POLL: Should you post in your thread that you are holding out for the best offer?

[Castingbread]

I guess I never thought of holding out for a better offer. I would go thru an auction if I wanted the best I could get. I am happy to trade with whoever makes me a reasonable offer.

Thank you all for taking the time to post all these thoughts it is really helpful in understanding the trading "mind" and how to become a better trader. I feel hopelessly inept at the trading thing.

[gctattoo]

I've never waited for a better offer. If I ever did, I would absolutely say that up front. I think it's pretty shady not to. It's rare for someone to approach me with a trade anyway. I've initiated 95% of all trades I've done. Sometimes that's because they have Q's I want. And sometimes because they've posted ISO threads and I'm trying to help them out. So the topic doesn't really apply to me since I approach them.

The bottom line is: I threw myself into trading wholeheartedly. I'm a dumpster diver with far more inserts than a regular person. And it's a quest to see how many I can get out of my house. So I'm in the "business" of moving coupons. Waiting for better offers doesn't seem like the way to accomplish that. I'd much rather trade my Q's to someone who needs them and took the time to PM me or respond to my PM than sit back to wait for the best offer.

On a side note, am I the only one who gets no response sometimes? Especially when I PM someone about a specific Q they are "IDSO." Apparently not so much since some don't bother to even acknowledge my PM. That's irritating. Even more so since someone else always comes along wanting the same Q's and I feel torn. I don't like to feel like I'm being unfair to anyone. I just want happy traders. ;)

[enginerd]

I don't do my trades based on best offer but if someone else wants to that is fine with me as long as they state that up front. That being said I usually skip these types of trades unless I can't get the coupons elsewhere. I usually need to know right away whether I am getting the coupons so I know whether to keep looking. I like quick and easy trades where the person states up front what they want - the more explicit the better (example - will trade one for one for BTFE, want 0.07 pphf each, etc.). My intention is not to try and get the best offer from a trade - with the cost of postage I just want to make sure that it is at least worth my stamp and I want to make it worthwhile for the person on the other end of trade as well. When that is accomplished, then it is a good trade in my opinion.

[shelleyf]

I think someone should post that in their thread. I sometimes will trade with someone if they want what I have for trade, even if I don't need what they are looking for. lol I just like to help out all that I can. I never "weigh" the trades to see who has a better deal. If someone is asking too much for something(usually they are new and don't know better) I gently explain how the general rules are on HCW and then it goes much smoother. I have actually been thanked for letting them know. If you don't tell then they won't learn. That's how I learned.

[kval07]

I usually post what exactly I am in search of and accept the first offer I get. There is only one exception to that. If I post late at night, or early in the morning before I go to work, I may have multiple PMs by the time I check 8, 10 hours later. If that is the case, I will pick the one that best suits me.