[(-D] Well, while you’re at home in bed holding out for the 30%, I’ll go out and take Wal-marts 5%.
No seriously I see and understand your point. The smaller your business, the higher the profit margin needs to be to make a true profit. Just because you sell a loco for $60 that you paid $55 for does not mean you made $5 until after all profits cover expenses. But, the fact with a trainshow, regardless of how you as a vendor may feel, is that the customers, the ones who buy your wares, feel that it’s a place to make deals. Just listen to everyone, most everyone, who talks about it. Also, there are boxes and boxes of loose cars, and locos in all sorts of conditions that the vendor obviously picked up at who knows where, garage sales? Other trainshows? Somewhere but not from Athearn or Walthers new, and I’m sure he had no problem with haggling the price on most his stuff.
Now, I don’t believe the OP was referring to the price of the item as much as the attitude of the vendor. I still stand by the vendor was in the “wrong” so to speak. Maybe he was having a bad day, we all do. Maybe the guy’s swell every other day. Not saying he’s not a nice guy. But for this transaction what I say is he was….wrong for lack of a better word. Had he simply said in a civil, or non-irritated way that he wasn’t willing to go any lower, and kinda chuckled that E-bayers don’t have to make as much off an item to profit or better yet say E-bayers don’t have to pay this booth fee and kinda laugh at it, he probably would have sold that loco right ther instead of possibly packing it up and taking it home back home contributing to who knows, possibly a loss for the day. Faced with that, I&r
While it is obviously in the best interest of any business man to be polite to his potential customers, the OP’s original story, as told, suggests the vendors first response should have been a clear enough meassage that the prices was not negotable.
As for taking 5% while I wait for 30%, I’ll just repeat this, I have been self employed most of my life, what do you do for a living?
I have walked away from lots of people who wanted me to sell my goods or services for less, and never regretted it once. I ran a train department in a hobby shop, I know little something about this business.
As I stated before, each business has its own balance of profit margin, volume and turnover needed for success. Most businesses fail from being under capitalized, not from lack of sales.
And while many train show dealers are as you discribe, many are simply “mobile hobby shops” buying their merchandise through the normal wholesale channels.
And, why would you assume that vender lost money that day? He might have already knocked them dead? Possibly at a nice 25% to 35% margin. Why give away that loco?
It is one thing when a dealer, at a train show, or otherwise, decides to mark down a price and sell something at blowout clearence prices. I have personally bought lots of Proto2000 locos at such prices.
It is quite another to think you can negotiate such a price on an item with a “normal” advertised price.
I agree. Like I said in my first post, I too would have taken that the price was non-negotiable and, as I said then, walked away if I was not willing to pay the asked price. Which apparently was not an unreasonable price. However, as you say, politeness (initially at least as some customers…well I don’t suppose I have to tell you about those) is important and could have made the item a sale. Could. If it was me, and that’s all I have to go on, his response (as relayed by the OP) not only would have made me not buy the loco, but I also would not have looked any further at his items. I was only referring to his response as was presented by the OP. I am not mean or non-understanding. Not necessarily related to this item, even though it really isn’t one of a kind, but generally, I may not walk across the convention center for a couple dollars, I might walk across the aisle. But, presented with a why should I attitude, I definitely will make the trek if I wanted or needed it.
As for his possible profit or loss for the day, you are correct. I do not know how he did. However, none of us do. I only used a loss as a basis for my position on your earlier statements that lead me to believe you would settle for nothing less than a certain higher “profit margin”, if you will, regardless of any situation even if it meant not selling anything, or I believe you said something like taking it home for another day was as good as breaking even. Assuming that at that point in the event he was already in the green for the event, I cannot disagree. You assumed he did ok, I assumed he may not have only to use a possible scenario as an example for my differing opinion on that type situation and an unwaivering profit margin per item. I did not intend for it to be a blanket statement to cover any and all situations. Nor was I slamming my hand down saying no you are wrong. Just my opinion as I see it.
I work retail for a living in a privately owned men’s clothing store. I have owned or managed such a store for thirteen years now. That being said, I certainly understand profit margins. Occasionally, a customer will offer me less and I’ll take that offer. Other times I’ll politely decline. It depends on how long I’ve had the item and how bad I want to ring the cash register. As I’ve said in an earlier post, I certainly wouldn’t give someone an attitude for offering $10 less on something that is marked at $70, regardless of the ‘regular price’. I especially wouldn’t act in such a manner if I was trying to sell something off a buffet table in a hall.
It is quite another to think you can negotiate such a price on an item with a “normal” advertised price.
Sheldon
Why not? I got my Athearn RTR GATX GP38-2 by haggling the price.He wanted $69.95 and we both settled for $60.00…A fair price for both since these RTR GP38-2 can be found as low as $54.95 plus shipping.I’m sure he knew that just as well as I did and again his competitors wanted my cash as well.
I can give several more examples of the haggling prices I paid…I can give some examples where no deal was reached.
Again Train Shows is all about making money not repacking your stock and adding up the show’s lost column.Nobody can afford to do that.
I use to think like you and flop down the asking price until I learn better by asking a simple question:What’s the least you will take for this engine or car?
Even at hobby shops I ask that question and usually get 10-12% off…
Guess what? A shop that works with me will get my return business…