One of the most annoying things in trading.

[OmegaZero_Alpha]

You saw the same thing with horse/car trading. "This is my family horse/car and we all love her/him/it so you better have a good offer even though I've clearly dragged it out to market"

You always have to just remind them that these things have objectve monitary value, if they won't deal with you without bringing up sentementality or subjective marketing then let them sit on the item.

I'm surprised you don't see more of the classic buyer maneuvers.

Here's a good old tactic I'd like to see: Next time you go to a trader you should try finding their best item, haggling them down as far as you can go without breaking negotiations, and then when you bring up their second best item (or whatever you actually wanted from them) you should be able to get it for cheap as hell. I do this at pawn shops and it works amazingly.

On the reverse end it can also work if you have a cheaper item and a similar, but higher end item. I managed to sell my DSlite for 95$ (in 2010) to pawn one by bringing in an old DS fat and talking them up until they were about to kick me out of the store. They have a default offer of about 45$, I talked them up to 55$, pulled out the DS-lite and the offer went to 75$, and when we closed the deal I managed to throw in the charger for 20$ because "They had to have the charger and we already agreed on 75$ for the system alone". I probably wouldn't have gone that far, but last time I went into that store same guy tried to spot me 1/20th of bid price for a few ounces of silver I had.

However I don't know where the line is drawn between clever bartering and sharking here, so I've never been inclined to try it. Especially because I'm not bartering with an incorporated drone but a real person.

[CannonFodder52]

However I don't know where the line is drawn between clever bartering and sharking here, so I've never been inclined to try it. Especially because I'm not bartering with an incorporated drone but a real person.

Interesting tactics you got there.
But ya its not really sharking unless the other person doesn't have a slight grasp on the price of his item. If they roughly know what its worth and you barter them down, its not sharking.
Although if you are blatantly lying to them about the value of their hat, people usually consider that to be on par with sharking.

[moshspeggeti]

However I don't know where the line is drawn between clever bartering and sharking here, so I've never been inclined to try it. Especially because I'm not bartering with an incorporated drone but a real person.

I would say the line is drawn is if you trade a significantly low amount, for a hat of significant value. I mean, if you go looking for noobs with Unusuals to rip them of their valuables for a very low amount, that is sharking. Usually when you barter with someone on TF2 outpost or a Trade server, they know the values of their hats and won't let them go that cheap, even if you lowball them it's usually no where as low as how much a shark would pay for an expensive hat.

[OmegaZero_Alpha]

lowballing is something I hate people up in arms about. Most of the 'lowballing' I've seen is from basic negotiating tactics.

If you ask somebody what they want to pay they're SUPPOSED to lowball (within reason*) because they expect you to come back with a highball for a counter-offer and generally you'll work something out in the middle of that.

*within reason is generally about +/- 30% of the item's total value.

[Cass277]

Only selling this scout/medic/spy combo together, never breaking apart. Effects don't match up with each other in any way.

[TheDopp]

lowballing is something I hate people up in arms about. Most of the 'lowballing' I've seen is from basic negotiating tactics.

If you ask somebody what they want to pay they're SUPPOSED to lowball (within reason*) because they expect you to come back with a highball for a counter-offer and generally you'll work something out in the middle of that.

*within reason is generally about +/- 30% of the item's total value.

The issue is it's rarely in reason with this economy. I'm a firm believer in Hanlon's law, but with offers outside of the sphere of SOP where anonymity is closer to possible (and offers tend to range from 10% to 60% actual value, almost all the time) it really makes me question that belief.

[kramurx]

lowballing is something I hate people up in arms about. Most of the 'lowballing' I've seen is from basic negotiating tactics.

If you ask somebody what they want to pay they're SUPPOSED to lowball (within reason*) because they expect you to come back with a highball for a counter-offer and generally you'll work something out in the middle of that.

*within reason is generally about +/- 30% of the item's total value.

Lowballing would be fine if people would actually try to work something out. 99% of the time I get a lowball and reply with "too low mate" and they just never reply again.

What I hate is when people just hide your offer or say "pass" or "nty" without commenting on it.

[ChaosGoW]

lowballing is something I hate people up in arms about. Most of the 'lowballing' I've seen is from basic negotiating tactics.

If you ask somebody what they want to pay they're SUPPOSED to lowball (within reason*) because they expect you to come back with a highball for a counter-offer and generally you'll work something out in the middle of that.

*within reason is generally about +/- 30% of the item's total value.

Lowballing would be fine if people would actually try to work something out. 99% of the time I get a lowball and reply with "too low mate" and they just never reply again.

What I hate is when people just hide your offer or say "pass" or "nty" without commenting on it.

I think pass or nty is a pretty strong comment on your offer. It means try harder.

[kramurx]

It says absolutly nothing. Doesn't he like the hat? Doesn't he like the effect? Doesn't he play this class at all? Is it too low worth wise?

[ChaosGoW]

lol. You're a moron.

It means he find the offer insulting. Most likely sick of morons lowballing and refuses to consider talking to people that offer without thinking.

I used to feel the same way.