USED GUN PRICES

[cyclesarge]

I remember my first used gun buy, 25 years ago. Back then about the only way (that I knew of anyway) to do a face to face transaction was the Money Saver or the classified ads in the newspaper. If a seller wanted to sell back then, he had to have a very favorable price because only a handful of potential buyers might see it. If he had no interest, he had to wait a week to change the ad, so it was best to have a reasonable to LOW price to start with. Nowadays, with the internet hundreds or thousands can see the same ad (with pictures too) within minutes or hours it is posted. And you don't have to wade through a bunch of ads for broke down washing machines to find what you want. I have a friend that is not internet savvy and has bought all of his used guns through friends or acquaintances, he will only buy a gun for CHEAP since if HE sells it HE won't be able to get his money back because he is selling to such a small market (friends only). It's kinda interesting to see his idea of the value of a gun compared to what they actually sell for. He was ashamed of me for selling this 10/22 for $250.

 

[Redneck_Riot]

I'm ashamed of you as well, looks like a fun little rifle and you have some money into that rig no doubt. I would have jumped in line to buy that for 250.00


Just so none of you get the wrong idea, I like being a member here and do occaisonally stuble accross a genuine deal here, but it is the exception not the rule from my experience.

Your'e all a great bunch and I like all the feedback, NWFA is a fun and worthwhile forum and I am grateful to be apart of it.

 

[slingshot1943]

I always think the gun prices look cheaper when I have the money!

 

[madcratebuilder]

I always think the gun prices look cheaper when I have the money!

That's the truth.

It's supply and demand. There are a lot of used guns on the market and most are over priced.

If you bought a AR15 two years ago you are upside down.

 

[DinhRose]

The theory of supply and demand seems to have little affects on the used gun market for some reason. Every seller desperately wants things to be the way they were back when you can sell a used gun for close to or more than what they paid for it. This is still true for some collector firearms and highly desirable firearms but not for the broad spectrum of firearms. What i find utterly mind blowing are the used prices for 1911's sometimes. Often time you'll see the Springfield GI A1 on here for way more than the current retail prices for a new gun. :huh: However, this is driven by factory changed as well so you can't blame the seller.

 

[Trlsmn]

The market will have the final say on the price of any item.

 

[Scott]

That's the truth.

It's supply and demand. There are a lot of used guns on the market and most are over priced.

If you bought a AR15 two years ago you are upside down.

Depends where you bought it from!

 

[saxon]

ah found this again took a while
what i love is the " this or that gun book says it is only worth this or that i am not trying to lowball you but how is $incert low amount here "
i wish people would use gunbroker to see NOT what people are bidding but get an account so you can see what stuff SOLD at.

i have 3 guns listed and all well within what i could get from gunbroker but all i get are these
" it's not listed in the book for that $price" or the " on gunbroker they are only offering $low price" even though that is a bid and NOT what the gun ended selling for

 

[sadiesassy]

I do not know - I agree with someone who said a gun is worth what someone is willing to buy it for.

I have bought used from the forum based on what I thought was a resonable price.
I have sold probably below what I desired - but still at a reasonable price.
I always have the option to say no.

But Likewise - if it is a $50 difference between new and used on lets say a $500 item - I am buying new - might as well get warranty support.

 

[chemist]

I like to think that some of those too-high asking prices are a negotiating tool that the seller doesn't expect to get anyway. Gotta start somewhere, and you can only go one direction when you're horse-trading.

Then again, maybe the seller doesn't want to part with the gun, and the unrealistic price is intended to give him the excuse he needs: "Sorry, Honey, I tried."

I sent a PM to a seller recently offering $20 less than his asking price, and his response was downright snitty - in my opinion. So the gun stays in his safe, the money in my pocket, and why did we bother with the exercise at all?

What really blows my buffer is ammo: I sent a PM to a guy here with links that showed the same ammo he was reselling for a delivered price that was equal to or lower than what he was asking. It's pretty hard to come up with an excuse for that kind of pricing! He argued - and was not amused.

Maybe we're just better at being consumers than retailers.

 

[mjbskwim]

Car dealers call it an ACV Actual cash value.Some just give a price on if they like the car/truck or not.Some actually use the blue book or what the dealership has actually sold these type of vehicles for

As for guns,the gun stores *I HAVE BEEN TO* take the book,get the % of 'perfect' condition the gun is in and give about 80% of that.
They want to make a profit,right?
Or if the gun is in perfect condition and a newer gun,they take the 'wholesale ' price and ,again give their 80%.
Then if the gun is a good seller they give more.A bad seller gets less (and it goes back to 'if the buyer likes the gun'.buyers tend to not like bad sellers)

Why wouldn't I do the same? I see a used gun for $10 less than new? Yeah right.
Or one that isn't in good condition at a 90% price?
Be honest with yourself on the condition of the gun.I always try to be honest on the condition so I don't have to listen to the buyers bubblegum "Oh this is a piece of poopoo"
Yeah that's what the ad said.Just easier to weed out as many as possible,early on

Or something I kinda want but only at a great price? Whatever,not today

Just be reasonable when selling.It doesn't matter what YOU paid for it.At least not to the seller.
You may have fell in love at first site and the buyer has 3 of them already.Very few NEWER guns are worth more than was paid for them.The classics do go up in value but not the one that has 3.72mil clones.

Supply and demand. The Glocks and XDs are both very popular and do go down in value after they roll of the showroom floor.
Even the Benz's(Sigs for us here) lose some value right after purchase (

Don't believe me? Go buy a gun,from someone other than a close friend,at a local gun store.Wait till that evening or the next day and try to take it back to get your money back.
It's a USED gun now and priced accordingly.

Sure,try to get as much as you can. But don't be offended if offered less.That's what smart buyers do.It is stupid to just pay the retail or asking price of something when there is almost always room for negotiation.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I recently bought a Marlin 336C for my son. I paid the new price for a used rifle. Why? Because the used rifle had a walnut stock, was hand checkered, had a superior polish job under the blueing, and came with some extras like a scope and sling. The 336C that was the same price at Walmart had an ash stock, had stamped checkering, and had an almost brushed finish under the blueing. The quality built into the rifle in 1960 that isn't there in the one built in 2010 makes it worth as much as the new rifle.

Now as for low-ball offers, I offer what a firearm (or anything else) is worth here and now, to me. If that means it's half what you're asking then so be it. I don't understand people who get insulted at low offers. Just say "no" and let it go at that. If your self-esteem is riding on the monetary value of your firearm you have problems I can't help you with.

 

[gemini97424]

I Just encountered a situation with a particular firearm I was interested in where the seller said he averaged the prices from Gunbroker using the closed listings for that firearm, the problem with his method was all but one of the 14 listings was for the same firearm which didn't sell because the reserve was not met so was re-listed. A search of Gunbroker did not show one of the particular pistols that had been actually sold at any price. Faulty methodology to place a false value on a firearm does not equal a sale, if they didn't sell on Gunbroker why would they sell on NWF. I will continue to use Standard Catalog of Firearms and Bluebook of Gun Values for a more realistic frame of reference. I am sorry if that seller was offended by what he considered a "low ball" offer, his response oozed 'tude because I didn't "research the current sale price on Gunbroker even though the same pistol was listed on Gunbroker 14 times over a 30 day period without one "I'll take it".

 

[bow503]

guns are too expensive nowadays from what I hear. supposedly I should have started buying guns 10 years ago

 

[joken]

Used FTF and it ain't registered to you.

 

[Zepoll]

Any item, firearm or anything else, is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it. No one is holding a gun (pardon the pun) to their head.

Agreed.

Vote with your feet. Don't buy it at that price if it's not worth that amount to you.

Also... there's nothing wrong with a person listing an "asking price". You can always offer them less. If their phone has been silent, then you might get it for less. If the gun is already sold, then they probably had it listed at the right price. That's what is great about capitalism. Market dictates the prices.

 

[9mmMike]

I mostly sell stuff on here for VERY good prices as it's usually something I want to move and reinvest the $$ in something else. But after still receiving low offers, when my asking price is low to begin with, I starting inflating my prices to allow for the usual offer of less than asking price, so I can get what I think I should for the item. Recently listed a gun for "X" amount and agreed instantly to the $50.00 less offer as it was reasonable and what I expected to get. I just get tired of some people who refuse to pay any asking price, regardless of wether it's a GREAT deal to begin with.

 

[chemist]

I mostly sell stuff on here for VERY good prices as it's usually something I want to move and reinvest the $$ in something else. But after still receiving low offers, when my asking price is low to begin with, I starting inflating my prices to allow for the usual offer of less than asking price, so I can get what I think I should for the item. Recently listed a gun for "X" amount and agreed instantly to the $50.00 less offer as it was reasonable and what I expected to get. I just get tired of some people who refuse to pay any asking price, regardless of wether it's a GREAT deal to begin with.

Excellent psychology there - you got what you had to get for the gun, and the buyer gets a "deal" because he talked you down.

BTW, I just saw another one in the classifieds: a used gun offered for $50 more than the delivered price of a new one. That just turns me off so much, I'm much less likely to enter into a negotiation with somebody who pulls this stuff. You can give me the market-dynamics blather all day long, but in the end we're people, not computers, and I don't like the highball tactic. Unless it includes a really good bourbon, of course.

 

[saxon]

and thats why people wounder why they see high price's,
first off i agree with 9mm mike
i have and X type gun that i have found two so far on the west coast in pawn shops
one for $96 OTD and one for $200 OTD the one for $96 sold for $600 east coast off gunbroker because they cant find gun X back there.
just two months ago i had a SKS that at the PDX show i just got in the door and it was sold for $450 guy did not even bat an eye
just "how much ok sold" if you dont like the price then look elsewhere i dont go into gun stores
and say i know how much you paid can i get it whole sale

I mostly sell stuff on here for VERY good prices as it's usually something I want to move and reinvest the $$ in something else. But after still receiving low offers, when my asking price is low to begin with, I starting inflating my prices to allow for the usual offer of less than asking price, so I can get what I think I should for the item. Recently listed a gun for "X" amount and agreed instantly to the $50.00 less offer as it was reasonable and what I expected to get. I just get tired of some people who refuse to pay any asking price, regardless of wether it's a GREAT deal to begin with.

 

[mjbskwim]

guns are too expensive nowadays from what I hear. supposedly I should have started buying guns 10 years ago

Yeah,I should have kept all the ones I let det away for something "better" that I "needed" more