The second, and this is where I disagree with you, is you placed a conditon on that phrase. You said "I'll take $40 or if I can't get that much I'll take the best offer."
I agree that a condition was placed. I just don't agree with what the condition means.
In the example you site here, you are adding words to the person's post in order to get it to mean what you assume it does.
Without adding any words, only a preface, let me explain what I'm saying (in a wordier way LOL).
OBO
We have to agree that this means, exactly, "or best offer." Regardless how we INTERPRET "or best offer," we just have to agree that it's what OBO stands for.
I know that, for me and you, Med, that is a given. Anyone who disagrees with that meaning, however, can just stop reading this section and skip along to the next part.
Okay...
"XYZ, Or Best Offer."
What does it mean. Literally, it means that the person will take XYZ, or he will take the best offer. I think we agree on that part.
Pretty straight forward there.
Now, if there is a $40 offer and a $60 offer, which one is "best?"
Presuming we have the same value on the dollar, the $60 is offering the best.
Taking "OBO" at face value, there can be no other factual interpretation.
Okay.In my opinion if a sale price is listed, even with the OBO, you should have to honor that price. The logic just doesn't support taking more since that secondary parameter is nullified if somebody offers the sale price.
But now you're referring to opinion.
At this point, it's no longer about what it means, but what you WANT it to mean.
Dude. I feel ya.
(not literally
)What or who decides that the secondary parameter is nullified, though?
Again, aside from opinion, there's nothing in the person's "OBO" statement that does that.
I'm not meaning to offend you, and I hope I don't, but there's a flaw in your theory. The logic you refer to is based on an opinion. Logic has to be based on fact. If it does not, then all kinds of preposterous statements HAVE to be true.
"I think the color brown makes things look rotten. Therefore, logic dictates that any food that is brown in color should be thrown out because it is rotten."
I think that's where we're splitting apart.
Our interpretations of the definition of "OBO" are different, leading everything else to spiral away from each other.
LOLMaybe it's just me having sour grapes but that's how I ALWAYS understood the phrase to work.
It might be part of it (sour grapes, that is).
Part of it is social. If, in every situation you've encountered before, that was the understood interpretation, then a new interpretation can be quite a shocker... kind of like the first time you smile at a pit bull without realizing that showing your teeth to a dog is a sign of aggression. LOL
The learning comes with a bump (of sorts) sometimes.
We can't compare the 2.Even Ebay's BO function has a sale price listed. To my knowledge you can't offer more than that, only less. If you offered more it would just default to the sale price wouldn't it???
Ebay's created on a relatively definite structure with certain rules and givens about the site, auctions, and how things work. BTown is far more subjective, with no solid groundwork to refer to, in that instance. BTown has no defaults for anything, where trade rules and etiquette are concerned.
On Ebay, if a person has a "BIN" price, you can snap it up for that price & it's yours. TECHNICALLY speaking, someone can't come along behind you, offer more, and get it. It's not how the system is set up. It's set up so that the seller determines the value RANGE or MINIMUM of the item and the buyer determines the final value within that range or above that minimum.
On BTown, the value is far more subjective. The value is whatever the seller can get for the item that meets his desires.
If I want to get, $40 for an item, then $60 CERTAINLY meets my desire. Exceeds it, in fact.
Since BTown is not organized in a way to allow someone to "lock in" a price (the way BIN or bidding does), nothing is set in stone until the final deal is made.
Eric
