Thursday, June 16, 2016

Handy Hints for Online Shopping

As I mentioned, the campaign to pay for the Precious is ongoing. I have certainly done my fair share of buying online through the years, but now I'm doing more selling than normal. I've now compiled these experiences for your benefit.
don't sit in things you can't afford
For BUYERS:

1) READ the ad carefully. Some adds are shoddily written, but still contain a lot of the necessary information. If you have questions, by all means, ask.

2) Understand how offers work. If you don't want to pay the asking price but do want the item, it is 100% ok to contact the seller and offer the amount you would pay. That's negotiating. It's legit.

It is not ok to message and ask, "What's the lowest you will go?"

I'm struggling to explain what should be self-evident, but it's already listed for what I want for it. That is the lowest I will go. I'm not going to be like "LULZ JK actually only want a third of the price." No.
definitely try on boots that don't fit
3) Understand how offers work part II

There's making an offer and there's insulting the seller. I don't have a hard and fast rule here--on a higher end item that is fairly priced for the market (not for your budger--your budget is your problem), It's generally ok to offer about 10% less. That's not saying the seller will take it. Do not offer a tiny fraction of the price and expect it to go well.

Now if something has been sitting on the market for a while and the seller keeps dropping the price or adds an OBO to it, sure, shoot over a number. But if it's brand new? ;-) Give a good post a bump.
so much Back on Track!
For SELLERS:

1) The net result of a post bump is a post bump. Even if it's dumb.

I hear so many sellers complain about potential buyers asking stupid questions or tire kicking a facebook ad. Here's the thing--the way facebook works, even if it is the WORLD'S DUMBEST QUESTION, that bumps your add back to the top of the group and puts it in front of more people. So does your response to that question.

Sure, it can be annoying, but it's traffic and traffic gets things sold.

2) Price items fairly. This is a big one for me. I was raised by thrifty parents and I am the QUEEN of never paying full price.

Fair=fair market value. This is pretty easy to determine generally--what are similar items selling for? You have to compare apples to apples. Used bridle to used bridle, not used to new. My general rule on shopping for used items is simple: I'll pay about 60% MAX of the new price (unless it's a specific and trendy item with market value exceptions). The older an item is, the less I'm willing to cough up. The big exceptions here are trendy-brand (read: French) strap goods and saddles.

Saddles very widely--an in-demand used saddle can hold it's value relatively well, if it's the popular seat size and specs. Those ancient Crosby PdNs? STOP TRYING TO SELL THEM. Seriously. No one on the planet wants one.

3) Be clear and answer promptly.

In an instant marketplace, I want answers relatively quickly. I don't mean wake up in the middle of the night to answer a dumb question, but within 12-24 hours, you should be able to answer questions and pass pictures on to buyers. If you ignore a buyer, they're going to find something else.

I think I pretty well covered it.

All that to say, I'm moving a bunch of stuff to assist in paying for the precious, so if you need something, hit me up.

32 comments:

  1. Do you still have the BOT pads? And what are you asking for them?

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is the lowest you will go drives me crazy. I always want to up the price just for that person

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ugh for some weird reason I'm pretty much the worst seller ever. Probably bc I don't have Facebook haha. And I may have slightly hoarder-ish tendencies (I don't need it now, but mayyyyybe someday I will need it again?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wait, you don't have Instagram or Facebook?!?!

      Delete
    2. We did manage to get her addicted to Fitbit. Small steps, yo.

      Delete
    3. As long as she can count them, I guess.

      Delete
    4. Aww haha I have LinkedIn too! Totes counts!!

      Delete
  4. My response to what's the lowest you'll go is always "I refuse to negotiate with myself"

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too hate the 'what's the lowest you would go'. I usually respond with 'what's the most you would pay?'.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have impulse control issues and the BOT pads and Pipers were calling my name -- thank God they sold haha.

    Buying and selling things on FB makes me insane. I had to hide most of the group posts from my newsfeed because I would make sarcastic comments haha.

    ReplyDelete
  7. But I want someone to buy my Crosbyyyyyyy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have a love hate relationship with selling online. I've had great success but I've also been driven nearly insane by some folks indecisiveness.

    I am not going to resist the temptation to ask if you have any half pads that need new homes...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant *now going to resist but I guess, well...

      Delete
  9. I refuse to spend more than $900 on a used saddle. My current one was $750.

    This probably means I'm never going to get a Custom. But, I am willing to bide my time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Post more stuff for sale! I like buying from you:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I LOVE MY ANCIENT CROSBY and it is beautifully preserved with no scratches or tears and it has new billets.
    So there.

    That being said I think I bought it for like $100 so yeah, the ones in more used shape are not worth selling. But I fully intend to ride in it on my new horse.

    Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to have any warmblood size bridles hanging around that need to be sold, would you?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have an ancient Crosby PdN and I love it. I'd love another. Fits me great and every horse I've put it on really well. But I'm weird and I hate knee rolls and want a hard as a rock saddle.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ugh, preach on the PdNs. There are two at work right now. The owners have priced them ridiculously high (despite advice to the contrary), so I'm predicting they'll be here for years and years (just like the ancient, overpriced Passier dressage saddles).

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ah the selling/buying game. It is filled with such nitwits. I just had to buy a black bridle to replace the one Mia ever-so-nicely broke by stepping on it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yessssss. Still haven't posted stuff for sale but need to get on that!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've sold a buttload of stuff on facebook. But I also have had people comment "I'll take it" on something and then hum and haw and not follow through...which is annoying and makes it look like the item is sold.

    ReplyDelete
  17. YESS on the first point. I'm big on describing my tack very well, taking photos of every little flaw or cool unique thing on whatever I'm selling, I always add the gullet size, seat size, photos of measurements...list those things very clearly, and while selling a saddle, I had SO many people message me and ask what size the seat was when I literally said it probably four times in the ad. LOL

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...