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Always ask high

I sold the prima of my business and I am liquidating a lot of uneccessary stuff. If we were in the US, I might ask $1000 for something and that is the price or maybe I would budge at best like $50 (or 5%) to get the deal done. Here in Colombia the culture of buying something is totally different. You have to ask way more because even if you ask 100 pesos for a brand new LCD TV, they will ask you to come down. Perfect Example of how it doesnt matter what you ask, but it is as long as you come down in price: I was selling a 500lb propane tank and it is a big heavy, bulky item and I just wanted to get rid of it as I need to vacate the premises by June 30. A gas company would charge you COP$400.000 for this used tank. I was willing to let it go for half of that. So I put it out a week ago with a sign for $200.000 non-negotiable on it which is a gift of a price and everyone kept asking me to come down, I wouldnt budge and no one would buy it. Monday morning, I took the price off the tank and just left it as for sale. A guy came up and asked me how much? I said $300.000. He asked "y lo menos?" I said $250.000. He offered $225.000 and I gladly took it. I rolled my eyes.

By spigrimace on Jun 9, 2009, 04:53 in Friendly Talkzone.

dwmte7 says on Jun 9, 2009, 04:55:

boy is that the truth in colombia. trying to get 1/3 the price or value of something is worse than pulling teeth. good luck in all that comes next.

douglas

patriarch

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mcheasley says on Jun 9, 2009, 08:10:

Chris, You sold the SUBMARINE ?????

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kenblanquito says on Jun 9, 2009, 09:10:

Good point and that was exactly why my house was being advertised at the price it was a few weeks ago and it was highly critisized. I agree that there exists a mentality here that involves "buying at a bargain price", even if the price IS a bargain already, out of principle they will still knock you down if they can and without that they will not buy it even if they really want it. I am talking from personal experience!
It appears that if something is not being offered for sale, often people will express an interest and make you an offer anyway-often at a higher price than you would have otherwise obtained. Crazy!

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Catfish35 says on Jun 10, 2009, 22:53:

Ain't dat the truth..There is a whole big lesson right there in what he just gave us !!!

Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

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goin_south says on Jun 10, 2009, 23:00:

a lesson in the cultura de latinos... I believe.
But, ... why is this so???

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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Lowell says on Jun 11, 2009, 17:35:

When I used to do sat sun garage sales, on sun I´d raise the prices of what didn´t sell the day before and often sold more.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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webmanco says on Jun 11, 2009, 17:41:

That is the way emerald traders do, problem is that if you make an offer you must stick to it even if you are paying 100 times or more the real market price.

No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas

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