Who Gets an Item in the Classifieds?

[Pokinfun]

Lets say I list some 10/22 parts far sale in the classifieds. I have a few different people ask about the item, over a few hours.

I respond to the first person that asked about the item and the shipping price (before the second person ever offers to purchase the items), which I respond to with a price, then the next person wants to purchase some of the parts.
Do I just drop the first person and sell the item to the second guy or do I give the first person the option to buy it first?
I had this happen last night, I told the second guy I would get back to him and discussed the purchase with the first member, which wanted to think it over. He said not to hold it for him. I then gave the second buyer the option to buy, which he did.

At the same time, I was doing the same thing as the buyer. In this instance I was getting the full price with shipping, mostly waiting on a reply from the seller, a member jumps in and says he will buy the item, at which point the seller put me in second and sold the item to the other member.

My question is, do you complete the purchase with the first person or do you go straight to the second? I will give the first member the option to buy because they asked first. Especially, if they are already asking about the shipping costs.

 

[SMS]

If I start a conversation with someone and they sound serious, I will usually give them a day to come to a final agreement even if someone else comes in behind them and says "I'll take it". After about a day without locking something down, I will move on to the next "I'll take it" buyer.

 

[dlbleak]

Yes, take the buyers in chronological order and let the negotiations run their course.
Sometimes it takes a day or two which can be frustrating. So, I encourage buyers to be as speedy as possible in their decision.

 

[Ignored Member]

First come first serve.
If the first person says "let me think about it or give me a week to get funds, but, don't hold it if someone else has cash in hand" then it goes to the #2 if #1 hasn't responded and #2 is ready.

If I talk to #1 First and they're serious then it goes to them unless they quit responding.

Anyone else who chimes in is told they will be next in line if current pending deal falls through.

 

[Pokinfun]

If I start a conversation with someone and they sound serious, I will usually give them a day to come to a final agreement even if someone else comes in behind them and says "I'll take it". After about a day without locking something down, I will move on to the next "I'll take it" buyer.

I do the same thing, it was all within a couple of hours, mostly waiting on the seller to reply. If the seller had replied promptly, I would have bought it an hour before the second guy said he would take it.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Yep, I agree with the way you handled your sale. That's exactly how I would do it.

 

[SPDguns]

It can be difficult. It's hard to separate the tire-kickers from those who are serious. Here's how I try and do it- the first person who contacts me gets first shot at it. If they make a firm commitment, I pull the ad and hold it for them. If they are in limbo for whatever reason and then later I have guy number two give me an "I'll take it", I tell Mr. "I'll take it" that there is someone in line before him that I need to check with. I then message the number one guy to see if he for sure wants it, and if he does, I will let number two know it's sold. If number one can't give me a firm decision, then number two gets it. The key is clear communication.

A couple of other things- I've done my fair share of tire kicking, but I make it clear early on for the seller to not hold it for me.
And, on selling used stuff, condition is subjective- I make it clear that buyers are welcome to look at it without obligation. On some things I've sold, I've mailed it and told the buyer that if they like it, send me payment, if they don't like it, just send the item back.

As a buyer, I've only been burned once. Sent a guy $20 for a SIG magazine. 30 days later, nothing so I messaged him. He said sorry, blah blah blah, he'd send me the money AND the magazine, blah blah blah. I told him no big deal, I get it, life gets in the way, etc. Never heard back from him. To be honest, I don't even remember who he was. Life it too short to worry over $20.

 

[Pokinfun]

In the end, I can buy the same item used on ebay for maybe $15 more, so not enough money to get under my skin.
I just found it funny that I was doing the same thing on the other side of the deal, but handled it in an exactly opposite way.
I have never had this happen to me on this forum before, we may insult each other over politics, but when it comes to the classifieds we are standup guys.
I bet over the last several years I have bought and sold over $10K worth of stuff on this forum. I will use this forum's classifieds before I list and item anywhere else. I joined the forum to buy an item many moons ago.

 

[Gunbuffer]

1. i sell it to whomever i want to, in any order i want to, as long as no one before them has unequivocally said theyd "take it" fuffilling all they terms I set in the original ad.
Ill pass right by known dickheads or guys with moronic negotiating ploys

 

[caojyn]

If I’ve got more than one on the hook roughly at the same time offering roughly the same thing, I let their forum posts decide. Whichever one I seem to be more in agreement with gets it.