New member, first time seller.

[AHNG97]

Like the title says, I am looking to sell a couple of guns, I am new to the selling end of the process, so I would love any tips.

I haven't landed on what all I'd like to sell yet, but I figured it would be better to sell direct instead of taking them to a gun shop. I haven't bought any new guns for a few years, so I'm still trying to figure out where prices are at.

Is there anything I should be looking out for or aware of? I know WA has a lot more regulations in the past couple of years, I want to make sure I do this right.

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[DB is Here]

Glad you found us.

This thread is solid for tips in selling your items:

Classified ads etiquette, tips and tricks

This is long overdue IMO. So without further adieu: 1. Try to always include pictures. Even if the item is BNIB. It helps. trust me. 2. If its a WTS ad, chances are they aren't looking for trades. Money talks. If the OP says no trades, don't offer trades! 3. Please don't title ads like this...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[AHNG97]

Glad you found us.

This thread is solid for tips in selling your items:

Classified ads etiquette, tips and tricks

This is long overdue IMO. So without further adieu: 1. Try to always include pictures. Even if the item is BNIB. It helps. trust me. 2. If its a WTS ad, chances are they aren't looking for trades. Money talks. If the OP says no trades, don't offer trades! 3. Please don't title ads like this...

www.northwestfirearms.com

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll check it out!

 

[Alexx1401]

Welcome and many don't know so just in case. To sell legally here now the sale will have to be done with an FFL. So if you get someone wanting you to sell to them direct use caution.

 

[64MercurysRule]

Welcome from r we gone . Glad you found us . There is much to see , learn and share here . Enjoy the forum and all it has to offer . Blessings from down south .

 

[Xaevian]

Welcome!

 

[fredball]

Welcome Aboard

 

[frank linkh]

Ya gonna post somptin or what

 

[AHNG97]

Ya gonna post somptin or what

Figured I'd wait until after I'm past new member probation, still trying to learn the site as well.

 

[CountryGent]

Welcome aboard. If you need any assistance with the classifieds system, just let us know. Cheers.

 

[Engineer_Seay]

Welcome! I just joined to sell as well.

 

[gryghin]

Welcome Aboard. Glad you found the forum.



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[washagonian]

Welcome @AHNG97.

I originally found this forum for the same reason as you - I needed to sell some firearms. But I stuck around because the people here are top-notch and I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH IN SO MANY AREAS of firearm ownership, shooting, reloading, etc.

Below I've included thoughts about my experience in selling here at NWFA. It's a long read in attempt to provide some practical, substantive information, rather than just a a couple of one sentence blurbs. If it's too long to read, then just "click-through".

Regarding selling: Everyone has different perspectives on what does or doesn't work regarding used firearms for sale ads. Here are the major mistakes I made as a newbie, and which I see almost all new members make.

UNREALISTIC PRICING
Don't over price my firearm (especially right now when the market is soft). Research prices. Search online for prices on NEW and USED models of my firearm. A lot of newbies price their firearm at or above retail and then get frustrated when it doesn't sell. Remember, you can either buy my USED (e.g.) Glock 43X for $425 and pay an additional $25 - $40 in FFL transfer fees, or buy the same NEW G43X model at a local gun store for $400 WITHOUT the additional transfer fee.

CLEAR AND REALISTIC TERMS
Keep my pricing and transaction protocols simple and clear.

• What is the TOTAL price of my package for sale.
• Who pays background check and transfer fees
• Will I ship - or not (especially regarding parts and accessories)
• How do I want to communicate? - within the ad thread, PM (personal message), text and/or email (to maintain my privacy, only share that info via PM, not in the ad thread)
• How far am I willing to travel for a meet-up / FFL transfer

Simple ads sell. So, don't try to combine a bunch of different offer combinations in one ad. Start another couple of for sale ads if I have a multiple FIREARMS to sell - they're free. I'll sell my stuff more quickly.

If I'm selling a bunch of parts or accessories, then an ad with multiple items can be very effective, as long as: 1.) I have pictures of the items, 2.) the price of each item is clear.

OVERLY LONG DESCRIPTION
Keep my description short, clear, concise and factual. Do NOT copy and paste a description from the manufacturer's website - the problem of TLDR ( too long, didn't read) will make a lot of folks skip past my ad. Anyway, if I'm selling - let's say - a Glock 43X, most of the possible BUYERS already know a lot about the G43X - maybe even more than me. So, they don't need a long, manufacturer's product description.

DO include specific information about my PARTICULAR firearm for sale. Such as:

• Number of mags included and their capacity
• Whether or not the original case is included (that's important to more folks than we think)
• Did I buy it new or used
• Approximate round count
• Type of sights
• Whether or not the pistol is cut for a red-dot
• If it's a model that comes in various trigger, safety or other variations - which variation is this firearm (like Beretta 92 safety/decocker configuration or HK pistol trigger configuration)
• Description of any modifications that have been made (trigger jobs, springs, barrels, etc.)
• Any extra stuff that I'm including (e.g., extra grips, springs, sights, ammo, etc.)

NO PHOTOS OR POOR PHOTOS
Ads without photos are almost worthless. Even if a buyer is looking for my EXACT firearm they will pass-by an ad without photos in favor of those ads with photos. If my firearm is unique or in high demand then my ad will get views even without photos. But if I'm selling a common model - for example, a 5.56 caliber pistol, a 308 rifle, or a 1911 in 45 ACP - I need photos because there are a ton of those firearms for sale on this site and everywhere else.

Although not essential, learn how to rotate and convert photos so that they are displayed right-side-up in the ad, and they open as a large picture when people click on them in the ad. Both Windows and Mac have simple functions from within their file management system (Explorer and Finder, respectively) to do this type of simple photo editing (rotation and size).

TWYLALTR

Cheers