Negotiating price of used dolls?

Personally, for me it would really depend on the condition of the doll, how old it is, etc. Usually I'm happy to pay if it's just a little less than the company price, since I figure you're also paying for the convenience of not having to wait 3+ months for your new doll, shipping from a foreign country, etc. :p If the doll is less than 3 years old and doesn't have any major issues (cracks, broken parts, chips, staining, etc.) I would be fine paying around $250 for a doll that "retails" so to speak at $270. Do remember to factor in if there's anything special about the doll, like tanskin or extra faceplate or anything that would have cost extra when they bought the doll.

If the doll is older, or has issues like cracks or staining, that would reduce the amount I was willing to pay.

As a seller, I've only really been offended by offers if they're drastically less than what I was asking for. If, say, I were selling a doll for $600 and someone offered me $300, I would be pretty pissed off. But if they offered, say, $550 or something, I would at least consider it and line it up against what I paid for the doll and the condition that it's in, and what kind of situation caused me to sell the doll, and go from there.

I would say whatever you offer, make sure you're looking at all the factors, be respectful, and be prepared if the seller can't go as low as you want them to - some people sell dolls because they need to pay bills or make the rent or something terrible happened, and may not be able or willing to reduce their prices (and some people just don't like to get that much less than what they paid for a perfect or near-perfect condition doll, which is valid too). Most sellers will offer to meet you partway, though, if they can't go as low as you're looking for.

 

I think I would make a first offer of about 190 or 200 and hope to negotiate it down to about 220.

 

Acceptable negotiations really depends on several factors for me:

-Can you pay the full amount of your offer immediately? If I'm selling my doll for $500, and you offer $400 but need three months to pay it off, I'm probably going to say no, since I could probably find a buyer willing to pay the $500 within that month.

-How long has the doll been on the MP? If my doll has been listed for months, I'm probably getting really desperate to sell it and would accept any reasonable offer. If I listed it yesterday, I'm not going to knock $50 off today to get it sold.

-How much is the full thing really worth? Add up everything included or that may have cost extra- doll, skin tone, extras. All of those things could make the doll worth more than retail value of a blank doll, so decide if the extras are worth it to you. It might not be, but it could be to the seller, and they may not be willing to let it go at blank price.

-Consider the seller's needs, too. Everybody wants a good deal, and most of us have been pretty broke while wanting a new doll. Money might be hard to come by, but your seller could be in an equally tight spot, and making it a competition will rub them the wrong way. Leave out the unimportant details, and stick to the transaction itself. This is business, not charity.

-Be reasonable. Generally, I don't ask for a seller to lower their price, but if I do, I don't ask for more than 5-10% off their asking price, or I may ask if they'd be willing to include free shipping. Always be polite. Don't nag them or be rude if they say no.


As a seller, I usually get buyers willing to pay the full price, or reasonable offers, which are usually accepted. I have had a few insulting offers, which I politely turn down. If a potential buyer is polite, has good/fast communication, is friendly and not whiny or demanding, I'm almost always willing to continue negotiations and try to find a solution that works for us both. I was say it never hurts to ask. The worst they can say is 'no'.

 

Used is really not the proper terminology for a collectible (which BJDs are). 2nd hand perhaps. Some of these dolls go UP in price (cause they are rare, discontinued, limited editions etc) and you really need to research the availability.
That said, if you check the current price on an available doll, and factor in the shipping cost for a new, fresh from the factory one, you can get a good idea of the worth of said doll. So if the asking price is close to that price, & as others have said if the doll has been on the market a while & wasn't an immediate turn-around (ie the seller didn't buy the doll & almost immediately put it up for sale) then I'd say you've got a good chance at successfully bargaining for a lower price. If you've got the cash to buy full-price that also helps.

 

IF the seller is open to negotiation, then you can just be open and say you'd be OK with X(low) price, but would understand if it was too low for her and you might be willing to pay more if she has a better suggestion... basically, you can dicker back and forth a bit and see if you can arrive at a price that would make you both happy. If you phrase things nicely, then the seller will understand you don't mean to insult them and that the price you are putting out there isn't hard-and-fast. That's what negotiations are, so it should be OK if you make things clear.

That said, I totally understand your worries! I've had a hard time with that myself. You can maybe put out a price you would be willing to pay, but is close enough to the asking price to be reasonable? But you'd have to be willing and content to get it at that price. If not, then just go low and walk away if you don't want to go any higher...

Good luck!

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Oh, just read your last post! Glad it seems to be working out!