Question for sellers (inside)

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Booli

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Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but it is related to selling here in the Marketplace, so I was hoping that was the best place for this, even though it is not an actual item for sale. Mods feel free to relocate if necessary. :)


Why do sellers delete the price after an instrument is sold?

Is there some policy here on UU that requires this, or is it just some odd habit that keeps getting copied like monkey-see/monkey-do?

Why not leave the price? What harm does it do to you?

What is the thinking behind sellers cutting out the price, or even deleting all the text and photos in the first place? Is not CLOSING the thread enough for a seller?

Why HIDE the details of the sale? Is it for SHAME?

I'd think that having a historical perspective of resale values of the more popular ukes would be of a GREAT service to FUTURE sellers as WELL AS buyers, seeing what market value has been over time.

Otherwise, what is the magic formula for pricing a used uke for sale here in the Marketplace.

So folks PLEASE chime in here. I am not the only one who has complained about the details of completed sales being obfuscated after the transaction has ended.

Mahalo,

Booli :)
 
Monkey-see, monkey-do is why I've done it. We couldn't always close threads right? So it's probably just an old hang-over to make sure that it's clear that the uke is gone.

+1 on keeping the price though. It would be interesting to be able to look at the uke resale market trends.
 
... We couldn't always close threads right?...

The date this thread was created:

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...or-Sale-quot-threads-when-your-item-sells-now!

was January 17, 2012

which is even before I started on UU in April of 2013, so not sure about the hold-over

It just seems to me an odd thing to be protective of the sale price AFTER the transaction. It's not a sealed-envelope bid for a million smackers, after which the tax man cometh to extract his pound of flesh, so it just seems against the aloha, shaka and openness that exists most of the time here on UU for the sellers to modify the original post, with either omitting the price, or replacing ALL the text and pictures with a giant bold red

SOLD


It just seems like lots more effort to edit the first post, than putting a post saying "SOLD - thanks" and then after posting that, and then just after to hit the close button.

It's not like you are reducing the burden on the forum database either, since all EDITS to posts are saved historically and forever, for legal reasons...yes, the mods can see ALL deleted text and edited posts.
 
Interesting question(s). I'm not sure of the answer................prehaps the final sale price differs from the advertised price. Substituting "SOLD" instead of the asking price eliminates exposing the final discounted or agreed upon price. Maybe both the buyer and seller would like to keep that confidential. Of course it gets more complicated when it's cash plus trade. Just guessing here folks.
 
@Futurethink, @JonThysell, @stevejfc, @uke1950

Thanks for your replies and comments - please keep going...I am interested in what others here on UU think and feel about this topic...
 
I would guess it's because the final, haggled-over sale price was different from asking. Final sale price would be nice to see, but if negotiations occur, final sale price is the seller's and buyer's biz.
 
Each to their own, but I'd leave the price as it was in the OP.
 

I did search, but had not seen this. Thanks for including the link here. Sorry if this topic is being rehashed again.

I was not actually thinking of holding sellers to posting the final sale price since maybe that could/should be private as others have said, but the asking price, and/or any reductions until the sale is complete, could be useful info to folks in the future who want to EITHER buy OR sell the same or similar uke.

I mean, if I want to sell something on eBay, I look at both CURRENT auctions, as well as COMPLETED auctions to get an idea of value, and if it is even worth the hassle, by the time that eBay and PayPal suck their fees out of the sale, if there is any money left over.

I know it's not the same, and instruments are quite different in how the Hive Mind has it's desires worked out in reality of the marketplace, ANY marketplace...

Sorry if I've annoyed anyone by bringing up this subject since this was discussed previously. In that previous discussion there were quite a few polarized opinions, as there are here...

so it seems so far that there is not really any consensus...and that is fine...I'm just trying to understand the psychology of it all and what folks think is at stake that motivates them to wipe out the first post and put that big fat SOLD in it's place with no other info at all.

Maybe it's just me, but I get a little offended that all the info is removed. I mean UU is a fully public forum save for PM's, so why not have transparency?
 
My guess is because if the price is up, people will still email and say "Hey is it still for sale?"
But if the SOLD is there where the price is, then they'll quickly realize it's sold.
Having that $300 there, your eyes instinctively go for that right away, regardless of where it is. So seeing it, and especially if it's a good deal, is going to lead to people skipping by the "sold" part and the "closed thread" part to ask about it.
I do think Closing the thread, but leaving the price would be better.
Or maybe start writing out the amount it sold for (three hundred is less easy to spot than the $300)
 
I think that unknowingly, I have been on all different sides of this issue. I've looked back for posts on certain ukes for a sold price, just to get an idea of the recent past market, only to find prices deleted and really wished I had that info. Knowing what things have sold for is very valuable to know when you are shopping for anything, not just ukes. I'm sure I have overpaid relative to the current market values, for lack of good research. I've also sold things where I'd rather have the price deleted after its sold. I'll give you an example. I had a concert flea in fine condition, that I just didn't play. I picked it up used on CL and got a good price. When I went to sell it, I put it up for a very reasonable price like $75-100. Needless to say, it sold immediately. I felt like I had my fun with it and I don't need to make a killing. I got my money's worth. I'd rather have the good karma of passing on the bargain. I can understand that if you let something go at below market value, you'd rather not have people think that your SOLD price is what a comparable uke is really worth. The flea was a really nice, well-made instrument and I wouldn't want subsequent sellers (or buyers) to think that their instrument wasn't worth more when they are looking to make a deal. I'm not sure though but I don't think I've ever delete a price. I don't think so. I sold several ukes, in my journey to find what things suit me best and I think all that I've ever done is just close my thread. I did notice that on FMM marketplace, it is commonplace to remove the price when a uke is sold. I think this may be the one place where I may have removed the price and I think that it was because I saw others do it, but mainly because I thought it was the fastest or easiest way so show item was sold by just editing out the price w/ the word sold. Now, in retrospect, I believe I could have simply clicked on something that would have placed that sold banner on the ad without removing any info. I think that leaving info alone, in general, is a good idea. It's certainly helpful to folks either out there shopping or UUers looking to thin their herd. I do respect folk's right to privacy though regarding financial negotiation and transactions.
 
Removing the price after the sale is also common on Flea Market Music and I never understood it there either. I've bought a couple of ukes here in the market place and it didn't matter a fig to me if the seller left the asking price up or not (which may of may not have been the selling price)
 
I have always just marked the instrument as sold, and leave the selling price as it is listed. Deleting all the info and price always seemed weird to me.
 
My first Risa stick I wish I had found the previous sales thread before paying $50 more for a worn instrument. The frets were terrible and since there is a small knot in the fret area its an easy stick to distinguish without the serial number.

I think its OK as is being sellers choice if they want to disclose the selling or even asking price if not delete the whole thread itself. I do not discuss the price of any of my clients tattoos with anyone but the client. I also will not price someones tattoo done by another. If they discuss it with me my answer is usually a very honest well I would have charged you more but done it in less time and/or very different than the other artist. But I'm babbling now on a subject I have more knowledge on.

Once many years ago when someone saw a tattoo the first thing you asked was who did it. This changed to "How Much" did it cost? Which is really quite rude. When I'm asked I quickly start asking how much they spend on takeout or their hair or nails. hehe

~AL~
 
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