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I used to get caught up in that trap a bit. It hurt to sell something for less than I "had into it". On the other hand, it was easy to pass along a real bargain if I'd bought it cheap. I've seen guys at gun shows, asking top dollar for something that never sells, because that's what they "have into it". So it sits there for months or even years.

One day someone was explaining business to me in a way that really made sense. What you have into something is completely irrelevant. What it's actually worth is all that really matters.

If you're in business then you need to make a profit, but even then there are many times when it's better to sell something at a loss than to sit on it; free up that capital and shelf space and use it for a product that will turn a profit.

The same principle holds true for hobbies. If you have something you don't want or need anymore, sell it for whatever you can get, and use that money for something that you do want. A few dollars "lost" is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

I have some money sitting in a savings account, that I'd been meaning to invest in the stock market for a couple years. I haven't done that before and didn't know where to start, and am a bit nervous about it. I just recently got serious about it again, and realized just how much money I'd "lost" by having it sit in the bank versus stocks. :eek:

Yeah, I could have bought a safe full of guns with what I missed out on because of that poor decision.
Invest slowly we might have some tough times coming up.
 
I do NOT see low pricing again NOT with inflation going on.

I figure that the way things are going with this economy is this saying of my late husband's when it comes to decision making.

"S!$$ or get off the pot!"

Should of, could of, bla and bla does not count.

Make up your mind and have a GOAL in mind is MY motto.

What do you want to do with 'said object' or thing?

DO you use it?

Does your WIFE use it if you are married?

Do you LOVE to use it?

Do you use it often or a little bit?

If you had a fire or a flood and YOU could only take X amount of STUFF WITH YOU other than your prepacked BAG, water, important papers, etc. - BARE MINIMUM due to TIME and SPACE what would YOU CHOOSE other than your LOVED ONES - HUMANS AND DOGS - pets?

I never really LOST money on most of my guns when I sold them. I sold a few back east and I got EXACTLY what I paid for them minus my sales tax from that state. I sold the ammo apart for a caliber that I did not bring with me. One man bought some and his friend who was my friend bought what he did not want.

The first buyer GOT DIBS on that Glock and on a couple of other guns. So he got the 9mm ammo that he wanted and could afford. I got FULL PRICE FOR THE AMMO. I had the nice leather holster and sold it - it was a package deal.

My old political friend bought the EXPENSIVE 9mm left over self defense ammo. ALL NIB, stored properly and kept clean.

OUT here, we have sold 'some' guns as a complete package deal too.

Meaning some ammo went with the GUN - 2 groups or with the gun, holster and sometimes a gun soft case but NOT all of it.

Example: Factory 45long colt, some 357 magnum, some 38special plus p and some 44magnum and 44special.

An old friend who was a deputy and the son of a super close friend - a retired Chief Deputy wanted the Glock but he did not make a firm commitment. I told him whoever came up with the CASH ON HAND got it first. He called me back a day later but it was already gone. He was not upset or angry with me but he wished that he had made the buy. I would have HELD IT FOR 'HIM' since I trusted his WORD and handshake. PRIVATE SALES were and are still allowed back there from what I gather. Plus every person got a bill of sale from me, dated and signed even though I KNEW them well. That went for some OTHER people who wanted to buy some of my other guns, I knew them, but THOSE guns of mine were NOT for sale.

This was back in 2002 before I moved. I moved in the middle of 2002. I had my household sales, estate sale, garage sale, barn sale, etc. going on. Plus SOME gifting and donations.

I had NO reloading stuff to sell or move. I do not reload.

The ONLY ammo that I sold back there was for the one caliber gun that I did not have any other gun in that specific caliber. So it went bye bye.

I had plenty of ammo, mainly in RF and some CF ammo for all of my guns, but I did NOT have TONS OF IT to move. It was heavy enough.

At that time, I did not stock 10,000 or MUCH MORE of 22lr in my home too. I shot a LOT and often but I did not STORE that much at one time.

With many other goods and sales...

I had some people who did not make a firm decision or get back to me immediately get UPSET with me somewhat. They were NOT super close friends. I told ALL of them the same thing. First come, deadline with the cash - make a FIRM COMMITMENT so I did not get SCREWED by losing a sale since I was MOVING and not because I was a 'widow', first come, first served and SOLD! (I took a couple of checks from super close friends for large items.)

Tons of tools, one Honda scooter, the like new - excellent condition BMW RT 800 MC with the boxer engine was already sold - I sold that, one car was already sold - I sold that, several other items including snow blowers, tractors, mowers, trailers - flat bed and cargo enclosed trailer and many other items.

I was packing UP my Coleman pop up camper and two people wanted it.

One was a business person and the other one was a neighbor man who was NICE but I was not close to him. The neighbor man wanted to come over at the LAST MINUTE to look at it with a friend and I said that it was NO longer for sale. He asked if he could look at it, just to LOOK AT IT, he did buy some items from me already, and I said there was NO point since I was going to LIVE IN IT for half a year or so in MT and TRAVEL. I was packing it and since he did not get back with me - oh well. The business person told me that she, a single mother, her boy friend and her KIDS would help me UNPACK IT because they REALLY WANTED IT and I said, "NO!" I was ready to move in LESS than one week and my decision was final. NO one tried to offer me LESS money on that either.

You snooze - you lose. And I was NOT losing any money on that sale either IF I had sold it since prices on them and with a couple of my safety extras and OTHER extras - it would cost much more if they bought it NEW as I bought it new. Even though it was a couple of years old but in excellent condition. So it paid for itself and it came out west with me. What did NOT FIT into my former Coleman pop up camper and former SUV did not come out west.

Cate
 
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I don't believe in paying INTEREST for anything other than a house construction loan - we bought the LAND first, a vehicle if you can't pay it totally IN FULL and only owe a small amount
A lot of wisdom in those words... Instead of paying others to use their money (interest), let others pay you for using your money (investments).
I think about resell value on most large purchases that I make, I buy secondhand more than many people and let someone else take the significant depreciation for the privilege of having the first year of ownership.
 
My Smith and Wesson handguns, my Ruger handguns - s/a revolvers, HIS S&W and Ruger handguns, the Colt and Kimber pistols of my husband's, HIS expensive s/a revolvers, many rifles of his including one owned by HANK WILLIAMS JR. who had one on consignment here IN this town which my husband bought and, later on - years down the road, sold on consignment at the SAME PLACE, etc. did NOT lose any money. The man who took in the gun to sell BOUGHT IT on the spot.

The Made in CT Marlin lever action rifles, the his and her Wins that are NO longer made, my one Browning and my one Winchester from back east, etc. did not lose any money 'down the road'.

He only had one rifle that was an AR15 TYPE for lack of a better term.

It was a Made in Maine Bushmaster plain rifle, .223, bought in 2007 or so (?) and he sold it down the road. He never BONDED WITH IT but it was a good rifle. He sold that and he did not lose money on it. I was the one who said that he should buy it in case he could never get one again even though he was NOT really INTO that style of firearm. He did NOT regret the buying or selling.

He and I are talking right now and he told me that he has NEVER EVER regretted buying or selling any firearm or any other thing including GIVING gifts made of guns and knives. Etc.!

Cate
 
One day someone was explaining business to me in a way that really made sense. What you have into something is completely irrelevant. What it's actually worth is all that really matters.
This is true for the buyer - a smart buyer doesn't care how much you paid for something, only what it is worth to them. If it is worth nothing, they won't even buy it at all, regardless of what you paid for it.
 
This is true for the buyer - a smart buyer doesn't care how much you paid for something, only what it is worth to them. If it is worth nothing, they won't even buy it at all, regardless of what you paid for it.
THIS is true!

Cate
 
firearms market has gone soft, it's a buyers market.
Not entirely true! Part of the softness has to do with the lack of inventory for certain calibers. Another contributing factor is from all the first time left leaning covid panicked gun buyers that are offloading their recent acquisitions. Apparently they feel safe now or they don't want to be judged for being fence sitters.

P.S. My reply above was aimed at todays market and not that of 2019 when this thread started.
 
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Not entirely true! Certain firearms have gone soft and it's a buyers market for certain firearms. Part of the softness has to do with the lack of inventory for certain calibers. Another contributing factor is from all the first time libtard covid pandemic gun buyers that are offloading their recent acquisitions. Apparently they feel safe now or they don't want to be judged for being fence sitters.

They are ? And only owners for a little over a year? Where are you seeing evidence of them offloading their guns?
I would be interested in hearing more about this from some of our members who are FFL dealers. Are they seeing any of this?

It could become a thing, now that riot and commotion in the streets has died down. People tend to forget quickly. Historic precedent, in 1965 lots of first time gun sales were made in the Los Angeles area. Then for years afterward, there were many "Watts Riots" guns for sale at the gun shows.
 
They are ? And only owners for a little over a year? Where are you seeing evidence of them offloading their guns?
First hand, also there are FFL's posting these encounters on social media. Not saying all the FFL's are gobbling up the fire sales but some folks are already attempting to offload their first time gun purchases. I guess it's buyers remorse but I'm not going to analyze it beyond that. Please recall the I typed that this as an example "another contributing factor". I'm just not on board with somebody claiming the market has gone soft. That's a blanket statement and inaccurate.
 
It easy to get mixed up in an old thread. The "Gone soft- buyer's market" post was actually from the end of 2019, right before all the craziness started.
 
One day someone was explaining business to me in a way that really made sense. What you have into something is completely irrelevant. What it's actually worth is all that really matters.
For this reason, I avoid customising anything I own, especially guns. I owned and still own too many firearms for my interest, but I keep them original should I decide to sell them. Now, that I have decided to become a three-rifle guy, all other rifles are good to go. And, they are in demand, according to Gunbroker.
 
@arakboss This might sting a little... I've never sold a firearm at a loss, including those I bought new. I've always bought with an identified need and usage and because of that I've owned them long enough for them to increase in value past my purchase price. I don't regret a single one I have parted with as they served their purpose well and it was time for them to move on.
 
I've never sold a firearm at a loss, including those I bought new. I've always bought with an identified need and usage and because of that I've owned them long enough for them to increase in value past my purchase price.
I have to admit to the same as well, and with as many guns I have sold or traded I cannot think of one I did not come out ahead on.

Similarly with buying for an identified need I have always bought guns that appealed to a narrower, yet more discriminating group of gun enthusiasts and I have never had a problem 'moving' any of them.

I often see people posting relatively new, common guns for sale and some are described as bought very recently and unfired. In this case one cannot expect but to take a loss if they want to sell them quickly.
 
I think it's safe to say like most have said here, selling your guns isn't always the most enjoyable, particularly when things get tight with your pocket book and it stings more when it's a gun that's not easily re-bought, knowing you'll have to probably pay out the hoo hah to get another one of your favorite guns you previously sold, at a higher premium.

On the other hand, I've traded and sold guns I simply didn't shoot much and I wanted something else like high end optics, stuff for my motorcycle etc. Everyone's situations are different and interesting I've noticed. There's no real right or wrong answer I see. Diversity at it's best in the gun world.
 
If I keep all my guns for thirty years then likely I too will be ahead.
Still not an investment strategy though.
For me it works out to I get paid for shooting them. Also with true inflation at Jimmy Carter double digit levels you can recoup the usual 15-25% immediate depreciation pretty quickly. Better yet, buy used and break even on day 1.
 
I would be interested in hearing more about this from some of our members who are FFL dealers. Are they seeing any of this?

It could become a thing, now that riot and commotion in the streets has died down. People tend to forget quickly. Historic precedent, in 1965 lots of first time gun sales were made in the Los Angeles area. Then for years afterward, there were many "Watts Riots" guns for sale at the gun shows.
All I know, is that for the first time since I moved back to Orygun, I am still waiting for my BGC to go thru. I've bought dozens of guns in that time, and this is the first time I walked out of a FFL without the gun, the queue being 3 weeks long - I have one more week to go - I put in the 4473 last year - 12/29/2021.

Also: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/t...st-year-second-highest-year-on-record.398355/
 
I don't remember taking a loss on a gun over the years, but I almost never sell anything. That, and until recently I almost never bought new. I've also never bought anything high-dollar. I don't think I've ever spent over $650 for a single gun in my entire life. I've typically bought old surplus or used guns that were a good value. Not so much with an eye to investment but mostly just because I'm cheap. I don't buy new or late model cars. I don't have an RV or a boat. I grew up cheap and that's just ingrained I guess.

I've long mused about how money is so often about numbers, more that actual money. I remember seeing an acquaintance shop around at a gun show and haggle for hours to get the very best deal on a new gun, had to save that last $5. He walked away feeling pretty smug, got into his $60k truck and dropped $100 on dinner on the way home. His pocketbook wouldn't have even noticed an extra $50 on the gun, but he felt good about the numbers.
 

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