"What's Your Best Price?"

I feel that when a seller posts an asking price it is legitimate to expect a potential buyer to make a "real offer". By "real offer" I mean a specific dollar value and what it includes or does not include (e.g. shipping, PayPal, etc).

Onhwy61,

You nailed it for me. I put up a number so now it is time for the buyer to put up a number. "What's your best price" especially irritates me when it comes five minutes after my ad has been posted.

As someone else pointed out, I have never sold an item to a "what's your best price" buyer. But I have had very successful negotiations with serious buyers who were willing to make a reasonable opening offer.

I pretty much ignore "WYBP" buyers unless my ad is about to expire. I also never list an item as "OBO". I almost always get other offers regardless of how the ad is posted.

Goatwuss, Our complaints (well at least mine)are because, for the most part, WYBP buyers are not really interested and just waste our time. If they were serious about purchasing the item they would make an offer.

Of course the buyer wants to pay the least possible but WYBP offers ignore the other half of the equation. The seller also wants the best price they can get. When selling, I would like a little appreciation that I need to be treated fairly as well. That is why I appreciate a reasonable offer. That respects me as a seller (person) and lets me know the buyer is serious. Frequently my asking price is the price I expect to get. I have done my homework and know what the market is.

Jmcgrogan2, I agree with you that best offer can indeed be higher than the asking price. To me best offer also includes other factors such as "I will send a postal money order via priority mail" vs "will you wait for my personal check to clear".

I have waited for personal checks (low cost items) to clear from Audiogon members with excellent ratings. I would do so again in the future. But for high cost items the fastest, most secure payment contributes to how I rate an offer.

In response to your previous question--I feel inflating the price is just as counter productive as a ridiculous low-ball offer or "what is your best price?" response. I want to show I am a serious and fair seller so I do my homework and set a fair price. I frequently sell at my asking price. Most of the rest of the time I sell near the asking price. Sometimes I just go away and sell another day.

The best price I will accept also varies with how long the item has been advertised. The most annoying "WIYBP" offers are the ones that come immediately after the classified has been posted. At that point my best price is the advertised price---unless of course someone makes me a serious offer.

Bottom line to me is--Serious buyers should make serious offers.

"OBO" means just that. Make an offer--A specific price with a clear statement of what it covers or does not cover (shipping, PayPal, etc.).

OBO is NOT a request for a buyer to respond with "what is your best price". The seller has already made an opening offer and it is incumbent upon a potential buyer to make a specific bid.

Classified buying and selling (especially OBO sales) is very similar to an auction, just not as formal and the price frequently goes in the opposite direction from an auction. In an OBO classified the seller asks for the best price they think they can get and then, if there are multiple potential buyers, they secretly bid against each other with specific offers.

Many Audiogon auctions don't start out at the sellers best price because there is a hidden reserve. If a buyer wants to buy they are forced to make a specific offer.

So buyers, if you are serious make an offer already otherwise don't waste the sellers time.

Sogood51,

I am not sure if you were referring to my post or not. I am not intentionally trying to turn "OBO" into an auction. I was merely pointing out that it has some similarities to an auction if there are multiple bidders. Best offer wins.

Even fixed-price ads get offers for less than the asking price and can take on some aspects of an auction. My point is that anytime there are multiple buyers competing there are elements of an auction in play.

Try standing up at a real auction and bidding "what's your best price?". Auctioneer's don't have gavels just to bang on the podium.