Thread: [Classifieds] Appraisal Section?

I don't know if it has been mentioned before, but I think this forum could benefit from an Appraisal section. Where people can post pics/details of their firearm, and members here tell what they believe it is worth. This would make selling an item easier, as we will know what to price it at more fairly.

What do you guys think?

I think it's a great idea, but I'd recommend people do it in the general section for the item their selling (pistol in Handguns, rifles in Rifles & Shotguns, etc.). Adding more sections clutters the site and uses quite a bit more bandwidth

Alrighty that is what I will do then.

edit: could you add a prefix for it?

I finally threw down a few bucks on a Fjestads Blue Book of values on Amazon. At first I just want to know values but I found myself learning more than just the value. As guns pop up for sale that I don't know anything about I look it up and find myself dragged into the history of the weapon and even the company. The book also has a detailed description with color pictures to help you assess condition.
Totally worth the time and money!!!!

The blue book helps as a guide but it may not reflect actual prices. Prices do vary region to region and condition plays a big part in final value. Most of the stuff I see listed is way over priced IMHO. A few nuggets turn up time to time.

Another great resource for valuing a firearm is our classified section. Since we encourage members to leave the prices in their ads once an item has sold, others can search for the item their selling and gauge the market. I also do the same with gunbroker.com's completed listing feature.

One more place to look is on www.gunbroker.com and search for completed auctions. Then you can see what people are actually selling a particular gun for.

Originally Posted by smithmax

One more place to look is on www.gunbroker.com and search for completed auctions. Then you can see what people are actually selling a particular gun for.

The Gunbroker completed auctions listing can be useful if you can wade thru it and find something that was actually sold rather than just relisted after the auction ended and their reserve wasn't met.

I've seen the same gun relisted more than half a dozen times. It usually has an inflated reserve or "buy now" price and is usually a dealer just hoping someone will be stupid enough to pay what they are asking.

Originally Posted by Cougfan2

The Gunbroker completed auctions listing can be useful if you can wade thru it and find something that was actually sold rather than just relisted after the auction ended and their reserve wasn't met.

I've seen the same gun relisted more than half a dozen times. It usually has an inflated reserve or "buy now" price and is usually a dealer just hoping someone will be stupid enough to pay what they are asking.

I agree it can take a bit to find the right postings, but it's the most reliable thing (besides the value guide books) that I've found.

What about guns, that have lots of customizations/modifications? They are not worth the same as the base gun + actual costs of mods... there is some depreciation - some guns are one of a kind with these mods..

Originally Posted by swarm

What about guns, that have lots of customizations/modifications? They are not worth the same as the base gun + actual costs of mods... there is some depreciation - some guns are one of a kind with these mods..

That is true and false. Most of the time "customized" guns are worth = or less then stock guns. Of course this depends on what the gun is and what the modification is.

The reason this is true that many time the modifications done are not ones the next guy will want. This means the gun will appeal to a very limited group. You actually see this all the time with "commemorative" gun. The resale price is actually less then the original price.

Guns that have been accessorized wont usually be worth what you have into it for similar reasons. The way you have it set up is not going to be the way the buyer wants it set up. The buyer wants the gun but wants other parts on it so he figures most of the parts are worth little to him.

These are not hard and fast rules but what I commonly see. You are usually better off splitting up "packages" as it appeals to bigger groups each wanting some part of it making each piece more valuable to each buyer.

I am not sure if I explained that well but it is what I have for now.

GunBroker is a good place but depending on gun they can vary quite a bit. I have seen up $600 dollars in difference for the same new guns.

Finding values of commonplace, factory equipped guns is easy. Especially new ones.

I am talking about the modified ones.

If it is a modification such as the installation of parts, then it is just the value of the rifle + value of the parts, and then depreciated around 15-20% to account for use. If you are talking about modifications that alter the actual receiver or barrel then the loss in value is much greater as it effectively takes the rifle out of factory specifications.

The 'Blue Book' is great for buyers ..... not to good for sellers .... JMO