JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.

How much more cash over $650 would make selling on line worth it to you?


  • Total voters
    22
I used to buy and sell collectables. Before online sales was even thought of I kept a pretty good list of what was selling in my area and what those same items sold for in the mid west. There were things I could buy in the Mid west that I could easily double my money on in CA. There were things I could get in CA that no one saw in the mid west.
Now with online sales what they are, it has leveled out the prices. People in OK, have access to the CA markets just as easily as someone next door!
The OP just has to decide if he is willing to wait for a local guy to want his gun enough to pay over MSRP, Be willing to take only what his local market will bear, Or sell online knowing he will reach a larger target audience.
Good Luck DR
 
At this juncture, 100% of our firearms are bought and sold are via the web, so it is indeed a factor. Not so much for monetary reasons, but the most precious commodity of them all: time.
I could also see geography playing a major roll. I'm in the PDX area, so lots of potential buyers, someone in Joseph would have a different experience
 
I'm the opposite from most. I'm basically unwilling to sell in person.

It's more of a PITA for me to organize and meet up with some idiot I've never met in some location I've probably never been to.

I'd just assume ship it to an FFL and be done with it.

I haven't sold a gun in over 10 years, but I'm not unexperienced. I went from 106 guns down to 3 about 13 years ago. Every one of those sales was done via shipping. A vast majority of those 106 were purchased online.
 
At this juncture, 100% of our firearms are bought and sold are via the web, so it is indeed a factor. Not so much for monetary reasons, but the most precious commodity of them all: time.
YEP!! Many like to handle things they buy. Many love to just "shop". I used to do this with the Wife long ago only because she enjoyed it. Me? When I go to the store to buy something, assuming I know what I want, my BP just goes up when I can't find it, or worse yet, can't pay for it after I find it. I even buy my appliances on line now. I got so damn tired of going to the store for something like a washer or fridge only to find that picking out one was the easy part. The real work started when I told someone I wanted to give them my damn money. Often they would act like they were doing me a favor taking it or like I was ruining their day by asking them to take my money. I have walked out a few times with Wife angry and me telling her come back without me if you want to give these idiots our money. Now I pick out what I want, pay for it, they arrange a time to bring it to me and even bring it in and set it up. Take the old away if I wish. If I am buying a used gun I do of course want to check it out. New? Last many I knew what I wanted and ordered it.
 
It's more of a PITA for me to organize and meet up with some idiot I've never met in some location I've probably never been to.

I'd just assume ship it to an FFL and be done with it.
Exactly. Sold, paid, shipped, done. Move on. Easy-peasy and, generally, a limited amount of idiocy to finish the deal. :s0155:
 
YEP!! Many like to handle things they buy. Many love to just "shop". I used to do this with the Wife long ago only because she enjoyed it. Me? When I go to the store to buy something, assuming I know what I want, my BP just goes up when I can't find it, or worse yet, can't pay for it after I find it. I even buy my appliances on line now. I got so damn tired of going to the store for something like a washer or fridge only to find that picking out one was the easy part. The real work started when I told someone I wanted to give them my damn money. Often they would act like they were doing me a favor taking it or like I was ruining their day by asking them to take my money. I have walked out a few times with Wife angry and me telling her come back without me if you want to give these idiots our money. Now I pick out what I want, pay for it, they arrange a time to bring it to me and even bring it in and set it up. Take the old away if I wish. If I am buying a used gun I do of course want to check it out. New? Last many I knew what I wanted and ordered it.
I'm the exact same way now.

The last major purchase I made, a washer & dryer from Lowes, I ordered online, used a 20% coupon code. I got the email the items were picked and ready for pickup a couple hours later.

Drove to the store, told them "those are mine" and waited a few minutes for their minions to come load them in the truck for me. The only real work I had to do was open the tailgate.

I had the same experience as you when we bought a 'fridge about 6 years ago. Everyone seemed confused when we said "give us that one". That's when things got weird.
 
I've purchased and sold many on Gunbroker.com over the years.
MSRP is non existent on older collectible, most on NWFA are not in the market for pre ban high $ items, so Gunbroker.com it goes. The fees are based on final sale price, not saying it's reasonable, but it will sell faster than here on this site.
Modern and popular guns does sell locally on NWFA too, as well as some pre ban stuff. I've sold and purchased many here on this site also, but not many collectors as on Gunbroker.
The fees does suck and shipping is more of a pain than meeting F2F.
 
I have mixed feelings on this, on one hand I have the obvious objections, on the other hand I am almost 100% convinced that many of the auctions that go for 'questionably' high prices are actually money laundering
The $600 sales threshold is all about income tax revenue capture, not money laundering. BUT: I'd never thought about that point, either. Could be there is some laundering traffic going on with online auction sales, they simply churn the money through a firearm sale. Then resell.

Another BUT. The Biden Administration is angling for more reporting requirements for the banking industry. They backed off earlier, lower threshold levels but are still pining for a minimum $10,000 annual non-payroll transaction history. Again, this is about income tax. They've had the $10K threshold for reporting cash transactions for years, ostensibly which is about money laundering.

I'll throw one more "BUT" in there. Once they start collecting data for whatever purpose, they have got the information. Privacy in finance is in the wind. The government wants to know all this stuff not so much so they can control YOU, but control how much tax you pay. If they can discover other information, they may or may not be able to legally use it. But there is always connect the dots.

What burns my Heinie most these days is they come up with schemes to chisel relatively small amounts wherever possible, but then they throw it away by the Trillion Dollar baskets full.
 
I like looking the buyer or seller in the face, and talking about what we're buying/selling. So not much would make me want to buy or sell online. Just doesn't do it for me.
 
If it collectible, worth it online auction over local. On local forums, the potential market is very small, you have the risk of a person post crapping your ad or dealing with tire kickers. The local area does not have the density of collectors like the Midwest and east coast. Auctions you set the terms and only have to deal with the winning bidder.
 
Its more about price. Buying vs selling. I am not a "web" guy but I do lots of pricing research before I buy. I did buy my daughter a car online during covid from a dealer. But I still beat the snot out of him and the other dealers just by emails. ( i am the last person you want to ever try and sell a car to, as I have a very unique way of buying cars). I have lately bought several guns off of GunBroker, but only when the price is right. Usually because someone listed it wrong.

But as a general rule I will always try and support the local guys, especially smaller stores if possible. Like a privately owned ACE Hardware, Wilco or local sporting goods like Fisherman s for example, unless they don't have what I need or seem unappreciative.

There are a few things I do have to buy online because no local stores carry them. what i wont do is skimp on quality for sake of local shopping. Example is Kuiu, there is no better gear made.

When I lived in the peoples republic, I was on a local Oregon buying plan to support economy. Nosler rifle, Leupold scopes, Benchmade, Pendelton Ammunition and Danner. Nosler, Pendelton Ammunition, Benchmade and Leupold I still will buy because I think they are the best. Danner sucks, and switched to Kennetrek.

Gotta go, i got things to list on Craigslist.................
 
Last Edited:

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top