A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm sure most of you don't do this, but if you do or know of someone who does, PLEASE do not let them advertise anything in this manner:
"$100 OR BEST OFFER." If you do that guess which price you don't want? 
Would you offer $100? I'm not sure where this originated or why it caught on...but...don't. Having negotiated thousands of agreements it is clear that it's a bad strategy but without that, use the reason that made you an agnostic 
I return you to your programming still in progress...
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6 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Is the "best offer" $3? Let's offer them three dollars. The OBO is the carpet deal approach going back for eons. Lord love a duck. Haggle.
WonderWartHog99
Level 8
Aug 30, 2020
0
Yes and of course there'd be no haggling if it didn't say OBO --against the law to make an offer.
@lerlo At the flea market, nobody offers X number of dollars and 99 cents.
@K9Kohle789 Sellers who show up EVERY weekend, if not every day, (the pros) tend to charge "premium" prices. I have wandered away with bargains from people that show up just get rid of stuff they don't want anymore. My favorite was a ten band shortwave radio for $5.
I used to live in a town so remote if you were lucky, you could pull in ONE TV channel. Their AM radio station went off the air when the sun went down. Cable TV wasn't interested in setting up shop.
That shortwave radio was $5 blessing.
I like flea markets for $1 CDs.
Oh yeah, as to your comment, Rodger that. 
I think there are plenty of reasons for it. Let's say you'd be happy with $50, you list for $60 OBO so that the buyer feels like they're getting a discount and it creates a sense of urgency, (i.e. "Oh, they're willing to take X% less, if I don't move on that they're going to agree on a price with someone else" ) especially considering even if you don't list something as OBO, people will try to negotiate you down anyway.
Or if you just don't care and you want the item gone as soon as possible. I've sold things that I was going to trash. The amount of money I got was completely irrelevant because the real value was in not having to pay the fee at the dump and not have to load it up and drive it there (plus rent a truck like one of the items would have required). If the OBO makes them feel like they're getting a good deal, it may move the item and/or move it faster. If there's one constant, however, it's that there's no accounting for thought patterns of the masses that make no sense to logical people.
ChestRockfield
Level 8
Aug 30, 2020
1
Yes, because if you just list a price, it's against the law for anyone to offer less right? They won't know to do it unless you tell them after picking a random number next to it. I would think $1000 OBO is better because then they're REALLY getting a good deal when they offer $50!
@lerlo Dude, are your heels just too dug in? I already said, "especially considering even if you don't list something as OBO, people will try to negotiate you down anyway." Don't be butthurt just because people are pointing out your theory is all kinds of incorrect. I even said that it's only wrong because people are illogical.
If there was an item for sale that I wanted and I thought it was a fair asking price, I would pay the asking price and be done with it.
jlynn37
Level 8
Aug 30, 2020
2
You're certainly free to pay the hundred instead of whatever your best offer would have been
My buddy's GF is the exact same. She was appalled that her BF and I negotiated an additional $20 off an item that we would have still bought if the seller said no. And, of course, there's something to that. Even at asking price it was a good deal for us. If the seller had gotten another offer for asking or $10 less and we missed out, we would have felt like idiots.
@JeffMurray Of course in that vein you'd give the guy $500 instead of the $100 OBO because it's really worth $500 right? If the answer is no, you'd screw the guy out of the $400 he's entitled to but you feel good if they have listed the right amount and feel bad about giving less. Just a bit hypocritical
@lerlo I know you're just acting out because you're upset, but honestly, there would be circumstances I would offer more money than the listing price if it was something I really wanted and I wanted to make sure I secured the sale to me. Apparently you don't deal in any kind of collectible, do you?
@JeffMurray wow, acting out? You know you wouldn't give somebody more than they asked for it if you were standing in front of the product and they were about to sell it to you
@lerlo I didn't say I've done it while standing in front of someone. I said I would/have offered over asking to secure the sale until I could make the transaction.
I reserve the right to reject any offer(s) for any reason
Cutiebeauty
Level 9
Aug 30, 2020
1
I guess you lied when you said you'd take the best offer then
@lerlo lawyers lie all the time then when they draft contracts with protections included as well.
@lerlo "Best offer" does not mean "Highest offer". What gave you that idea? A cash offer of $90 today when the buyer will drive to me is way BETTER than a check for $100 next week that I have to go pick up.
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