have hit the nail on the head. People ask for offers as they don't want to under sell and want to get as much as possible and fair play to them. People hate underselling and particularly in public. They sell a record for X, then people tell them they could have got more for it or the flip side is big on the funk scene etc.

When I decided to sell records full time John Anderson gave me some good advice, try and price your records to sell, they have no value sitting on the shelf. Fix a price that makes you a profit and once it sells be glad, as it's another one out the door. If it sells the next day for double or treble your price, so what you got the price you where happy with. Lastly no one can know everything.

I remind him of that advice when I see him at weekenders complaining that 'They are selling my records'

Edited August 6, 2008 by Dave Thorley

[Ian Dewhirst]

Hi Mikey

But I think you have hit the nail on the head. People ask for offers as they don't want to under sell and want to get as much as possible and fair play to them. People hate underselling and particularly in public. They sell a record for X, then people tell them they could have got more for it or the flip side is big on the funk scene etc.

When I decided to sell records full time John Anderson gave me some good advice, try and price your records to sell, they have no value sitting on the shelf. Fix a price that makes you a profit and once it sells be glad, as it's another one out the door. If it sells the next day for double or treble your price, so what you got the price you where happy with. Lastly no one can know everything.

I remind him of that advice when I see him at weekenders complaining that 'They are selling my records'

Bet the prices for Lee Fields are killing him then!

Ian D

[Dave Thorley]

Bet the prices for Lee Fields are killing him then!

Ian D

When we were at Cleethorpes, he saw a record (can't remember which) in someones box. He sold it 20 years ago for about £10, as it had the label badly torn on the b side. He pulled it out and asked how much, the seller said £500, John flipped it over and it was the same record he had sold all those years ago.

He chuntered on about this for the rest of the weekend, bless him

A living ledgend and close to an 'A Lister', woops wrong tread!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest gordon russell]

Evening all,

Just thought i'd put up a thread about something which has been bothering me recently.

Why is it that people selling records without clear prices insist on you "Making them an offer".

Whenever i'm in this position i feel really uncomfortable because i don't want to cause offence but i want to get hold of a record at a reasonable price. If i do offer up a bid and they're expecting alot more then i feel like i've been rude to offer them that.

Why don't people just go balls out and ask for a figure that they would be happy to accept for a record opposed to being too scared to do that because they might let something go too cheap, it just seems like a way that sellers can play people also by saying they have been bid a certain amount so that another prospective buyer can be influenced to bid up more.

I don't mean to sound negative about this and i'm not directing this at anyone, i'm just saying i don't like to offend people.

Same situation as when someone does ask for a price on a record and it flies right out then they think, i've sold that too cheap and start having second thoughts...

What are your views?

Get annoyed by bogus offers?

Feel that offers are a better way to achieve a reasonable sale price for a record?

Matt

mostly the reason for them saying make me an offer is plain as plain,they have a record worth £100,you say how much,they say MAKE ME AN OFFER in the feint hope you'll say £150,they then get loads more than it's worth.Another reason is to see if the offer price gives em enough profit.Always remember with dealers if they're selling it's rarer that rocking horse poo,if they're buying there's loads of em about atb tezza

[Guest gordon russell]

LEE FIELDS is not a rare record at all,was round a big dealers place many moons ago when this tune sold for £2 and said dealer had literally hundreds of copies in a huge pile........they're out there somewhere

[paultp]

I've found it far easier shifting records when I put them up for offers. Maybe I'm easily pleased.

I made a massive horlicks on a Lou Courtenay track that the Funk lads were after. I put up my ridiculously low price and had 8 PMs in the first 2 0r 3 minutes and 37 in 30 minutes.

Still I sold it at the asking price. But HOW I wished I had just put offers.

Mikey,

What you're supposed to do there is tell them you had 9 pm's in a minute and it sold to the first one, they'll all nod knowingly and think that some one else got lucky and identify them as the next person to offer it at its true value.

Then you either go across to the funk board with your completely dissimilar user name and put it up for offers or leave it a month then put it up here again saying you've found another copy.

I'll send you an invoice.

Cheers

Paul

P.S. Still no lard?

[Ian Dewhirst]

Mikey,

What you're supposed to do there is tell them you had 9 pm's in a minute and it sold to the first one, they'll all nod knowingly and think that some one else got lucky and identify them as the next person to offer it at its true value.

Then you either go across to the funk board with your completely dissimilar user name and put it up for offers or leave it a month then put it up here again saying you've found another copy.

I'll send you an invoice.

Cheers

Paul

P.S. Still no lard?

Ah, but surely that would brand In-Town Mikey as a dishonest chancer who missuses the wonderful Soul Source forum for his nefarious record schemes wouldn't it?

It would also surely encourage the slightly more machiavellian types who are on here anyway to do likewise thus reducing the forum to whirlpool of lies, intrigue and hypocrisy would'nt it?

Furthermore In-Town Mikey might actually lose custom, as the record hawks will move on to fresh carrion to rape and pillage if In-Town Mikey pulls a stunt like that!

Ian D

[paultp]

Ah, but surely that would brand In-Town Mikey as a dishonest chancer who missuses the wonderful Soul Source forum for his nefarious record schemes wouldn't it?

I was merely jokingly suggesting a course of action that might be taken by someone with less scruples than Mikey or myself (and obviously yourself). Of course nobody would ever do this, it would be like including records you don't have on a sales list to make it look good.

It would also surely encourage the slightly more machiavellian types who are on here anyway to do likewise thus reducing the forum to whirlpool of lies, intrigue and hypocrisy would'nt it?

I hope it never goes that way, may it continue with all the honest, optimistic, kind-hearted, polite and charitable souls that inhabit this board

Furthermore In-Town Mikey might actually lose custom, as the record hawks will move on to fresh carrion to rape and pillage if In-Town Mikey pulls a stunt like that!

Record hawks! Are there such people who would profit from under-priced sales? I'm sure the course of action most people would take would be to point out to mikey his obvious error and generously offer the correct going rate for said disc.

Unless the buyer had purchased the record not knowing it's true value but because he loved the tune and it was destined for his cherished, never played collection of which he has no idea of the total value to the nearest tenner.

Ian D

[Pete S]

I've made a balls up this very morning - Bobby Adams record on Symbol WD - didn't know the price, instead of putting offers I just stuck £40 on it, 6 or 7 calls on it and I had to send out an email saying it had gone and remove it from the list I put on Soul Source - turns out it was £100+...of course I could have always just not sold it to the first person who asked once I'd found out it was worth sommat. But I didn't.

[Guest]

I've made a balls up this very morning - Bobby Adams record on Symbol WD - didn't know the price, instead of putting offers I just stuck £40 on it, 6 or 7 calls on it and I had to send out an email saying it had gone and remove it from the list I put on Soul Source - turns out it was £100+...of course I could have always just not sold it to the first person who asked once I'd found out it was worth sommat. But I didn't.

We've all done it Pete, think my worst was Cappy & Stonewall which I sold on here for £15 about a year ago.........had no real idea as to it's value and just stuck it up at the book price. Soooo many messages, sold it to the first person to ask and the next time I saw a copy it was on a JM auction for around £400

Live and learn!

Adam.

[KevH]

what about when you see a record in a sleeve with an inflated price scrawled on it?.

"oh ,sorry its in the wrong sleeve" .

Sometimes its not the wrong price!!.Other times its correct,if you know what i mean.

If you ask "is that what you're looking for on this?",sometimes the quick thinkers say," make me an offer",after your puzzled expression.

Saw a certain 45 recently at two very different prices,both respectable guys.So yes, you can offend by offering the "wrong" price....KEV.

[Dave Thorley]

I've made a balls up this very morning - Bobby Adams record on Symbol WD - didn't know the price, instead of putting offers I just stuck £40 on it, 6 or 7 calls on it and I had to send out an email saying it had gone and remove it from the list I put on Soul Source - turns out it was £100+...of course I could have always just not sold it to the first person who asked once I'd found out it was worth sommat. But I didn't.

Good on you Pete.

I tend to put up everything at set sale, some you get right, some you get wrong in both directions. Life to short to worry about a few pounds here or there.

[Pete S]

We've all done it Pete, think my worst was Cappy & Stonewall which I sold on here for £15 about a year ago.........had no real idea as to it's value and just stuck it up at the book price. Soooo many messages, sold it to the first person to ask and the next time I saw a copy it was on a JM auction for around £400

Live and learn!

Adam.

My worst was the Outasites - For the rest of my life - Saru. Sold to Mick Smith for £100 who sold it to Keb I think same night for £400. I'd never even heard of it!