Lgs rant

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Joespapa

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I've let 24 hours pass since this incident and to see if I am overreacting but I think not. I happen to know one of the owners of this place(name really not important). They are local and advertise on OSA. Went by there yesterday and got treated great by their employee( kind of surprising actually) and everything was fine until I brought my partial trade into the shop. I'm handed it to the guy I know and he handed it to one of his partners( who I don't know) for appraisal. No intro, no thanks for coming in, no semblance of politeness or gratitude for the opportunity to do business. Guy says "so what are we doing assigning a value?". I said yes and he proceeded to examine, fondle and stare at the firearm then stare at his computer for all of 10 minutes or so.Did not say a word to me and then "low balls" me at $250.00 for a gun worth $400.00 wholesale. Now at this point I've got to say that the attitude offended me a lot more than the number! I,just said "pass" and he said ok and that was that. <br />Now at this point I've got to say that I've had VERY few pleasant LGS experiences in my 60 odd years, but this one is the final one. I'd rather go to a "big box" store and NOT trade and talk to a clerk than spend one more minute of my time and one more dollar of my money with these guys at these places. Usually I see complaints about their employees, but in my view these guys that OWN these places ALL have the "same Mother"! <br /><br />I'm Done!!!<br /><br />Rant over<br /><br />Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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If you take a gun in to trade it's expected that they will lowball you.

There is one smaller store around here I've been in once and will probably never be in again. There are a couple of larger stores (I'm not sure if you'd call them big box) that are well stocked and I buy things there but would probably never sell a gun there.
 
I really don't think their offer was that unusual for a LGS. They want to make a profit and that gives them negotiating room on pricing the used gun. I've never gotten close to sale value on a proposed trade at a gun store. Their margins are too small for them to give you a great deal on trades. Better than a pawn shop, but less than you can make on a private sale. Maybe try consignment? Good luck with a sale!
 
Typical offer is 60%. They offered you 63%. I'm sure it's not their first rodeo dealing with high expectations for trades. That being said, LGS workers/owners fall into three general types. 1) Know quite a bit about guns and very little about people. 2) Twenty-five years old and at the pinnacle of their career development spewing nonsensical rubbish to the neophyte gun purchaser at the large chain. 3) Know quite a bit about guns and want to do the right thing for the customer. Note that none of these three are in business to lose money and won't stay in business if they don't make money.
 
whats the value to you of being able to sell it right there? How much of your time and effort will you have to spend selling it elsewhere?

I dont see that they did anything wrong by "lowballing" you. They also have to consider how long it will take them to sell it. They will have money tied up in merchandise and that costs money too.

I would expect them to pay about 50% or less of what it sells for new on gunbroker.
 
Like Grumulkin said, the low-ball number is no surprise.

Unfortunately, neither is the attitude. There are several gun stores in the area and I can think of 1 guy at 1 store that I actually like to buy from. Unfortunately, the prices at his store are astronomical, so I don't buy there.

I recently stumbled upon a hardware store, kind of in the middle of nowhere (at least for me). To my delight, I discovered that this hardware store also sells firearms and reloading supplies. I stopped in one day and found the nicest, most accommodating people I've ever met. Their prices were reasonable too. They're a bit of a drive for me, but this is where I'll be buying my reloading and firearm supplies in the future.
 
You don't go to most LGS to sell or trade firearms. You go there to make an offer for what you want that they have. They will always low ball your trade because they have to hold it for a while and then sell it to make money. Let someone else sell them the guns. Make a low ball offer to them and work it up until everyone is happy.
I have 3 places that I deal with and I know I can get what they have for 20%-30% off the asking price out the door and sometimes more.
You can always put you gun on Gunjoker, there's always some fool out there thaat will over pay:)
 
Poor customer service is one thing and is enough to cause me not to return to a store but I think your expectation of return on your trade in was not realistic. As others have stated getting 40% of the value of a gun at a store is about par for the course. If your gun was worth $400 wholesale then getting between $240-$270 seems about right. Many stores will give you a bit more if you are trading in like you were on a new gun because they get to double dip.

Never sell a gun at LGS always sell it privately, on forums like THR, Armslist or in another local classified. That is the only way to get maximum value from a used gun you no longer want.
 
Greenville's 'uptown' LGS offers trade value the same way every time. . . Blue Book x 75%. I've only ever been there when I wanted to find out Blue Book on a gun of mine.

I've also found a local pawn shop that does MUCH better for trade value, and my cash-in-hand offers always seem to work very well for 20-30% off tag.
 
If wholesale was 400 then 250 is probably what many would offer, they'll throw 100 on it and sell it for 50 less than what they can get a new one for, that's how my LGS always did it. That being said, private sale is the way to go. If you're going to bring it to a business whose objective is to make a profit, you'll never get the best bang for your buck.
 
In all my life I can probably name all the gun trades I've made at a gun dealers counter one one hand and they have all been based on the very comfortable margin I held on the trade I presented and the perceived value the dealer had.
If you're trade didn't fit with the store or the owner he's not going to give you close to what you want, especially if you are trying to trade for a gun he can move easily.

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What kind of condition was your gun in? What kind of gun? Was it in the box with all mags or accessories it came with? What caliber (you're going to get less these days for a .40 than a 9mm or .45).

Even if your gun is LNIB with all mags and accessories, unless it's something really hard to get, the dealer will always offer less than he can buy a new one for.

My LGS is very fair on trades, and will only "low ball" if they don't want the gun, but will still give you something for a trade. I've seen them be really generous on one because it would be easier to sell than the one being traded for.

Remember, it's a business. From your OP, you don't seem to know how that works.
 
Cultivate a Relationship

I agree that LGS owners/employees can be abrupt and seem unfriendly to a stranger. That's been my experience every time I have relocated to a new town. But, over the decades I learned that if I show a friendly face and stop by a store occasionally, they'll get to know me. Maybe buy a box of ammo or some accessory or cleaning product. Engage them in light conversation when they're not busy. Ask their opinion on something you're curious about. They'll learn your name and face. Eventually, you might find an excellent deal on a great used firearm that you weren't really looking for. Maybe you'll be shopping for something new and you'll be treated like an old friend.

I'm not a gun store groupie, but I enjoy the environment and the people. I have noticed that owners/employees get subjected to a lot of people who initiate a purchase with an almost confrontational attitude. Or at least suspicious. I think that being subjected to that kind of interaction enough times could lead to a person to be reserved when meeting a new customer.

A gun purchase is a major purchase, same as a new kitchen appliance or a car. Selling a gun is a personal loss. Both situations can cause a customer to be uptight and set the stage for an unhappy experience. It's just human nature. If you keep this in mind and don't have unreasonably high expectations, you can have a good LGS experience.

Given with the wisdom of age. THR rocks.
 
I don't sell/trade that many guns, but I used Armslist for the ones I did get rid of. I priced them fairly and it never took more than a week for them to sell. This is a much better option for me than trading it in at a LGS.
 
All I can say is, from the statements here, I feel 1000% better about how we value trades/buys in our store !

Quote:
and to see if I am overreacting but I think not.
You are.

You want new wholesale price for a used gun trade-in that may or may not be resold for more than the dealer cost of a new one.
Click to expand...

Ya, thats pretty much on point.

Most gun stores use Blue Book now, its the conditioning % that is subjective.

There are a few around here that dont.... and I can tell ya, they lose a LOT of business over the " Well, I think its worth XXX" route.

Once people realize that there is another, realistic alternative to " I think", it doesn't take long to change their selling/trade habits.

Pawnshops are the absolute worst for gun values, and have very little prerogative in ensuring a loyal guntrading clientele it seems. The opposite is actually true, but you get what you get, I suppose. Most pawnbrokers get a lot of those who are truly desperate, and tend to milk the situation for all its worth more often than not, from personal observation.

LGS's tend to fare much better- but as shown here, experiences can vary quite widely !
 
Once upon a time, you could trade a well maintained name brand gun for about 2/3 of its original price but that was applied to a new gun from inventory priced at retail.

Now we have people looking at Bud's online prices and being shocked when they only get offered half price on a trade. Lucky to get that much.
 
I'd never dispose of a gun through a pawn shop but I've bought many great gun at a number of them over the years. I've come to believe they pay well under 50% on an outright purchase and under 25% on a loan so I'm not bashful about an offer of around 50% to start things off.

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Joespapa,
Just how did you arrive at the $400 "wholesale" value??
Wholesale usually refers to the price paid for a new gun to a distributor or jobber by a retail outlet. I don't think a private party qualifies as one of these.
The 60% offer is quite normal (as noted by other posters.)

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I have ever been happy with any offer by a LGS on a trade-in, so I just don't trade anything in.

Of course if you decide to sell it yourself you will have to decide if the hassle involved ( finding a buyer, taking a chance that they are legit, shipping if selling out of state, paying various fees, etc.) and the value of your time involved is really worth it........
 
I've let 24 hours pass since this incident and to see if I am overreacting but I think not.
Click to expand...

I'd rather go to a "big box" store and NOT trade and talk to a clerk than spend one more minute of my time and one more dollar of my money with these guys at these places.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think that's overreacting just a touch.
It is common knowledge that you don't come out on the good end of trades at gun stores. That's just how it is. They make very little on new firearms. They have to make money somewhere.

I have made one trade with a LGS. I traded 2 guns for one and I probably came out $300 in the hole. I was willing to do it because it was 2 guns I didn't care for for one that I really wanted and love to this day. But I lost a substantial amount (to me anyway) of money. I was aware of this and realize that they have to pay the bills. I was in a hurry and didn't want to take the time and sell mine privately so I considered the $300 loss a convenience fee of sorts.

I took a Winchester 1400 into a different LGS looking to trade and got lowballed. I declined to make the deal. No hard feelings. They made their offer and I turned it down. They're still nice to me when I go into the store and I would still do business with them if they have something I want.

It's part of it.

The best thing to do is sell your gun in a private sale and then go to the store and dicker for what you want. In my experience they are much more likely to come down off a cash price than go up on a trade value.
 
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Without all of the details it is hard to say. But based on the facts I know I think you were treated fairly.
 
.
I think the reason our man The OP was offended was due to the lack of good manners on the part of the appraiser, but that's the way it goes in this day and age. And by "good manners" I do not mean an overly-enthusiastic greeting but simply a "hello" and perhaps some small banter regarding the piece in question. Seems like, if I read the first post correctly, the appraiser acted like the whole interaction might have been beneath him.
 
I usually accept 60% of what I paid just to minimize the time and gas spent to make the deal happen, but for me the closest store that I like is a 35 minute drive. That being said I have occasionally said "no thanks" and either put the item on consignment or sought a private sale.

For the former, I've never failed to sell an item on consignment, though one time it took five months for someone to bite. For the latter, I've always come out ahead, but just barely.

On the other hand, sometimes my LGS will offer me a better deal. When I sold my P226 .40, I got back 100%. :)
 
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