What kind of a marketplace is Proffery? Why are there no prices anywhere? Proffery uses a negotiation method sometimes called counter/offer, or negotiated sales.
When dealing in true rarities and collectibles, it is not often the case that many people are looking for the item at the same time. When they are, when a collectible is a high-profile well-known item that rarely comes up for sale (think Picasso or the like), an open auction is the ideal sales venue. Put all of the interested parties in the same room and watch them fight it out with higher and higher offers.
In the range of most $100 to $100,000 rarities and collectibles, while they may be quite difficult to find, so are buyers. And open auctions often end with a reserve price not being reached, or a no-reserve auction going for an insanely low price. I recall a beautiful late 60s Firebird closing for $2500 at a Blackhawk auction -- and that's the risk of auctions.
Similarly, a mispriced item on a marketplace can lead to the same situation. A friend bought a vintage Coca-Cola sign for $50, only to be called later buy the seller begging for more money when they found out it was worth thousands. Again, a very painful and avoidable situation.
Our selling method is sometimes referred to as "offer/counter," a "negotiated sale," or "private treaty sale." In this form of a sale, there is no fixed time limit for the bidding process, and the buyer and seller communicate privately to negotiate a price. This is in contrast to a public auction, where buyers compete with each other to place the highest bid within a fixed time frame. In our system the seller controls the transaction -- whether it happens at all, and when it happens.
Negotiated sales are commonly used in real estate and other high-value transactions, where there may not be a large pool of potential buyers, or where the seller is seeking a specific price that may not be achievable through an auction or other public bidding process.
Negotiated sales are actually used in a wide range of industries and markets. Some common areas where negotiated sales are used include:
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Real estate: In the real estate industry (and in the similar domain name industry), many high-value properties are sold through negotiated sales. This is particularly true for luxury properties or properties with unique features that may not appeal to a broad range of buyers.
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Business sales: Negotiated sales are also common in the business world, particularly when a business is being sold as a going concern. The negotiation process may involve not only the sale price but also the terms of the sale, such as the timing of the transaction and any contingencies.
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Art and collectibles: High-end art and collectibles are often sold through negotiated sales. This is because the market for these items is often limited, and the value of a particular piece may be difficult to determine through a public bidding process.
There are many benefits of negotiated sales, the main ones being:
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Control over the sale process: Negotiated sales give the seller greater control over the sales process, allowing them to carefully consider each offer and negotiate the terms of the sale to their advantage. And this, in the end, is the reason Proffery.com exists. When you own one a very few or a singular item, you should not voluntarily give up your control of the sales process.
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Personalized negotiations: Negotiated sales allow for personalized negotiations between the buyer and seller, which can result in a more mutually beneficial transaction. This is one of the main reasons we've created this marketplace.
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Flexibility: Negotiated sales are often more flexible than other sales processes, allowing the buyer and seller to negotiate the terms of the sale to meet their specific needs. Our system uses the tried-and-true Escrow.com negotiation system to ensure safe and robust negotiating flexibility.
As much as it pains us to admit it, there are drawbacks to negotiated sales, which is why Proffery is not for everyone:
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Lack of transparency: One of the primary drawbacks of negotiated sales is the lack of transparency. Without public bids or a list price, it can be difficult for buyers to know if they are getting a fair deal. Our perspective on this is that we deal in items where the fair price is what the buyer and seller agree on, we are not selling late-model Toyota Corollas with a clear market value.
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Lengthy negotiation process: Negotiated sales can be time-consuming, as the negotiation process may go back and forth between the buyer and seller before a final agreement is reached. In our case, however, we use the refined and well-used Escrow.com process with a limit to the negotiation process and ability to carry on concurrently negotiations.
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Limited competition: Negotiated sales may not generate as much competition as other sales processes, which can limit the seller's ability to achieve the highest possible sale price. And while this can be true, we would simply recommend selling competitive items at auctions like eBay.com. There are millions of items out there with just a few motivated buyers, items without the steam to power an auction, but still very valuable and rare.
We are perfectly happy to not be one-size-fits-all. We are not an auction site. We are not a classifieds-style or fixed-price marketplace. We are Proffery.com and we would love to help you sell some interesting and rare items.
