Getting the best results selling on Gunbroker...

[Galil5.56]

My question is how do you determine how you will list your item with regard to reserve y/n, starting price, etc. In you experience, is it detrimental to have a reserve for the auction? How about no reserve and a reasonable starting bid or high'ish starting price, or combo of both? How has it worked out for you if say you started an auction at $1.00, and let the market take it from there.

I know good photos help a lot, as does a good listing description, and good shipping terms. So what's your strategy for good results selling on GB?

P.S. I have never sold guns via an online auction, so I have zero feedback, and no experience with GB.

Thanks for the help, tips, and guidance.

 

[Coltdriver]

So it helps if you are selling something that is also listed by others, preferably including some non dealers.

In that case I have sold lots of guns on Gunbroker and started at $1.00.

If there are other people bidding on the same type of gun you are selling they will usually see yours come up. Lets say you see another like yours and there is a bid for it that you would accept for yours. If you post yours to close even an hour or two after the other you will frequently get the fellow who got beat on the other. Not fool proof but I have used that strategy and it works well.

Listing at $1.00, I think, causes a bit of a buzz. Hey man there is a Hi Power on Gunbroker for a dollar!

I have never been skunked doing this.

Alternatively if you have something very unique and there are no other examples for sale you better start with a reserve price you are willing to accept. I will also extend the listing to a couple of weeks on a very unusual item.

It is also a good idea to think about paydays. List your gun so that it closes a day after the 15th or the 30th. Give your buyer every chance to come up with the money! I will only accept a USPS postal money order, period. No personal check, no cashiers check, nada. I am always very clear about this in my listing.

Also, never include a scope if you are selling a rifle. You will always make more money selling the scope separately from the rifle. I sometimes sell rifles with rings but not always, depends on how pricey rings are for the rifle.

I use my favorite ffl to ship pistols and I ship rifles myself via the post office. If you can get your ffl to ship via the post office you can usually quote a very attractive flat rate for shipping like $35 for example which will cover the ffl fee plus the postage, your mileage may vary of course. Postal rates on a pistol are pretty reasonable and are always less than UPS or FEDEX. You do have to specify that the receiving FFL must accept from an individual if you are going to ship a rifle via the post office. You also have to pay very close attention to state rules. I simply sell nothing to California for example. There are other states where the receiving FFL may want a copy of your drivers license. Pay attention to other state restrictions.

If you are looking for a good market price just watch items similar to yours for a few weeks. You can get a good idea of what the market will give you. You can also look at gunsamerica or auctionarms or some of the other sites to get a market value.

I have always had great deals via gunbroker. You do have to watch the feedback and I never buy from a person with zero feedback. I always offer a three day no fire inspection period with the caveat that the buyer will pay for shipping both ways. Never had one come back.

Good luck with your listing!

 

[Nite Ryder]

I've bought and sold on GunBroker many times. I've only had trouble once and that was twice in the same week where a buyer backed out on the sale after winning the bid. There is no human being to help you, and in my case I ended up having to pay GunBroker's fees for two sales that were never made. I chaulked it up to live and learn.

To answer your question, I usually list a reserve price and a starting price that is low enough to be interesting to someone. My thought is if you use a starting price that is too high, fewer people will look at your ad. Good pictures and a good description makes the difference. Another thing that makes a difference is what you are selling, if it is unique and something not often seen for sale, it will draw more interest. I try to be fair with shipping costs and I never, ever mention PayPal. The mere mention of PayPal is a turn off to me, my thought is if you are going to cheat PayPal and not follow their agreement, you will also cheat me. PayPal has stated they will not finance anything to do with a firearm, and in some cases have held funds for up to 6 months before releasing them. Do you want to take a chance by being caught up in something like this? I don't want someone to hold a gun I have paid for because PayPal won't release the money. Sometimes statements made in the advertisement tips you off to what kind of a person you are dealing with, honesty is always the best policy when you are buying or selling.

Coltdriver, in the above post has given you some very good advice, it's apparent he is no new comer to buying and selling on GunBroker.

 

[rcmodel]

I used to sell A LOT of gun parts and antique's on eBay.

I most often got better results with a starting price of .01 cent, and let the chips fall.

Often, a high reserve turns people off when they bid, and don't meet the reserve after a few tries.

What you need to do is suck a whole bunch of bidders in, and let them get stepped on by another bidder a few times.

Then?
Human nature will take over, and you have a bidding war between at least two people who are NOT going to lose to the other bidder.

I sometimes got close to twice what I expected an item to go for (or fair market value) once the bidding got hot & heavy between two or three people.

It's a crap shoot without a reserve price on it.
But one you seldom really lose.

rc

 

[Liberty1776]

^^^^
Yep. The competing site, Auction Arms, has a Penny Auction as well. Some of the top sellers always use that - even for highly collectible arms. The market always kicks in and they do quite well.

After years and years of buying and selling on both sites I am not interested in even looking at guns with a reserve... JMHO.

 

[akodo]

If you do choose to have a reserve price, list what that price is. At first I was surprised to see people doing this, but then it started to make sense. If the reserve is reasonable, people will bookmark it and come back and possibly bid. No information on a reserve and especially if the same gun is listed a few times most buyers will conclude the asking price is unreasonable.

 

[Galil5.56]

Solid advice everyone, thanks.

I forgot to mention I do have an 03 FFL, and FedEx account through USAA, that saves some $$$ on shipping for both of us. I wish USPS would drop the asinine reg that 03 FFL's can not use priority mail for handguns, like 01/07's can.

One issue that I have been wrestling with is the 3 day inspection period. I'm concerned someone will fire the gun, take it apart/loose parts/damage it, then ship it back, asking for a refund. Also not crazy about the risk of damage shipping it back. I too sell on Ebay, and since 03 have started every auction at .99, with no reserve. I agree that I don't like seeing what someone else thinks is fair at an auction. I figure I might sell some of my antiques first, then maybe a couple C&R rifles. The antiques have been kinda hard to determine what I might get looking at different sites, thinking I would just as well sell them here too if I could get a fair idea of price.

How might you list these?

- 1886 Kropatschek 8x60 full size in nice, fully functional shape. Also have a nice bayonet for it. Sell it as a package, separately, offer it to the winner for a set price?

- Dutch Beaumont Rifle Model 1871/88 in nice shape.

- M1871 Spanish (Oviedo) Remington Rolling block, made under license in Spain. .43 Spanish, no "R" near receiver so it should not have been rechambered for the Reformado cartridge.

- VZ 52 rifle that appears to be arsenal refurbished, and in very good shape.

- M91/41 Carcano with crossed rifles (Tiro a Segno Nazionale), in very nice shape.

Again, thanks.

 

[oneounceload]

Often, a high reserve turns people off when they bid

Especially when the bid starts at $.01 and the reserve is in the high 3 or four figures.

You might also want to look at www.gunsinternational.com - it is NOT an auction site, but a for sale site where you might be able to get an idea of reasonable selling prices.

Good Luck!

 

[Twiki357]

reverse the order to start with the $.01 listings and bypass every listing that has a reserve. I feel that if a seller is so ashamed (Or arrogant) of how much he wants and conceals it in a reserve, he’s not someone I want to do business with.

 

[Swing]

A very long time ago I bothered with the reserve thing (both buying and selling), but now, no thanks. Unless, I suppose, it is a very unique and very expensive piece. Just price the starting bid at a spot your comfortable with and go from there.

P.S. Good call going with Gunbroker. I used AuctionArms (now GunAuctions) for years, but in the last year or so, it has become completely worthless as a selling platform. The last gun I bought and one I am currently selling is on GB and I have no complaints thus far.

 

[hemiram]

I usually set the price at about 65-70% of what I expect to get, with no reserve. There are usually at least 2 bidders that "fight it out" to get the gun, pushing the price up to at least what I expect. I've only had one head scratcher, where I barely got any bids at all on a very nice S&W 66, where I only got 3 bids total and ended up making nothing on it, even though I had bought it for a really low price a couple of years before from a neighbor who was moving into an assisted living facility. Identical looking 66's went for about 40% more just before and after.

Other than that one time, I've had no problems using the above method.

 

[Galil5.56]

Thanks everyone.

How about no sales to CA, MA, whatever? Sure see a lot of no sales to CA, even C&R, especially handguns it seems.

How about insurance? Do you require it, optional, just add it to the shipping quote. Do you make every shipment an adult signature one? Really hate the idea of getting an email stating the gun was misrepresented, when in fact shipping damage caused the problem.

Also don't want a "I never got the gun" email either (stolen off the doorstep or them lying). Do you include a phone number in the listing to allow the potential buyer to talk with you?

Lastly, because I have zero feedback/first time seller on GB, should I list a certain gun, or expect the first one to sell low?