Anyone buy from Auctions?

[Baba Louie]

Browsing through the KC Star this morning (Sun Feb 8) looking at the classifieds, seeing what types of rifles and shotguns, etc (no handguns allowed thank you very much KC RedStar) and found an auction item that caught my eye so I followed it around till I found this link...

http://www.lindsayauctions.com/salebills/FEB 13 GUN LIST.htm

and whistled as I scrolled down through the 4 page list going, wow! I want! Ooh, look! Another A5?

4 consecutive numbered Win 9422 Boy Scout commeratives, an O3A3 Rem, a few fixer uppers, etc...

So I got to thinking about youse guys back in the KC area (my old hometown) and thought I'd post this...

But then I kinda got curious. Does anyone here actually buy from auctions an if so, did ya get a deal or did some bozo drive the price up in a bidding war?

The local police here in LV used to auction off their unclaimed evidence, etc guns and bikes and back when I had my C&R, I'd get notified and go down and watch all the shop owners decide who was gonna get what and then do just that, since they had scads of cash in hand.

Still and all, it does seem like an interesting way to acquire old, used firearms (but look at that list and the few N.I.B. they show).

Hmmmm, gotta start cruising all of the local auction house websites to see if they're on the web as well.

 

[Sisco]

I've been to a couple like the one listed. Ho-hum guns went at reasonable prices, some bargains even. Collector stuff on the other hand was what most people there went to bid on. I went with an uncle who collects late 1800's vintage Winchester lever actions. Always good to go with someone who knows their stuff.
Estate auctions and the like with just a hand full of guns listed seem to bring high prices at least in my experience. Bidding fever takes over and I've seen people pay new prices for used guns.

 

[berettaman]

I used to work part time for an auctioneer.When there were any firearms that were to be auctioned,I would get first crack at them.I picked up a few nice older colts and winchesters,but most of the time the guns available were pretty much junk.

 

[Leatherneck]

As a general rule around eastern/northern Virginia, the guns are either low-to-middle grade, or go for exceptionally high prices. There are exceptions: usually when the auction house omits guns from a list of stuff to be auctioned. I went to an estate auction in Fairfax County a few months ago; it was advertised as a metal fabricating business, but it had about twenty or so rifles, pistols and shotguns. I got a Garand for $400 and an M1 carbine for $150! Plus scads of odd-lot ammo for change. As always, you've got to be firm with your limit, or you could bid yourself in over your head. Guns do that to some of us...

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[madhatta]

I went and participated in my first 2 auctions last year. Results were kinda mixed. I saw some guns go for pretty resonable prices, but then as one poster said, I saw used guns go for near what you could buy it for new.
At both auctions there were people that were there specifically for a certain gun or 2. At one auction, the bidding was between me and one other guy for a Garand, and at the other a stainless Delta Elite.
I was able to so some self restraint, and both guns got bid kinda high, I reached this point where I was just sure the other guy was determined to get the item no matter what, at any price, so I let it go.

At one auction the estate had a number of nice enfields, I was there on good day and they weren't drawing a lot of interest, I got 2 of those at a fair price.

I guess its like going to yard sales, the majority of them suck, but you have to keep going to them if you are ever going to find any treasures.
My dad has been going to auctions for years, and he manages to find some nice items at good prices.