This totally bum-fuzzles me . . .

[Kathie in Thorp]

I had 2 beef heifers for sale; advertised them; sold them for the set price I wanted with buyers paying for them right now, on an estimated weight, and to pick up in a week or so. Guesstimated weight on Toppenish market for choice heifers. Check received. Done.

Same buyers dealt with my next-door neighbors to buy their 2 advertised steers. I told the Buyers about his steers. Buyers agreed to buy from him; no price was agreed on between them! Rick was doing business in Alaska, and his wife was answering the phone. Both of those parties have been in the business way longer than me. So, pick-up was set (a few days ago) for tomorrow. And tonight, neighbor/Buyers were still discussing the steers' price, via Toppenish market for choice steers. AND Buyers were trying to negotiate who was going to haul, although they told me 2 days ago they'd be here at 10:00 AM on Friday to pick up all of them. Geeez, Louise!

Final = Buyers will be here mid-morning. Our heifers will load first; then the neighbor steers. I'm already paid. If Rick next-door has a problem with them, he's on his own.

I'm really just amazed at the lack of CYA.

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like the buyers were just trying to make a non issue to get the price down some. I don't like stuff like this. I have a price and if you want it fine if you don't fine but some people enjoy the dance.

[dun]

Sounds like the buyers were just trying to make a non issue to get the price down some. I don't like stuff like this. I have a price and if you want it fine if you don't fine but some people enjoy the dance.

That;s the way I do it too. When we sold the bulls this year the guy that bought them never said a word about the price but I had priced them a little higher then what I really wanted just to eliminate the jerks. I knocked a hudred bucks off of each bull and told him that was the non-haggle bonus. He asked what I would have come down to if he had haggled and I told him not a dime, he would have paid the full price.

[hopalong]

Nothing new about it!!Happens all the time!!I personally enjoy a little haggling.....Lots of times sellers are two proud of their animals...and a few cents a pound make a big difference in the end, but then I very seldom just sell 2 head. Much less on a "guess the weight" only screwing yourself. If you can't get them weighed then don't sell them by the pound, It is possible that they can't agree on the weight which affects the over all price.

[JSCATTLE]

I had some hiefers for sale a few weeks back . Had a guy call ask the price and then say but they are going for about 150 a head less at the sale barn and you don't have to Haul them or pay commission . I told him a new price . 150 bucks more than the first . He started laughing and said I see where this is going ill be over to look at them in a hour .

[Kathie in Thorp]

Nothing new about it!!Happens all the time!!I personally enjoy a little haggling.....Lots of times sellers are two proud of their animals...and a few cents a pound make a big difference in the end, but then I very seldom just sell 2 head. Much less on a "guess the weight" only screwing yourself. If you can't get them weighed then don't sell them by the pound, It is possible that they can't agree on the weight which affects the over all price.

In my "perfect world," there would be a scale here, Hopalong. But there isn't, and for our small operation, it's pretty far down on the want list. But I think we were close on weights, and sold them for just 5 cents/lb. less than top dollar at the current market here, didn't have to haul them 50 miles to auction, and the buyer's check cleared the bank. Heifers left here a couple hours ago. For us, it was an OK deal.

[hopalong]

Been in this business a lot of yrs and never feel good about guesstimating weights even though i am pretty good! Not that costly to have them weighed and a few pounds off means money, buy if it is not your intent to try and make a few bucks, no problem!

P.S. you do not need to own scales!! Some feed stores have them, gravel pits have them,,,sale barns have them,,,,feed yards have them!!!
But as i said if it is just a hobby for you no problem!!

You can try only so much to educate people,

[Kathie in Thorp]

Hopalong, I understand perfectly and totally what you're saying. I love our cattle! We work with 20 acres, not 500. 10-15 head will never "support" us; but they've pretty much paid their own way so far. And they make being chained to a desk 40/hrs. a week tolerable, when my off-hours are spent either in the garden or messing with critters.

[mwj]

Been in this business a lot of yrs and never feel good about guesstimating weights even though i am pretty good! Not that costly to have them weighed and a few pounds off means money, buy if it is not your intent to try and make a few bucks, no problem!

P.S. you do not need to own scales!! Some feed stores have them, gravel pits have them,,,sale barns have them,,,,feed yards have them!!!
But as i said if it is just a hobby for you no problem!!

You can try only so much to educate people,

Why are you convinced she is getting the short end on the wt.? It can be to her advantage or on the money just as easy Cattle sell every day all over the country by the head. I am sure not all are owned as a hobby.

[highgrit]

She's happy and that's all that matters.

[hopalong]

Tis obvious she is happy, and i am happy for her, did not mean to suggest she got took!! Just making suggestions on how things happen and problems can be resolved.

[TexasBred]

Nothing new about it!!Happens all the time!!I personally enjoy a little haggling.....Lots of times sellers are two proud of their animals...and a few cents a pound make a big difference in the end, but then I very seldom just sell 2 head. Much less on a "guess the weight" only screwing yourself. If you can't get them weighed then don't sell them by the pound, It is possible that they can't agree on the weight which affects the over all price.

Sounds like she knew ahead of time what she wanted to gross and they accepted it. No need to weigh. Can't beat a deal like that and as one ol' boy use to say "I'm not screwed unless I think I'm screwed". Everybody went home happy.

[TexasBred]

Been in this business a lot of yrs and never feel good about guesstimating weights even though i am pretty good! Not that costly to have them weighed and a few pounds off means money, buy if it is not your intent to try and make a few bucks, no problem!

P.S. you do not need to own scales!! Some feed stores have them, gravel pits have them,,,sale barns have them,,,,feed yards have them!!!
But as i said if it is just a hobby for you no problem!!

You can try only so much to educate people,

I must have missed the post about "Educate me hoppy".

[hopalong]

So you have never read or heard anything on here that didn't educate you a little bit, something that someone said, you didn't know and did not ask for it???
Just saying we all can learn even if we don't ask!

[mwj]

So you have never read or heard anything on here that didn't educate you a little bit, something that someone said, you didn't know and did not ask for it???
Just saying we all can learn even if we don't ask!

I have found over the last 60+ years that it is easy to educate people! Rule one is not to be rude in the info delivery and they very well might listen to what you have to say.

Any time someone poked me to get my attention I tend to forget what the conversation started about