Why do people think there used bits are gold?

[IronMonster]

I have noticed this quite a bit lately. Someone asking more than retail for a used (or new, but not from a retailer) item.

I understand folks want to get the most they can for something, but what makes you think its worth more from you than the factory?

Another one I dont get is how someone thinks that all the accessory's and extras you added raise the price of a firearm dollar for dollar. As a general rule the more extras and custom a thing is the less of the invested dough your going to recoup. Its just the way it is. It does not matter if its a car, a boat, a house or a firearm. There are a very few exceptions, like if what you have is rare or collectable, but as a general rule the money you spend your not going to get back. AR's are good examples. If you buy a basic AR for $600 and leave it alone and put a few hundred rounds though it you can probably get $500 or even $550 for it used. If you by a $2000 AR and put $2500 worth of optics, custom bits and extras on it your going to be real lucky to get $2500 and even that is going to be tough. The vast majority of people are going to see that they could buy a new one for $2000, most of that expensive crap you added on there is not stuff that they want anyway. They will pay a little extra but thinking your going to get $4250 for this used custom rifle that has a base price of $2000 new is delusional.


Just poking around this morning there where two that stuck out. One was a stock, used without the box. I clicked on the link and the price is almost 50% higher than the one I just ordered of the same make and style new from PSA

The other had a link right to the manufactures page with the price on the manufactures page lower than their asking price. Hu? Why would you put a link in your listing showing a price LOWER than what your asking?

Firearms as a general rule seem to be priced high. One of the things I think is most folks are not able to discern how much a firearm has been used. This fall I was looking for a M&P full size 9MM. They are pretty hard to come by used so just about any that popped up I inquired about. A new one with two mags can be had for less than $500. A used one popped up with three mags and a holster the guy was asking $500 for but a few messages and he said he would take $450. So I go to look at this thing. It is in the worst condition of any modern handgun I have ever seen. finish is gone in several places, pitting and rust. rifling almost not existent and pitting showing in the barrel. Much of the plastic gone just from wear. Sights banged on with what must have been a steel punch, a nick the size of a finish nail in the barrel crown. Just astounding. It had to have had 15,000 rounds through it and been carried by a knuckle head for most of a decade. Actual value of the pistol was probably in the $150-$200 range, which even that is a testament to how strong resale value is. For most tools in that condition the value would be its weight in scrap. The guy was incredulous when I told him I would not give him the agreed upon $450. All I could think was "are you serious? Do you honestly think this shot out rusted hunk of metal is worth within $50 on a brand spankin new one?"


Am I just a cheap bastard? I honestly feel like a person can ask what ever they want for something. Its theirs, the market will determine if they are pricing it right. However I also feel compelled from time to time to just send a "What the hell are you thinking?" message, even though I know it wont do anything but piss the person off.

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[FA9]

Here's the answer, they are hoping to get that one stupid buyer to pay their asking price...

 

[308]

During the great depression we had ill prepared people standing in the soup line for hours hoping for scraps.

We saw the same thing when obongo was re-elected. Soup line buyers at the gunshop...like Keiths...making them stand in line all the way out the door hoping to pickup some scraps like an old fud gun or whatever was left.

It makes sense that some of these folks have realized what their fear purchases have cost them and now want to recover their losses at our expense.

On the bright side, that bubba'd out SAR-1 with all the Tapco crapco for $800 must mean my handmade perfect Polish Sidefolder must be worth at least $3000.00

 

[Just Jim]

It seems to me that people price stuff too high cause they can always come down on the price. The idea is to get all you can out of the sale.

 

[Member 5605]

Here's the answer, they are hoping to get that one stupid buyer to pay their asking price...

Ditto. Quite a few people prey on the uninformed.

 

[bolus]

However I also feel compelled from time to time to just send a "What the hell are you thinking?" message, even though I know it wont do anything but piss the person off.

I just skip over the classifieds because of this. It is temping to go "you know this one is for sale new at this store for $200 less" or "you are just reselling the 1911 that you bought at Sportsmans for $250 for $400 during their sale, that's kind of scummy" Even worse when it is still available at the store for that price.

That is weird with the people who were flipping that Sportsmans's 1911 that was on sale, is that people were buying them for the inflated price here. I cant imagine that they did not know about the sale. I posted that one store still had 50 of them when others were flipping them in the classifieds.

Makes me think those people buying them here would not go to Sportsmans because perhaps they could not pass a background check?

 

[IronMonster]

It seems to me that people price stuff too high cause they can always come down on the price. The idea is to get all you can out of the sale.

I do things differently. My theory is you will get far more tire kickers if the price is already close to what your willing to accept . If a new one is $500 and your willing to take $400 you will have far better luck selling it if you price it at $400 firm rather than $500 OBO. Most people, including myself will not even bother with an offer if the asking price is retail to start. If someone offers $350 and you tell them no there is a pretty good chance they will pay the $400. I price my stuff to sell if I want to sell it and I almost always get my asking price, because it's reasonable to begin with.

 

[Member 5605]

I just skip over the classifieds because of this. It is temping to go "you know this one is for sale new at this store for $200 less" or "you are just reselling the 1911 that you bought at Sportsmans for $250 for $400 during their sale, that's kind of scummy" Even worse when it is still available at the store for that price.

That is weird with the people who were flipping that Sportsmans's 1911 that was on sale, is that people were buying them for the inflated price here. I cant imagine that they did not know about the sale. I posted that one store still had 50 of them when others were flipping them in the classifieds.

Makes me think those people buying them here would not go to Sportsmans because perhaps they could not pass a background check?

Some pay a premium for no paper trail.

 

[Member 3687]

I have run into the same thing and it is the reason I stopped going to gun shows year ago and for the most part stopped looking at used stuff all together.

I do not have a problem paying what something is worth and if something has a few extras like mags or a holster that I like I might pay a little extra.

But like you if I can get a new one for $500 so at $450 it better look close to new condition and I get the extra mag thrown in.

I do also understand it is their item so they can ask whatever they want for it but like you I do not have to pay for it.

As the old saying goes "there is a sucker born every minute" and they are hoping to find one.

 

[Just Jim]

I do things differently. My theory is you will get far more tire kickers if the price is already close to what your willing to accept . If a new one is $500 and your willing to take $400 you will have far better luck selling it if you price it at $400 firm rather than $500 OBO. Most people, including myself will not even bother with an offer if the asking price is retail to start. If someone offers $350 and you tell them no there is a pretty good chance they will pay the $400. I price my stuff to see if I want to sell it and I almost always get my asking price, because it's reasonable to begin with.

Oh I know there is no reality in pricing I bought a handgun yesterday and the guy started his price saying "this is what they are asking on Arms list and Gunbrokers". I told him to sell there as I just can't buy for Internet prices. Ended up giving him a fair price that both of us were happy with after he figured out all the hassle of selling it on the net or through a dealer.

Most of the people I buy from are old guys like me that bought years ago and want to get rid of their guns. It won't be long until I get rid of mine, but I won't sell it for what I paid for it 20 years ago.

 

[IronMonster]

I just skip over the classifieds because of this. It is temping to go "you know this one is for sale new at this store for $200 less" or "you are just reselling the 1911 that you bought at Sportsmans for $250 for $400 during their sale, that's kind of scummy" Even worse when it is still available at the store for that price.

That is weird with the people who were flipping that Sportsmans's 1911 that was on sale, is that people were buying them for the inflated price here. I cant imagine that they did not know about the sale. I posted that one store still had 50 of them when others were flipping them in the classifieds.

Makes me think those people buying them here would not go to Sportsmans because perhaps they could not pass a background check?

Hey if it really was a $400 dollar gun they got a smokin deal on and they are trying to sell it for close to the normal asking price I don't have an issue with that. What erks me is when the normal price is $400 and they are asking $400 for one that's two years old and had a few thousand rounds though it.

On Black Friday I bought an AR upper that is normally $699 for $399. If you wanted to buy one right now they are in stock and $699. You think I should sell it for $350 just because I got a great deal? Or do you think $500 would be a good deal even though I paid $399 new? If you where in the market now and ready to pay $699 I bet $500 for a unused one would seem like a pretty smokin deal. What I paid has no bearing on what it's actually worth. It works the same way if you paid too much. If you paid $2000 for a $750 AR during the panic, so sorry.

 

[Just Jim]

It's like the guys here selling ammo for the same price as bimart, I can go to bimart for those prices and stay close to home.

 

[FA9]

What's funny is when you read a FS ad and it says " brand new, new gun smell, original grease/oil. only fired 20 times"

 

[Garg]

Some people do not get the principal of sales. Buy low, sell high. The thing about selling, is if you ask for a number, that is the highest you can ask. You can always go down, but you generally cannot raise it. I think most people expect to get dickered down a little, so asking 500 for something they will take 400 for makes sense. Asking 400 for something that you will only take 400 for, doesn't leave much room for negotiation.
But, having said that, I agree. The thing about firearms, is some would rather pay a little more than retail to get paper less guns. I understand that. But the ones who are asking %50 more than retail, and are FIRM, are looking for a sucker, felon, or just really don't want to sell it.

 

[Just Jim]

I still blame the net for high prices. Guys don't know what their stuff is worth so they look up prices on the net. New gun prices yes but used guns and old ammo no. Most guys don't shop around in the real world to know honest value, the net makes them lazy.

 

[Member 5605]

I still blame the net for high prices. Guys don't know what their stuff is worth so they look up prices on the net. New gun prices yes but used guns and old ammo no. Most guys don't shop around in the real world to know honest value, the net makes them lazy.

Good point.

Makes me walk away from any deal, online and in person when I hear "they are selling on Armslist for xyz.."

No you moron they are asking that price. Yeah and GunBroker you moron you can look if you have an account there what guns have actually SOLD for not what they are asking.

That my Bacon Seed friend is the epitome of lazy.

 

[Just Jim]

It's like a nice handgun holster, retail is $90+ but it's used so you mark it $45 at a show because it's worth $45. At every show or on any sale there is always the guy who only wants to pay $20. He takes it personal that you won't give him what you worked to get. Guys on this site call them low ballers.

 

[NoFlinch]

the principal of sales. Buy low, sell high. .

Wait.

What does this mean?

Have I been doing it backwards?.

 

[bolus]

Wait.

What does this mean?

Have I been doing it backwards?.

In the world of firearms though. Its buy low, get an FFL, then sell high. Flipping guns for profit, even if I dont agree with the ATF on this, needs a license.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Yep & they lowball on the ad instead of a PM.....
Especially the nubes.