# How much do you pay for used merchandise?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 8, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533 "2019-12-08T00:14:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/1 "2019-12-08T00:14:33Z")

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If an new item retails for $500 just about everywhere (including Amazon), how much would you typically pay for a used item on Craigslist or eBay? I see items typically advertised for 75% to 90% of retail. It just seems to me that paying the extra 25% buys a lot of peace-of-mind. If I have to drive to an appointment and buy used merchandise that the seller may not have treated with kid gloves am I being presumptuous to expect a discount better than 25%? Is it really in almost-new condition or did he accidentally drop it or is the battery near the end of its life? What do you consider a fair discount when buying used items?

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/2 "2019-12-08T00:29:22Z")

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It depends on the item but 50% is a good starting point.

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**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/3 "2019-12-08T00:46:02Z")

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Im looking at spedeweves on etsy discontinued automatic darners. $100 from the Ukraine. not this year sally.

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**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/4 "2019-12-08T01:26:10Z")

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> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> It depends on the item but 50% is a good starting point.

This!

For me to go much above half It has to be in very good condition. Like the OP, if it is going to cost 75% or more of new, why bother with used.

That being said, I almost always buy my appliances & cloths used. It used to be that the only way I could find size 14 boots was to buy them new. Lately I have found them in very good, used condition. The internet is very helpful with that kind of thing.

All my rigs will be bought used. I will let the original owners pay for the initial depreciation on all of my vehicles. Yes, I do not get “The new car smell”, but I am not into putting those toxic off gases into my lungs. Thank you very much.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/5 "2019-12-08T01:36:59Z")

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50% off seems like a good starting point to me. 10% to 25% seems just silly.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/6 "2019-12-08T01:47:13Z")

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Totally item dependent. Home Electronics? 25% would be fair. That ‘hard to find discontinued’ thing? Full-boat, Baby!

Go see what ‘Micro Go-Rounds’ sell for on ebay. Pretty sure they didn’t go for that brand-new.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/7 "2019-12-08T14:19:06Z")

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I’ve always used 50% as a baseline for “like new” (right :dubious:) goods.

Rare stuff can go for more than the original price. Not so great stuff for virtually nothing.

I have a favorite thrift store that is more like 10-30% of original cost on a lot of things that I typically buy. That’s why it’s my favorite thrift store.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/8 "2019-12-08T14:43:05Z")

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> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> Totally item dependent.

I agree with this.

But I think that, very often (though not always) people who are selling used items tend to overestimate how much they should cost, because of the Endowment Effect (the tendency of people to overvalue what they own) and of the tendency of people to judge an item’s worth on what they originally paid for it.

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**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/9 "2019-12-08T14:57:54Z")

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I’ve always maintained that a used item should sell for 50 % max. of the retail price.\* If there is anything at all wrong with the merchandise, less than that. But I constantly see people thinking that that if their toy is little used and in good condition, they should get near retail price for it. Those never sell, while I have no problems moving my old stuff, most always in very good condition.

\*Some very sought-after / collectible / hard-to-find items excluded.

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**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/10 "2019-12-08T15:17:30Z")

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\<time out\>

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**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/11 "2019-12-08T15:19:41Z")

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I’m a little more conservative. I did years and years of flea market and eBay sales. I always priced things at what I felt I would pay for them.

My number seemed to be 40% of retail. I feel that’s a pretty good number for both buyer and seller. It worked out for me; I sold LOTS and LOTS of stuff pretty easily.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/12 "2019-12-08T15:43:16Z")

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If I’m the seller I try to get as much as I can, if I’m the buyer I try to pay as little as I can.

/rocket science

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/13 "2019-12-08T16:07:44Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> If I’m the seller I try to get as much as I can, if I’m the buyer I try to pay as little as I can.

I don’t think this is an answer to the question the OP asked.

But, for what it’s worth, I can think of two types of reasons why a seller might _not_ try to get as much as they could:

1. Basic decency and honesty prevent them from selling an item for way more than it’s worth, especially if that would involve misrepresenting the item or hiding its flaws.

2. They want to get the item off their hands, or would rather get _some_ money for it now than a possibly larger amount at some time in the indefinite future.

There are analogous reasons why a buyer might not make “pay as little as possible” their only rule.

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/14 "2019-12-08T19:21:39Z")

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It depends on what we’re talking about and how subject it could be to unseen problems/damage. If we’re talking a chair I would go as high as 75% of retail. If we’re talking 5-10 year old electronics more like 25%.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/15 "2019-12-08T21:35:03Z")

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> [@kopek](#):
>
> It depends on what we’re talking about and how subject it could be to unseen problems/damage. If we’re talking a chair I would go as high as 75% of retail. If we’re talking 5-10 year old electronics more like 25%.

Electronics and computer stuff fall rapidly in price. Electronics used to hold up fairly well over time but today goes belly up quite quickly. And computer stuff just gets outdated rapidly on top of that.

So 25% is too high, IMHO.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/16 "2019-12-08T22:14:56Z")

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> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> It depends on the item but 50% is a good starting point.

Yep, work from 50%.

In perfect shape, worn once, still original box, on warranty? More.

Obvious wear but still good shape? Less.

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**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/17 "2019-12-08T22:53:00Z")

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> [@kopek](#):
>
> It depends on what we’re talking about and how subject it could be to unseen problems/damage. If we’re talking a chair I would go as high as 75% of retail. If we’re talking 5-10 year old electronics more like 25%.

Ten-year old electronics for 25% of the retail price, lol you’re funny.

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**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/18 "2019-12-08T23:12:30Z")

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O.P. here. The general consensus is that the starting point is 50% of retail, which was my benchmark when I started the thread. As Thudlow Boink pointed out,sellers expect to get near-retail price. Should I even bother to expend time to go look at the merchandise and see if they’ll lower their price. In this case, I’m considering buying a drone that has has a list price of $500. I’m probably just going to pay retail just to save time and the possibility of buying a lemon.

In one particular case, a seller was asking for 60% or retail FIRM (his emphasis) for allegedly “brand new”, yet he was missing the remote control which, to me, is a major defect to the product.

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**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/19 "2019-12-09T00:31:48Z")

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> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> Ten-year old electronics for 25% of the retail price, lol you’re funny.

Some companies with bespoke electronics that cost a lot to update, look for stuff on the used market so its not out of the ordinary.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-pay-for-used-merchandise/844533/20 "2019-12-09T00:41:07Z")

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> [@bizerta](#):
>
> …
> 
> In one particular case, a seller was asking for 60% or retail FIRM (his emphasis) for allegedly “brand new”, yet he was missing the remote control which, to me, is a major defect to the product.

You will also be missing out on the legal ‘implied warranty of merchantability’ and accept it ‘as is’.

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