Market etiquette

plasmodium

Apologies if this is already been discussed, but I'm sort of looking for the informal 'etiquette' of the Brickset market as opposed to the official rules.

When you post a 'wanted' post and receive multiple offers, I assume it is ok to go with the cheapest offer? ie, there's no unofficial rules about first PM getting first dibs?

Furthering on that, is it ok to play off of two offers to get the best deal - ie saying to person Y: "X offered me £6, can you do any better?" or is that considered 'rude' by the Brickset collective conscience?

At this stage this is purely hypothetical, but I just want to make sure I don't commit any faux-pas as there may be need for a market thread on my part soon!

CCC

plasmodium said:

When you post a 'wanted' post and receive multiple offers, I assume it is ok to go with the cheapest offer? ie, there's no unofficial rules about first PM getting first dibs?

It is perfectly acceptable for you to wait and choose the offer that is best for you, or none at all if you are not happy with the offers you get. Bear in mind you might lose offers if you wait too long for a better one.

plasmodium said:

Furthering on that, is it ok to play off of two offers to get the best deal - ie saying to person Y: "X offered me £6, can you do any better?" or is that considered 'rude' by the Brickset collective conscience?

I wouldn't disclose who else has made offers. You can try playing two people off against each other anonymously, but again you run the risk of them just removing the offer if they think you are playing games.

Renegade007cjh

Etiquette is a tricky one... what some people find acceptable, others might not.

You are, of course, completely within your rights to accept (or reject) any offers that come your way, be it on a first-come-first-served basis, or holding out for the "right" price. However, as CCC has pointed out above, if you make people wait too long (or you start mucking them around) they're likely to take their money elsewhere.

Offers (and counter-offers) are part-and-parcel of the marketplace experience; this is not eBay or BrickLink / Brick Owl afterall, so haggling is totally acceptable (within reason, of course). If a person says "I'll give you £XX (or $XX)" and it's not quite what you're hoping for, then by all-means push back (e.g. "I was looking for £YY")... in this way, hopefully, you can come to a mutually-acceptable position but, if not, there's no harm done.

Same story for trades... if the offer is not quite right, ask them to add something else into the mix (it's worth giving an example of what you might be looking for, so they have an indication of the value you put on your items and how close their offer is to what you are after).

Communication - polite, timely and reasonable - cannot be overstated. I guess this overlaps with the official "rules", but it's worth pointing out here. I've found the best trades / sales I've had on the Marketplace are those where each side is open and honest about what they have to offer, are clear on what they want and are prepared to be flexible. If an offer is miles off what you are looking for, don't just ignore them, instead go back and politely refuse, explaining this. If it's not too far off, let them know this and suggest a middle-ground.

Of course all the above is based on my experiences and others may (and probably will) have different stories to tell (both good and bad).

Good luck and I hope the above has been of use...

Norlego

You seem young and very polite. I have worked in sales and you can do as you please as long as you are honest.
I sell low value items and find people like a bit of banter even cheekiness.. You will be buying via internet so it is a bit different. It is normal to buy from the cheapest vendor and polite to let sellers with higher offers the lowest price. As long as you do this within reason.
I just sold a set where i had 6 buyers. Some wanted a discount but all gave in and were willing to pay the full price. I could have sold it for more but didnt bother to get £10-20 more.
Good luck with buying and selling. It is great fun.

CCC

I don't think people always go for the lowest / highest offer depending on whether they are buying / selling.

I recently sold off my remaining bricklink stock. I didn't sell to the highest offer but to someone I have dealt with before who I knew wouldn't mess me around. Same for buying, I don't always go for the cheapest.

Norlego

^ totally agree on that. No point getting hassle for a couple of pounds extra/less.
I find selling to "rich" people easier than "poor" people. Those with a large desposible income seem willing to pay a lot rather than shop around...