Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Price haggling with a friend

Subject came up on another board, what are your thoughts on price haggling with your friend when he has something for sale. My philosophy is that trying beat your good friend down on a price is bad form and bad manners. Friendship is worth more that the small amount of discount you might win. Either buy the item at his price or don't buy it .

Now, with a stranger or dealer, that's another story, I will and do haggle with the best of them, everyone expects it and if they don't they wont likely make a sale with me.

Friends are no different. Everyone should expect negotiating, especially on a gun sale. I'm sure my old Daddy started negotiating with Saint Peter when he made it to the Pearly Gate.

I always ask "How much do you want" , then. "How much will you take for it".

True friends often are not numerous - and are precious. I might ask one what an item is worth, but would give it to them rather than haggle over it. Some things are beyond price.

I agree, wouldn't haggle with a friend...if I'm a real friend he'd drop the price without asking, if he doesn't he must need the money pretty badly...so I'd get out of the way for him to get top dollar.

Friendships are too valuable to donate over money, and I always gift and never lend.

Good post - I would add that consideration needs to be given to the other end as well - if the person doing the selling is a friend, I would expect that he wouldn't ask for a price that is "top end" anymore than the buyer would expect a "low ball" price.

I've paid more than a friend asked because the gun was worth more

Depends on the friend. Some I wouldn't want to haggle with, one I'd try to beat him out of his last dollar, and he'd feel bad if I didn't try..

I don't haggle much with friends but I'm quick to tell them no if it doesn't seem like a 'friend' price to begin with.

Yeah, i don't haggle with my friends. I just ask 'em how much do they want for whatever it is and go get the cash.

We bought an elipitical machine for our son from the woman who works for my wife and they're kinda hurting for money.

She initially said a price that was too low for such a nice machine. We counter-offered a price that was in-line for units like it. She contested at first, but in the end her good sense prevailed. We got a great machine for our son and she got a more than fair price for her machine (her hubby can't use it anymore...sad story therein.)

Good friendships are worth more than a simple price difference.

Yup, friendship is worth more than money or things.

I'll pay the asking price, or a little more if it's too cheap.

No problem saying "no, thanks" if price is high.

there's friends and then there's friends, then there's kinfolks.

i've had friends offer me stuff above retail just to do me a favor. then, they'd put it on the open market if i refused. sometimes it was a favor, sometimes not so much.

kinfolks, well, there ain't much i can say about negotiating with them, other than to keep the knife sharp. maybe i've chosen the wrong kin, i don't know.

Sold a decent rifle/scope package to a young LT with a young family. I gave it to him at the price I had in it, about $500 less than what I could get for it here.

Told him if he didn't think it was a good deal I would unwrap the deal. He came back to me a week later bragging about how he thought he ripped me off.

Wasn't suprized when he got ran out of the Army for being a dumb ass.

A friend would offer it to me at a price that would negate haggling. If a "friend" offered it to me at full bore used retail it's quite likely that I don't need it that bad.

I've never haggled with a friend, or even offered a price. I always make my friends set the price..........even when they circle back and want me to make an offer.

"Stuff" is unlimited, but good friends are in short supply.

I never haggle with friends. With my group we usually just throw out a bottom dollar and take it or leave it. If someone needs money I will pay a little more then market value, if I like them enough. When selling I have never been negotiated with either.

That is just, sad.
But have heard about similar situations like that more than a few times.
It has also happened to me, once.
It made me wary about friends' 20something kids cozying up to me like I was their gramma. Woot woot red flags go up. I usually give stuff to people for really cheap anyways.

But I live in a "gimme" county.

I haggle very, very little with anyone. I know what I want and know what I will pay. If the two meet than a purchase is made.

I won't haggle with a friend. On the other hand, I expect a friend to give me a fair price or I'll turn it down.

I have given plenty of gear (fishing rods, hunting clothes, etc.)to friends over the years. I have never taken a dime for it. If I wanted top dollar for something that I intended to get rid of, I wouldn't sell it to a friend. It is not in my nature to try to take my friends' money.

This is me.

My buddy had an ATV for sale. He priced it to me at $3000. I then counter offered $3500. We split the difference and I paid him $3250.

This friendship/family stuff is supposed to be a 2 way street.