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Thoughts on public discussion of prices on this board? Thoughts about flaming a price that you feel is too high even if you have no interest? Thoughts about listing prices? Thoughts about....you get the idea. Discuss.

Everyone has their own opinions... If you're not willing to haggle then you might mention that you are firm with the price. Most people should respect that. If you don't set the record straight to begin with then people will assume that you're open to best offers... There are common terms that should describe your intentions. (OBO, firm, let's talk, must sell, make an offer, Etc...)

Having said that, if your going to haggle it should be done thru PM or email and not open to the forum... (I just read the other post! ) Somewhat similar, I've never understood why people will haggle on Ebay???

Just my opinion, Tim

I should add that I'm not nearly as offended about the haggle under the HB-21 sell. That was one of the more mild haggles. It was just addressed under that topic so that post just sparked my post. This wasn't meant to be as personal as it may have come off. Just a general annoyance.

Think of it this way:

Guy A is interested in buying guy B's tuba which is selling for $10,000. Problem is that guy A has only $9,000 so he can't make the purchase. Guy A does not have the "guts" to offer $9,000... he waits to see if the seller reduces price.

Meanwhile, guy C offers guy B $8,000 in private. Guy B takes the offer, and ends up losing because of it. If guy C offered $8,000 in public, that may have influenced guy A to make a counter-offer of $8,500 or $9,000. So, in this scenario, "haggling" in public is a good thing in the perspective of the seller, and I believe that is the perspective you are trying to defend.

You use the term haggling, which has a negative connotation. This kind of behaviour (public "haggling") isn't always negative and I think we shouldn't treat it all the same... treat it case by case. I, personally, don't really find anything majorly wrong with the HB-21 post.

I think that your scenario should still take place in private. If Guy A had e-mailed the seller, he could've found out if Guy B was willing to bargain or not. Doesn't take guts to do that, just common sense and a desire to actually buy.

I want to buy your women! How much for the little one?

I do agree that complaining/fussing over the price (or anything) of an instrument you are not considering purchasing is wrong. My scenario did not state, nor imply, that anyone one of the guys were not seriously considering a purchase.

I'm not trying to argue with you, just trying to say that not all situations of "public haggling" are wrong. Your poll does not indicate that those haggling have no actual interest in the item.

If you re-phrased your question "Is haggling price in a public forum when you have no interest in the item ok?" I would have said no.

bloke wrote:It would be nice (at the thread-starter's option) to be able to "lock" threads - particularly those in the "For Sale" forum.

This would be an excellent idea! So often I see people ask to email or pm them, and not to post, but people still do. Also, because nobody would be posting to the topic, the seller could then delete the post when the item is sold or no longer for sale.

Agreed. I think we're on the same page quinterbourne and wish I could edit the poll slightly.

In a public forum, at best it's impolite, and at worst, it's just bad form. Forums were designed for discussion and dissemination, not bargaining or bartering, as an auction house. In your example, Guy A needs to just have the courage to offer it anyway, or he's never going to get by in life. Besides, almost all forums, including this one, have that wonderful feature: the private message.

The optional locking is an interesting idea, but even that could be abused, as can everything. Like everything else on the forum, the only way it works properly is the integrity of the people posting.

I don't think it's a good idea post a price at all.
1. No comments about price
2. It keeps the other dodos who are selling a similar item from starting some low price pissing contest. Hence..."you think you are gonna sell yours for $6000, then I'll sell mine for $5999!" and so on....

I don't think a public forum is the place to discuss horns for sale at all. If I post an item for sale I'll simply ask that folks reply directly to my email address.

For me, the issue was more along the lines of saying that the horn should only be selling for so much, as opposed to I could only spend so much on the horn. Either way, I would think that it would be in the best interest of a buyer to private message the seller and try to talk to the seller on a personal level to let them actually see that there is a sincere interest.

Thanks for the good thoughts and discussion. I was more interested in reading what others thought than expressing my own opinion. Looks like this should be a case to case situation and people should think about WHY they are posting on a ForSale post before doing so.