Why no reply? And other negotiation tactics...

This has been on my mind for a while and I wanted to start a thread to see what others had experienced.

Has anyone (especially those that are selling something) seen an increase in people contacting them (whether via ebay, here on CoinTalk, or other forums) and then disappearing? For example, I have had several people ask to buy a coin and then never reply after the initial message. Or someone asks for more photos and then they disappear.

What is the point behind asking and then not replying? Are these mostly those that want something for half of market prices and when they don't hear that number they lose interest? I know people don't always agree on prices, but why not just reply with a simple "No, thank you" or "Thanks, but I can't spend that much now" instead of not replying at all?

Another thing that I wonder about is, if a price is listed, why do some ask what is your best price instead of making their own offer?

And one final question: how would you reply to someone using being a dealer as part of their negotiation tactic? For example, I'm asking $X and someone says "can you do $X-Y because I'm a dealer that needs to resell"? Does that change anything for you as the seller?

 

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Feel free to answer any or all of the above!

If you're one of those people that doesn't reply, let's hear why; be brave and let us know your thinking process!

 

TIRE KICKKERS!

 

Thanks to the Internet age, I can reply very concisely: "LOL".

If I'm offering to sell the coin for $100, and he's wanting to pay $80 for it so that he can resell it for $100, my lengthier reply would be "why should I donate $20 to you?"

Of course, it's not really that simple. You might be asking actual value + Y, and he might have a customer willing to pay actual value + Y, one who would never see your listing otherwise. Brokering is a valuable service, and deserves some reward.

But if this "dealer" is shopping on eBay (or an equivalent public venue), he's going to have to compete with other buyers, not just other "dealers". Who he is, or what he intends to do with the coin, shouldn't affect your negotiating position in the slightest. IMHO, of course.

 

Very true!

And I know if I go to my local coin store or walk a coin show that the people there are dealers and need to make a living.

My case was someone replying to a post and using the dealer line (they contacted me first). I know I should have been nicer, but them initiating the dealer tag really put me off. So I basically used your reply and said that I don't want to donate to them. That really set this guy off and he felt the need to teach me how I have the wrong idea about dealers. Well I told him he needs to learn a few things too!

 

Yes. A lot try to get things cheap and if not they ghost sadly.

 

I don't like the (so-called) privacy of the B/S/T format on CT, so I refuse to use it. Buyers and sellers (too!) can say and do whatever they want under the guise of anonymity. If the CT powers-that-be don't want the headache of being involved, then they should just get rid of it.

Chris

 

And I hate it when a dealer is pricing a coin to me and tells me what they paid. I don't care if you are making 200% profit, $1 in profit, or losing $100 on the transaction. It doesn't change my opinion of wanting the coin or not.

 

Oh, yes. "Well, then, that's different. Junk silver that last changed hands in 2011 will always be worth an extra premium!"

 

Cripe, I still see dealers who bought silver at $50 per ounce and still trying to get their investment back at shows!

 

I had a few people on ebay contact me asking if I'd take a certain price for a coin, and i agreed and went in and updated the price and then messaged the person telling them I had changed the price and then ... nothing. I can only assume they bought one from someone else in the meantime.

 

I have one dealer /friend, and those are usually the first words out of his mouth. I quickly reply, that I don't care. I think some people buy it because it sounds like they are getting it for just a little more than he paid. They neglect asking him if he will buy it back for what he "paid" the first time.

 

Wouldn't change a thing unless there's a relationship there. Obviously you take if if you think it'll be hard to sell, but otherwise it doesn't matter as a random buyer.

 

I don't have any experience selling coins yet, but I can tell you that I do sell items through marketplaces on facebook quite often and I get a lot of people who contact me to ask a question and then disappear. I've had a few people not even show up after a deal was struck. It's fine if you change your mind, but at least tell me!

 

From a purely buyer’s viewpoint (which I am) I don’t contact a seller unless I’m serious about their coin and doing business with them. If I want to fish, I’ll go down to the river.

I would guess that’s why some contacts disappear without a trace. They’re fishing. That, and a lack of manners.

 

I know one dealer who has a nice system. It goes something like this...
Buyer: "what is the best you can do on this coin?" coin is labeled $350
Dealer: $325
Buyer : can you do $320
Dealer:I can do $330.
Buyer: But that's more than you just quoted!
Dealer: Well, you didn't like that price so I figured I would give you a different one."
Buyer then refuses to move off of $330

 

A dealer with a sense of humor. I like it!