unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

[45Auto]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Dont you guys like to battle with the buyers when they show up?

That's the best part of selling stuff. I once priced a boat ridicuously high, only had one guy come out to look at it on a Friday after several weeks. He asked the "what's the least you'll take" question. Naturally I claimed that I had 3 or 4 coming to look at it the next day (Saturday), I couldn't come down on price till they looked at it and made offers. Reality was that I would have taken several thousand less if he'd offered, I didn't want to let him leave without getting rid of the boat. I let him knock me down $200 off my asking price and we were both happy.

I find the most interesting transactions on Craigslist to be the ones where I post something in the "barter" section. Usually I get all kinds of goofy offers, and end up moving the item to "for sale" when I really want to get rid of it. But sometimes you'll get some interesting trade offers!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

On the bottom dollar thing... The reason it's annoying is that it's a silly question.... If I put $1000 in the add then that is the price I want you to start from..... If I was willing to start the negotiation at a lower number I would put that in the add. When someone asks me for my bottom dollar they are kind of telling me that they think I'm stupid enough to show them all my cards... They aren't the worst though... the real dopes are the ones that make an offer over the phone without any intention of backing it up..... If you want to haggle the price, do it in person with cash in your hand.

It does go both ways tho.... A while back I saw an add someone posted saying "asking $1200, but will take the first offer over $800" LOL.... makes ya wanna go offer $1150 right? ...... Here's yer sign

the doors are 10 5/8" each with a piano hinge in the center by 42 1/2" high.

Yeah I love mine, only selling cause im buying a 28' mariner, I started at $8500, it has a new rebuilt motor, brand new outdrive and i have restored the cabin. I have it down to $6500 now, gettin a few hits but not alot! bad time to sell a big boat!
hope that helps!

thanks, is the piano hinge on the inside or the outside? How are they built? ex. framework 1x3" and 1/2" panels... How are the joints done? mortice and tennon? I assume there is a window in each door to match the fold down window next to the door....if so how are they framed in? Any chance of some pictures?

I hope you don't mind the hijacks

 

[nuboat2me]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

This is what *I* do when selling what ever I have listed FS in the drive way.

I "Create Chaos"... I call my next door neighbor. Ask him what is doing at say... 3 on Saturday (Propective Buyer comming to look at the Trans Am)...

Customer 1. Shows up at 2:50. Starts looking over the car. We make small talk. Show him receipts, note the high points of the car.

Scott (neighbor) shows up at 3:15... Say's, I see you are busy with Customer 1.

Customer 1. Asks... Is that someone else looking?

Me "Yeah... He is really early... Not supposed to be here until 4... I ask SCOTT... Do you want to wait or come back???

Scott... Nah... I'll just wait...

Customer 1 takes car for a test drive and returns... SCOTT is still there....

Customer 1 makes offer Above my secret figure....

I buy Scott a few beers with some of the sales proceeds...

Worked like a charm...

Now... who is in teh market for a Riding Lawn Tractor???

 

[likalar]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

I showed a 16' Zodiac to an guy 2 years ago. It was fully rigged, inflated, set up in the garage. It looked brand new. He asked if it still floats and if it still runs. I started the engine with hose/muffs attached. He asked if the hose has to be attached when he takes the boat on a lake. I'm not kidding! He ended up making a deposit, and finally, after weeks of foot-dragging, paying all cash after I took him out for a demo. The guy loved the boat! He had his dad's PU with him to haul it home. When I got home the phone rang; his dad refused to let him store the boat in his Atherton (pricey neighborhood) driveway, so now the buyer wanted his money back. Noooooo!
A year later the same boat was on Craigslist, using the same exact lengthy description I had used when selling it. However, the number of hours on the engine was lowered quite a bit, as were the brags about top speed. Go figure!

Larry

 

[45Auto]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

The reason it's annoying is that it's a silly question.... If I put $1000 in the add then that is the price I want you to start from

That's exactly why it's NOT a silly question. Maybe you did wish to start from $1000 when you placed the ad, but reality has now set in (no takers at $1000), you've realized that it's really a $50 item, and you're willing to start the negotiations somewhat lower in order not to lose a potential buyer .....

The price you want to start from is irrelevent to anyone interested in your stuff. Just because you put $1,000,000 on your $1,000 item doesn't mean anyone will start from there, no matter how much you want them to. Your perception of what your stuff is worth is meaningless to most people, we'll start from what we think it's worth no matter what you ask. But who knows, you might get someone to give you $1,000,000 for it!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

On the bottom dollar thing... The reason it's annoying is that it's a silly question.... If I put $1000 in the add then that is the price I want you to start from..... If I was willing to start the negotiation at a lower number I would put that in the add. When someone asks me for my bottom dollar they are kind of telling me that they think I'm stupid enough to show them all my cards... They aren't the worst though... the real dopes are the ones that make an offer over the phone without any intention of backing it up..... If you want to haggle the price, do it in person with cash in your hand.

This was pretty much my exact line of thinking.

 

[jbing81]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

The Ive found the worst part in selling a boat is everyone wants to hear it run. I get that only an idiot would buy a boat w/o running the motor first, but where does a buyer draw the line?! Having to pull the boat out of the garage along with the hose and filling the can everytime a tire kicker comes by is out of the question! I cant justify spending 30-40 minutes preping a boat when the person coming to look at it only stays 15 minutes! It finally got to the point where I wouldnt even pull the boat out without seeing some cash first. The way I see it is I described the boat to a tee (no BS) on the internet with plenty of pictures. If someone is serious about buying it they will bring $$$$$.

 

[Todd157k]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

When I was selling my 89 vette, I had a basic sign in the window; parked out in front of my work. A guy stopped to look at it. He was soooo excited at the car and DROOLING over it.. then he asked how much. (what a duuf)

I added $3000 to my asking price and he didn't even bat an eye. He paid cash 3 hrs later.

I really wish I was selling a house to this guy.

 

[Thad]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Basically, an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. We all know this. If you want to know what my bottom $ is, make an offer. I believe "he who speaks first looses". You could offer me more than I would take, you loose. If I tell you "what I will take" and it is lower than you would have paid, I loose. Pretty simple.

So yeah, everything is negotiable. Just don't expect me to start.

 

[jbing81]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

That's the best part of selling stuff. I once priced a boat ridicuously high, only had one guy come out to look at it on a Friday after several weeks. He asked the "what's the least you'll take" question. Naturally I claimed that I had 3 or 4 coming to look at it the next day (Saturday), I couldn't come down on price till they looked at it and made offers. Reality was that I would have taken several thousand less if he'd offered, I didn't want to let him leave without getting rid of the boat. I let him knock me down $200 off my asking price and we were both happy.

I find the most interesting transactions on Craigslist to be the ones where I post something in the "barter" section. Usually I get all kinds of goofy offers, and end up moving the item to "for sale" when I really want to get rid of it. But sometimes you'll get some interesting trade offers!

My brother posted a car for sale in the "barter" section. After weeks of calls he accepted a offer for...

$2,500 cash
a bicycle
a Lionel train set
50' of crown molding
a pair of jeans
and a fish tank

Ive posted a few items for barter before, and like my brother would receive these goof ball offers. I always wondered what kind of person would agree to off the wall exchanges.... Well now I know lol

 

[bruceb58]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

The Ive found the worst part in selling a boat is everyone wants to hear it run. I get that only an idiot would buy a boat w/o running the motor first, but where does a buyer draw the line?! Having to pull the boat out of the garage along with the hose and filling the can everytime a tire kicker comes by is out of the question! I cant justify spending 30-40 minutes preping a boat when the person coming to look at it only stays 15 minutes! It finally got to the point where I wouldnt even pull the boat out without seeing some cash first.

Maybe its just me but when I sell a boat I have it already to run for a buyer at all times. As a seller. its my job to show my boat in its best light and running it for them is part of the deal.

if I went to your place and you bitched about getting it out of the garage and running it for me, I would be running away...not just walking.

 

[jbing81]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Let me rephrase that. In all past ads I assured all buyers that the boat and motor are in proper running order. I inform them that if they decide to buy the boat ill let the thing run for as long as they'd like. 5 min or 5 hrs. Makes no difference to me as long as they are there to buy the boat. I don't have time to waste on ppl just looking, that's why I post lengthy in depth ads with a ton of detailed pictures. If they're there just to look that's fine but I do it also from time to time, but I don't expect the buyer to put a show on just to entertain me...

 

[security6]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

That's exactly why it's NOT a silly question. Maybe you did wish to start from $1000 when you placed the ad, but reality has now set in (no takers at $1000), you've realized that it's really a $50 item, and you're willing to start the negotiations somewhat lower in order not to lose a potential buyer .....

I agree, but I still get the question from people an hour after posting the ad. If more than few days has passed, the question makes sense.

The price you want to start from is irrelevent to anyone interested in your stuff. Just because you put $1,000,000 on your $1,000 item doesn't mean anyone will start from there, no matter how much you want them to. Your perception of what your stuff is worth is meaningless to most people, we'll start from what we think it's worth no matter what you ask. But who knows, you might get someone to give you $1,000,000 for it

I don't get this. If I have something listed at $1000, but my perception of value is meaningless, then why are you asking me how much I'll sell it for? Wouldn't it make more sense for the buyer to make an offer so additional information is shared? We already know what the seller thinks it is worth. Why ask him again?

I guess it annoys me because it strikes me as a lazy-man's negotiation technique, especially when it is asked via email when the person hasn't even seen the item. I don't mind hagglers, but don't expect me to offer a deal for everyone who invests all of 15 seconds in an email.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Let me rephrase that. In all past ads I assured all buyers that the boat and motor are in proper running order. I inform them that if they decide to buy the boat ill let the thing run for as long as they'd like. 5 min or 5 hrs. Makes no difference to me as long as they are there to buy the boat. I don't have time to waste on ppl just looking, that's why I post lengthy in depth ads with a ton of detailed pictures. If they're there just to look that's fine but I do it also from time to time, but I don't expect the buyer to put a show on just to entertain me...

So at what point do you decide to run the motor? Before or after you negotiated a price? So if someones comes and says they would like you to run the motor you won't run it?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

I guess it annoys me because it strikes me as a lazy-man's negotiation technique, especially when it is asked via email when the person hasn't even seen the item.

I guess all that depends on how bad you want or need to sell it. If I put an ad in and it hasn't sold for 3 months, i would probably respond. If it is in there for one day, I probably wouldn't.

As far as it being a lazy-mans technique, the thing is, it often works so that is why people, me included, use it. Why not use the easiest way to find someones bottom line if they are willing to share it? Since my mind reading skills are not really that great, I like to use that technique.

 

[security6]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

I guess all that depends on how bad you want or need to sell it. If I put an ad in and it hasn't sold for 3 months, i would probably respond. If it is in there for one day, I probably wouldn't.

As far as it being a lazy-mans technique, the thing is, it often works so that is why people, me included, use it. Why not use the easiest way to find someones bottom line if they are willing to share it? Since my mind reading skills are not really that great, I like to use that technique.

Negotiation isn't about mind reading, it is about each side giving something up. I guess I find the technique annoying because the buyer is not giving anything up, but is still asking the seller to give something up. All part of the game I guess. I don't dispute that it works sometimes, but that doesn't make it any less annoying to me.

Question to those who use the technique: If you email someone and ask what their lowest price is, and they respond with a lower price, do you still dicker when you get there (assuming the item has been accurately described)? Does anyone think dickering twice (once in email and once in person) is poor form? Or is that just one of these "it works sometimes" sort of things.

I guess I assume that even if I give a lower price in email, the person is going to dicker with me in person. I would be less annoyed if I knew the email dicker'r wasn't going to try and chew me down more later.

 

[jbing81]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

So at what point do you decide to run the motor? Before or after you negotiated a price? So if someones comes and says they would like you to run the motor you won't run it?

if they have cash in hand, yes I'll run it. My method might not be for everyone but it saves me a lot of wasted time. Ive never had to sell any items in the past because I was hurting for cash or to make a mortgage pmt. or anything else of that nature. So if it sits a few weeks longer, it sits, but the item always sells. And the potential buyer knows this ahead of time, as I put it in the ad. I cant help it if they are stupid and ask redundant questions.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Let me give an example. I called on an ad for a Honda dirt bike. I asked them what there lowest price was. They dropped down $400 to a fairly reasonable price based on their description of the bike. It was a pretty long drive but the price was right so I drove and picked it up for the new asking price. If they weren't going to budge, I would have not made the drive. Every situation is different obviously. In this case, we were both happy.

Back when I was in college and just after, I was an auto dealer and dealt wholesale and retail. Learned a lot about negotiation. Never was annoyed or insulted by any question. I agree...the true art of negotiations is when both parties are happy.

 

[jbing81]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

Negotiation isn't about mind reading, it is about each side giving something up. I guess I find the technique annoying because the buyer is not giving anything up, but is still asking the seller to give something up. All part of the game I guess. I don't dispute that it works sometimes, but that doesn't make it any less annoying to me.

I usually just leave when this happens. I find it really annoying when sellers play this game. If I decide to go have a look at something its generally something I plan to buy (assuming the seller has described it accurately). Theres generally some wiggle room within reason and most sellers understand that. But those ppl who want me to play the guessing game end up loosing out.

I walked away on someone not too long ago in mid sentence. I asked if we could negotiate on the price. I made 2 offers and he said "keep going"!?!?? So I turned and walked away.

 

[Divecaptchris]

Re: unbelivable question asked when selling a boat!

WOW, I realy strted something here!