The Art of (Vintage) Deal: Why Negotiating Is Almost Dead

You know the old adage if you don’t try you will never know.  That applies to shopping vintage and secondhand.

Let me paint you a picture:

We walk into a Target or Gap and see items we like.  They have a price listed and may or may not be on sale.  If the price is right we purchase if not we move on.  There is no negotiation, no offer made.  The corporation has given no “wiggle” room to its managers to ensure the sale.  When corporations took control of America’s retail space the art of negotiating took a hit that it has never recovered from.  With large brick and mortars going to online formats and smaller stores, small business is starting to make a return to retail.  However, it seems that the skill of “making an offer” is still dead.  Even our friends in the car business tell us people don’t even try to negotiate, the see the internet price and say ok.

The corporation has given no “wiggle” room to its managers to ensure the sale.  When corporations took control of America’s retail space the art of negotiating took a hit that it has never recovered from.  With large brick and mortars going to online formats and smaller stores, small business is starting to make a return to retail.  However, it seems that the skill of “making an offer” is still dead.  Even our friends in the car business tell us people don’t even try to negotiate, the see the internet price and say ok.

The Blank Stare

On our site, we have a make an offer button.  This button has been used exactly once outside of our testing it.  When we are at a private showing and a client asks about the price two things can happen after we say, “The asking price is…”.  They buy the item or we get the stare.  The stare that says I want to make you an offer but I have no idea how.  Aunt Gladys’ Attic by SerStyle wants to set the record straight, Make Us An Offer.  We will either accept it or counter.  We will never tell you no (unless we find out it is illegal to ship perfume to another country).  Our goal is to make sure both parties are happy and able to get something out of the deal.  Our items are mostly vintage or secondhand, we are happy to work things out with you.

It’s Not Personal

The main thing we hear when we talk to our clients about making an offer is, “We do not want to offend you with our offer”.  We don’t take it personally and you shouldn’t either. If your offer is on the low side we will counter respectfully.  If you would like to find more economical shipping, we will help out.  Aunt Gladys’ Attic by SerStyle is not a corporation with tons of investors that we need to answer to.  If you’re not sure what to offer look around, Google it!  You will certainly find a bunch of prices – eBay will probably be on the lower side while Etsy will typically be higher.

Negotiating is an Art Form

Negotiating is an art form that takes practice.  You have to remember that the asking price is what the item is usually worth. We suggest starting lower than the price you are actually willing to pay.  There will be some back and forth.  If you make an offer there is a 50-50 chance it will be accepted.  Most likely though the seller will come back with a lowered offer of their original price.  For a successful negotiation, both parties need to feel they have gotten something out of the deal.

An Example

Let’s say an item is listed for $100.  The seller states they will take $100/OBO.  You Google the item and it sells (not just listed) anywhere between $35-$115 depending on quality and wear.  A reasonable offer to start with would be $35 because chances are the seller knows the stats on the item they are selling.   Now the seller comes back with a counter of $80.  A reasonable counter might be $55.  The seller might accept it or counter agaian…this could go on for a few rounds before both parties feel like they have gotten something in the deal.

The Absolute Worst Thing You Can Do

Want to know how to tick off a seller or small business?  Make a low offer and when the seller counters never respond.  The seller/business owner will remember you (trust us we do…especially because this seems to be a common practice in Facebook Marketplace).  So if down the line you do make an offer on something they may decide to not even bother countering you because they do not find you to be a serious customer.