Help pricing guns at auction

[LY]

There's an estate auction this weekend. The fellow seems to have been a mechanic based on all of his tools and vehicles he owned. There is a few guns on the list, and they might interest me for the right price. They aren't the most advertised part of the auction so I figure I might be able to pick them up at a decent price. Here is how they are listed on the auction website:

"Winchester model 290 .22

Mossberg 20 ga. 2-1/4 & 3" shells

Marlin .22 stainless, microgroove barrel, scope

Marlin model 60SB .22, stainless, microgroove barrel

Smith & Wesson 38 special"

I know, some of them are very vague. I am just looking for a general price range. I'm particularly interested in the S&W because I have never owned one before. I would appreciate help in any way/shape/form!

 

[newfalguy101]

Really, there simply is not enough information to give even a ballpark number.

Condition is the key to pricing more than any other factor as it will have the biggest impact on value.

My auction experience is that really good deals are hard to come by.

With annoying regularity I see well used Ruger 10-22's selling for MORE than new price, and SKS's of any flavor will bring $400 easily.......

 

[rcmodel]

Good luck with auctions!!

Most I attend with guns sees them bringing WAY over what they are worth.
Because some old fart with far more money then brains doesn't know what he is even bidding on and runs the price way up.

(If it says Winchester on it, it's got to be worth a fortune, cause Joe told me they don't even make them Winchesters no more back there in the coffee tent?)

"Mossberg 20 ga. 2-1/4 & 3" shells
Smith & Wesson 38 special"

That tells you slightly more then nothing.
You don't even know if the shotgun is a bolt-action, pump, or auto.
The S&W?
Could be a rare collectible worth $2,000 minimum?
Or a common M&P beater worth $200 maximum?

The other three?

Win 290 depending on condition? $150.
Marlin stainless something? and stainless Model 60?

I'd give $100 - $125 a piece tops, and Bee Happy.
But they will bring $200 or $250 each or more at auction I betcha!

rc

 

[JVaughn]

I agree with newfal, I have seen less than perfect guns go for more than new ones of the same make and model many times. I'll wager the Smith 38 will bring $550 and I haven't even seen it. The one who buys it probably won't really look at it very hard before the deal is made either. Don't know what it is, must be the addictive nature of bidding.

 

[LY]

like I said, I understand that some are vague, especially the mossberg and S&W. Just looking for anything you guys can dish out. I am hoping you guys are wrong about the prices. My hopes are probably false, though. I too have seen a lot for a Ruger 10/22 as well, but that was for charity. I am hoping everyone is there for the car and motorcycle stuff!

 

[bracer]

I have goin to a lot of auctions,its common for them to sell for more than one could get them at a large sporting goods store.

 

[JohnBT]

"I'd give $100 - $125 a piece tops, and Bee Happy.
But they will bring $200 or $250 each or more at auction I betcha!"

I was thinking - half thinking, it's too early - that I wouldn't pay $75 for any of them and that they'd end up selling for $300 or $350 each. After all, the only people who go to auctions are there because they want to buy something and they lose their minds when the bidding starts.

John

 

[drsfmd]

Best advice I can give you, and I don't mean this to be mean... if you have to ask these questions, you don't know enough to buy guns at auction and will likely get burned. You've said nothing to indicate that any of these guns are rare or of particular value, so you might as well make a trip to your LGS to pick up a new toy.

 

[mrcooper]

My experience is Auctions are the worse place to try to buy a gun, people get in to a bidding frenzy and pay way to much for JUNK.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Advice...

LY--You won't like to read this, but, first of all, +1 on what all the others have said re: prices paid @ an auction. "Bidding fever" gets to many people--Good for the seller, tough on the buyer, unless the buyer has more money than they need, or else the item is a one-of-a-kind that you'll be able to turn around for even more $$.

The only way to get a bargain @ an auction is to decide on a top price you will pay for an item, and stick to it. If somebody else then gets the item for $5 more than your top price, tough. The other guy paid 5 bucks too much. But sometimes, sometimes, you will get your item for your price. Then if your price was realistic in the first place, you know you got yourself a bargain.

Now, as to what price, all I can say to you is 2 things: (1) The above posters are right, you don't have enough info here to determine a price, and (2) YOU NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!

No one, NO ONE, can accurately price a used gun sight unseen--There are just too many variables. So you will have to bone up on prices yourself, and how to judge a firearm's condition, and what the current market is in your area, which may vary greatly from nationally. That means studying, being "in the market," putting in your time, taking some losses as "learning experiences." Sorry, but there is no easy way. Then when you're a gun-buying expert, you can do the advising, as well as picking up some deals for yourself.

Good luck. Enjoy the process. The auction this weekend? Go there to learn.

 

[LY]

Even if auction prices are higher than normal, I'm going to go anyway. I will set a price I'm willing to pay, but I am expecting the prices to go above that. It will be a good way for me to learn. Besides, the main auction is vehicles, tools, and automotive related antiques, so it's worth the 10 minute drive to go look at those things!

 

[CZguy]

It's always fun to go...........but you got a lot of good advice in the above posts.

 

[newfalguy101]

Last year about this time a buddy and I went to a huge ( for this area) gun auction, somewhere in the neighborhood of 360 guns up for sale.

I brought home 8, but, probably bid on 30-40 guns. I set a price and absolutely stuck to it.

The majority of the time, the other guy got there before I did............and I let them have it.

Frustrating?? You betcha, BUT, I stuck with MY price and I made good money when I resold most of those guns.

 

[788Ham]

A buddy and I went to a local auction, farm equip. etc., some guns. There was an older Win. pump .22 rifle he'd looked at 4 or 5 times, said "I'll give them $100, maybe $25 more than that, but no more." The old rifle sold for almost $400! My buddy said, "Did you see the guy that bought that rifle? , he was at an auction 2 weeks ago and bought every GD gun at that place, he's got more money than God!" So beware, if someone sees you want something bad enough, they'll ALWAYS out bid you! Caveat Emptor

 

[Shadow 7D]

Auctions are much like vegas,
you only win if you know when to walk
and what the game is, I've seen collector peices sell for 1/4 what they are worth (still more than my budget) and junk (hi-points and locrins/ring of fire guns) going for 300

 

[LY]

I attended the auction saturday, a couple went for fair price, but they didn't have them all displayed before hand so I wasn't going to bid on them without knowing what condition they are in. Some $200 guns went for over $300 though, it was ridiculous!

 

[paul]

Some $200 guns went for over $300 though, it was ridiculous!

That has been my experience also...
I rarely attend anymore.

p

 

[Bubbles]

Auction fever is one reason for higher prices. Also, depending on how the auction is run the auctioneer may not need an FFL - the transfer is treated as between two private parties with no paperwork required. There are folks willing to pay a premium for that.

The best deals I've found at estate auctions are for larger tools and heavy furniture that require several strong backs and a truck to remove.

 

[newfalguy101]

(snip) Also, depending on how the auction is run the auctioneer may not need an FFL - the transfer is treated as between two private parties with no paperwork required. There are folks willing to pay a premium for that.

I hadnt considered that.....

 

[LY]

Auction fever is one reason for higher prices. Also, depending on how the auction is run the auctioneer may not need an FFL - the transfer is treated as between two private parties with no paperwork required. There are folks willing to pay a premium for that.

The auction was in Iowa, and Iowa residents who won a long gun auction could pay for it there and take it home that day, while I had to pay a $30 fee for it to be sent to an FFL because I live in Illinois. Iowa residents don't have a waiting period on long guns anyhow, so they had it easy at the auction. All handgun auctions would be sent to the FFL and a $30 fee would be charged regardless, of which state you are from.