I am movingb in a week and tring to sell everything I can so we can at least buy beds when we get there. We are only taking our car and that's it, and mone we don't have any.

So I am tring to sell stuff on KSL in Utah. People are so funny. They either say they are going to coe and don't show, which is incredibly rude, or they try to talk you down.

I just listed a dresser, solid, large drawers, works perfect, can be refinished. For 75 bucks. I just listed it today. Well, soeon just called and asked when we are moving and will we list it for less then. I even told her I would take 65. She was like, if you don't sell it will you go down (no I didn't mean THAT) signifcantly? I said I would just give it to my ex.

I would rather give stuff away if people want it so cheap it isno't worth the bother to sell it. This has happened so any ties this last week. Ojh, sorry about my spellling, keyboard screwed up.

I was going to have a garage sale, but I am afraid they will try to talk me down so much it won't be worth the energy. It's like the want it for free.

I just wondered if tis is normal everywere, to try and talk everyone down fro. I would totally pay 75 bucks for tis dresser in KC if I foudn it. It would be great!!

Take away 10% of a man's income and fifty percent of his weekend, and see if he doesn't try to cut corners somewhere to make up for his losses.

+1

Yes. Think about it. The average Mormon has 10 percent less money, twice the average number of children to pay for, and very often, one spouse that is barely producing an income to use for "extras" if they are lucky. In my husband's family, he has two sisters with advanced degrees who were so determined to marry RMs that they married guys who couldn't keep jobs, just because they were good Mormons. One guy was a SAHD for years, which worked for them but didn't give them tons of money. Now he owns a shop that barely breaks even. My other BIL got married and promptly lost his business (we wonder if that is why he rushed into marrying my SIL - because he knew his business was collapsing under him). Now he just stays home with the kids too - except the two kids are in school most of the day. Anyway, my point is that Mormons value a SAH parent, and there is nothing wrong with that but it doesn't add a lot to the income unless that parent works out of the home as well.

So they have to be cheap. They have less money to access than most people. And I haven't even talked about other donations such as fast offering, saving for missions etc. But it's also customary when people are re-selling stuff to bargain. It's not rude, it's just the way it is. Whenever DH and I sell something, which isn't all that often, we price it 20 percent or so above what we really want, assuming people are going to talk us down. I'm with you though, I'd rather give the dresser away than let that grasping cheapskate have it. She doesn't know how the game is played and is being very tacky.

THat is why that old saying "Jew ya down" should actually be changed to "Mormon ya down"...It is always that way in UTah.

I had people trying to talk me down on things I was pretty much giving away for 25 cents. (As, in "would you take 10 cents"?)

It kinda pissed me off. I would expect haggling if if I was asking a few bucks for something, but don't waste my time if you only want to give me 10 cents.

My daughter has sold a bit of stuff on KSL, and she always asks (and gets) top dollar. When they try to talk her down, she says, "No, it's worth [whatever the asking price was]".

Oh, that sort of thing happens here in the south too, and we don't have hardly any mo-bots at all around these parts.


I've learned to ask about 10% MORE than what I actually want.


Folks in these parts feel like they can't buy unless they talk you down. So I charge a bit higher, and then let them think they've talked me down.


Every now and then, I actually find I sell at "sticker price," but not very often, because it is pretty much the unwritten rule around here that you HAVE to talk a price down.


BTW, I've noticed on the other side of things -- people we buy used stuff from do the same thing.


One time about 10 years ago, we went to buy a used pickup truck. It was about 10 years old when we went to buy it, a mid sized truck with 120,000 miles on it, but in good running condition.


The seller was asking $2750 for it. We offered him $2500 cash on the spot, and he didn't even blink before accepting the offer.


It was very obvious that he really intended on selling it for $2500, but went up 10% so that the other party could talk him down.


Remember, you can always come down on a price if you over price something, but you can NEVER go up in price. So start about 10% higher than you want, and let people talk you down.


You'll get the price you want, and they will get the satisfaction of believing they got a better deal by haggling.

I agree with Southern ExMo, it happens ALL the time down here. Just curious Southern, where are you from? (I'm in Arkansas)

I'm down here in Katrina Country.


Beautiful area, but it can get slammed pretty hard by hurricanes about once every other generation.

Yes! Mormons are extremely cheap. Some friends of ours had a child with severe medical problems which made it necessary for them to move to be nearer to a hospital where the child could receive long-term treatment. Their entire ward was informed why they were moving. When they held their moving sale many people from their ward showed up, but not to help them. They showed up to make low-ball offers on their stuff and take advantage of their situation. They had to sell a lot of their stuff for 1/10th of what they paid for it. One guy even "offered" to take their swing set they were leaving behind for free because he said they were going to have to leave it anyway. What vultures.

But in all honesty, I can't just blame Mormons. I think everyone wants to get a good deal and if someone HAS to sell, why offer any more than you have too. That's why I would never hold a "moving sale".

The thing is, in our friend's case, you would expect better than that from people from your own church who claim to care about you. That incident was the start of our friend's journey out of the lds church.

I know it's tempting to blame mormonism for everything, but, in this case, it's simply---you don't get much for used stuff. Don't expect to get a lot from your used belongings. People can always go to the next sale, check freecycle, go on Craigslist, etc. and get a bargain.

I do think that the way it is done here has to do with the mo influece.

I know to price stuff higher, but even afgter lowering it they still don't want it. The lady did come get the dresser for 65 late last night after about 20 phone calls.

I had one call about my kids diamodback bmx bike that I paid 200 for. Well, I listed for 125 aftedr lowering based on what others were asking. it is new condition, he never rode it.

so some kid calls and demands that I jack it down, ,then I sa no, its worth that, deands to know whaqt I paid for it. LOL, I was like that doesn't matter now does it. He called like 3 times wanting to pay 50 for it, and then 80. needless to say i still ave it, but like I said, I would rather give it to a frieds kid than to leet soe stranger take it.

Yres, mo are cheap. Try goig to a baby shower or bridal shower with locals.. Huge differece o what out-of staters brig for gifts.

I really eed a new laptop, don't i...well, i only have a table set and sectional to sell now, so back to work

YEP --a friend of mine had a shop selling Arts and crafts in an upscale neighborhood --A woman came in one day and picked up an item and was studying it . Fair price was about $25.00.. She asked the woman if she wanted to purchase it .."Oh NO" came the reply,, "I was just seeing how it was made so I could go home and make my own" -- This happend numerous times --

Yes they are cheap and will never want to pay full price for anything..

JB

Yes Mormons are cheap, and also it is a cultural thing to barter at garage sales, swamp meets, pawn shops, and flee markets.

considered an opening for bidding - unless you make sure to clarify that it is a firm price. In other words, you are implying to the market that you are willing to sell the item you list for something list than your list price. Most people with experience buying from classifieds know this and don't expect to pay the list price, just as most people with any experience buying cars know that the dealer generally does not expect to sell a car for the list price.

I know that. I've been selling things on KSL for years, and ebay too. I have put firm on some things, some things not. But dropping the price 50% is outrageous. I do go high so that they can talk me down a bit, but sometimes they push it.

I put my x's name on the listing too so that they think he is here for my safety, and so that they know that there is a "man" of the house and they can't bowl me over.

I had to list my x's car, and I listed for 800 and this guy called me like 10 times till I was awake. He wanted it for 600, and I was ready for 700, but he still wanted 600. He kept saying, what about this, etc. I know quite a bit about cars, and had taken everything into account when pricing it. He was a jerk to me. I was nervous about dealing with him by how he treated me.

My friends let me use their address to sell it. I looked online at how much the same car was selling for and found out it was worth more than the blue book for some reason. They asked me, do you want to sell it for 600, he will come and try to talk you down, and I was like no. So I cancelled the deal.

I then sold it for $1,000 and pocketed 500.

Just surprising what some people will ask.

is called negotiating a price. I figure most people have given themselves at least a 25 percent markup over what they are really willing to part with an item for. This tends to hold pretty true - just check sellers of automobiles and motorcycles against KBB.

Oh yeah, Mormons are cheap. If you tried to sell your stuff anywhere else in the nation they wouldn't try to talk you down. No way. They would be paying you double or triple the amount of money you ask for. I don't know why people live in Utah because those Mormons are just so cheap.

This is definitely a Mormon problem.

Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice?

Edit: my point is that everybody is like that. Sorry if my sarcasm wasn't clear.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2012 01:22PM by snb.

When buying second-hand goods, horse-trading is customary. I don't think the practice can be pinned on any group. It's give-and-take process. Sellers are just as likely to set a high price, expecting to be talked down, as buyers are to expect the price to be negotiable.

If you don't enjoy this process (I don't) then be glad that we buy things in stores now, because it used to be that everything was bought that way!

I often list things with a statement that the price is firm. Then you can refer to that caveat if someone tries to Mormon you down.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2012 01:28PM by rationalguy.

Sometimes it's annoying as hell, but this is common at yard sales, craft/art fairs, and tourist towns.


Southern exmo has it right- One of the best things to do is jack up the price by 10% if you want to get what the item is worth.

This is actually one of my fave things to do in Mexico. The vendedors expect it and enjoy bartering. It's one of the few Spanish conversations in which I am fluent, lol.

When I was a TBM, and with my brood and (now very evil EX) husband who could not earn enough money to support us...I pinched pennies until Lincoln had bruises!! I swear Andrew Jackson was rolling over in his grave at some of the ways I tried to hold onto a $20 bill.

There was a beautiful piece of furniture advertised on craigslist for a VERY reasonable price...but I did my cheap-A$$ mormon thing and asked the seller if she would come down in price. She said it was worth what she was asking and held her ground. I told her I'd call her back. I couldn't get this out of my mind. I knew it was more than a fair price and felt stupid for "passing it up."

So, I called her the next morning and asked if she still had it. She said several people had called and the first one to show up would get it. I loaded my brood in the car faster than (Uncle) Jed Clampett after discovering gold and went to get it.

It is beautiful and I can't believe I paid SO LITTLE for such a nice useful piece of furniture.

I am ashamed at myself for trying to talk her down. Thanks, I feel better about my confession. And, now feel absolved of all my sins!!!

This has been my experience, no matter where one lives.

My mom was a 'professional' garage sale buyer.

She'd start out early in the morning and hit five or six on a weekend day.

She paid as little as possible and then turned around sold it for more than she paid...

I find, when you sell something, you think it is valuable. when you buy something, it's not nearly worth as much.

One of my BYU professors in marketing said recently there's no Marketing CEO who wants to get a job in Utah. He said Utah is known in the retailing world as a place of VERY FRUGAL PEOPLE (his own words). Just look at how much "couponing" is done here...

I really do think mormons are cheap, but again, 10% is being taken away.

Could you expand? I always thought they meant the same thing, and I think my teacher even said something along these lines:

"You know, mormons, and Utah mormons specially tend to be very frugal. You know, we are cheap!!".

Is there any big semanthical difference?

On E-Bay I won a bid on a painting from China. It Was $1. The materials alone were much more and I knew from negative comments that the painting would be done after it was paid. I insisted on adding $20 and it arrived - worth over $100 and framed instead of rolled up! Fairness is the way to go. On another occasion I bought a car listed for $1100 and the owner when asked the least he would take, hesitated and sait $925. It was hurting him to sell it for that. I paid $975 and he threw in extras worth $250. Beware, in the long run, of pushing anyone to the limit. I have a client who always does that with suppliers and he loses for it.

Always am fair....I could have sold that car for 2,000 based on demand. Go figure.

I don't think it has anything to do with their religion. These are very hard times. Haven't seen anything like it in most of my life.
People often have very very little expendable income and will be forced to do with what they have or go without much of the time.

People often haggle. It's done all the time. They often want to know your bottom price. I do that every time I go yard sale shopping!

Would you take: $_____ is often what I ask. If something is a "fair" price in my mind, I don't haggle. I also like to "bundle" items.

Much of buying and selling is based on rapport. If I establish a fun rapport with the people, chat them up, they are often more willing to haggle and sell for less. (I like that when I am down to my last few dollars that I can spend that day!)

I wouldn't judge people who haggle on their religion. I find, in my experience that has nothing to do with it.