OAKS WINTER SHOW FEB 7, 8, 9, 2020

[gghbi]

Coming off the latest show, I'd like to ask if anyone has experience with those dealers offering "we buy guns." If I am going to buy any more guns, I've got to get rid of a few. Classifieds have never worked for me and I just don't want to be dealing with strangers when it comes to guns. I tried consignment once and I don't want to experience it again.

Just like taking them to a local shop, buy low, sell high. A lot depends on what you are selling and what they need in their inventory. You will get more bang for the buck using the classifieds on here, or find a shop that will put them on GunBroker (for a fee of course) if you want to get a bit better depending on the auction gods.

If you catch them after a good show with a pile of cash, with a gun they want, you might get lucky and do a bit better, but if sales were off it goes the other way.

[eagleclaw]

Coming off the latest show, I'd like to ask if anyone has experience with those dealers offering "we buy guns." If I am going to buy any more guns, I've got to get rid of a few. Classifieds have never worked for me and I just don't want to be dealing with strangers when it comes to guns. I tried consignment once and I don't want to experience it again.

Some gun shops near me have those we buy used guns signs. However you won't get anywhere near what they are worth. I would only resort to that if I had a gun that was a clunker or I didn't think it would sell on it's own. You will do slightly better on a trade because they only apply sales tax to the difference in price. For example if a gun for sale is priced $500 that you want and you trade a gun and they give you $300 for the traded gun, only only $200 is subjected to the state sales tax.

I usually try to sell mine own on consignment.
May I ask what kind of bad experience did you have during a consignment sale?

[egon12]

Dealing with the "we buy guns" folks you need to know going in that they are there to buy your gun on the cheap to flip it and make money. If you do not have a problem with getting an offer in the neighborhood of 50-66% of a retail value then you are good to go. If you want to get a better deal for your gun then private sale or consignment is a better game plan.

[Boondox]

Been down sizing for some time. Every show Igo to , I am carrying something for sale.
I got a lot of my stuff long time back.
I've sold countless firearms to vendors at shows.
Vendors have the $$$.
I almost never go for top dollar and I do not take my firearms to guys offering to buy.
They just stop me as I stroll around.
As long as I get what I want for it , I really don't care.
Obviously they don't want everything you may have.
But at the very last show I was at .... I seen a firearm I sold to the vendor awhile back.
I got my asking price and my "ex" firearm was still in his inventory at what I though was a crazy price.
But , I can only assume he knows his clients better than I , and he he wants to sit on a firearm for who knows how long ... that is his business.
I always chuckle when you hear a guy saying a dealer .... either at a show or at an actual brick and mortar shop offered them much less than the "value" of their firearm.
Well , no shit.
But they tell you this like they just uncovered some great scheme and it should be on 20/20.
I have had vendors tell me they couldn't give me my asking because there wasn't enough of a profit on it for them .... that's called being honest.
And then ..... I've had the ones who will lie to you .. or worse yet ... try and be underhanded about things "J&S arms for example.
But yes , a dealer will offer you less than the value.
How much less depends on what he wants to make on it to be worth his while.
It's not a scheme , it's business.
Now if they play underhanded ..... well that's just dishonest.
I love it when a dealer thinks or knows he can make a profit on my firearms ... that means money for me.
If a dealer doesn't want it cause there isn't enough profit on it .....that isn't anybodys fault , I can take less or find someone else.
Dealers aren't a personal bank for those looking to sell

edited to say , you can try using personals.
Never had any luck here but didn't try long.
Just one guy who strung me a long for a while.

Pennswoods is an option ...... but that place is also full of flippers and they want it for pennies on the dollar also...... actually there may be more flippers on there than not. But I have had great experiences there also.
Never offer to take them the firearm.
If you make a trip .... they will figure they have you by the balls.
If a grown man can't make the trip to buy a firearm cause it cuts into his money ..time .... wife won't allow him .....etc... that's his problem and most likely a fellow you'd do best to avoid.
I don't do the trade thing either
If they want to trade ..... that usually means ... can I stick it in without lube?
But one time I did get a great trade ...... but mostly it's some of the funniest stuff I ever heard

[Gunsnwater]

https://gunshowtrader.com/gun-shows/...-gun-show/amp/

Oh boy I'm going to be off. Wish me luck!

[esh21167]

Selling here has been pretty good for me. People are civil and fair. There's always some negotiation, but you don't get the Craigslist scammer low life types.

[pa123guns]

I would agree with others.. selling on here is normally very good. You just need to price the stuff to move. A lot of stuff is posted and priced to high, from a buyer perspective hassle just isn’t worth it.
Price it right and you will be able to sell the guns within a few days no question.
Best of luck with your gun sale.

[Marines55]

Coming off the latest show, I'd like to ask if anyone has experience with those dealers offering "we buy guns." If I am going to buy any more guns, I've got to get rid of a few. Classifieds have never worked for me and I just don't want to be dealing with strangers when it comes to guns. I tried consignment once and I don't want to experience it again.

As a dealer I need to replenish inventory. If I sell 17 guns at a show, I need to put 17 or more back in stock to stay afloat. That being said, I also need to make money at it or else doing shows won't be an option. Since many dealers have costs of $1000 or more before they even sell one thing at a show they need a profit margin that is decent. factor in theft of items at shows, the tire kickers, and the guys who think a dealer should only make $20 profit on a gun and you can loose money real quick at a show. This show was decent for me, but it will do nothing more than pay the bills after my costs and the theft of magazines from my table. I took in 4 guns and sold far more than that but I also passed on several guns because the sellers wanted far too much for them (meaning they wanted more for their gun than I could even sell it for).

You could try on the classified section here, but I have tried to buy and sell on here with it mostly just being a waste of time. when I sell, I have to sell my stuff for less than it sells for on the internet because there is always those guys who look at the price tag and then pull up buds gun shop and show me the price they charge (usually ten dollars less) and ask me to price match it. they play the game and feel like they have to win (I kid you not, a guy beat up a fellow dealer for $2 on a $5 hat this weekend, and a guy beat up another dealer for $1 on a magazine) so you have to be firm.

If you take a guns to sell at a show, realize that a dealer may not even be interested in it. if they had a bad show....there is no money to be spent on new inventory. if they had a great show they are open to buying but if its an item they have no market for, or will take 6 months to sell the offer will be low. If its something they can move within in a few weeks, they may be interested. the problem I see the most are the guys who walk in the show with Anderson built AR's that they want to sell for $600 when in reality I can't get more than $425 for it. if you have a gun that sells for $1000 on gun broker, it will retail for $900 here in PA because the public will always quote what they sell for elsewhere and beat you up over what they saw the gun sell for 6 years ago. where you actually settle on that rifle is probably around $850 or less. that means I have to offer about 65% of that sale price in order to purchase. I find it odd that most of the guys who complain about high prices on guns at the shows are often times the guys who offer me below cost prices for guns I sell. I don't ask retail price the items I sell, but I have to get close to it. my profit margins range from 6% to 30% on a gun and if you have been in business for more than 20 minutes you know 30% is pretty much as low as you can go to maintain your business.

I think the biggest thing you just have to keep in mind is that if you are selling to a dealer you won't get full price. rest assured though, the dealer isn't going to get full price either! steer clear of the low ball dealers (yes....even other dealers know who they are), and remember that it may take a dealer 6 months to sell that gun where as you have an offer right then and there for cash on the spot. you can always pass on the offer and take it home, advertise it for sale on a classified section or gun broker, take 40 pictures of it, answer hundreds of questions from guys who have nothing better to do and BS about it with no intention to buy, or meet up with someone and then they beat you up on the spot for a lower price even though they already saw 40 pictures of it. selling on gun broker is expensive and very time consuming. selling over the internet through other venues is very time consuming too. it all depends on what you have and what you think its value is.

[bamboomaster]

Marines55, well stated...

[Boondox]

Hey , if we're going to be hatin on pepole.
I want in on this and maybe someone here can answer some questions for me since we are on the subject.
Has to be a few here that do it.

But if buyer asks ..... wait let me rephrase that.
If a wanna be buyer asks if I will take less and I ACCEPT that offer.
Isn't he then supposed to pay me?
I'm pretty sure that's how this is supposed to work.
You lick and touch the firearm , make me an offer ..... If I say "Yes" ...... you're supposed to give me that amount.
that's how this works or the entire system starts to crumble.

And what is it with offering "CASH"?
You know them , ...

How much CASH?
What's your CASH price?
What if I pay with CASH?
How about $100 less than asking in CASH?

And they use the word "cash" as if it's a magical word and is supposed to make my panties fall down or something.
I understand a dealer may have a credit card price and a cash price.
But I'm just some guy walking the floor or on a personal section selling privately .....
ALL I TAKE IS CASH ,.... there is no bonus points for using it.
What is everyone else paying with , chickens? rubles? bit coin?