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Just wondering, if you go to a petroliana trade show or etc, do you put a price tag (aka a piece of masking tape with a price on it or etc.) on your items for sale, or do you leave the items "as is" and wait for people to talk to you?

I can kind of see ups and downs to both.

Also, as a buyer, which do you prefer and why?

Thanks,
Ed

I actually hate when items are not priced and have to ask a price. I like when I can see a number and decide if it's for me or not...or possibly talking a deal over.

I have prices on my items @ shows. I make "deals" when buyers "bundle!"

You are going to save yourself a lot of time by placing an easily visible price on your items.

There are NO set rules for doing so.
IF I see someone I don't care for, I can Raise my price [& laugh inside if he buys it!], or give a FRIEND a good deal on same item!

See, that's what I thought. I am setting up at my first trade show soon. I didn't know if it would be better to strike up a conversation with the buyer or not.

What do you use to make the prices on yours? I've seen everything from masking tape that has been wrote on, window markers, etc. I just don't want to damage any porcelain or tin.

I use the round quarter sized fluorescent stickers. they usually fall off easily and won't damage the item(s).

It is best to have items priced. As a buyer I prefer it priced. By looking at a few tags you can tell if the person selling is reasonable or in your line of thinking on prices. Having a price gives a starting price for negotiation.

I understand not pricing as well. It is a lot of work to do a show, just to get everything set up and displayed in a limited time and for a limited time. For me pricing is done as time and energy will allow. I find post om note pads are quick and easy for bigger items. Not very professional but it is a hobby to me and not a business.

Which would you want if you were a buyer? I think most people would like to have an idea of what a person wants for his item and go from there.

I don't sell, I do like items visibly and legibly priced.

You have got to be kidding on why not to price a sign !! I a partner for 9 months in a deal and he would shift the price around if he thought the person had money. Total sleaze. Treat everyone the same, if the person you do not care for or has turned on you for a reason is looking then just go about your business in a business manner. Everyone involved will know what is going on. Price it and they either can buy, offer, or pass it up.

I prefer items to be priced,that way the price is out front and I don't have to wonder if a seller thinks my forehead reads SUCKER!

Why waste the time pricing when 99% of the time buyers will offer less.
You mark something [a qt can] @ $5, 1st guy picks it up & offers $3, I stomped the can & said YEP, it's worth $3 NOW!

I still see the benefits for both. I reckon I'll slap some stickers on mine though. I wouldn't want anyone to feel like I'm trying to play games with them.

I'm with Dick too though, because I don't respond well to craziness lol

I like the $3 answer. Too funny!

And then he offered to straighten it out for him for $10.

$25+ !

OK, all of the above answers are from amatures when it come to setting up at shows.

For over 12 years I would set up at as many as 22 shows per year. Everywhere from Iola in Wisconsin to Turkey Run in Florida. Around 1995, afte two heart attacks (and being 70 years old, now 77) I finally decided to quit doing shows. Just too much work setting up tents, tables, then putting all the stuff out to sell.

Now to answer your question. First, when I did these shows I would bring 400 to 500 items, so it was not possible to put a price on everything. Start at the highest price item you have and start putting prices on them, work your way down doing as much as you can. I think it is important to have a price on the item, but... every one of the prices I put on the items had a built in factor that I would take 20% less than the posted price.
My Grandson use to go with me (DB, you should remember him, he spent one Iowa Gas selling more of your stuff than selling mine), and many times I would like to take time off to walk around, so it was easy to let him sell my stuff, just he could accept any price up to 20% off.

Price your stuff 20% over what you will take and work from there, if he want to buy a bunch of stuff, well just remember, are you making a profit on the total? It doesn't matter if you break even on one item, again are you making a profit on the whole transaction?

If you are going to these shows with the idea to make money, you really need to pay attention to what you are taking for an item, but if you are like most of us, setting up at say Iowa Gas, first gives you a place to park you vehicle, then sitting in one place give you the opportunity to meet a lot of nice guys (you don't meet many just walking around). It gives you the oppontunity to tell or listen to a great many stories about "You won't believe this, but I was in a bulk plant and...."

One more story: I was at my second Iowa Gas (this was the third IG, I just missed the first one), and was set up next to a guy from OK, who turned out to be a very nice guy. Back when IG started, everything happened between sun-up (around 6:am in Iowa) till around 9:am. After that, it was just looking at each of the dealers and trying to figure out how we can keep each other awake. Well, me (and Cindy) started talking with the guy next to us, and for some reason we started trading. Remembering back 20+ years I don't remember the details, but both he an I came home with a lot of different stuff.

I know I have changed the subject a little bit, but, take it from an old timer, there just doesn't seem to be the friendlyness there used to be. Guys used to show up the morning of the show, and when them pulled in, 20 guys would be running along after him to see what he had in his truck. Now guys (including myself) show up 1-2 days ahead of the show to see what is showing up.

One last thing, in the old days the bar was usually filled every evening, now everyone wants to get to bed early so they won't miss what shows up the next day. Just miss some of the fun!

Sorry, I forgot this. Please, please, go to Office Depot and buy "Removable price tags." Then it doesn't matter what you put it on, it will not damage the item. I remember being really p.....d when I purchased a paper item and when I removed the price tag it took part of the image with it.

Jack Sim

As a vendor and a buyer I will walk past any booth that items are not priced. I price my items knowing that buyers will try to knock them down. Just show that everyone is treated the same.

I price everything with a roll of bright green autobody tape, big pieces, easy to read, easy to remove. If I want to sell an item I price it so no haggling is needed. No game playing here.

Sometimes at busy shows it gets a little crazy with a bunch of people asking "What about this, what about that". A lot of stuff my wife bought and if I sell it for what I think its worth we get half of what she paid lol. The more organized we are in advance, the less stress(read ARGUING)goes on.

Just my 2 cents, back when I was doing shows I started out not pricing items typically because of reasons as listed above, after a couple of years of this and prior to a fall show I pulled everything out & priced it before packing (I used the little "easy release" round dots and computor program for stickers).....anyway wow ! it made my job & the show way easier and I could actually kick back relax a little during "rush hour"

Way more enjoyable !

From a buyers respective, it doesn't matter to me, if I see something I like I'll ask but I know a lot of people won't & don't, you are potentially loosing sales. Heck look how aggravated people got when I didn't have a price on that visi ! lol

My vote.....price your items !

Price it. And if I try to negotiate, and you act like a child, I Will never ever return. We are all adults. Any seller, (myself included) who has been selling for any time knows you will get lowballers & negotiators. EXPECT it. Price for it. DEAL WITH IT. STOMP a can...real nice. My last show I had a great Buick sign, and the guy offered me half of what I priced, because he saw one last week at that offered price. I simply stated, "Bet you wish you bought that other sign now, don't ya?"
I have been selling signs & hit & miss engine stuff for years. Enjoy the show, enjoy the crowd, and have a good time. No need turning people away from the hobby.

In person,I prefer to see items priced.
If not,I'll sheepishly ask the seller how much.
I hate it when I see the seller not answer right away,as if he has to think of a price in his head,once he sums you up..(clothes you wear,etc.)
Among other things,to me,that means he's not done actual research on the item & is just pulling a number out of his head at that moment..

I reeeeeeeeeally don't like it when people sell on here or on other classified forums,by saying contact them for a price.
Everyone has a price,so state it,damn it.

Unlike many people on the site I am out selling items every week, not just at petrol shows, etc.

There are pros and cons to each side of the pricing issue. Time, location, appeal, etc.

Time wise my turnover is high enough that most items are gone before I even consider tagging it. Likewise with many small items at various prices it is time consuming to price everything.

When going to so many places to sell, having affixed a price tag to an item can immediately drive off prospective buyers. The problem is that if someone looks at the most appealing item which also happens to be the most expensive they immediately are on the defensive and tend to not look at other prices even if that price is below market value. A 1920s Buddy L truck priced at $800(and worth 1200) may keep them from looking at the $30 1960s Tonka, etc.

Not having a price affixed also has an advantage of allowing me to strike up a conversation with the prospective buyer and help them find an item I may have that they did'nt see. Some people prefer to window shop, they want to see a price and dart away to compare it to someone else's price or just value a piece they have at home. But I prefer the old world market system where it's not as much about the price as it is sharing the experience of the trade of cash for treasure.

And though some of you might not like it, depending on where you are, the price CAN change. But not by the prospective buyer! Rather by the location and need to move old merchandise. And you all know that as a day wears on even at a petrol show the dealer may want to move an item regardless of the tag on it. You'll hear "disregard the price on it, I can do better." Would you prefer to not get that deal and just pay the tagged price?(and there are plenty that never discount as you all know).

In a retail store tagging is necessary because the owner/clerk can't be there to advise you on the price. But if I'm standing right there in front of you then it's much easier to give more than just a price and possibly develop a larger sale as well as a long term contact for future sales.

At shows and markets I attend I have regulars who know how I work and enjoy the repore.

Personally when I see a whole table tagged with prices and I see most items priced top end or worse I don't get a good vibe. And sadly I find many of those sellers are simply interested in the $$$ more than anything else.

Whereas when I deal with someone who has nothing priced I can feel out specific items and see whether the dealer is a saavy seller who will likely bundle several items together.

All in all, my opinion is that pricing upfront is optional for shows. The old horse-traders and Dutch marketeers know that long term success isn't in a single sale, but in repeat customers. And those customers know it's best to talk to the seller than to just rely on some tag.

We only do IG but I price everything. When I am out shopping and see and item not priced that I am interested in I normally keep walking.

See now I find this very interesting... I have always been one to want to find out, to be curious about answers to unknowns.

For those of you who "just keep walking" if something isn't priced, do you do it for everything, everywhere, all the time? A can of soup not priced, you don't pick it up and ask? A pair of pants or shirt without the price tag do you not ask? Or is it simply at shows?

If it is just at shows/etc then I have to ask why the inconsistency?

More times than not, like 99-1, when an item is not priced and you ask, the price stated is enough to make you bend at the knees, maybe it is the same as rejection, you just get sick of the same old response. when was the last time you saw an item in an antique store with no price tag on it?

I always price items, I hate going into booths and find nothing priced, I ask but when everything seems so I high I dont bother asking anymore like certain vendors at Iowa Gas for starters.

Dunno, I've gotten some pretty good deals on unpriced items all over. I guess it's the opportunities not missed that make asking worth it time and again.

As far as in antique shops, the good shops call their vendors immediately if something isn't priced and let them know an interested party is asking.

I've never walked into a grocery or clothing store where nothing was marked.

As a buyer at shows...I RARELY ask how much something is if it's unmarked.

As a buyer my thoughts immediately go to a.) the seller is so ashamed of how highly priced it is he's afraid to mark it or... b.) he's too lazy

Not saying that's the motive of the seller, but as a buyer it's always the first thought in my mind. If you can't price it you must not be too interested in selling it.

Or maybe you're a db and have a sliding scale depending upon who's asking and that's why you don't price it, either way I almost always walk on by, as do the other guys I run with.

If i arrive at a show and have to wait two or three minutes or more for a vendor and another person to quit their conversation to find out a price on something, it's a sure bet that I am moving on. That's not so bad at a small show, I will end up back to see the vendor on the next pass. If it's a big show like Hershey or Carlisle, I won't be back. Heck, I would be lucky to remember where the vendor was at the end of the day. I sure do like seeing things priced. Brady

I always carry a pad and pen. I write down space #'s if something catches my eye and the price is good but not great. I figure if it's there on my way back to the truck, it was meant to be. Especially, If I still have the money to buy it after walking the entire show/swap meet. I will usually offer a bit less and see if I can walk away smiling!

What I find more frustrating, When nothing is marked and it's usually at an antique show or flea market is when you ask how much they say what will you give me for it.

PRICE IT, I have a mixed drink taste on a beer budget. If its not possable for me to afford,then I can comment what nice stuff you have and move on. Think its to sellers advantage as it cuts down on the tire kickers.

For Gas related items.......Price it.

I have been strictly a buyer for the last 5 years.

If I walk up on a booth and I see they have not priced anything, I will ask about 1 thing for sale to see if they want FULL retail or above in price. If it is, I just keep on walking without even double taking something I might have originally been interested in. In my eyes they don't really want to sell, or they are looking for a sucker with too much money and not enough sense.

I ALWAYS stop and look at booths which are priced. I have even bought items I was not originally looking for because I felt the object was priced near or at a level I felt was correct.

My 2 cents as a buyer.

This is how I approach sellers who do not have their items priced / marked; may ask on a second item just to make sure my initial perception is correct.

I use to do shows at the local Convention Centre, pd $1600.00 for a 3-day booth rental (10'x60') to be close to the main entrance. Because of the location, I was the first vendor they would come to, and often my prices were higher then booths in the outdoor vending areas or vendors in other buildings. My sales were greater because most buyers are attracted to product not price point or value. Good stuff sells itself.

As a vendor, I priced each and every item since at peak times there would be 10-15 people in my booth. Can't answer questions for all of them at once.

If you have an item that someone is interested in then, they will wait to speak with you irregardless of prices. Anyone that is a collector; is well versed in the art of negotiating. It is part of the hobby and a basic human instinct for the type of personalities that pursue collecting.

As a seller, I prefer to see items priced; again it speeds up the process of buying.

There is no punishing buyers or sellers...either way you are hurting yourself. ***** off a buyer and you are losing money. ***** of a seller and you are losing out on an addition to your collection. Personally, I like being in control of situations be it as a buyer or a seller. If I offend someone or become offended then I am giving up control. If I have an interested person in front of me then a sale or a purchase are within my reach. I believe I have the salesmanship to make both happen. Attitude and personality play a greater roll then value!

Price it!!!!!!! How many times have you been at a show/swap meet and you ask "How much?" & the answer is "That's my friends stuff, I don't know what he wants for it but he'll be back in a while". "Can you call him on his cell?" "He forgot his phone". Or, "What'll ya give me for it?" And while on this subject, you try to ask a question but the vendors are too busy jaw-jacking with their buddies to even acknowledge you.....:(

That's the phrase I was looking for - jaw-jacking... I have had to walk away more than once because I could not get acknowledged. If the item was priced "right" and needed it, I would wait, but no price, no wait. I figure that if you don't take the time to acknowlege a potential buyer, you didn't come to the show to sell. Brady

Price tag, no price tag to each his own. I don't have a problem asking how much. If I see something I'm interested in you can bet I'm gonna find out before I walk away. A lot of the enjoyment I get in this hobby is in the art of the deal. bottom line i'ts the owner's property and he has the right to tag it,not tag it whatever he chooses, it's his item. I'll do whatever it takes to strike a deal if it's something I really want. Guess I'm just too addicted. ;;;;;;;;;Ron Lease

Same here, I think it's in the blood.

I can go to a retail location if I want to just buy a priced item. I go to shows to see and experience and meet others who share the addiction of trading money for more than just a physical item, knowledge and sharing it. Unique items get me to asking questions and such.

WE all beat another thread about Pricing into the ground [last one was in the FOR SALE Forum]. It did bring out a FEW that hardly ever post through!
Ya CAN'T Please everyone whether it's pricing/no pricing, Iowa Gas Start Time,etc.