You perceive the money for a yo-yo as being “on hold,” or tied up, as you wait for a seller to either formally accept or reject your offer in writing. But, I disagree that the seller’s non-response is holding you up in any way.
Just as the seller is free to negotiate with others in that time, you are also free to search for another yo-yo and offer on those yo-yos as well. If you want a specific seller’s yo-yo really bad, to the extent that you are willing to keep the money on hold to wait for his response, that’s your choice, and your fault if you do.
A lot of people view a non-response as a big fat no. Sellers might figure that if you don’t hear back from them in a reasonable time, you should have the common sense to move on with your life. Many of them do not have a clue that you want their yo-yo so badly. A lot of them might figure that if you did, you would have offered a better price for it in the first place, so someone else could not out bid you for it.
If you want a yo-yo bad enough that you are holding up funds to wait for the seller’s answer, why wouldn’t you just offer the top price for it, get the yo-yo, and guarantee that it’s yours? If you want to negotiate and get yo-yos for the lowest price possible, that does not coincide with the attitude of someone who wants something specific really, really bad. When I find a yo-yo that I really, really want, I just pay what the seller wants. I realize that if I waste their time, they will move on and sell it to someone else. So, if a seller perceives your offer as just “okay” or a “lowball,” he might not think you even care enough about the yo-yo that he should update you on his progress with the sale.
My advice to you, is that if you really want a specific seller’s yo-yo, offer them a great price for it at the outset, so that they are not looking elsewhere. If you fail to do so, they will treat your offer like it was a waste of time, they will move on, find another buyer, and not contact you again. After all, they got their money and sold the yo-yo at that point. And, any more effort made about a yo-yo that was already sold, is arguably a waste of time.
On one hand, sellers could be more polite and send you a note that the yo-yo was sold. On the other hand, they might figure that if you want an update, you can ask for one by contacting them for an update, or just take a hint.
I actually agree that it would be more polite to say, “No thanks.” But, I wanted to offer an alternate point of view on the matter too.