I see people paying more for used guns then what they can purchase it for new. I see it pretty often actually. When you add taxes like on gunbroker, shipping fees, transfer fees you are REALLY getting bent over. Do you think it's just people who wanna "win"?

I don't use GB, but recall seeing this on eBay way back when. I think in some cases people get caught up in the emotional rush of "competing" for an item.

I don't recall the item I was interested in on eBay, but a couple of folks were bidding on it. I dropped out when the price got too high. The guy who ended up "winning" paid more for it than if he'd gone to the store and bought the same item brand new.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:
I don't use GB, but recall seeing this on eBay way back when. I think in some cases people get caught up in the emotional rush of "competing" for an item.

I don't recall the item I was interested in on eBay, but a couple of folks were bidding on it. I dropped out when the price got too high. The guy who ended up "winning" paid more for it than if he'd gone to the store and bought the same item brand new.

Exactly....it's almost comical to watch. I feel like telling the "winner", you're the big loser here. It's a head scratcher.

Man and compettion. I often think these sites use paid shills to drive up the price.

Could it be that they get an endorphin rush like gambling addicts get when they win? I'm just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by cajunmuscle:
I see people paying more for used guns then what they can purchase it for new.

Yup. I used to see that all the time on eBay. Finally, after several times seeing something in which I was interested go for more on eBay than I'd pay for new on Amazon or whatever, I simply stopped participating in auctions on eBay.

People can be idiots.

I think I've told the story here, before. There was this estate sale with a lot of woodworking tools. There was a particular Stanley Bailey Combination Plane that appeared complete and was in very nice condition.

Unfortunately, there was another guy had his eye on the same plane. We got into a bidding war. At some point the bidding hit numbers that the plane's value simply didn't justify. (By then we'd attracted an audience.) We eyeballed each other and it became clear to me this guy was going to bid whatever he had to to win that auction. The plane was no longer his goal--winning the auction was. I bid three or four more times just to see how far he'd go. When it got to way beyond what the plane was worth and I thought "On the off chance he relents and I win this thing, I'll regret it," I let him have it.

Yeah, that was kind of asshole-ish, but I wasn't doing it to be an asshole. It was an impromptu study of human nature. I was honestly curious. I think it was that experience that prepared me for eBay, several years later.

When participating in an auction you have to be able to put ego aside. You have to not let winning the auction become the goal. (Unless that's why you're really there and you've money to burn.) Establish a number and have the self-control not to exceed some reasonable margin over that number. Otherwise it's best to just stay away from auctions altogether.

there is also the issue of availability, when you can't get something locally or within a reasonable distance, buying it and paying a bit more happens.

In Daytona at bike week you see people buying motorcycles from Destination (Rossmeyer) HD, paying more than MSRP, generally they have availability, selection, an instant gratification.

You want a purple CVO Street Glide? only a few hundred made that year, and boom prices you'll pay go up because you can't get it in England, or Bumfugg NE.... Plus, alcohol....

I’m convinced that 50-60% maybe more on Gunbroker are shill bidders driving up the price.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
it became clear to me this guy was going to bid whatever he had to to win that auction. The plane was no longer his goal--winning the auction was.

When participating in an auction you have to be able to put ego aside. You have to not let winning the auction become the goal.

At every one of the 3 estate auction I've been to over the past decade, there's been an incident of someone letting their ego get the best of them, running up the bid on an item (usually a gun or a higher end tool) to an absurd amount in their headlong rush to win, and then after winning and realizing what they've done, throwing a fit like a petulant child and storming out without paying. The items are then reoffered and sell for normal prices.

These have all been grown-ass men in their 30s-60s. So there's a decent chunk of the population who are clearly not cut out for auctions.

When I go on Ebay for something, I only highlight the "buy it now" option so I can avoid the whole bidding thing. Its just less hassle.

I literally just saw this happen. It was for a watch that sells for $475, new. The company only makes runs of 500. It just sold for $660. Buyer didn’t know these were so popular that the company produced another run of 500 and they should be ready to ship to AD’s next week.

I have mostly assumed that the buyers are just ignorant. Maybe something isn’t available locally, and when they search online Gunbroker shows up, and when looking they assume “well, that’s the going price”.

Part of why I say that is because I see ridiculous prices on local forums and classified ads, and those are not auctions. Now part of that is people who don’t want to buy from a dealer, and I guess they’re willing to pay a premium. I don’t know what else to think when I routinely see guns listed for above street price.

You should see the prices people bid for cars on Bring A Trailer. Sometimes the prices are good, but sometimes they are ridiculously high.

Been there. Done that.

I wanted a 22 Magnum revolver from North American Arms that was originally at $495. I couldn't find one at the time so I bid $705 on GB and won.

I thought I had bid too much, but paid anyway. I still think the original version of the Ranger is better than the Ranger II.

I went to a live gun auction for a gun store that went bankrupt many years ago.

For an hour or so, they sold a bunch of guns, each one for more than MSRP.

Finally during a lull, I yell "don't you people realize you're paying more than full price for these guns?"

Dead quiet for a few seconds, then they went back to overbidding.

I went home. People just "have to win".

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Been there. Done that.

I wanted a 22 Magnum revolver from North American Arms that was originally at $495. I couldn't find one at the time so I bid $705 on GB and won.

If ya gotta have it I guess ya gotta have it. Who am I to gainsay your choices? But I struggle mightily with paying more than MSRP for something. (I have no idea what are the rarity and desirability of the revolver you mention.)

Perhaps not the same thing, but, when I was in an LGS, recently, he brought out a very nice out-of-production Kimber 1911 in 9mm. Slide-to-frame was flawless and operated like buttah. Trigger very nice--broke like glass. Sights suited my eyes. Felt great in the hand.

He wanted $900. MSRP was $760 and street prices were as low as $100 under that. At $800 he probably would've had me, but I could not bring myself to going $900.

While I was stationed in Hawaii I went to an auction being held by US Customs. They had everything from clothes to a motorcycle still in the shipping crate. As you went in they gave you a pamphlet listing everything they had and what the value of it was. I left after about an hour and nothing sold for less than the listed value and most well over it.

I don't get involved in bidding wars, but have paid full boat a couple times for hard-to-find / discontinued stuff.

Case in point, last year $1,300 for a S&W 686 3" (1986) because the wife was in her revolver moment & figured it would be perfect for her. Nope, too heavy.

Consigned it to a shop in Colorado who are active on GB, they ended up getting $2,200 for it.

I’ve noticed this has greatly increased this last year. I overpaid for a German Sig P220. After all said & done I’m satisfied with my purchase. I think buying/bidding frenzy is part of the equation but I also think there are a TON of new gun owners that have no idea of the actual value of what they are bidding on.

Hopefully when the Progressives defund the police in their communities it will result in such safe neighborhoods that gun owners will flood the market with their firearms, parts and accessories they no longer need—driving back down prices.

Yep, guns, cars, homes, property, boats, you name it. It will come back to bit them. The bigger the price tag, the bigger the hurt. I have no question about it coming.

If over paying or buying at the peak it will hurt.

No matter how you try to justify buying it.