Price haggling with a friend

[jnyork]

Subject came up on another board, what are your thoughts on price haggling with your friend when he has something for sale. My philosophy is that trying beat your good friend down on a price is bad form and bad manners. Friendship is worth more that the small amount of discount you might win. Either buy the item at his price or don't buy it .

Now, with a stranger or dealer, that's another story, I will and do haggle with the best of them, everyone expects it and if they don't they wont likely make a sale with me.

[Old Savage]

Well here is the opposite, I don't "haggle". If I want it I buy it. If I sell something, I say what I want. If you try to "haggle" with me you are likely not going to get it.

[Terry Murbach]

I will haggle with ANYONE over anything as EVERYONE has a built in highball. And we'll haggle with bourbon lube and laff our collective BUTTS off to a farethewell.
And so it goes...

[Borregos]

I will haggle with ANYONE over anything as EVERYONE has a built in highball. And we'll haggle with bourbon lube and laff our collective BUTTS off to a farethewell.
And so it goes...

This

[claybob86]

I don't see any reason to set a firm policy on that. Every situation is different.

[Old Savage]

Well now, no one mentioned bourbon before but I prefer Scotch.

[Pete44ru]

My philosophy is that trying beat your good friend down on a price is bad form and bad manners.

Friendship is worth more that the small amount of discount you might win. (Or, the item you may pass on)

Either buy the item at his price or don't buy it .

+1, in spades.


.

[marlinman93]

Amongst friends we all tend to price guns differently than we would with a stranger. So I will give a friend a lower price, or get a lower price, and no haggling involved. I'd be a bit shocked if I told my friend I was asking x dollars, but he could have it for a lower price, and then have him offer even less. We just treat friends better, whether it's buying or selling.

[65bee]

'Old Savage' has it right! I hate haggling. I price my stuff at what I want to get and expect the same in return. I especially detest the 'what will you give me' jabronies. Don't even waste my time on them. They're on a 'fishing expedition' and no matter what you offer, you won't get it. They just go to the next 'sucker' and tell them I had an offer of 'so much', what will you give me? If a guy prices something reasonable and I want it, I buy it, and don't try to low-ball him. I consider that an insult!

[Sixgun]

I go by what the item is and how desirable it is. If it's a standard Remington 870 and let's pretend that the going price is $200. I'll say, "hey bud, they go for 2, take it for a buck and a half.

An 86 Winchester that's worth 3 big ones might go for 28 for a bud. He ain't getting it for 2. I set the price and give a more than fair deal to my bud and he will know that. If he tries to beat me down below a low price, he don't get it. Funny thing though, most friends don't wheel and deal with one another. Then, you have to figure what you have into it and how bad you want to move it. Millions of variables.

Then, if your filthy rich, why not just give it away? For me, on items that are in the "case of beer range" , I just give it away to a bud. ----6

[AJMD429]

Well here is the opposite, I don't "haggle". If I want it I buy it. If I sell something, I say what I want. If you try to "haggle" with me you are likely not going to get it.

Same here - I just pay what is asked if I think it is a good price, and walk away if it isn't. No hard feelings - it's the same feeling that makes me go to another gas station if the 'pay-at-pump' is broken. After a 16 hour day talking to people about stuff I guess I don't want to interact verbally. Same if I'm selling; I ask what I want, and if it is too much I figure the potential buyer will go find a better deal.

I avoid environments where 'haggling' is expected (the wife had to be the one to buy the only new car I ever bought). I also hate it when "tips" are expected to be 'automatically' a given amount or percent. If I'm not to be given FULL discretion about what to tip the waitress then what's the point...? And if it is 'expected' to give the twerp who fetches my car at the hotel $10, I will park down the street and pay $25, because the sign says "pay $25" instead of someone standing there 'expecting' $10.

.....Some say I'm sorta 'anti-social.....

[piller]

I didn't grow up with anyone who haggled, and don't really understand it. I will comparison shop, especially on cars. I check everyone's posted price, and go where it looks like the best deal. Only time I ever bought a gun from my older brother's friend, it was half of the price of a new one and I was 15. That Marlin Glenfield 60 is still in my gun safe.
If it were a sale with a friend who was close enough to drink with, I would probably be willing to haggle.

[Walker]

I just can't profit from a friend but it's fun to see what my hunting buddies will come up with to trade; just because I show up in camp with something different most years they think I trade a lot.

My 2 closest friends can have anything I've got just by asking, but I agree with Terry. There'd be bourbon and a lot of talk before they'd take anything home.

[OldWin]

I don't feel right trying to beat down a friend. I figure if we are friends they are already letting it go for their minimum by offering it to me. We both know they could ask more elsewhere.
I recently bought some stuff from a friend, and when they told me the price I knew it was way low. Tried to give him more money. We "haggled up" so that we both felt ok with the transaction.
I don't have a lot of friends, and value a friend more than a few bucks or an item.

[AJMD429]

I recently bought some stuff from a friend, and when they told me the price I knew it was way low. Tried to give him more money. We "haggled up" so that we both felt ok with the transaction.

Good point - I guess I have done that kind of 'haggling' a few times. A friend was selling me a truck he first repaired, and a major engine failure during the process (a mistake he made) resulted in a new rebuilt engine being needed, so I insisted on covering half what the new engine cost.

[marlinman93]

I absolutely love haggling, and would never consider not making an offer for anyone who isn't a friend! Occasionally I see something that's such a good price I wont make a lower offer, but that's pretty rare. But friends don't get haggled with.

[Ysabel Kid]

Friendship to me is pretty much priceless. I've purchased guns from friends, and always use the same philosophy. I tell them what I' think they'd get selling the gun to a store who had to make a profit reselling it, what they'd make selling it on their own, what it is worth - and let them know how I came to these determinations. I then make an offer between what they'd get for a quick sale to the store, and what they might get to another buyer. Try to make it a win-win for both of us.

I, as a whole, do not sell items I buy, and have only sold a couple to friends over the decades. I use the exact same approach in reverse: this is what you'd pay at a store, this is what the gun is worth, this is what you'd pay from an individual, and finally, this is what I'm willing to let it go for. Trying for the win-win.

I'd rather keep the friend, always...

[Canuck Bob]

"it is worth that but all I can afford is ..." seems manly and fair.