Need advice re: pricing a child's toy for sale

[Kimberlina]

Hi- I found someone on Freecycle interested in buying a sand and water table. It is for her son's birthday and she doesn't want to pay for a new one.

I have one DD doesn't use (we have an inground pool, a babypool, and a nice sandbox, and she just makes a mess with the table) so I sent her an e-mail.

She is interested in buying it, but I'm not sure how to price it.

It is a Little Tikes heavy plastic outdoor toy. It was originally $60, and it is still in good condition. The same model is selling on eBay for $15-$30 plus shipping fees of $20-$30.

I was thinking of telling her $20, since she won't have to pay shipping and it will be much cheaper this way than on eBay (plus she needs it soon.) do you think that is a fair price? Here is the exact same model....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Little-Tikes-San...QQcmdZViewItem


FYI, I've been told I have a tendency to underprice things, which is why I'm having trouble with this. DH told me he wouldn't pay $5 for a sand and water table, which just makes it even harder for me to decide.

[Michelle]

I would price higher and be willing to negotiate down to $20 (if that's the minimum you'll accept). You can always reduce your price, but you can't increase it, if ykwim?

[celina]

a good rule of thumb with little tykes if in good condition is half the current retail...so 30$....she might negotiate and you are willing to go down....but half is considered fair for everyone

[Laurie in Bradenton]

Which do you want more the table or the money? Even 5 or 10 bucks is better than another toy laying around.

Laurie in Bradenton

[Emerald_Mommy]

I would price higher and be willing to negotiate down to $20 (if that's the minimum you'll accept). You can always reduce your price, but you can't increase it, if ykwim?

A starting offer of $30, willing to drop to $20 sounds great to me...

[Missy]

I agree with the 30 and let her haggle you down to twenty

[Kimberlina]

Well, I had to get back to her before I saw some of your responses, and though I wish I would have thought to ask for $30, she didn't haggle at all, and I am happy to have gotten $20 for it. DH HATES the thing and would have paid them to take it away.

[lacyj]

As a freecycle moderator, it bothers me that money is exchanged at all. freecycle rules are very specific and a different forum should be used, anything other than freecycle. Craigs list comes to mind, some areas have a cheapcycle site.

[Kimberlina]

Well, I would tend to agree, but she posted looking for information about where she could BUY a sand and water table, which our moderators allow. Everything else was handled off freecycle. There is no Craig's list for our tiny little area.

[MOMMYDEAREST]

1/2 of what you paid for it sounds fair to me also..........$30.00. as long as its in good condition!!! good luck!!