I have been there too.
Few years ago I showed interest in a machine just to get a tour of a big OEM's plant. Hit it off with the plant manager, had a great time. I politely made an ultra low ball offer and they accepted on the spot. That turned into me buying 7 machines and counting from them. Turns out they hate machine dealers just as much as I do.
Most places will take a cash in hand offer that's easy for them
Most outfits of any size have amortized the machinery of production YEARS before they actually dispose of it. Most sales have to reflect a
gain from scrap on their books.
Being safely rid of the goods frees-up fully-burdened space and reduces risk the machine generates by its mere presence, and the cost of covering it, even if idle.
More
especially if idle, no longer generating a favourable contribution margin.
There is value in cleaning all of that up, opening options, reducing time to action a future choice.
The bigger and more wisely managed the corp, the more interested they are in keeping their options open and flexible, their books lean, mean, and clean, the risk of harm to staff, damage to a facility, or interference with ongoing operations to a minimum .... than they are in that modest gain on the sale.
Your success is based on
trust earned from a safe, time-predictable, and trouble-free track-record. What you paid isn't just low-ball. It had the lowest priority.
That's just how it works where and when management have their heads on right-way round.
Trained for it, even.
"RTFM".
