negotiating at Expo?

BenDMitchell

BenDMitchell

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Is it smart to always negotiate all your buys at the Expo? If so, what is the realistic figure to barter with? How much should you take off the card you want so the dealers don't look at you like you are crazy? Say you find a card for 400 bucks. What would you offer in a hypothetical situation like this?
 
No where near enough info there to even start. Some dealers label full book value, some label their lowest, some have a barter amount factored in.

For me, best practice is look at a card and think to myself, "I would pay no more than ______ for this card".... then I make my offer. Somewhere below that number. If he says yes, sweet, a deal; if he counters, hopefully it is at or less than the number I had in my head.
 
Based on my one trip to expo, my observations was that some dealers are out to lunch on their prices, some are quite reasonable. It really depends on the dealer. There are some people with old pro set cards asking full book for them, some people with 50-75% off signs, just depends.
 
negotiating is good as most people always want to make a sale
I find if you buy 2 cards or boxs off one dealer and asking for a deal on one of them
most if the time you can work something out,
It never hurts to ask but don't low ball anyone
 
Just use your phone and check ebay completed listings, make sure you do this and do not trust what anybody tells you it sold for some dealers flat out lie. Be somewhere close to the medium number on completed and most will work with you. From my own experience as soon as any dealer comes at you with any of these as a price factor, my table cost, airfare cost, hotel cost, casino or strip club losses. Just walk away as none of those are your problem, that's his/her problem, as most cover those in the buys they make there themselves.
 
Just smile and ask the dealer "are these prices firm?" or "can you possibly do any better on this price?"

You'll either get "Sure, I can do xxx on that card" or "sure, what make me an offer" or "nope, pretty firm on the prices"

Also, as a dealer, the more you buy from me, the bigger discount I'll give you. I would think most people are like that.
 
Keep your sense of humour. Be fair but fearless. If you're not sure about fair, try flipping the deal around - if you were on the other side, how would you feel about the offer? Sometimes it doesn't hurt to have someone else try to make the deal for you.
 
spooner9ball said:
No where near enough info there to even start. Some dealers label full book value, some label their lowest, some have a barter amount factored in.

For me, best practice is look at a card and think to myself, "I would pay no more than ______ for this card".... then I make my offer. Somewhere below that number. If he says yes, sweet, a deal; if he counters, hopefully it is at or less than the number I had in my head.
Click to expand...

Shaun speaks 100% truth here.

Let me chime in and add...don't insult a dealer with lowball offers. If the sticker price is good enough, sometimes it's just worth paying. You don't have to try to bargain and negotiate on every single card. If you want the card bad enough and the price is fair...do yourself a favor and just pick it up. Don't risk the seller taking it off the table (literally or figuratively) for you to purchase out of frustration.
 
chadsexington said:
Shaun speaks 100% truth here.

Let me chime in and add...don't insult a dealer with lowball offers. If the sticker price is good enough, sometimes it's just worth paying. You don't have to try to bargain and negotiate on every single card. If you want the card bad enough and the price is fair...do yourself a favor and just pick it up. Don't risk the seller taking it off the table (literally or figuratively) for you to purchase out of frustration.
Click to expand...

100% agree when going to any show or sometimes lcs depending on them
 
Another thing is to not get defensive if a dealer refuses your offer.

If you explode on them citing "eBay this and eBay that", and how they will never get the money they are asking for then they will shut down to you. On top of that, as an occasional dealer myself, dealers talk and let each other know about particularly bad buyers. You could become someone that no dealer wants to deal with.

Being nice, striking up some sort of a conversation to break the seller-buyer paradigm, and showing that you are serious and not a tire-kicker also helps swing things in your favour. All basic elements taught and used by used-car dealers to successfully get strangers to buy from them. Be nice, ask a personal question to seem like a friend, and then look interested in the card. Being too quiet, and avoiding eye-contact or conversation would prevent deals from happening as well.

Also, don't get too excited when you a see a card that you need around a dealer. If you express to a dealer how much you need the card and how long you have been looking for it, then most of the time good luck getting a great deal, since they have the leverage knowing that you have now found your white whale. Remember the poker face and casually let them know who you collect, only if they ask. The air of mystery veiled in kindness goes a long way in negotiating a good deal.

All of the other advice given so far is completely correct as well!
 
Hello,

Some really good points so far. Also remember, if your doing your research online and notice that its a little cheaper. Make sure that you factor that you still need to add shipping, and usually with higher-end item(s), you'll usally have to pay some type of expedited/tracked service. Which usually costs like $10-$15 USD/CDN. So it might be worthwhile to just add the extra few bucks and just buy the card on the spot. You get to physically see the card in person, as well you'll avoid the shipping time. To me, thats good enough justification to buy the card there. But thats just me.


Cheers,
Eli:beer:
 
I have been in this situation a few times as a seller and as a buyer.

When I am set up at the expo, this is what I look for in a buyer in order for me to be in the mood to negotiate.

1. Kindness and politeness.
Believe you me, that this attitude carries its weight in gold. I have in the past undersold a card to a nice person than to the person who was rude to me. True story.

2. Ask the seller what his rock bottom price would be. You would be surprised what people say. I have scored numerous deals that way and vice versa. Never be afraid to be bold within reason and apply #1 to #2

3. Timing is everything. Pick your spots. Its usually not wise to bull rush a dealer when there are others already talking to him. Its rude and just sets a bad tone. If you see a card you like, be patient.

4. Never use the "I saw it on ebay", usually sets a bad tone.

5. Never exclaim at the dealer table you just hosed him on a deal. That happened to me and money had not changed hands yet. I cancelled the deal.

6. Go to people you like and respect. Dealers reward repeat customers. i do it all the time to my favorite customers.

7. Please do not use the " I saw it over at buddy's table for X dollars", unless you can back it up with a camera phone pic with you showing who the dealer is LOL..
 
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Lot's of good advice already posted here - but I really want to echo the comments about quoting eBay. Dealing with people online its a little more acceptable.... but at shows you'll get one reponse: "Then buy it on eBay".

A lot of dealers do negotiate, and a lot of them have already marked great prices on them. Don't be afraid to ask..... but be polite. Worst they will do is tell you that the price is firm.
 
1) Always negotiate with a smile, and find the right balance of confidence in your tone (somewhere between "arrogant" and "sheepish" is best).

2) Don't ever bring up ebay during a negotiation, but keep ebay prices in the back of your mind. If you're at the expo, you should absolutely be willing to pay more than a low-end ebay price, but don't hose yourself by paying way too much.

2a) It's OK to bring up ebay (along with other sources of pricing) if you're simply having a conversation about a card and its value, and not actively negotiating a possible sale.

3) As a buyer, have a means and method to politely decline a deal. You aren't going to accept every negotiation, so you'll want a way to back out smoothly and respectfully. Simply stating "no, I can't do it" and walking off isn't going to leave a good impression. At a bare minimum, thank the dealer for their time and wish them the best for their weekend.
 
Ebay prices may be the norm for the sale, but keep in mind that its up to the dealer if he wants to make that sale.
A dealer may just have the card in his / her showcase just to show off knowing that he can get full value on the card at another show. There are dealers that come from around the world and the card you may be looking for may be at a fair price or above ebay pricing,
Example, a dealer from montreal has a montreal card in their showcase , they ask for 200 , card on ebay sell for 100, why would they sell the card for 100 in toronto when they can get 200 in montreal, I hope you know what I mean.

Please also keep in mind that if you are making a deal with another collector who is not a dealer, please do so in the cafeteria, outside, or if Jeremy allows it at the H.I. booth, DO NOT DO A DEAL AT A DEALERS TABLE UNLESS YOU KNOW THEM OR ASK THEM, I have seen people get kicked out because a dealer complained about the issue.
 
Another tip would be to go to the Hobby Insider booth and ask the guys there about a particular card or perceived value of a card. Also some of the hobby insider guys may have an inside track with a dealer and help you get deals. I have to personally thank so many HI members who have done this for me. FREE PLUG FOR HOBBY INSIDER BOOTH! lol
 
the value you get for what you pay in the majority of products these days is outrageous,there is a time however when you score big and you can unload other cards from that product at a cheaper price,however if the case you opened had marginal big hits and you price your product at taking a loss,then someone comes by and offers you half of what you have on a particular card,it can be a complete turn off for opening future product.a lot of b&m stores realize this and wait for their customers to crack,then they will buy from the cracker what they think they can use.
my point is,lowballing can be so depressing to the point that some dealers won't continue to open products with the increasing amount of people looking for a steal.
i agree with many of the other responders,that you want to politely communicate with the dealer in to seeing if it's possible to get a better price on a particular card. my showcase will be filled with cards that will be negotiable and some that will be firm,obviously the person who buys from the cracker can usually do better than buying from the case cracker himself
 
There are some great tips in this post. Too many to list.

For me, rule #1 is - be respectful.

There will be times when a deal just can't be worked out.......and that's ok. Just have fun and move on to the next table.
 
Loads of good points here. As a buyer you should also keep in mind the cost of actually being set up at the Expo. Especially for someone like me from BC. $500 minimum for a flight,$500 per table, $500 for a hotel, $200 car rental, $350 food/drink, ect. All in all, a very expensive trip for me. Ebay prices are generally NOT an option.
 
I know what I want to pay and I have no problem telling the seller. Worse the can say is no. I would think most sellers have some wiggle room.
 

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