So, saw an ad on Craigslist for a jointer - looked nice but the price was high, so I emailed this -
I saw your ad on CL for the jointer. It looks nice, but to be honest, your price is WAY high. This model is 10+ years old & sold for about 550 new. I'm not trying to lowball, but honestly I think a reasonable price would be around 250. I would take it at that price, if you're willing to move.
Just so you don't think I'm making this up, here are a couple links I saw in researching age & fair price.. If you'll consider my price, let me know. I'm in Green Bay so I'll have to find a time to come down to Appleton after work, but that shouldn't be an issue.
I didn't get a response so I texted to follow up - had this exchange..
I emailed you earlier today about the Delta jointer - not sure if you're checking emails so just following up with text. I'm interested - gave more details in the email.
-Jason
If your the one that offered 250 then don't bother me
It's a fair price. If you're not interested, good luck but I think you're going to have a hard time sell it at that price.
MSRP was around $750 IIRC. If he doesn't want to take your offer, just move on… there will always be another one along shortly. And I think he will get what he is asking for it, or very close to it.
I send emails like that from time to time. I probably wouldn't have captiolized "way", but i see noo issues otherwise. That said, I would suggest you don't bother following up or engaging if the first try doesn't work.
I don't have an opinion about whether his or your price is fair for this item but personally, if I think someone is low-balling, I may not bother responding either. In fact what I have done to someone who I thought was rude or insultingly low was counter with a higher amount. And when I am the buyer and I think their price is way over its value (to me), I don't bother wasting my time (or theirs) trying to convince them they're wrong. I just keep looking for someone whose price is in the ballpark of what I want to spend.
So, couple things - definitely NOT engaging him anymore. I was just surprised at the level of attitude I got. Maybe I shouldn't have done the "WAY" but honestly I didn't even give it a thought. I had hoped that giving some background on how I came to the price would have shown I wasn't just being a jackass.
As far as the MSRP, I heard it on a couple things I saw, including the "best jointer under $600" in the fine woodworker link.
I bought a 6 inch Jet Jointer a few years ago and paid $300 for it. So…your offer may not be out of line. Probably was to the seller. Maybe he is waiting for a sucker. There is one born every day - WC Fields!
Lucky he didn't tell you OK, then when you got there to pick it up tell you he just sold it for 275.00.
Personally I don't start out negotiations insulting someone by telling them their price is WAY high.
If I wanted to make an offer, I would start off by telling them I would be willing to give them 250..
and see where it goes from there. Sometime they say OK, sometimes they may counter,
no one insulted either way.
I think it was a little out of line and would have probably did the same as he did.
But also I understand this is Craigslist and, well, I've heard worst.
Don't bother him. It's hard to perceive how others will interpret your email. Regardless, the "WAY" thing was a little out of line, if you were trying to be nice. I'm sure you figured that out by now.
It's unfortunate that he won't negotiate, however you never really gave him an opportunity with the wording of your e mail. The only thing to do now is wait. If, after a month, it's still there, he may come to his senses. I had a planer purchase work like that once. I drove out and we couldn't agree on a price. I went home feeling frustrated for driving out there, but felt I had made a fair and competitive offer. Well two week later he e mailed to say he would accept my offer. He had become more motivated to sell in those two weeks. This probably won't happen to you, it sounds like you hurt his pride a little. Still, if it's there in a month, you might send an e mail starting with…"Listen, I wanted to write to apologize for my last message…" If it's not, I guess someone just got taken…
I see ads on CL frequently where I think the price is out of line. But I've never sent a message explaining that, even if it was something I might be interested in. Mostly because I've always suspected it would end like your venture did. So I guess I'm not sure you were out of line with your thoughts on value, but maybe with the message.
I use to sell stuff on CL a lot and I personally got sick of all the crazy welfare idiots on there that are trying to get something else for nothing. Your only thinking about your one email while the seller probably gets several emails a day offering him that little for something that to me looks lik it would be a steal (or at last a really good deal) for $250. A new harbor freight version of that is more than your offer and a new porter cable small jointer is 200 at lowes.
He probably shouldn't have gotten so teed off at you and he was a little rude but personally I think 250 was a little low and your email telling him that it wasn't worth was much can be a hair insulting.
The better way of doing it would have been to email and say "I seen your jointer in CL and it looks great. If you could do 250 let me know and ill come pick it up"
Last year I posted my 2014 Honda civic on CL for sale. The car lot already offered me 12k trade in and it booked for 14K (with nothing for sale within 100 miles of me for under 13.5) and mine just had 25000 miles. You would be surprised how many folks offered to "take it off my hands" for $8-10K. In my area ppl wanna act like you aint eating tonight unless you sell to them for about half of what it is actually worth. Point being the seller is dealing with a lot of nuts and probably got rude with a few folks and you just happened to be one that he did…
Not only do I get ridiculous low ball offers for stuff, but the scammers are insane. Sure, I'll take more than what it's worth and then pay the difference to someone else, yep, i'm really that stupid.
The adage of "...used price should be 50% of "new" price…", does NOT mean 50% of the original +10yr ago price. It means 50% of what a NEW TODAY PRICE of an equivalent jointer is currently selling.
Inflation applies to both used and new equipment alike. Food for thought…
WAY back when I was in college (early 1980s) our Law professor told us that from a legal standpoint, "A price is an invitation to make an offer on an item". We then had to go out during the week and test that legal concept.
OK, you made an offer which that particular seller rejected. There are some deluded souls in this world who think we are still living in a pre-great recession era and their used items carried the same value that they did before 2009. I have encountered this mentality across the board with ALL KINDS of items. The same people carry the same stuff to flea markets and shows time and time again, cursing that no one will pay them what it's "worth".
ANYTHING is only "worth" what someone else will pay for it. That being said, this guy ain't the only catfish in the creek. With a little time and patience, you WILL find a seller who is open to offers. You may experience a few rejections along the way, but at some point, you will find what you're looking for in your price range.
"ANYTHING is only "worth" what someone else will pay for it"
That's only partially true. The other "worth" is when its worth more to hand on to than sell at a cheap price.
There will always be someone cleaning a relatives garage out and not know what something is worth and will list it low cause they don't know/care or high cause they don't know or want money. Then there are those that think "I don't use it that much and could use the cash for something else" and that person will be the one that will not go below what its actually value of the product because they know what it actually is worth and its worth more keeping than giving away. Most ppl do still list a little higher just so they can come down for a buyer that wants to make a deal
Who's wrong? I think you are, just make an offer, if the buyer doesn't accept, move on. If it is way over priced he may not sell it until he lowers the price, he'll have to figure that out on his own. It is not your place to try and set the price.
You were pushy. He was a jerk. You should see CL in Houston. These guys want 100% of retail (like Grainger retail, not amazon retail) for everything used/beat up/dropped off a cliff. Somehow the pawn shops get away with it and don't even need to haggle. That being said if you don't offer you never know. You might be able to snag something cheap if you catch someone in the right moment. That guy was obviously pissed he wasn't selling it and took it out on you. I guess he didn't need the money that bad then…..but then again why was he mad if he didn't need the money. haha
Thanks for all of the replies - it has been somewhat eye opening. At the time I didn't really think anything of how I phrased it but I can see how it would have come off as abrasive…
lol, this is Capitalism, the Seller sets the price he wants and the buyer eventually pays what it's worth (after the seller lowers the price)..
OP, you were wrong.. it's his, he can list it for whatever he wants.. plus, you argued with someone "on the internet".. that is the online version of stepping in dog ******************** in the lawn..
Haha, i buy and sell a lot on CL, amazing some of the emails and texts one will get.
I always offer what i consider a fair price, and most of the time a negotiation begins and a conclusion to deal is not far behind, if no response, then its a no win deal, move on, always another one later on.
I've been trying to buy a top line band saw for months now, on CL, i'm it seems a few minutes late getting to seller, oh well, my turn will come.
good luck with finding your unit, patience grasshopper.
Rj
Just have to say that the OP lives in Wisconsin like I do. The "50% rule" does not apply, largely because of the Amish population that will pay FMV or more for decent stuff. I'm guessing the seller will get his asking price. It looked like a nice piece for that price. I do have to ask though…is it assumed that anything on Craigslist is open to negotiation and therefore not the place to sell if you price something fairly?
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