quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
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.

Yep. I'm a dealer, physical store and don't do gunshows. While there are exceptions you'll usually get more selling private party. It's just the way it is. For myself and most other dealers most of the time your used gun is only interesting to us in so far as we can buy it and sell it to somebody that wants it while making a profit. Willing to pay less than somebody that actually wants to keep it. While I would have probably offered more had you walked into my store I wouldn't feel insulted if you passed on whatever offer I would have made. On the other side I see people all the time with wildly inflated ideas of what their gun is worth. Lol, actual conversation this week (guy walks in with a shotgun he wants to sell to me that I can sell a customer brand new for $275) =

Me = "Well, what were you wanting for it?"
Him = "$350"
Me = "I'm afraid I wouldn't be close to that, I can sell somebody a brand new one for $275..."
Him = "So you'll give me $275?"
Me = "No"

I offered him $100 (could have probably sold it for $150 or so), and he turned it down. Didn't bother me at all, but I could tell he was insulted. A lot of times in those types of situations I won't even make an offer and just tell them I'm not interested as they aren't interested in any reasonable price.

For people that aren't in a rush for the money I also do consignment (%15 or $40, whatever is greater), which will usually get the seller more money. But that's the sort of thing where it could sell in a day or two, or it could take weeks or months (customer can take there gun back at any time for no charge). While I wouldn't have given you $850 for your Trojan I would have tried a consignment at that price as it's reasonable. If it sold at that you'd get $722.50, which is more than I would buy it outright for.

Anyways, I've started to ramble a bit. As jhe said, "It's nothing personal, only business."

Sorry that you came away offended, but that's the reality of dealing when the gun business is on the sluggish side. If you haven't noticed, the gun market is rather soft in general. Sure the dealer might potentially get "what it's actually worth" from it, but first he's got to FIND that guy who's will to pay that kind of money. Meanwhile it's just non-moving inventory, and dead weight on his cash flow at a time where there's already too much product performing the same kind of role.

STI may be a great brand but in a world of new 1911s selling in the $500-700 range, it has to be a very special kind of brand that has broad enough market appeal and not just one that's got a good reputation among gun aficionados who are in-the-know. These days, a product NEEDS to able to move. That's the sad reality as to why we have $300 Shields with $75 mail-in rebates, and PPQs and PPS M2s with $100 gift cards as incentives. And marked down NIB STI Edges that are collecting dust (don't ask me how I know, because I may have to mark them down even more).

If dealers are offering you $300, then more than likely they're planning to put it out at $600 at most, and will be negotiating DOWN from there. They usually have a pretty good take on what the room will bear, and I can guarantee that unless they own a shop they won't want to have to take it with them when they pack up their wares at the end of the show. Which means that its 'value' is nowhere close to that mystical $800-900 that you're thinking that it's "actually" worth. You could always try putting it out on GB at that price and see how many takers there are. There's currently a used no-reserve 9mm that looks to be in nice shape going on right now (no way am I affiliated with the item). It's on its last few hours and it's still a ways away from that lofty $900 number. In the context of customary fifty-cents-on-the-dollar dealer offers, those GS dealers weren't too far off the mark.

Truth is, at a gun show only a select few would be attracted to it at that sort of high price point. A very likely no-sale kind of gun that would maybe do better in a display case at a LGS rather than at a one or two-day gun show. That's why you got lowballed; dealers are more interested in it being a quick flip rather than waiting for perhaps an eternity to maybe maximize what they can out of it. The sad reality of a buyer's market.

It really is most likely a case of an owner being in love with his gun, and little idea of the realities of what people will actually pay and how long it will take to sell.

Oh no, like I said, I got a deal that I can more than live with from a local shop. it was actually the first time, now that I think about it. But yeah, maybe I could have made more from a private sale. But then there is shipping, which is a pain in the a$$. I sold it to a shop. I have a paper trail to cover myself. I know everyone needs to make money. But as the title of this part of the forum says....