"What's Your Best Price?"

Well etiquette says that if the price is firm, it is firm. That doesn't mean that all sellers follow proper etiquette.

'OBO' simply means Or Best Offer, that's all. No relation with the asking price. Usually it is lower than the asking price, but it could be higher, depending on supply and demand.

I guess there is just mass confusion over what the heck OBO means.

Here in the midwest it means the listed price or lower.

As for the new car analogy, how many people spend more than the asking price? You can't really compare these two markets if there isn't anyone who has paid more than list.

Well, thats not quite correct. For the dealers in my area for a high demand short in supply vehicle the dealer adds on his own add-ons shown on a window sticker beside the manufacture's window sticker. In the case of the hard to get Ford GT the only dealer in my area to get one took sealed bids on the car well over the sticker price.

It appears OBO has different meanings for different parts of the country. Maybe we need a new listing ad system. OBOH, listed price Or best offer higher. OBOL, listed price or lower.... Sure would save a lot of wasted time on both sides of the fence.

Jmcgrogan2, I agree with you that best offer can indeed be higher than the asking price. To me best offer also includes other factors such as "I will send a postal money order via priority mail" vs "will you wait for my personal check to clear".

I have waited for personal checks (low cost items) to clear from Audiogon members with excellent ratings. I would do so again in the future. But for high cost items the fastest, most secure payment contributes to how I rate an offer.

In response to your previous question--I feel inflating the price is just as counter productive as a ridiculous low-ball offer or "what is your best price?" response. I want to show I am a serious and fair seller so I do my homework and set a fair price. I frequently sell at my asking price. Most of the rest of the time I sell near the asking price. Sometimes I just go away and sell another day.

The best price I will accept also varies with how long the item has been advertised. The most annoying "WIYBP" offers are the ones that come immediately after the classified has been posted. At that point my best price is the advertised price---unless of course someone makes me a serious offer.

Bottom line to me is--Serious buyers should make serious offers.

Here in the midwest it means the listed price or lower.

It's almost like you're in a different country. :)
Here on the east coast, OBO means Or Best Offer, period.
Maybe AudiogoN does need to look into the OBOL or OBOH, to avoid the confusion that stems in the midwest.

One more thing, since the seller states, OBO, it is the seller who gets to choose the best offer, not the buyer.
At least that's the way it is interpreted on the east coast. :)

Don_s, I agree that best offer means more than just $$$. Best Offer is the best offer, actual money is just part of an offer. Form of payment and inernational shipping vs. local shipping or pick up are also part of the best offer formulation.

I also agree with you final sentence, a serious buyer should make a serious offer.