I don't get why some people won't state the price they paid for a piece of new gear

[Agileguy_101]

Say there's a discussion about a set of pickups or a pedal or something from a new/unknown builder. Someone asks how much they cost and the person who already owns them says "PM me" or tells you to get in touch with the maker.

I dun get it. Is it an extension of the idea that talking about how much money one makes is bad form? If so, they're apples and oranges, because generally speaking that kind of information should be easily available. It gives an air of pretentious exclusivity that turns me off altogether.

IMO, unless you have a product from a builder that only does custom work and therefore has no standard price, there should be no shame in disclosing the price that you paid.

Unless you bought a Centaur.

 

[Turi]

Ok.

 

[NakedInTheRain]

i do it if i get a lower price. i don't want my post to be the precedent for people complaining about paying more than what they saw on a forum.

 

[treeuh]

I was raised to politely decline to answer... It just makes people uncomfortable to reveal what they spend on things. It's also a point of ridicule in most social settings (ie "Dude, what does that box with the flashing lights do? Oh, I don't understand at all, but how much was it? DAAAAANG! You spent $500 on that?!").

We've all been there...

 

[Faded]

Or they want to sell it for more in the emporium. Im certain thats pretty common with some folks these days.

 

[dirk_benedict]

As a kid, I was taught that it's borderline rude to ask someone what they paid for something.

That said, if someone asks me what I paid for a piece of gear I don't mind answering.

In reality however, I think in most cases the incremental information you are going to get in asking these questions isn't all that helpful. For most stuff, you can get a pretty good ballpark idea of what it costs by spending 30seconds on the internet. So that allows you to filter out the gougers pretty easily. But on average, you are likely going to transact in a given average range for that item. Getting a huge bargain is going to come down to a lucky circumstance as opposed hard-ball negotiation tactics.

The fact that some guy, somewhere, ONCE sold a piece of gear for way under "going market rate" doesn't deserve to have a disproportional effect on your transaction.

 

[BootRoots]

Or they want to sell it for more in the emporium. Im certain thats pretty common with some folks these days.

This

 

[skunx]

I was raised to politely decline to answer... It just makes people uncomfortable to reveal what they spend on things. It's also a point of ridicule in most social settings (ie "Dude, what does that box with the flashing lights do? Oh, I don't understand at all, but how much was it? DAAAAANG! You spent $500 on that?!").

We've all been there...

This pretty much sums it up for me.

I guess it depends on the situation. One of my friends that I jam with it's always his first question about one of my new toys. In many situations I don't get the relevance of the price I paid for something.

On the other hand if I had something that was fairly new to market or under the radar and someone said "hey I could use one of those. How much was it and where did you get it?" I wouldn't have a problem answering that.

 

[OutterLimits]

The worth of an item really has nothing to do with what somebody selling it paid. Maybe a dealer who is friends with them gave them an awesome deal. It is none of anybody's business, really. You pay what you think it is worth. Besdies, most wad heads on this forum low ball to the point of obnoxiousness.

And, while we are on the topic, my favorite "buyer" lines:

"All I have right now is XXX amount, I have no more money." Really? Then why are you looking into buying my item?!?

"I see that item for XXX dollars all the time." Then BUY IT from that person.

"I think I want it, but I have to sell other items first." THANKS FOR WASTING MY TIME.

That said, a trust a bunch of guys on here who are very cool.

 

[gmann]

Or they want to sell it for more in the emporium. Im certain thats pretty common with some folks these days.

Or they feel it's none of your business.

 

[S. S. Bender]

Or they feel it's none of your damn business.

Edited to agree and accentuate.

 

[Guinness Lad]

I had a guy post in my FS add, and state something like this, "You know you can buy that pedal for $300 brand new, why are you selling it for $275?" Insinuating I was ripping people off.

I replied to him in a PM stating that ebay has that same pedal selling for an average of $300, (harder to get) and that I was basing my pricing off their completed auctions.

I told him in so many words to jump in a lake and mind his own business.

So I look at this way, it's none of your business to know what I paid.

 

[dirk_benedict]

I'd never chime in on someone's ad with this, but I must admit I do find it amusing when people price a used pedal within 15% of any of the common online pedal retailers that run coupons constantly.

Another thing to keep in mind, sellers get dinged 10% in fees on Ebay at those completed auction prices. If you sell/list something at the same price as Ebay here you are effectively getting a 10% premium on your sale (if you consider Ebay the best indicator of "the market").

 

[Guinness Lad]

I'd never chime in on someone's ad with this, but I must admit I do find it amusing when people price a used pedal within 15% of any of the common online pedal retailers that run coupons constantly.

All depends how difficult the pedal is to acquire, things like Klon's, Kot's Timmy's (used to be), go for more, so near new isn't outlandish.

If it was a Boss (common place) pedal then I get it.

 

[abnerfm]

I'll tell you why (in my case, at least). I live outside the USA. I've seen Dunlop Uni-Vibes going for US$572 used, in my country. Then, I found a guy in Canada selling it for US$60 and quickly bought it.

If I were to say to everyone how much I paid for it, maybe I hadn't sell it for US$190. And, in the end, the buyer was happy for not paying US$572 for it. (Sorry for my bad english).

 

[slap_back05]

When I bought a Timeline, I was able to get it new at either 15 or 20% off from a retailer. I would never reveal who, or at the time even say what I payed for it because of Strymon (and other builders') discounting rules.

There are reasons. Why do you feel it's your business to know what other people spend on stuff. Man up, negotiate your own prices.

All depends how difficult the pedal is to acquire, things like Klon's, Kot's Timmy's (used to be), go for more, so near new isn't outlandish.

If it was a Boss (common place) pedal then I get it.

Unless it's Strymon, because we are all stupid for paying those used prices...

 

[dirk_benedict]

All depends how difficult the pedal is to acquire, things like Klon's, Kot's Timmy's (used to be), go for more, so near new isn't outlandish.

If it was a Boss (common place) pedal then I get it.

Yes of course. Stuff that you can't buy (or discount, like Strymon) at the perma-coupon places of the world is different. Let it rip!

 

[markjsmith]

Cause it's rude and none of your business. It's really up to the guy who bought it if he wants to share that information! Usually some decorum in the way that you ask will get you a straight answer, but manners and decorum are all but a thing of the past these days. I remember getting in trouble w/ my Dad as a kid for asking one of those "none of your damn business" questions!

Asking that question usually leads to an answer. Then the guy who asks the question usually shames the guy being nice enough to share his purchase price by telling him he's an idiot for paying that much and he could have gotten it so much cheaper from another vendor etc.....

 

[ERGExplorer]

...tells you to get in touch with the maker.

...generally speaking that kind of information should be easily available. It gives an air of pretentious exclusivity that turns me off altogether.

Easy info request from maker fail.

Right in line with people who say they can't find any info on something, and I find a lot of information through Google.

Why not do a little research?

"But then what would be the point of me asking for you to do it for me?"

Exactly.

----

As it is, I sometimes get discounts from friends and builders I've known for years, so I never want to force them into a situation where someone says, "Hey, didn't he get it for less?" There's a lot of entitled people out there.

This topic just reminded me of one store where the owner's college roommate had come to town. The roommate was paying by check, and another guy got irate about the roommate not having to present ID for his check, so he started yelling at the owner. The owner said, "What's my middle name?"

"What? I don't know that! What's that got to do with it?"

"We've known each other since college. I don't need his ID. You, on the other hand, don't know me well enough to yell at me. Get out before I call the cops."

Entitlement, how does it work? I'm okay with never knowing....

 

[fahrner]

Cause it's just none of your business what I paid for something.
And yes; it's called being discreet. And it's rude to ask.