Starting high and negotiating down is common practice.
But...... When your initial asking price is very high, it turns off potential buyers. In other words, people don't even make the offer that would get the negotiating process started.
Like your cross ram. I want one. I will get one someday. But I won't even make an offer on one with an asking price of $2,500 when I have seen most sell for about $700 less.
SOME OF THE OTHER CROSSRAMS HAVE GONE FOR 1000.00 OR LESS LATELY,,BUT NOT AN STR-12 THEY ARE THE RAREST INTAKE OF THEM ALL AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE AT 700 AND I HAVE HAD 5 OF THEM :banghead::banghead::banghead: