Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions penzoil glass outboard oil

...sounds to me like both the owner AND the buyer have looked online to see what they have sold for, and the buyer still wants to know what to offer?

If all the bottles are equally nice don't skimp on your offer especially when the owner knows the potential value!

If you plan to resell most of the bottles figure on paying $35ea for the number you want to keep, then figure a discount on the remaining bottles.

Lets say you want to keep 2 bottles, 2x35=70, that leaves 18 bottles with a low potential of 35x18=630. Take 50% of the 630=$315 add back the 70=385.

$385 would be a fair offer that gives the owner value and the buyer great potential. For an investment of $385 you will make $245 profit selling at the lower average selling price and more if you get closer to the $50/ea.

Armed with that information you can offer a minimum of $300 to feel them out and haggle up to the $385.

If this guy has got other stuff your interested in at a future time if you deal with him honestly instead of trying to cut his throat you will find him receptive to future sales. On the other hand if you go in offering 1/3rd or less of salable value don't expect him to be happy to see you back in the future!

I always get the seller to come up with the price after all he is the one doing the selling. I can't be both the seller and the buyer. (Another reason why I don't respond to ad's that don't have a for sale price listed).

In my opinion three hundred is not too much; that's only $13.63 a bottle. $385.00 is probably at the high end; that's $17.50 a bottle.

I think you will have a tough time getting $35.00 a bottle at swap meets.

The biggest issue I've always had with buying so many of one type of item whether it's bottles or signs is the "flooding" of the market (whether local or eBay) which tends to drive the price down for a while.

If you can afford to release a few bottles at a time over a period of time that's the best option. On the other hand you could turn the bulk of them to yet another dealer who is willing to wait for the profit.

Since these are Outboard oil bottles though I don't believe it's an issue getting $35/bottle. If they were standard auto oil then it might be a bit harder.

Couldnt agree on price on bottles,owner of bottles wanted 400 and wouldn't budge any lower. I just wasn't willing to pay that for them. So I walked away.