Post
by LogDayFreshHots » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:07 pm
Hey Steve,
I know how you feel!
Prices are reflective of what the market will tolerate. As long as someone will buy what they want at any price, then the prices will continue to go up. This is especially true thanks to ebay as every time a auction closes at a higher price that price becomes the new standard. In reality, two or more people wanted the same thing bad enough until finally all but one gave up.
An example, I have a number of Colt 20rd magazines that have a rare electro-nickle finish. I bought them in the late-80s and now the collectors market lists them at being worth almost $300 each. Sounds good seeing as how I bought them for about $2.50 each. Now they may be worth almost $300 to some hard-core collector who wants one bad enough to pay that price, but to me - and others with similar mags in their possession - they're only worth whatever the average asking price for a vintage factory Colt mag is. I'd glady sell it for the collector price but then again how many people currently know that's what the collector market is asking? How many know anything about that type of limited-production mag?Most do not. Thus I know offering a Colt 20rd mag for $250 - $300 would be considered insane.
Unfortunately some don't realize that in the end what they have is a sealed case of MRE's and nothing more. Granted there probably aren't many sealed cases of 1980's-dated MRE's. But in the end, thats all they are! Asking almost $200 is just dumb. But if someone buys them because they want them bad enough you can be sure $200 will become the new standard.
As has been suggested you could let the case sit there for a while and then make an offer. I would say give him your absolute highest amount you are willing to pay and see if he takes it. If not, wait a week. If it still doesn't sell, make a second offer but $10 less than the first. The seller might decide your offer is better than nothing at all, especially if it's getting lower the longer he holds out. If he doesn't accept the second offer than walk away and don't look back. It's his loss.
Frankly, I think he has the price so high because he hasn't really decided he wants to part with it.
"FIND THE BASTARDS, THEN PILE ON" - Standing Order of Col. George S. Patton Jr., C.O. 11th ACR.
"We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine-gun" - George Orwell.
