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The only way I could afford firearms was by selling one to buy another. For about 10 years I did this and only could gather 2-3 at a time.
If I wanted another one or a different one I had to sell one. It really sucked and I had some I let go that I regret. The last 6-7 years I've spent buying and planning on not selling. Only collecting.
To a fault almost.
Went a little crazy at times buying more than I should have.

But I always saw it as an investment.
Just like any investment there are gains and losses.
Selling stuff is mostly a loss but I can always get money out of them in an emergency.

If I had paid for vacations, or other stuff that money would just be gone.
 
Costs $500 owned for 18 months. Sold for $400.

$100 for over a years rental.

Not bad.

I think the thread you had on Debt should be the best justification.

$500 in debt, sell gun for $400.

Now only $100 in debt.
 
I am planning on selling some of my firearms in the near future. In today's over supplied market, I'm expecting to take a loss on the sales. One way I am trying to make myself feel better about the loss is by estimating what it would have cost to rent the firearm vs buying it for the same period of time I have owned it.

Another way to look at the loss is how much did my ownership of the firearm cost per day. For example if I paid $300 for a rifle 5 years ago and sold it for $150. It cost me about 8 pennies a day to own the rifle. I doubt you could rent one for anywhere close to that.

Is renting a firearm by the month or year even an option in this country?

How do you make a loss on a firearm sale more palatable?
Just never sell, problem solved.;)
 
Another way to look at it is by another comparison.. let's take golf, a not cheap but not terribly expensive activity. Let's say golf and shooting were equal in cost but in shooting you now have a practical, valuable and patriotic skillset to show for your efforts.. instead of conversely, having a closet full of clown clothes.
 
+1 on the experience aspect.

There is certainly more to it, but since we're talking about material possessions, it can be said that life costs money. I'm still pretty healthy for my age and in no hurry to zero my expenses,
 
Other than my hi-power. I dont need to rationalize sales. Even the browning i had a reason and was ok with it at the time. I wanted an ak, so i traded. Almost immediately regretted the trade due to not really liking the rifle (couldnt stand the underfolding stock).

I had an xds that the trigger went from iffy to horrendous after the recall work done.

Everything else, i no longer had a use for, or replaced it with something better. (M&p 40, to xds 45 to my p10c, which i freaking love)
 
Another way to look at it is by another comparison.. let's take golf, a not cheap but not terribly expensive activity. Let's say golf and shooting were equal in cost but in shooting you now have a practical, valuable and patriotic skillset to show for your efforts.. instead of conversely, having a closet full of clown clothes.
When I golf, I buy cheap golf balls and simply grab the good ones I see along the way. There's always some crappy golfer who buys $4/ball and slices them off into oblivion and just leaves it. I've got a whole bag now of practically new, expensive golf balls to use.

I sure do wish some crappy shooter would leave his pristine, expensive 9mm JHP at the range for me.
 
I bought no gun for investment so I view them as used toys. in some cases well used. The only real trouble I have at perceived lost monies are the tyrannical and punitive fees I'm forced to spend buying and selling the same gun. That's not right!! Regardless of who pays for the BC check it still usually comes off the price of the gun in order to move it along .
Fortunately (for me) I have made a few shamefully lucrative deals over my lifetime which should more than offset the rest in my armory.
When it comes to monies down the drain though, guns don't even come close to the amount of expensive hardwood I have literally turned into wood chips and sawdust just to end up with a box or carving I end up giving away.
Not to mention the glues and goo thrown out because they froze over the winter. Woodworking is a very expensive pastime nowadays.
 
How do you make a loss on a firearm sale more palatable?

I've regretted every firearm sale that I made. Some I sold for good reason, because I had to, but some I sold because I didn't use them enough. The regret remains the same.

In today's climate, if I don't want to keep a gun for some reason, I give it away to relatives... that reminds me, I need to update my will.


When I golf, I buy cheap golf balls and simply grab the good ones I see along the way. There's always some crappy golfer who buys $4/ball and slices them off into oblivion and just leaves it. I've got a whole bag now of practically new, expensive golf balls to use.

I used to buy cheap golf balls when I could still golf. I had some for holes I typically slice into oblivion. Then I had a few that were a better ball I used on wider fairways, etc. But the gold covered balls were the ones my brother gave to me... he had a buddy that operated a ball recovery biz contracted to quite a few courses... most of the balls he recovered were out of lakes or pond and some were in pristine condition... I came home from a visit with a big coffee can worth of ProV1 balls!! :D I risked using so few of them that I think I still have a bunch even tho I can't golf. Still have some clubs too, even after giving a set to my grandson.
 
I don't think it stings less even when I've made a profit.
I've had to sell a few, and a BUNCH of "Gucci" parts/accessories over the last couple years and it stings every time.
 
At the end of the day, it's just "stuff" and money. Neither should be a source of happiness.

When I sell a Glock, I purposely sell it cheap. Gotta spread the Tupperware gospel somehow. :D
 
It's close to the same thing as rationalizing a loss on a vehicle. It's a bunch of metal and plastic that may or may not depreciate.
 
I am planning on selling some of my firearms in the near future. In today's over supplied market, I'm expecting to take a loss on the sales. One way I am trying to make myself feel better about the loss is by estimating what it would have cost to rent the firearm vs buying it for the same period of time I have owned it.

Another way to look at the loss is how much did my ownership of the firearm cost per day. For example if I paid $300 for a rifle 5 years ago and sold it for $150. It cost me about 8 pennies a day to own the rifle. I doubt you could rent one for anywhere close to that.

Is renting a firearm by the month or year even an option in this country?

How do you make a loss on a firearm sale more palatable?


Add to the loss. The cost of the transfer. Considering IF......you'll split it or the buyer may even lower his bid price (knowing that the FFL will cost him BIG BUCKS for the transaction fees).

OMG!! When I first came to WA.....Private FTF transfers were done with showing an ID (and/or CCW), a handshake and an exchange of money. SIMPLE as that.

Say that......I want to own a Ruger 10/22. Do the LIBERALS sleep any safer because I have to pay another $50 to pass another BGC? Rrright…..even though I already own a number of semi-auto Ruger 10/22s?

$50 (consider it a TAX)…... on a $150 sale. o_O

Aloha, Mark
 
In today's climate, if I don't want to keep a gun for some reason, I give it away to relatives... that reminds me, I need to update my will.

I used to buy cheap golf balls when I could still golf. I had some for holes I typically slice into oblivion. Then I had a few that were a better ball I used on wider fairways, etc. But the gold covered balls were the ones my brother gave to me... he had a buddy that operated a ball recovery biz contracted to quite a few courses... most of the balls he recovered were out of lakes or pond and some were in pristine condition... I came home from a visit with a big coffee can worth of ProV1 balls!! :D I risked using so few of them that I think I still have a bunch even tho I can't golf. Still have some clubs too, even after giving a set to my grandson.

Yep. I still play with handmedown Ping Eye2's ... cause they're awesome. Something so satisfying about getting a solid hit from an actual wood club. I shattered 3 vertebrate as a teen and no longer have the rotational ability to finish the swing (if I perform a perfect swing, I actually can't come out of it and end up having to move my right foot out to stop from falling over). So, swing speed is on the low side. I sure wish all the amateurs losing golf balls would realize they don't swing as fast as pros and start losing ones made for slower swing speeds ;)

When I sell a Glock, I purposely sell it cheap. Gotta spread the Tupperware gospel somehow. :D

I'm taking on the project of building up a 43 from scratch. If you have some parts to part ways with, send me a message!
 
Selling a gun (or other "stuff")

I simply look at any loss that may occur from selling a gun/accessory, to simply be "rent" paid for it's use.....
….. If I don't sell it, it's rent-free! :D

If I really don't like it, didn't live-up to the hype, turned out to be junk....maybe think of it as tuition?





:rolleyes: Ever sell an exercise bike? :rolleyes:
 
Lately the only people i have selling firearms to are my freinds and we quit trying to figure out who's getting the better deal along time ago.
 
Unless it's rare (and I really do mean rare, not that YOU think it's rare) or made of unobtanium, how much does someone think they can make a profit on a used firearm?

I think of the "common" firearms like used cars. I buy it and take possession, it's lost MINIMUM 20-30% of it's value. How many dings, wear marks, rub marks, golly-darnit's did it receive in my possession? Add-ons, bolt-ons, paint-ons were for my benefit. No one else will probably appreciate them.

People say 10% less than whole sale for a used firearm? I call bull!' I'd say 3/4 of current wholesale at best.

GunBroker it in the sold area, and be HONEST about the condition. Then take 10% of average because your selling locally, and not to a worldwide market.

Maybe I'm not realistic? :confused:
 

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