I sold my TB splitter last fall for $800, and wished I had listed it on Craiglist for more. I literally had my choice of buyers. It matters little that you can get a much better machine for $200 more, it seems that many folks have no idea or dont do a lot of shopping around. They go by the price only.
I washed the unit up and took a rattle can to the beam to make it look nice. Changed the engine oil, stuck a new hydro filter on it, and sprayed some Armorall on the plastic and tires to give em some shine. Within 4 hours of my ad hitting Craigslist, I had two calls, and the guy who bought it drove 70 miles to get it. When I told him I had a local guy that was coming out that evening to look at it, he left work on the spot and was at my place within two hours.
All he wanted to see was if it ran, and if it split wood. I fired the engine up and stuck a round of oak on it, and after the chunks hit the ground he pulled out his wallet.
Price all boils down to several things. What some one is willing to pay, what you are wanting out of the thing, and how fast you want to move it. Ask a hundred bucks less than what a new one costs will probably mean you will sit on it for awhile, but eventually someone that has no clue will come along and part with the cash.
If you want $1000, price it at 950 just like the stores .99 sounds a hell of a lot less than $1. All buyers want to haggle, but if you are stuck on that price act nonchalant about the whole deal and just tell the buyer that you have had to many calls to do any ####ering on the deal, but offer to fill the back of his truck with unsplit rounds to get him started on his wood supply. When you think about it, a pickup load of rounds aint worth anything, but it will be enough to push a buyer into yanking out his wallet.