What does "Make Offer" mean to you?

[Hedji]

Good thread. I agree with Palitoy also. I can't figure why it's there if the seller is only willing to budge 5%. But sometimes, I'm such an impatient sucker, I'll take the 5% and say, "well, at least he budged a little".

[MIB41]

As a rule if the price is in the ballpark of what I was willing to pay, but I can get some savings from an offer, I tend to take 10% off the top. I get most offers I make based on that thought process. I'm not going to haggle in my hobby. If someone wants to accept offers, I'll make them an honorable offer within the framework of reason and expectation. If 10% is too high, they weren't serious to begin with and I move on. I don't make bids on open offers because no one puts anything up for sale without some kind of expectation. As a buyer it's not my job to read minds and know when someone feels personally enriched on a deal. To me if you're selling something and have a number in mind, establish a ceiling around it and then negotiate.

[TrekStar]

You also have to consider what there charging for shipping, so make an offer and include shipping.
when I sell I never add make an offer, to catch someone's eye, I might offer free shipping or just simply
sell at buy it now offer with free shipping. If I'm buying from someone asking to make an offer, I will
normally do it, if they meet in the middle, depending on how bad they want to sell it.

[Fitski]

Well I'll admit to throwing out low ball best offers! (more than 50% off) and a good portion of the time they've accepted it other times they'll come back with a decent counter offer no where near their asking price. You never know when someone needs a quick sale

When I'm selling on ebay I just put an auto decline on anything lower than I want to accept and then I don't have to deal with lowballers like me!

[megoat]

Hmmm, I'm a regular seller on eBay and sell stuff across many genres. I use Best Offer all the time. It totally depends on many variables as to what I will accept. If it's an item I just put up and the initial offers are low, I hold out. If it's an item I've had up for a couple of months I may take an offer that's 75% off of what I'm asking just to get the thing out of my life. Also, If I am in need of some cash that particular week I may come down considerably. I entertain ALL offers. But I'm also a seller that hates stale inventory and is constantly moving things along. If I have an item on eBay for more than two months I begin to really hate it and just want it out of my life.....

[Mr.Marion]

Offers should be over 60% of the ask imho.
Bottom line, In a irrational hobby you can't expect everyone in it to have rational thinking.

[Blue Meanie]

I've only been selling on ebay since about October after a 10 + year hiatus of NOT selling on ebay. I just don't get it when it comes to potential buyers. First off they think that offering half of what the BIN is would be sufficient enough to get a successful acceptance of an offer. Really??!!?? If I wanted half I would have put it up on ebay for HALF. Again, what Brian said is true...20 - 25% of the BIN should be the norm and it's not. Don't insult me thinking I know nothing about what I am putting up on Ebay by offering me HALF. I research EVERYTHING I put up. I'm not trying to be a pig about getting top dollar...just be fair when making an offer. One other thing....I notice I get a lot of watchers on items that have the "Best Offer" option but not one offer on said items. Is there a reason for this? Make an offer. The worst I can do is decline the offer or come back with a counter offer. Note: if you offer half...don't wait around by the computer for a counter offer. It will get declined and it also tells me you're not serious about buying. Again, just my opinion.

[drquest]

There's an option to decline best offers under a certain amount. I do that on my auctions and it makes those truly low balls offers to go away. I don't even get a notice of the offer, they just get an immediate decline.

Oddly, I find some of my buy it now auctions will sit with watchers, and I've had people wait until the final 10 minutes of the auction to do the buy it now, which puzzles me...

Personally I go to ebay when I can't sell it here or other non ebay sites. Ebay is ripe for the sellers to get ripped off anymore....

[toys2cool]

Just curious, I've been using this both as a seller and a buyer a lot lately.

In my head, it means you've probably got 20-25% leeway at best to play with. I never go lower than that because I think the opportunity to discuss the price fades when you move into "insulting territory".

As a seller, I've had people request an 80% discount on items twice this week.

As a buyer, I've made two offers on items this month, both at the asking price less 20%, my counter offers have been 1) a 3% reduction and 2) a 2% reduction in the price.

Why even have "Make offer" if you're only going to kick off $10?

What's your mantra with the make offer?

same as you bro..sometimes I try a little lower in the hopes I might snag a great deal but I won't low ball either

[Hector]

I've gotten accepted plenty of best offers in the past...I just don't low ball them right off the bat. As an example, if a seller has a $100 or best offer...IMO $80 offer is not insulting. He will then counter with $90...then we have a deal.

If he lists $100 or best offer...and I offer $20, then I'm acting childish and stupid...and wasting his time.

It's not rocket science.

I rarely list the best offer feature myself...but once in a blue moon I do...like in used watches...since that market is all over the place.

[megomania]

It goes both ways...

There are plenty of sellers with BIN that reject offers of 20-25% below.

I bought some vintage board games recently and without fail my first offer of 20% below (which is my standard also) was rejected and countered with like a couple bucks off the BIN price.

Sellers can be jerks too.

[Goblin19]

Same page as most everyone. I would never insult the seller. I've had too many people make terrible offers in the past.

[Blue Meanie]

It goes both ways...

There are plenty of sellers with BIN that reject offers of 20-25% below.

I bought some vintage board games recently and without fail my first offer of 20% below (which is my standard also) was rejected and countered with like a couple bucks off the BIN price.

Sellers can be jerks too.

Trust me...I completely agree with you. I've had my share of Sellers that think they have "Gold" when all they have is a decent figure that's not worth as much as they think it is. I think my prices are pretty reasonable. Like I said, I'm not trying to be a pig about the price...just don't insult me with an offer that is at most times half or less than half the BIN.

[daz71]

i made an offer on a figure he was asking £27 or make offer I offered £24 but he refused and would only knock off 50p.he has had the figure for sale for months with no sale he has now put it up to £55 if he couldn't sell it for £27 how's he going to sell it for £55.

[Gorn Captain]

i made an offer on a figure he was asking £27 or make offer I offered £24 but he refused and would only knock off 50p.he has had the figure for sale for months with no sale he has now put it up to £55 if he couldn't sell it for £27 how's he going to sell it for £55.

Oddly enough, that sometimes work.
I have offered stuff at $20. No interest.
I went a little crazy and offered it as an auction starting at $100.
All of a sudden, they think this thing is pure gold, and a bidding frenzy starts.
Sometimes people seem to need that feeling, that's it's "rare, expensive,..."

If I go the "Best Offer" route, I'll accept something like 70-80% off my price, depending on how expensive the item is.
If I want $10, I'll ask $12, then knock two bucks off. That way buyer and seller both feel they "won".