thinking about creating an account and bidding on a firearm there.

any advice?

i assume once I create the account I place a bid and watch the period of the auction... highest bidder at the end gets the prize.

any tips / things to watch out for ? I have read elsewhere to watch for potentially extreme activity at the very end.

the vendor in question is a large broker with tons of positive feedback btw

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Gunbroker uses the 15 minute rule. Any bid near the close of the auction resets ghe clock to prevent sniping.

I have had good experiences, there.
Use the search function to look at completed auctions so you know the going price.
Set your highest price, bid that using Autobid, and forget about it.
Do not get invested in "winning" and involve yourself in a bidding war.

Easy

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Gunbroker uses the 15 minute rule. Any bid near the close of the auction resets ghe clock to prevent sniping.

Well, this doesn’t really prevent sniping, it prevents ultra-last second sniping, such as on eBay.

You still need to monitor an auction that you want to win to the very end, lest someone bid in the final minutes and wait out the 15 min clock without a counter.


Edit: I’ve been on auction sites for almost 20 years, I would counsel you to avoid bidding until the very last moment. If you set your max bid early, all that does is allow others to get into a “bidding” war with you (well, technically, your proxy which is the auto bid) and get the dopamine hit of “just a few more dollars and I can be the high bidder!).

Make sure you're clear on the final charges before bidding. Some GunBroker sellers like to include hefty shipping charges and/or credit card fees.

Make sure you look closely at the photos and description, especially on used firearms. Sometimes, either intentionally or just through a mistake or ignorance, items will not be as described.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Gunbroker uses the 15 minute rule. Any bid near the close of the auction resets ghe clock to prevent sniping.

wow i did not realize that

so basically the end of the auction can be drawn out for a protracted period beyond the stated end time if two bidders are sitting on the auction at the very end competing against one another, correct?

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Yes, it does that so you can't snipe at the last second.

It allows two interested bidders to run up the total if they are both willing to go for it.

Because it's in the sellers and GB's best interest to have high sales prices.

Bid what you're willing to pay and then let it ride.

Assume the seller is 'selling' and the condition is not as good as described.

Think up a reason to email the seller. I've asked are you the original owner or know the history on the item. Do you know the round count. Even better, ask for a short call. I've used this to rule out sellers with bad attitudes and probably avoided problems.

Decide the max you'll pay and don't go over that number. Otherwise you'll get into a bidding war and you'll pay too much.

Also, don't get excited when it looks like you'll get a good deal. I had a seller cancel a no reserve auction at the last second because he didn't get the price he wanted. Did some research and saw he'd done it multiple times with that same item.

Use the function that allows you to research closed auctions. You'll see what people are paying.

I've mostly had good experiences

the gun in question is an out of production model

would be a very nice addition

i am kinda excited to give this a try

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Make sure you know what time it is.

I missed a great deal on a shotgun I planned on buying last week because it ended two hours sooner than I thought.

Good advise here. I think the best advice is bid the max amount you are willing to pay then don't change. I recently purchased 2 firearms from GB and got excellent deals on both - items were exactly as described and I couldn't be happier with the transactions.

I have bought several guns off Gunbroker. I will emphasize what has already been mentioned about shipping. Make sure you check how much the shipping charges are. I've seen shipping as high as $50-$75. But some offer free shipping. So make sure you read the ad carefully before you bid.

Check feedback on a seller. Make sure you know who you are dealing with.

Check how they want to receive FFL information. I've seen some who insist on email only, and I've dealt with FFL's before who don't have email, only fax. Yeah, I know. . .just make sure you are on the same page about what they want. It is your responsibility to meet their demands if you bid and win an item.

I've had dozens of transactions on GB and, up to now, they've all been good (knock on wood). Some better than others, but all in all, I've been happy with the guns or equipment I've bought.

The 15 minute rule is good, for both the buyer and seller. As mentioned above, it prevents last second sniping and also gives the buyer a chance to reconsider their bid. You get an email notification when someone outbids you.

I have bought many things on GB as it has the best selection and the best price, for the most part. I have been fortunate and never had an issue with any transaction as a buyer or seller. Many shops sell there stuff there as it has great exposure just check their feedback and read the business' rules for bidding as some won't let you bid on their product if you don't have prior feedback yourself. I would also contact the business first prior to bidding as they can also ban you from the auction if they have stipulations with no prior feedback. Other than that, it is the best virtual gun show to shop.

All above good advice- biggest one is restrain yourself from being caught up in a bidding war. Be patient and bid in the last 15-20 minutes...don't get into the mindset that the gun is yours until it is. I've seen some go for more that they are worth as a result.

Factor shipping costs into your total allowable figure. If the seller has a vague "actual shipping" cost, contact them and ask what the ACTUAL cost would be to ship to your zip code. Your idea of "actual" might differ from theirs as sellers sometimes try to pad their profit margin. Review the sellers history as best you can through the feedback function.

If this one doesn't pan out, make your search a little broader. For example, instead of looking for a Stainless Marlin 1894S .44 magnum, search for Marlin, and weed through the results. A bit more time consuming, but not every seller is way savvy when it comes to listing titles. I saw a really nice Marlin Texan 30-30 (somewhat rare straight grip) that went out at a common 336 curved grip price because it was listed as a "Marlin 30-30".

quote:

Originally posted by SR:
Assume the seller is 'selling' and the condition is not as good as described.

Think up a reason to email the seller. I've asked are you the original owner or know the history on the item. Do you know the round count. Even better, ask for a short call. I've used this to rule out sellers with bad attitudes and probably avoided problems.

Decide the max you'll pay and don't go over that number. Otherwise you'll get into a bidding war and you'll pay too much.

Also, don't get excited when it looks like you'll get a good deal. I had a seller cancel a no reserve auction at the last second because he didn't get the price he wanted. Did some research and saw he'd done it multiple times with that same item.

Use the function that allows you to research closed auctions. You'll see what people are paying.

I've mostly had good experiences

this is a good way to get your emails deleted,, and never replied to,

ask for a short call may work for some, but I delete those first, (and once someone bid, it cannot be ended until the auction ends



keep in mind, if a guy has 100 guns listed, he probably has not shot any of them, has no idea of round count, and is just trying to make a living by selling them online,


my brother and I get a kick out of some of the absolutely stupid questions we get on things we (as a business ) have listed on line,


as far as the OP

look closely at the pictures,
look at the listing, (hidden fees, etc etc)
if the seller has a shipping weight listed, you can figure out what shipping should be if they list it at actual, (+/- a few $$)
I still get emails when I state in a listing 'medium flat rate at $14 or less, depending on your zip, + insurance)

and my personal favorite is how much to ship to bumfukedegypt,, with out giving me a zip code,,



anyway,

also, +1 to looking at completed auctions, the show real world, for the most part, pricing (items that sold, vs not sold)

sorry if this was a rant, OP, create an account and enjoy!!

Also, buy a couple of "Buy it Now" low dollar accessories ASAP in order to get some positive feedback. Some sellers (especially ones with rare and high dollar items) will refuse to be your first transaction. Get some transactions on your account and you may avoid having a bid deleted for "lack of prior feedback".
They can do that.

Luck,

Bruce

quote:

If the seller has a vague "actual shipping" cost, contact them and ask what the ACTUAL cost would be to ship to your zip code.

Very Important for many reasons.

I’ve bought a few on there. Always check seller feedback and comments before bidding. As noted, read all charges for shipping, 3% additional for Credit Cards IF they take credit cards - some are postal money order only.

As noted decide what you want to pay and don’t get caught up. I’ve shopped many guns for 2-3 years before the right deal came up.