I was at the Harrisburg, PA gun show today and had my lowest lowball offer on a pistol ever. I had an STI Trojan 1911 in 9mm. Sweet gun, but the full size, all steel 9mm 1911 is just not for me. Anyway, not expecting much I took it with me into the show. I didn't approach any dealer, they all asked to see it. It's $850-900 used. The most any offered was $350. I kept a straight face for most of it but one dope said that his $300 was a serious offer and he would pay cash. I told him it was an offer but not a serious one and what else would he be paying me?
So I left the show with only buying some smoked meat products and went across the river to a shop that gives good money for good stuff and got a deal I can easily live with. Some dealers just assume people are idiots. I even prefaced it with "This is something I want to sell, not something I have to."

That is kinda of low. Dang

I learned a long time ago that when you are selling something, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

It WAS a serious offer.... not a good offer, but he was serious about it..

The supermajority of the time, you get more money selling to a private party who wants to own it rather than a dealer who wants to make money selling it.

I would have tried selling here in the classifieds first, gunbroker 2nd, and a dealer 3rd.

Some if not most dealers are buying to resell. They want the lowest price they can get and then double their money most times.
$350 would have doubled easy with the STI.
I've sold a few pistols at shows but never to dealers. Always found individuals that were looking and always tried to give a good deal.

I posted a story here not to long ago about a gunshow fleecing an old man for an unfired nickel 226 9mm. I stepped in and paid the guy more than double what the dealer was trying rip him off for. I understand everyone needs to make a buck but I'm not gonna watch an 80 year old man get raked over the coals simply because he isn't internet savy and has no idea what his gun is worth. Any dealer that thinks it's cool to do that or anyone defending said dealer can go fuck himself.

Gun shows-no thanks. Stinky people and bad food.

I remember about 1988, some kid came into a LGS I used to frequent. He wanted to sell a 4 inch M629 and a box of ammo with 44 cartridges left. The most they would offer him was $200. I had 400 in my pocket, but I thought it would be poor form to step in and offer him more. I had a M29 with 8 3/8, so I was only mildly interested. I should have talked to him outside, I know better now. The guys in the store were OK, they just needed to make a profit. I miss that store, its a black hair care place now.

^^^ Back in the mid 80s you could buy a new 629 for not much over $300. I did. Still have it.

Say your gun is worth $600, one is unlikely to get anywhere close to that with a hasty deal from a dealer at a gunshow.

You would have to advertise and try to find a private buyer.

Yes, if you see an offer from a dealer at a show, it's gonna be low.

Slow down and understand the dealer needs to make a profit. I don't want to comment on the OPs gun because I'm not familiar with it.

I had a friend who owned a Taurus. Back in the early 1980s they were lemons at best. His wouldn't fire a cylinder full without at least one misfire. Never. He was mad and embarrassed when he went shooting with us because all of our S&Ws would go the entire day without a dead click. So he went to a gun store to try a trade. He'd paid full pop, like suggested retail for his gem. Probably $400 at that time. The dealer offered him $150 and no more. So he was pretty pissed at the cheating dealer.

After he bad mouthed the gun for a while somebody took him aside. Taurus guns were unsalable. Sure, they sold for much less that a S&W, but most dealer couldn't give them away. The one reason they carried the brand was "they were just as good". Except they weren't. The dealer cost on his gun was under $200 for a brand new one. The shelves were stocked with plenty of them that weren't selling. Why buy a used one that also wouldn't sell? The only profit from that transaction would be a profit on a new gun he was buying. And that was only if the deal included a new gun with a substantial profit.

It never occurred to my friend that he'd lost his money the day he bought the junker. Its pretty hard to pass off a bad buy on a dealer. He wants to get into it as low as he can to assure himself at least getting his money back. They take chances all the time, but have learned there are a bunch of guns out and about. Make a low ball offer to everyone and you'll get a few deals at a gun show. He's not in business to help you off the hook, he's got to pay his bills which include table rent and a worker or two for the weekend. Hotels and food on top of it all.

I agree with the others, except I would add that you should at least listen to all offers. Be polite, but decline the commercial offers you deem too low. Best to sell to another private individual, hopefully not a criminal or prohibited person. At least you have some assurance that a dealer is on the up and up. Most individuals you have no way to determining.

Back in about 1998 I was at the Austin, TX show. I saw a salty ranch hand looking dude walk up to the table. Boots and Stetson and dirty jeans. He pulled out a stainless single action I figured was a blackhawk. As I edged closer I saw it was a field grade Freedom Arms 83. Dude asks dealer what he'll give him for it. Dealer says $600. Money changed hands and that .454 disappeared into a container under dealer's table. Dude didn't even flinch. I figured it had to be stolen.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Slow down and understand the dealer needs to make a profit.

Most "dealers" at gunshows are guys who paid $40 for a table and are looking to make a few bucks side money. The standard disclaimers about salaries, rent, overhead, etc. do not apply.

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Slow down and understand the dealer needs to make a profit.

Most "dealers" at gunshows are guys who paid $40 for a table and are looking to make a few bucks side money. The standard disclaimers about salaries, rent, overhead, etc. do not apply.

Tables must be cheap where you live. Here we pay $105 in Louisville. Most dealers could get more cutting the neighbors grass. Regardless, there are still motel bills and restaurant prices.

Yes, I guess they are cheap here in Wisconsin. There are no local shows with per table charges even half that amount. But the point is that most of the people at these tables are not licensed FFL dealers. They are just guys who rented a table and are looking to make a few bucks. No different than half the people walking the aisles.

Tables at the decent Shows in Montana are $50 . I'd wager more than half of the exhibitors are FFL holders/Dealers.

Years back many of the tables were regular old gun nuts. Wanting to get rid of something they tried, didn't like, or to simply try something else. LOTS of equitable trading back then.

Not so anymore. Too many Dealers.

Market conditions vary.
Sell it elsewhere, not any dealers responsibility to give you retail or any amount for that matter.
It's just business, what would you do if you were on the other side of the table?

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
I learned a long time ago that when you are selling something, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

No, the guy was being deliberately insulting.

I'm sure the dealer knows his margins, costs, and how long it will take something like that to sell, and that was the offer that made sense to him. It doesn't make sense to you, so you don't sell. Even if it isn't a full time dealer, he knows what it is worth to him. He makes his offer accordingly.

That is all there is to it. It's nothing personal, only business. It is pure laissez faire capitalism.

(I don't mean someone offering $200 for a Registered Magnum. It is a free market and a seller should do some research and know what he is selling, but that is a shady practice.)