Firearm auction sites

[NGIB]

Since I've gotten back into buying and shooting handguns again, I've spent some time visiting the auction sites as well as Bud's Guns. The only reasonable prices I've ever seen on any of the auction sites has been at AuctionArms. Most of the stuff at Gunbroker and GunsAmerica is priced at or above retail from what I've seen. I've looked at some items, jumped over to Bud's and found it significantly cheaper.

What am I missing here? I really can't understand listing something for more (even when you include shipping & FFL fees) than you can buy the item brand new. My local gun stores generally beat most of the auction prices. Am I just not seeing the bargains...

(Put this under handguns as that is all I am interested in)

 

[mljdeckard]

I use gunbroker and auctionarms to get a feel for prices. But you already see exactly what happens, you go to your local dealer to process the FFL transfer, and they ask what it's for, and then they are able to beat the deal you found online, usually by a significant margin, so you wind up buying it locally anyway. (I have never yet seen a online deal that a local dealer can't beat if they really want the sale.)

 

[Joe Gunns]

Auction sites are for locating a hard to find out-of-production item you want right now or getting a ballpark range of prices. IME, and as you have observed, new stuff can be gotten for equal or fewer dollars @ the local shops.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I really can't understand listing something for more (even when you include shipping & FFL fees) than you can buy the item brand new.

There's a sucker born every minute. Heck, sometimes two.

 

[Lou22]

I've bought most of my guns on auction sites. There are a lot of poor deals, particularly on Gunbroker, that you have to sort through to find the good prices. It's hard to beat the online sites for selection, if you look long enough. My local dealers tend to be high-priced, have mediocre selections, or try to steer me to something I don't want. Part of the problem is I just don't like to haggle over price.

My advice to finding the best deal is to first figure out what you want and what to you want to pay, then use the search facilities on the auction sites to find it. This may take awhile. I go to boards like this and others to help me figure out what I want and a fair price.

Lou

 

[jhco]

+1 joe gunns thats what i use gunbroker for too why would anyone think that a recently introduced gun would be less online?

however you can sometimes get a good deal on new stuff to. i think its funny i recently went to several gun shops and asked for quotes on a pt1911 and they told me between 550-599 before tax well i bought one for 510 with shipping and all fees off gunbroker and when i went to pick it up from the shop that said they wanted 599 they gave me a hard time because he had to fill out alot of transfer forms and told me he could of beat that price so i asked why he told me 599 before and he said the other sales men dont know how to keep customers happy and to ask for him.

 

[jhco]

also i just thought about this but auction sites are like gun shows some people have good deals and others dont

i remember when i bought my beretta 9000 40cal
i went to a gunshow 2 weeks later and someone had a very used looking 9mm beretta 9000 for 400 and i had just payed 375 for new one

also the key to finding deals online is to bid low and bid often you would be surpried at the number of auctions you can win at a good price
buy it now is not for deals
i win lots of guns that i thought for sure i would be out bid on

 

[The Bushmaster]

www.gunbroker.com

 

[saltpepperPA]

I've found a lot of good deals on gunsamerica, mainly because I go almost daily to check out whats new. I know a lot of people have dropped them, but there are still plenty of listings to search through.

Also, I don't really like auctions. GB has that 15 minute thing the is frustrating to me and plus I've been burned as a seller by people bidding on items they can't legally own.

 

[MAX100]

You can save buying from the auction sites on high dollar guns. If you buy local you will have to pay state sales tax. Not so when you buy out of state. $1500 gun at 6% sales tax you pay $90 tax. I have got some very good deals buying on Gun Broker, Auction Arms and Guns America. I once got a S&W 629 Classic in excellent condition for $300.


GC