Listing prices in ads - Page 4

Buyers who get negative feedback when requesting prices should carefully consider whether that particular breeder has something to conceal. If someone is SELLING something and feels ANNOYED that a potential buyer wants to know the price...something is amiss. Some people like to get at the price right away - some don't. Please don't credit yourself with "magic powers" of discrimination. Simply because someone asks price right away - does not make them a bad dog owner. It DOES however mean they care about the price. Breeders should address that desire. Afterall they are SELLING a dog and the customer has a right to expect value for the money.

Obviously, one should be polite enough to give the seller as much time as they like to "give their explanation" of why their prices are what they are. Those discussions are also very valuable when assessing what kind of dog one is likely to be getting.

All this being said...it is an EASY matter to avoid the subject of price for an email or two or for 15 minutes on the phone.

I always tell people that ask me for advice what NOT to say to a breeder. The number one thing is to not ask about price for a long time. Let the breeder get to it.

I also advise that no one EVER make a decision about a puppy when one is face to face with a breeder OR on the phone, etc....

Finally, I always advise buyers to obtain profiles on 10 different pups - AND WRITING THEM DOWN - before making a choice. One should always ask someone who isn't interested in dogs...help one make a decision. Some people have great skills at "decision making".  OBJECTIVIITY from a non-interested source when deciding on a dog - is invaluable as input.

I don't like my children well-trained, for the record.  I want them to grow up and storm the Bastille, not play foot soldier to kings.

I even like my dogs to talk back now and then.

I wouldn't be offended at all if one of the first questions someone asked me was the price.  What's the point of trying to sell you something you can't afford but really want???  If you're budget is $500 and I want $1000 we have little room for any possible negotiations.  And most buyers do a reasonable amount of research when it comes to what the average prices are for puppies out of title parents with above average bloodlines.  I don't think there's too many folks that inquire about a SCH III dog and expect to only pay $3000.  Generally prices are within a few hundred dollars.

My point is if you are REALLY trying to sell and I am REALLY ready to buy we can get a quick sale going if I know the price from the door.

I always state the price if I advertise a dog for sale.  I really don't have time to spend ages on the phone going through all the questions potential buyers feel obliged to ask first because they are afraid of giving the impression that the price is their main interest only to disappoint them if the price is out of their range, some people do not have a clue what they can expect to pay for a dog and are actually embarrrassed to find it is higher than they thought.  If they know the price before they call, they can then research what they can get for the money beforehand and I know they are serious enough to spend some time discussing the dog and their mutual suitability without friction, embarrassment or later confusion about the price.  The only advantage I can see to not stating a price in the advert is to get someone fired up to want the dog and hope they will be keen enough to find the extra if it is dearer than they had planned on.

Margaret N-J

Let me preface this by stating that I think I have placed 3 ads and all of them had a price on them.

With that said, I hate it when someone calls and the first question is price.  That tells me alot about the person.  When is the last time you walked into a car dealership and said, "I need a car. How much are they?" ?   

People give my number out occasionally to friends or people they know looking for a shepherd because to them, I am the dog guy.  When they call and the first thing out of their mouth is, "HOW MUCH?", I tell them that they are $50,000 because it doesn't matter.  I will not sell to someone that is only interested in getting the cheapest dog without wanting to know about health, temperment, etc.  

We are talking about a living animal that will be around for at least 10 years.  That is longer than I have ever had a car.  Say the pup cost $2000.  Over the ten years, that is $200/yr or $16.66/month.  That isn't crap!  I pay more for fruit every week than that.  My cable bill is  4 times that.

I agree that it would be nice to see a pricetag on everything, but it really isn't that important when there are more important things left off the ads too!   For example, I saw an ad for a stud dog.  Dog looks great and has the titles.  His scores are not on the ad, but a little question reveals that the dog barely passed the C phase with an 80. 

Listing a range of prices in an ad will benefit both the buyer and the seller. As Kaffirdog stated, the seller will not be bothered so much with window shoppers and the buyer won't waste his time inquiring about a dog he can't afford or one he feels is not priced right. I am not a cheapskate when it come to buying a dog, but I do have a limit as to what I will pay for any puppy or dog.  However price is one of the first things I want to know right after hip and elbow information.