Open to Offers ! - Open to Offers

John C · Post by **John C** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:56 pm

Open to Offers ?
Why should someone looking to buy a cow be expected to set the price as well ?
Surely if you're trying to sell anything you should have the confidence to set a price !
Your either a vendor or a vendee, not both.
I wouldn't even look at an item that was advertised in this manner.
Not trying to be funny just stating a fact.

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:21 pm

It's a fair point- you can certainly save someone the embarassment of you offering half what they are expecting. It does put me off too, and I imagine new owners find it very disconcerting.

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:17 pm

I think it gives the impression the owner can't be bothered to set a price. I would personally be wary of the animal's quality too. Around here we not only get that sort of pricing but others like "will trade for ------- or what have you"! ???

Kathy

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:26 pm

This seems to come from the house buying/selling scene.
It either means:
1) I'm desperate to sell so please offer something and I'll see if it will do, OR
2) I think what I've got is so special that if I don't give a price I might get much more than I was expecting.
I agree that first time buyers are in a very difficult situation, but those with more experience should be able to decide which is which. I don't like it either. If someone is selling then a price should be given, even if haggling takes place before the sale is made. It saves wasted phonecalls and wasted journeys.

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:21 am

Sylvia wrote:It saves wasted phonecalls and wasted journeys.

That's why I think an advert should give as much information as possible- some of the advertisements on here I have not even enquired about because there is so little information included that I may as well be reading a two line ad in the FG (and this service is actually free).

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:50 am

If the vendor doesn't know how much to ask for, then they haven't their homework. Its not hard to check through the latest sales records and see where your animal fits into the value scale.

ann · Post by **ann** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:25 pm

Sometimes newcomers just have no idea what to charge, if I saw something I liked and it said OTO I would go in a half the price it was worth and see what they said, you can always go up, I brought a calf last year as a replacement for one born dead, it was a little jerseyx lim and needed some TLC the farm said he was OTO
so I offered £20 and he took it, normal price for his heifer calves is £120-150 my cow reared it on her excellant milk and it is now a great big heifer, which is worth 10's over what I pd for her, last Oct.

Rob R · Post by **Rob R** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:11 pm

ann wrote:Sometimes newcomers just have no idea what to charge, if I saw something I liked and it said OTO I would go in a half the price it was worth and see what they said

That is true- despite not wanting to offend anyone, if someone is offering an animal as 'open to offers' they are just that, open, so it's worth starting low. Our herd has to feed itself, so every little helps.