[bushmaster1313]

The economists say that the economic value of an article of trade is whatever the market will bear. Just because you put a lot of money into a gun does not mean that someone else cares a rat's rear or will pay you a penny more for it.

That said, I have two guns which, on a good day, would sell for maybe half of what I put into them. This is a major factor in my not wanting to part with them. Here they are:


http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1232/cimg0321gh.jpg

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/662/cimg0314l.jpg

Anyone else have a similar problem?

[MrBorland]

Anyone else have a similar problem?

Not me. I'd hold for some reasons, but if I were motivated to sell, sunk costs wouldn't hold me back. Sunk costs are a fact of life, and clinging to them might cost me more, either in continued sunk expense, or by keeping me from moving on.

[bushmaster1313]

Not me. I'd hold for some reasons, but if I were motivated to sell, sunk costs wouldn't hold me back. Sunk costs are a fact of life, and clinging to them might cost me more, either in continued sunk expense, or by keeping me from moving on.

You are correct, of course.
Maybe selling at a big loss is like an admission of doing something stupid.

[TXdefender]

As stated different people will place different "values" on items. I have a gun that has not sold simply because it's worth more to me sitting in my safe than what some would give me for it.

[bushmaster1313]

The "economic" analysis is:

"If I did not have it and somebody offered it to me at that price would I buy it?"

Thus, other than sentimental value. If you would not buy for what you can sell it for you should sell it.

[Sam1911]

I certainly have a couple which do not fill a niche I need filled, or which are sub-optimal in their intended role, and which I would certainly sell if the right price was offered. Yet I know the price they would command and they are worth more to me, even if not much more, than their potential sale price.

[two gun charlie]

I never sell my guns , I just buy more.:D
I have a 9mm taurus pt111
.270 Musgrave k-98
savage .22 , .410 over and under
.375 Sako H&H Manlicher carbine
and will soon be buying a VAR AR-15
and then I will also need a larger shotgun :neener:
but sell ? hell no , that would be like getting divorced

[7thCavScout]

I enjoy building up and customizing Ruger 10/22 rifles. The money I pump into these things can get scary. Parts from Volquartsen, Kidd, Shilen, Lilja, Bell & Carlson...etc....etc.. really start to add up. And then you need optics. I know that I will NEVER get anything near what I put into them, but I love doing the builds and I get great satisfaction from shooting a tight group. I wouldn't sell any of them, and I have four children that will eventually end up with them.

[chez323]

Usually when I decide to sell a particular gun its because I want something new and I take into consideration what I think I can get out of it. I look around different sites to see what they are going for and price it accordingly. If its way less than what I paid for it I might be annoyed with myself for paying to much for it in the first place but I'd still sell it. Once I've made the decision to get rid of a gun, rarely do I change my mind. If I'm not using it and I can get $ for it to put towards something I will use then up for sale it goes.

[MrWesson]

I have a gun or 2 that aren't worth much and although I dont shoot them I wont sell them. I can see myself lending them to a friend who may want to get into shooting or something.

I put $600 into a 10/22 and ate it hard on that but I can honestly say I wont build another 10/22 and may never own one again. I just don't like sore fingers from loading the mags so I prefer my more accurate marlin 60.

[bushmaster1313]

The 870 in my post only cost $250 or so at online auction, but adding the local FFL transfer fee, the 18.5" barrel that I added to replace the one that was too close to 18.0" for comfort, and the checkering and pad work by a gunsmith, I have about $600 in this gun, not to mention the hours I spent refinishing the wood myself.
I might be able to net $300 on a good day.
Would I buy it for $275 if it was offered to me? - Probably not. I bought it for $250 when I thought I would be keeping it as an all original California Highway Patrol surplus.
Therefore I should sell it, but it is hard to take the haircut.

The Model 37 cost $250, adding the cost to have it cut down to 18.5, the cost to have it professionaly cleaned and adjusted and the cost of the pad plus fitting, total about $550. Would I buy this for the $300 I might be able to net - probably.

[MMCSRET]

Never stopped me, I can't seem to get away from the "buy high-sell low" line of acquisition/dispersion capitalism.

[JustinJ]

I bought a sig556 swat early when they came out. Not a bad gun but it sucks that they now go for $500 less than what i bought mine at. Otherwise i'd probably sell to fund something else.

[jdowney]

Why worry about it? You're pursuing a hobby, not running a gunshop :D

[sugarmaker]

Not to sound snobbish, but those aren't high dollar value items. Even at a 2:1 loss you're out less than putting an exhaust or brakes on a vehicle. Sell them and get something you like, unless you like them, then keep 'em and get some other stuff you like. A gun is like a trip or vacation, lots of what makes it fun is the experience and memories.

[conrad427]

a lot of what i have invested in guns i consider pride of ownership costs. The custom rifle i own would never be worth the same thing to another because no two people like the same features. If i sold it, i guess i would absorb the cost and move on.

[HDCamel]

If you're selling the 37 then sell it to me.

Actually don't. I can't afford it right now.

[KingMedicine]

I dont buy what i cant sell for a profit. Mind you, with the market here, its not hard to find whatever you want with a little meat on the bone. I never want to sell, but alas, sometimes you gotta get money fast.

[willypete]

Nope. However, if I've dumped a lot of money into something, I'm much less likely to sell it because it's customized exactly the way I want it, and I'd have a hard time replacing it.

I only sell guns because they're uncomfortable to shoot or don't fulfill a want.

[Weevil]

It depends on what it is.

I sold a Russian SKS recently and more than doubled my money on what I paid for it a few years back.

Your best bet for making a profit is off of guns that are no longer made or are hard to find and plan on sitting on them for a few years until the market dries up.

Most people aren't going to pay a fortune for a gun they can pick up for a dime a dozen at the local pawnshops or pay you the same price for a used gun as they can pay for a new one.

If you're gonna spend a lot of money customizing a gun then you better plan on keeping it cause chances are you're not gonna find anyone who'll pay you what you've got in it.

[beatledog7]

Wanting to keep them keeps me from selling them.

[Sport45]

Doesn't keep me from selling stock and it wouldn't keep me from selling guns I no longer wanted.

[WardenWolf]

To a point, yes. If I know I can never get out of it what I put into it, I'm much more hesitant to sell something. Case in point my converted Saiga .223. I got the 20" version, and would much rather have the 16" version now. I'd also much rather have it in 7.62x39. But I'm around $700 in the hole, and I know I'd probably never get more than $500 for it, tops. It's a good rifle, but it's just too damn heavy.

[Pilot]

It depends. It is difficult too apply economic theory to emotional purchases like guns. In a pure economic sense, you are paying to own that gun every year you keep it. The Opportunity Cost of the price that gun would bring could be invested elsewhere for a return. So add that Opportunity Cost, or in other terms a Carrying Cost, like business inventory to the money you already have invested in the guns. If it makes you "feel" better to retain ownership them maybe the cost you are paying to keep them is worth it. It really is a personal decision.

I have several guns I don't shoot much. I may sell them, I may not. I like owning them for some reason. It makes NO economic sense, but I know the value won't plummet, and may even rise so unless I really need the money for something else, I'll probably continue to own them.

[mdauben]

I never sell my guns , I just buy more.

I'm the same. I've never sold a gun and the closest I ever came was when I was in somewhat tight finanical straights. Every time I pull out one of those guns I considered selling, I'm glad again that I didn't.

Now that I don't have that problem, the only reason I might see for ever selling a gun would be to get a better example of the same thing. For example, to sell a current production S&W after buying a pre-lock version of the same model.

[atek3]

All the guns I've sold I've regretted save the Tikka.

I sold my first rifle, an M1 Garand, to partially offset the cost of my first Match Rifle. Dumb.
I sold my first handgun, a 1911A1, to offset the cost of my first USPSA Production gun.
I sold my tricked out 10/22, I think the buyer just offered me way way too much money so I had to sell (of course I spent a goodly sum rebuilding another a few years later)
I sold my Tikka match rifle, I realized I'd never shoot high power again, so it was a $2k dust collector.

I think those are the only guns I've sold.

[Dbaggerly]

To see the real cost of a gun one must first look at the relative price and not the absolute price. The relative price is the price of the gun compared to the price of all other goods. Once the relative price is determined the marginal price of the gun when then need to be determined. (Relative Price and marginal price is based on opportunity cost, therefore, it the price changes from person to person.) If the relative price of a gun is less than the marginal price, a consumer should choose to purchase the next gun. The purchase should be made up and to the point in which the relative price and marginal price equal.

[230RN]

I never want to sell, but alas, sometimes you gotta get money fast.

That's a significand point, apart from all the economic theory. Add points to your value for liquidity. The ability to generate fast cash is sometimes an important factor.

Got in a bind a long time ago... would wifey sell a horse to make a mortgage payment? Nooo.... But I got rid of a gun at a "loss" in a matter of days to make the payment. Lots of value to me right there.

Terry, 230RN

[Reasoned1]

Valuation is ultimately subjective; there is no argument in the world that can logically dictate what value a person should place on something. Therefore, economics is also ultimately subjective, and the only question you need to answer in deciding to sell (or buy) is, "Do I value what's offered in exchange even more?" If so, you will obviously sell (or buy).

[Panzercat]

The economists say that the economic value of an article of trade is whatever the market will bear. Just because you put a lot of money into a gun does not mean that someone else cares a rat's rear or will pay you a penny more for it.

Anyone else have a similar problem?
I think anybody who bought a Mossberg 500 and tac'd it all up :D

[orionengnr]

I've sold most of the guns I've bought. Made money on a few, lost money on a few, broke even +/- $50 on all the rest. Kept the ones I really like, and will continue to do the same as long as I can afford to do so.
Same with motorcycles and other inanimate objects.
Same with financial instruments--I've been hurt far worse in the mutual funds market that I will ever lose if all my guns turned into pumpkins tomorrow.

Long story short--I am not attached to inanimate objects, regardless of how much money I happen to have in them.
Dave Ramsey, a far more astute money man than I, does a very simple sunk cost analysis:
All else aside, would you buy it today for what you have in it? If yes, keep it. If not, sell it and move on. I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I have more of a sentimental problem selling guns..... IE: Guns from when I was a kid, Guns I picked out / bought on a trip with my Kid/s / etc. That covers most of them...;)

Otherwise, I never figure I'll recover the cost of accessories (NIC Magazines). Customizing a gun is "Sunk" money IMO. My personal favorite are the guys who take a mosin nagant, sink 400 into it to make it a modern rifle. Then they try to sell it for 400-500. You can track the posts and after a long few weeks it will drop in price as the realization sinks in. I feel bad for them, but after they hack it up, I wouldnt give'em 50.00 for it.

[bushmaster1313]

That's a significand point, apart from all the economic theory. Add points to your value for liquidity. The ability to generate fast cash is sometimes an important factor.

Got in a bind a long time ago... would wifey sell a horse to make a mortgage payment? Nooo.... But I got rid of a gun at a "loss" in a matter of days to make the payment. Lots of value to me right there.



Good wife is hard to find
You can always get another gun

[Rail Driver]

Sunk Costs:

http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/117/af19bbb2a0ca4909bb0f1d2aa1ce3599/l.jpg http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/137/2d672e04c4444871b2999ce93490619b/l.jpg

http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/137/a38f0270fb374b43a9c650ab23c0e3be/l.jpg

The only one that will return even close to what I put into it (if I sell) is the Saiga AK. That's also the reason I generally prefer to trade.