Some backstory:

Once upon a time I enjoyed it more. The thrill of the hunt, the haggle. I used to say my safe had a revolving door. You really only learn meaningfully hands on, the internet, books, and others opinions only go so far.

Not so much anymore.

Sell anything online, you'll get worthless tire-kicking, and inane low-balls as a matter of course.
If you're selling, you've got to know your market and balance it with your willingness to sell, if you really want to sell.

Take, for example, the SR-15 rifle I had up for sale here recently. A rare gun, and fairly desireable. Nobody here was interested. Elsewhere, people kept offering almost what I wanted for the entire rifle, just for the lower. The Knights Armament market is weird. I didn't want to sell part of the rifle, I wanted to sell the whole thing. I was doing that in case someone was a collector, before I SBRed it. It's SBRed.

Generally, anything used of course you should expect to take a hit. Anything custom or a selection of parts... Know you won't get "full value." I've never minded informed questions, or reasonable haggling. But you can tell quickly who has been huffing paint.

Speaking of paint huffing, the prices at some gun shops, and certainly online auctions, are all over the place. I saw a mid-80's Loaded M1A for $9,000... I think it was made of gold. I always try to price my stuff fairly, and sometimes when I want it gone, it's priced to move.

Currently I have a few things up for auction, because my state laws are dumb, and if they get dumber I'll only be able to sell out of state. But in the recent past I've been happy to consign to my local Fun Shop and let them handle the sales. I can set parameters like "Don't let morons finger fuck this," and they'll call me if a good customer makes an offer.

So, keep in mind that it's now "panic buying" season here." The price for something I've got up, is reasonable. I told the shop to leave it as it was.

So they called me today:

"Hey, I have a customer who is offering cash, $200 under your asking, do you want to do it?"

Is this a regular customer?

"Yeah, cash on the barrel head."

Cool. Thanks!

- I text them a while later saying I'll swing by tonight

-- Oh, He didn't buy it, he said he had to talk to his wife.

Here is where the Rant starts:

I'll not give details on what the item is, this isn't an ad. Suffice to say it's somewhat rare, and a niche market. So can be hard to find a buyer. Frankly I wasn't going to sweat $200, because selling out of state after the law will be a PITA. Meanwhile, it wouldn't change my asking price. Some things are like that.

For somebody I know, or a good customer of the shop, I can relax the bar. Or I certainly know where my rock bottom is. Cash is also king as they say. So after they hung up the phone with me, and told him it was a go... I have to wonder how they reacted to what he said next. Hopefully at least a look of mild disdain.

I agreed to the price, so there it is. But now we all wait on this guys wife?

Fuck you, Sir.

When you say "Cash, now." Fucking mean it. Wasn't it Clint Eastwood who said "A man has to know his limitations."?
Now, I sympathize with all the guys out there either hiding guns from their wives or stuck asking for permission. But guys... you know you should just let real men have sex with her, right? Naw, I don't mean that. Relationships are hard. If you're hiding stuff from her though, what is she hiding from you?

What I do mean is this, and take it as some relationship advice if you wish: Agree with your partner on what your disposable income is. Spend within those means. Hiding gun purchases is awkward at best and potentially a problem long term. Having to ask your wife is dull, probably will get you mocked at least online... and it's holding up the parade at a minimum.

IF he comes back to complete the sale, I told them to give it to him pinky out like a tea party. They won't do that, it's fine. If he doesn't go through, he's just wasted everyones time, and actually damaged his rep at the shop.

Guys.

How to buy guns when you aren't sure for some reason, is just to put money down. You might not know how you'd like to afford it, you might want to do some research. But just put money down. On a consignment item, at least my shop would call and ask.

But dear lord, don't tell them you need to ask your wife. I mean, how many ways can I make fun of that? On the one hand, you might want your wife to ask your permission about major purchases to, then alls fair right? Maybe, but it makes you sound like you're not in charge. I don't care if your wife's name is Steve.

Ask your shop if you give them $100, how long will they hold the sale, and then go sort your shit out. NEVER walk away from something juicy without finding a way to bookmark it. Certainly, just because you aren't sure and want to ask the internet is the least reason to hesitate.

If you offer cash and want that leverage in a haggle... be offering cash otherwise you're a clown. Even if you close that deal you've embarrassed yourself. For my part getting told "cash" and finding out a further condition later just means I won't let such happen again.

I hope you see the nuance here, if I've insulted your relationship with your wife, nobody knows about that relationship until you get bent out of shape at me about this online. I think the only place "I need to talk about this with my wife" is acceptable, is with home furnishings, real estate, life insurance etc. etc. Oh of course, schedule... If you tell the guys at your Warhammer 40k club you need to ask your wife's permission, it's still a bad look, you nerds.

In summary:

Know your limitations
Offer cash to hold
Don't tell the shop why you want to wait, TMI

" But guys... you know you should just let real men have sex with her, right?"

Maybe they're going to make you a counter-offer.

Tell them if this ------- comes back in that the price goes back up to the original price and if he starts to haggle the price just jumped up $100.......................... drill sgt.

Nah, I don't need to play hard ball, if he comes back soon and makes good, fair enough. There is impending legislation that will make this illegal to purchase, that should motivate anyone.

If he buys it, or someone does, I'll share what it was. I'm just not, because I'm not fishing for sales and it would generate people emailing me.

So to distill further - put money down to the satisfaction of the shop/seller, and say no more. Let them tell you how long you have. Maybe you have to ask your wife, partner, or dog for permission. Maybe you need to check your credit card, sell a kidney or want to go look at what guns you might trade. Maybe a house fell on your wife and some girl took her slippers...

I always lose respect for customers who have to ask their wife. My wife and I worked that shit out 40 years ago. I have a gun fund. She has a book fund. When we pay bills, we figure out how much each account gets. Then we can spend until the account is empty. It's not that hard. She teases me about extra gun safes. I tease her about have no more blank walls to put bookcases on. It works.

If another buyer comes in to the shop and wants it at the same or a better price, is it felt that Mr. Waffle has first rights or could you just sell it to the next guy and be done?

Seems to me the offer of cash in exchange for a lower price was not fulfilled - you said 'OK' then he walked - and so you could sell to the next guy with no hesitation.

Well, some of that would be understandable, for instance, hubby and I always ask each other if a purchase is ok, not necessarily gun related. But we usually go to the store together, so I’d be right there with him, lol. I can’t see using that excuse if I’d already asked if the price could be lowered, as that means I will take it.

quote:

I always lose respect for customers who have to ask their wife.

I'm going to bet that 90+% say that as a way to get out of closing a deal where you just met their terms, they were never really going to buy it. The "asking the wife" is just a way out....

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

quote:

I always lose respect for customers who have to ask their wife.

I'm going to bet that 90+% say that as a way to get out of closing a deal where you just met their terms, they were never really going to buy it. The "asking the wife" is just a way out....

Face to face, if someone does this, they are punishing their own reputation. The whole reason I posted this thread, is to dissuade anyone from thinking this is a "strategy." The crux here, is first saying "cash," and then falling back to "the wife."

If this was a simple FTF, you lose your standing and any negotiated price, should someone else happen by. The shop handling a consignment, is now caught between a sale and what I am to them vs. what you are to them.

If you want to leverage cash, of course.

If you want to leverage your wife to make excuses... don't.

This thread lets me know there is a very serious missed opportunity for divorce lawyers to advertise…

quote:

Originally posted by Legal Beagle:

This thread lets me know there is a very serious missed opportunity for divorce lawyers to advertise…

It's pretty clear that you're not in Florida.

I know the true salesman retail or other are a thing of the past.
If the gun store salesman properly qualified him - he would have most likely never called you.
Get him to commit before the call.
If he still balks, then the customer is truly a dud.
I've heard the wife thing a million times way back when I was selling in retail.
However, we understand and empathize on your frustration.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I know the true salesman retail or other are a thing of the past.
If the gun store salesman properly qualified him - he would have most likely never called you.
Get him to commit before the call.
If he still balks, then the customer is truly a dud.
I've heard the wife thing a million times way back when I was selling in retail.
However, we understand and empathize on your frustration.

I think it should be mandatory the customers who use the wife excuse get a stack of divorce attorney business cards handed to them.

One of my friends in retail will ask if the customer would like to call his wife’s boyfriend instead. Lol

^^^ +1 to what smchulz posted

There's nothing wrong w/ "just browsing," but early on a salesperson needs to filter out the browsers from the buyers. It's important treat browsers respectfully, b/c many of those browsers eventually become buyers. At the same time, a salesman needs to divert his attention to more immediate buyers.

Most gun shop employees have little-to-no sales training. The employee in the OP's story broke a cardinal rule. You don't enter negotiations unless the other party commits to buying. This is as easy as asking, "If I call the owner who put this on consignment, and he agrees to your offer, are you prepared to buy it right now?"

If the potential buyer needs to check his finances, get permission from someone, whatever... he's not a buyer; he's a browser. Actually worse, he's a browser who likes to waste sellers' time. There are people out there who make a hobby out of haggling w/o buying. They get a kick out of seeing how low then get someone to go.

quote:

Originally posted by Legal Beagle:
One of my friends in retail will ask if the customer would like to call his wife’s boyfriend instead. Lol

That's awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
You don't enter negotiations unless the other party commits to buying. This is as easy as asking, "If I call the owner who put this on consignment, and he agrees to your offer, are you prepared to buy it right now?"

I think that makes solid sense.

I am ready to consign items at a LGS. I really don't want to deal with e-mails, show up to meet real people in real life, and "negotiate." Driving to a real Fedex or whatever I have to do to ship is just not going to happen.

The Local shops around here want too much to consign one . I called one guy that seems to specialize in high end stuff and he told me 50% . I laughed at him and hung up . Apparently he doesn't really want to do consignments and I obliged him .

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
The Local shops around here want too much to consign one . I called one guy that seems to specialize in high end stuff and he told me 50% . I laughed at him and hung up . Apparently he doesn't really want to do consignments and I obliged him .

50% consignment? Insane. Taking a bath is to be expected if you _sell_ to a shop. Part of the deal with consignment, is that it costs them nothing. If my local told me 50%, they would cease being my local.

My LGS is great. Low consignment fees, and their internet guys will list it on several sites. At he height go covid, they auctioned off my Shockwave and I got 850 out of it.