Farmer's Market rules

I don't know if you'll agree with me but I'm fed up with sellers in the market devaluing goods just to win a sale. If you place something, anything in there you can guarantee the prices will just go down and down leaving you at the back of the queue until Farmerama actually return the goods to your inventory. I'm having to delete my sales items all the time just to re-price them which leaves a loss because I know they'll never sell if I leave them there. I know it's not like this all of the time, but maybe some bars should be added at which prices can go no lower. Just a thought anyway

 

But that's the fun of the market.
It's a world within a world, timing, sweeping the areas, making your needed to most wanted lists and then the games begin.
It's not a hold your hand area, some find it easy, not naming any broken names... then like me it's a challenge! And I a good challenge. <yes, I have many a challenge on and off board.. I know Some were thinking it...hard>
I was booted to the curb more times than I care to count, place an item up and get gunned downed by one farmer with 2 pages of lower offers.
Don't get frustrated, get back in the game. Find your swing why were you gunned downed? before or after an event? prices too high? not enough gravy? did you see what area you are offering in? Do you have the barn to back up an offer in that area? take craft areas, for me no farmer is the same, I got mega farmers in my market players that have goodies I will never have, CR's that cut time give more and just make it hard for me to get in with one offer. Does this stop me? nope. I keep trying different ways/prices/amounts etc. till I get it right, or not.
I read the back forum words offered by strong willing to share farmers, I highly say go, read and apply them.
Have fun, once you offer something leave it, the 10% market fee is gone and I lost count how many of my offers stayed until last day then snag I got me some CC.
Try different areas, and look at it like fishing, cast out reel in, most times a loss need a new worm, but keep casting you will find if night crawlers or crawdaddy's a better bait.

 

You may not be aware, but there used to be a fixed amount that items could be sold for (I think the highest were eggs at 300cc or maybe milk at 450cc) - you couldn't set the price, it was predetermined. Then they brought in the dynamic market, which moves up or down depending on what price(s) farmers offer their goods.

Mingling has given very good advice; mine is if you want to sell then don't price it higher than the first page, I rarely get goods booked back into my inventory. No-one is 'devaluing' their produce, just to make a sale, because no-one wants to make a loss; they want to sell as much as you do, and are prepared to make a smaller amount of profit than perhaps you wish to.

I don't understand why you are constantly deleting sales, just to lower the price; leave them there until they are rebooked back into inventory, if they don't sell you can then resell them at the lowest price, but have you thought perhaps you aren't giving it enough time. I often find that my items go to page 8 and then back to page 1 and are sold, when I thought there was every chance, I'd get them back.

I see from your profile, that you've been playing a month, however, I don't know your level, which determines what you have to sell. You don't say how long you are waiting for the item to sell, before deciding you will lower the price (thus paying twice for market costs). Therefore, it's difficult to judge whether your prices are too high or you haven't looked at what is a strong seller. Some animals and crops will always sell - I can't say why, they just do.

You may wish to factor in how much it cost you to produce whatever it is you are selling (as well as the 10% fee), then work out whether a small profit and quick sale would be better than waiting for a higher price. Remember, with tree fruit, you don't really have any costs, after the initial purchase, so if you wanted to sell apples, for example, at 10cc, you'd make 9cc on each one.

I just carried out an experiment to give you an example. I offered 25 apples @ 25cc (currently they are 42cc on my market) for 10 lots. They all sold in one minute and I made 5600ccs. It's low enough for even farmers with limited funds to buy at least one lot. It cost me nothing to produce, so it's all pure profit. Also, someone else might buy and resell those and make a profit, because I've allowed room for that - that's good for me and good for them.

Try it with fruit first, as there are no associated costs, set the price 25% or even 50% below the lowest price in lots of 25, which attracts buyers and will give you a really quick sale.

Eggs, milk and honey always sell, because they are craft items, so work out how much it costs to produce, add the 10% fee and work out whether selling them in lots of 10 at 10% lower than the lowest price is sufficient to make a small profit.

Good luck and I wish you all the fortune for your farming. I've been playing this game for over five years and I still find fun in it, so I'm hoping you can too.

 

Two excellent offers of advice! Every market is a little different, but Mingling and HoppalongCassidy have explained the basics very well. I rarely get items booked back or delete to sell at lower prices - and it's by doing what has been described above, with items that are moving well on my market.
Study your market; keep at it; and I believe you will find yourself making nice profits regularly!