[oklahoma caveman]

been browsing over there an saw a couple guns with a price of $1.00 and one that was $.01. and no bids. whats the deal with that? surely people arent trying to sell guns that cheap

[Gordon Fink]

Most knowledgeable people complain that GunBroker prices are unrealistically high. With a little patience, though, a fair deal can be found from time to time. No doubt, those prices will rise before the auctions close.

~G. Fink

[Cliff47]

What you are seeing is either a minimum starting bid (the $1.00 entry) or a penny auction (the $0.01 entry). If you look closely at the auction, there is likely a minimum reserve price (like the B-J Auto auctions on Speed), where the firearm is relisted, should the reserve price is not met. I have seen a few very nice pistols go for super-reasonable prices because the auction either had the reserve removed or reduced.

Just last year I picked up a NIB CZ 40 B for (if memory serves) $235 + ship and local FFL transfer fee. Feel like I stole it.

[Zundfolge]

Actually the $1 or $0.01 auctions with no reserve are a pretty sound strategy.

You'll note that many of those auctions run long (like 2 weeks) ... the low entry price gets people interested and the early bidding often heats up at the end because people think they're going to get a real bargain but they get caught up in the whole auction atmosphere and it still ends up selling for roughly market price (ole Adam Smith's invisible hand and all).

For fun, add a couple of those penny or dollar auctions to your watch list and see what happens.


I've bid on several of these ... putting my maximum bid quite a bit below market value. I've never won one yet, so the sellers are clearly not losing out (although I imagine it could happen).

[PPGMD]

With exception of used guns, I find that 90% of the time I can get a better deal at budsgunshop. Gunbroker has no relisting fee, so many of the dealers just keep on posting the same gun for the same high price (either reserve or starting bid) week after week.

[MAKster]

In my experience the people who start auctions at $1 usually have a unrealistically high reserve price. The sellers are hoping the low starting price will attract excited bidders, but these auctions usually don't come close to the reserve because there is little incentive for people to keep bidding higher and higher. The sellers just keep relisting the items and never set a realistic price. I also dislike when sellers at gun shows don't put prices on there guns and tell you to make an offer. They are looking for a sucker that has no idea of gun values.

[Bazooka Joe71]

Most knowledgeable people complain that GunBroker prices are unrealistically high.

It's an absolute joke, I quit wasting my time by going there.

Yes, $1.00 is the starting price. If you look under that, it will say "Reserve not met." That reserve won't be met until you bid $100-200 more than the gun is worth...Thats on a $500 gun.:rolleyes:

[oklahoma caveman]

ok thanks folks. i knew that there just had to be a catch somewhere

[baranjhn]

I post a few guns for sale on Gunbroker every now and again, when I need to change up my collection. I always start at .01 with no reserve. I have yet to feel like I'm losing money, and this way the market sets the value. It's a hell of a lot better than going to a gun shop and the first thing they do is pull out the unrealistic Blue Book and then low ball the heck out of me.

On the other hand, I do agree that the whole "Reserve" business and the high starting prices are a joke. When I buy something off gunbroker, I skip right over all the "Reserve" auctions.

[heeler]

Having bought several rifles and shotguns thru GB i have yet to over pay on anything.
And i always skip over anything that has a reserve on it.
One of the best deals i ever made on GB was on a Remington 700 synthetic ADL in 308 that had a Leupold VX-1 3x9 scope on it.
The guy started the auction at 100.00 with no reserve.
Strangely the auction ended at 3:00 A.M. my time.
I bid on the rifle and actually bought it for $245.00 plus $20.00 shipping and a $20.00 FFL fee.
It resides in my gun safe as i speak.
So yes good deals are there for the patient man.

[moojpg2]

i bought my brand new stainless ruger old army for 375 on gunbroker, reasonable deals can be had, just have to browse a lot

[scrat]

i have purchased items on gunbrokers several times. i usually look through the auctions at least twice a week. you can find some very good deals on it. you just have to keep looking.

[mejeepnut]

I have never bought anything from gun broker but have got alot from auction arms.One night there was an old H&R single shot 12ga on the penny auctions still for a penny with a few hours to go so I bid $1,another guy bid something and I bid again and won the auction for something like $2.75.Someday someone will want a part for one of those but until then it was not worth it.I think I paid $18 shipping and no FFL fee because he said he had not laughed like that in years.I over paid on that and a biakal 12ga but out of the other 20 or so auctions I have won I think I got good deals.They are just getting harder to find.

[mhillsing23]

If you look, there are deals to be had on GunBroker.com I got my NIB XD Service (9mm) for $399. I couldn't get close to that anywhere else.

[buck00]

Gunbroker is a great site- I check it often just to window shop. Its nice to see what is out there and what market prices are. Of course, you do see some dopes trying to sell things for really high prices and then endlessly restart the auction, hoping someone will bite.

You can also detect trends (increases or decreases) in the gun market by checking it out frequently.

* As far as your question, in some cases, when a seller doesn't have a reserve, he may have a "straw man" backing him up. That is basically a friend who will outbid you (or others) to ensure the price goes up or it goes over an agreed upon price.

However, I've gotten some nice accessories. One time I saw an auction for a rifle and simply contacted the guy directly by email (a gun store owner) and I made the purpose outside of g broker (which was simpler).

[dcon]

There are deals to be had if you watch, especially on the buy it now offerings. Right before the Winchester closing announcement I bought a Mod. 70 XTR in .300 H&H with a Leupold VXII 3x9 that looked like it had never been out of the gun safe, buy it now price was $585, best buy I've made on there. Of course I lucked out and found it about the same time he listed it, but it does happen.

[zoom6zoom]

I've gotten some great deals on GB, mostly with C&R's. Not having to pay a transfer fee makes the deals even better.

[CU74]

I have have some success buying on both Gun Broker and Auction Arms. Like others who posted above, I skip over the Reserve auctions. "Deals" are few and far between - my bid-to-win ratio is probably above 100:1 - but they can be found. In addition to bypassing Reserve auctions, I always check the seller's feedback information, do not bid on "newbie" seller's offerings, and do not bid if a seller doesn't reply to e-mail questions. I decide on a maximum bid and do NOT "chase" an item - I do NOT increase my initial bid.

When it comes to gun auctions, patience is your friend. A few months ago I was looking for a Swiss K11, and one showed up. I made my maximum bid and was outbid. A few days later the same dealer listed another one. Again, I made my maximum bid (the same as before) and, again, I was outbid. This happened twice more before my bid was the winner. I got the rifle I wanted at the price I was willing to pay, but it took almost a month.

In my experience, Auction Arms often has "better" prices than Gun Broker, but Gun Broker has far more listings. I haven't visited either lately - my recent purchases have been CMP Garands and Carbines - but I may reenter the market once my firearms budget recovers. I feel a growing need for a Smith and Wesson Model 28 with a 6" barrel...........

[QuakKillz]

I also dislike when sellers at gun shows don't put prices on there guns and tell you to make an offer. They are looking for a sucker that has no idea of gun values.

I always LOOK for that guy and tell him...."well, I like that "whatever it happens to be that I'm shopping for and have researched",give them a lot of info to know that I know what I'm talking about, and I'll give them some stupid low price to try to make them feel like the idiot...." :)

[esq_stu]

I've gotten some great buys on both Gunbroker and AuctionArms. And some not so great. Sometimes the timing is just right, nobody else is looking, and the reserve price is low. Love when that happens. One purchase had a reserve price that was set too low (I'm sure by mistake) by about $100 and nobody else noticed. I got a brand new Baby Eagle 9mm for about $250 that way. And several others good buys. Now that they're bigger and there are more people using the site, it's harder to find great deals, but not impossible.

Also, I've found sellers that underrate their guns. Those unaware of this don't bid because they think the gun is overpriced - but everything I've bought from them was excellent, when all were rated as "good." I don't understand why they do this unless they're trying to move inventory fast. But I look at what those sellers are selling because I know there are great bargains to be found.

[Airman193SOS]

I got my P239 used for $535. I didn't at any time feel as though I had been cheated. I could have done better, but then again, I paid what I was willing to pay, and that is what the market is all about. If I didn't like the price, I could have stopped bidding at any time.

Keep that in mind, that a gun (or anything, for that matter) is worth no more and no less than you are willing to pay for it. It never ceases to amaze me that people win an auction and complain about being cheated.

[RP88]

some people are very unrealistic on that site.

I kept seeing 260-300$ bids on standard Yugo SKSs. I've seen them between 190-225 in shops and other sites. Add in shipping and transfer and the price gets ridiculous unless you're buying a high-price item where a 100 bucks of fees and such is worth the financial generosity to the seller. But it really is sad when you see things like used SKSs, Yugo underfolders, and beaten-up WASRs of all things going for 30% more of the aimsurplus or gun shop price when bought new (and thats not including shipping and transfer or whatever else you pay).

I -DO- see nice deals on ammo and accessories though when I browse, so good deals can be had...but they may not be on actual guns.

[azhunter12]

I agree that some people are very unrealistic prices. Some times you can get a good deal but once in a while.

[jgorniak]

I've purchased one gun (but multilple accessories) on GB. I'd like to find that real bargain, but I just don't have the patience for it. If I can find the same item locally within $50 - $75 of a GB price, I'll usually go that route. I figure my time looking and a seller's time shipping make the premium worthwhile for me.

[SaxonPig]

I got this from GB for $150:

http://www.fototime.com/498E0E334AE92EB/standard.jpg


I got the 22 in front for $265 and the 38 in back for $135 off GB:

http://www.fototime.com/A3E498DFB56298D/standard.jpg


This M14 set me back $100 off GB:

http://www.fototime.com/5F3C0F2977EE447/standard.jpg


I paid $60 for this M&P off GB:

http://www.fototime.com/337D81FE3E44585/standard.jpg


This Model 57 was $325:

http://www.fototime.com/D6E4AB9C95E7766/standard.jpg


$150:

http://www.fototime.com/FC8CF0CA88A0620/standard.jpg


$165:

http://www.fototime.com/A57E03BC42BB8AE/standard.jpg


$165 for this 1956 M94:

http://www.fototime.com/343615DB6273694/standard.jpg


$165 for this 22 Martini:

http://www.fototime.com/D49DE8FB76267CA/standard.jpg


All of the above were purchased off GunBroker auctions. I have more but I think I made my point.

Anyone who says good deals can't be found on the auction sites isn't looking hard enough.

[Lashlarue]

I sold two pistols a year ago on GB.First was a no reserve $1 stating bid, due to my inexperience. Thought I was going to give my gun away, but by the time the auction ended the price was very close to what I wanted for it, actually $20 more than I anticipated...

[birdbustr]

You have to watch what is going on before you bid on GB. Many auctions say NO RESERVE, but the starting bid id $450, well then the smart bidder is wise enough to figure out that there IS actually a reserve price, and $450 is it.

Good deals to be had on GB. I have bought and sold several guns there. I usually prefer to print in the write-up my reserve price. Read the fine print 2 or 3 times before you bid and you'll be fine.