I love swapping. I have been doing it my whole life from the time I was a small kid at the gun shows and flea markets with my dad. I'll swap guns, cars, tools, livestock, motorcycles, boats, computers, whatever. It is just what I do.
I thought I would point out a few common "trading mistakes" I see often. Some of them are no big deal, but some of them irritate the piss out of me.
Anyway, take it for what it is worth.
1. "What's your trade value?"
I hate this question and generally won't answer it seriously if at all. What I value my item at means nothing in a swap. What matters is what YOU value it at and what I value whatever you are offering me at.
If I really want what you have more so than what I have, I will trade with you even if your item retails new for more than mine. If I don't really have much interest in what you have, I may still swap with you but I am going to value something I'm really not that crazy about much less than what I can buy it used for in any gun store.
Instead of asking what my value is, offer up your item you are interested in trading for my item. This will get you a much more serious response than asking me what my "trade value" is.
2. "What is the least you will take?"
If you ask me this question I will respond with full asking price 90% of them time. The other 10% of the time I will add 250 bucks for having to field such a stupid question.
If I am asking 450 for something, I may take 400 if you come right out and offer 400.....but you have to make the offer.
Grow a pair and put an offer on the table, it's the only way you will get a serious reply from me. I know I am not alone on this.
3. Never trade for something you wouldn't be happy owning the rest of your life.
Sure 9 times out 10 when I trade something, I end up trading it for something else, but nothing sucks more than trading something you like for something you're not crazy about simply because you thought it was worth more, only to find out nobody wants that piece of crap and you are either stuck owning it forever or giving it away.
4. Never trade for something you aren't at least slightly familiar with.
If you get an offer for something you know nothing about but you find it temping for whatever reason, ask them to let you think about it and then spend the next 24 hours learning everything you can about it before making a decision. Most of the time my research tells me that I don't really want the item.
This rule is key for me. I have broken it several times throughout my life and have regretted it everytime.
5. Don't get hung up on retail pricing.
Swapping is supposed to be fun. I can buy any gun I want at dealer cost or less and never do. I would rather spend 6 months trying to swap into a 300 dollar gun, than buying it at 250 dealer cost. Swapping is like fishing or hunting for me. I'm addicted to the hunt, and the excitement of finding a good trade. That said, I have many times traded things that were worth twice whatever I am trading for simply because I wanted what the other guy had more.
6. NEVER GIVE MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS OR SOMETHING WORTH MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS FOR A NORINCO SKS.
This one is self explanatory. They simply aren't worth it.
7. Don't get impatient.
As I said before, trading is a fun hobby. Don't get impatient when your item doesn't create a flood of offers the first day or even week you have it up. This gets back to not trading for things you wouldn't be happy owning forever. I have had a car up for trade for over a year. Eventually the right offer will come along. Until then, I enjoy owning it.
8. Don't expect to turn a profit.
If you want to make money selling a product get a business license and tax id number and go into business. Swapping is about combining hobbies. I improve my other hobbies (cars, guns, bikes, etc) with my trading hobby.
9. Never take a low ball (or offer you feel is a low ball) personally.
We all want to pick up the best deal possible. Some people are more blunt about it than others and have no problem hitting you with a lowball. Big deal, it doesn't hurt you in any way, and it doesn't hurt them in any way when you POLITELY turn it down. No sense getting your feelings hurt.
That said, I would be much more apt to make a deal with someone who nutted up and sent me a lowball offer than some pansy who asks me "what's the least you will take."
10. Name every horse, cow, goat, pig, chicken, etc. you trade into the same thing.
This one is not set in stone, but I learned it at a young age and have stuck with it. Over the years I have owned countless horses, goats, sheep, pigs, etc. that I have traded into, and every damn one of them have been named "Bert". A close friend told me this once and it is just something I have always done. To this day I will sometimes call my dog or even my son "Bert."
11. Keep to your word and don't try to negotiate after the deal has been agreed to.
This one kills me. I love it when I hash out a deal with someone, drive an hour plus to meet them and they show up and want to renegotiate the deal. If you do this to me you will get the same reaction everyone else who has tried this with me has gotten.
I will take my item back from you, put it back in the truck, wish you a good day and leave. Once a deal has been reached and agreed upon, and I have driven to meet you all negotiations are over.
12. Have fun.
Self explanatory.
I thought I would point out a few common "trading mistakes" I see often. Some of them are no big deal, but some of them irritate the piss out of me.
Anyway, take it for what it is worth.
1. "What's your trade value?"
I hate this question and generally won't answer it seriously if at all. What I value my item at means nothing in a swap. What matters is what YOU value it at and what I value whatever you are offering me at.
If I really want what you have more so than what I have, I will trade with you even if your item retails new for more than mine. If I don't really have much interest in what you have, I may still swap with you but I am going to value something I'm really not that crazy about much less than what I can buy it used for in any gun store.
Instead of asking what my value is, offer up your item you are interested in trading for my item. This will get you a much more serious response than asking me what my "trade value" is.
2. "What is the least you will take?"
If you ask me this question I will respond with full asking price 90% of them time. The other 10% of the time I will add 250 bucks for having to field such a stupid question.
If I am asking 450 for something, I may take 400 if you come right out and offer 400.....but you have to make the offer.
Grow a pair and put an offer on the table, it's the only way you will get a serious reply from me. I know I am not alone on this.
3. Never trade for something you wouldn't be happy owning the rest of your life.
Sure 9 times out 10 when I trade something, I end up trading it for something else, but nothing sucks more than trading something you like for something you're not crazy about simply because you thought it was worth more, only to find out nobody wants that piece of crap and you are either stuck owning it forever or giving it away.
4. Never trade for something you aren't at least slightly familiar with.
If you get an offer for something you know nothing about but you find it temping for whatever reason, ask them to let you think about it and then spend the next 24 hours learning everything you can about it before making a decision. Most of the time my research tells me that I don't really want the item.
This rule is key for me. I have broken it several times throughout my life and have regretted it everytime.
5. Don't get hung up on retail pricing.
Swapping is supposed to be fun. I can buy any gun I want at dealer cost or less and never do. I would rather spend 6 months trying to swap into a 300 dollar gun, than buying it at 250 dealer cost. Swapping is like fishing or hunting for me. I'm addicted to the hunt, and the excitement of finding a good trade. That said, I have many times traded things that were worth twice whatever I am trading for simply because I wanted what the other guy had more.
6. NEVER GIVE MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS OR SOMETHING WORTH MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS FOR A NORINCO SKS.
This one is self explanatory. They simply aren't worth it.
7. Don't get impatient.
As I said before, trading is a fun hobby. Don't get impatient when your item doesn't create a flood of offers the first day or even week you have it up. This gets back to not trading for things you wouldn't be happy owning forever. I have had a car up for trade for over a year. Eventually the right offer will come along. Until then, I enjoy owning it.
8. Don't expect to turn a profit.
If you want to make money selling a product get a business license and tax id number and go into business. Swapping is about combining hobbies. I improve my other hobbies (cars, guns, bikes, etc) with my trading hobby.
9. Never take a low ball (or offer you feel is a low ball) personally.
We all want to pick up the best deal possible. Some people are more blunt about it than others and have no problem hitting you with a lowball. Big deal, it doesn't hurt you in any way, and it doesn't hurt them in any way when you POLITELY turn it down. No sense getting your feelings hurt.
That said, I would be much more apt to make a deal with someone who nutted up and sent me a lowball offer than some pansy who asks me "what's the least you will take."
10. Name every horse, cow, goat, pig, chicken, etc. you trade into the same thing.
This one is not set in stone, but I learned it at a young age and have stuck with it. Over the years I have owned countless horses, goats, sheep, pigs, etc. that I have traded into, and every damn one of them have been named "Bert". A close friend told me this once and it is just something I have always done. To this day I will sometimes call my dog or even my son "Bert."
11. Keep to your word and don't try to negotiate after the deal has been agreed to.
This one kills me. I love it when I hash out a deal with someone, drive an hour plus to meet them and they show up and want to renegotiate the deal. If you do this to me you will get the same reaction everyone else who has tried this with me has gotten.
I will take my item back from you, put it back in the truck, wish you a good day and leave. Once a deal has been reached and agreed upon, and I have driven to meet you all negotiations are over.
12. Have fun.
Self explanatory.
