How much is this gun worth???

[FPrice]

Okay, now that I have your attention...

This is not about a particular gun, it's about the subject of trying to determine the actual worth of a firearm, generally a used one, which you want to buy, sell, etc.

We all have seen posts from someone who has seen a used gun and wants to know how much it is worth and if the asking price is high/low/right on. Many of us seem to have fairly strong ideas about what a particular brand/model gun should be worth. Yet we seem to have a wide variance of what is a "correct" price for a particular gun.

Some people obviously have more knowledge in this area than others due to experience in the retail trade or just a long interest in the subject. Some may also be influenced by their particular likes and dislikes among the various manufacturers.

One of the big variables I see is location. Used gun prices in Massachusetts (and maybe other states such as California) are affected by states rules which limit new guns and serve to drive up the prices of the existing stock of used guns.

So, what factors do YOU take into account when giving your opinion of the value of a used gun?

 

[Fed168]

The condition of the firearm, and the availibility of it. For the most part I have a high and a low price, keeping expectations somewhere in the middle.

When looking to sell one of my rifles, I knew it was a bad time since cheaper surplus copies were driving prices down. Kinda bit the bullet on that one.

 

[Majic]

There are many varibles. Condition, age, availablity, whether a standard or limited model, current or out of production, manufactor, location of sale, options (bbl length, TT, TH, stocks, finish, etc.) all play a part in determining price. The final outcome always comes down to how much the buyer is willing to pay.

 

[Gunhamr]

An old gun dealer that I traded with many times over the years
once told me that what it took to make a gun trade was two
people who each thought that they had slightly screwed the
other. I was in the gun business myself for several years
and found him to be right. If a customer wants a certain gun, the best thing the dealer can do is keep his mouth shut. Let the customer
hang himself.

 

[Keith]

The Blue Book by Fjestad (yeah, that's the correct spelling) sets the value of used guns.
You shouldn't pay more than the value set in the Blue Book, period. The best reading in the book is in the front, where the method of determining the condition is meticulously described. In most cases, the condition is inflated (and thus the price) even in shops which are trying to be honest. An 80% gun is often described as a 90 or 95% gun, etc.

You should walk away when someone begins telling you that "around here" this particular gun goes for more than it goes for somewhere else. That's usually baloney and if true, then get on the Internet and buy it from "somewhere else".

Keith

 

[BluesBear]

Age old story of Supply & Demand.

If you have the Supply, you can Demand whatever you want.


Getting it however is a whole other ballgame.

 

[P95Carry]

The key item ........... ''the market''. No market and an item has no value (monetarily).

The other thing when there is a market .. is the ''I want'' factor! I have been a lazy sob on occasions and paid a tad over what I felt was the ''ideal'' market price ... cos at that time . I wanted it .... plain and simple.

However as was mentioned above .. the ideal situation with a deal is that the buyer feels he has ''scored'' and is satisfied .... and seller feels they too have ''scored'' ... at least sufficient to satisfy their expectations!

Unless you are specifically selling a gun for a fast return cos you need the cash ... then the waiting game will usually work ...... you wait for an ''I want'' buyer like me to mosey along!!

 

[Monkeyleg]

Bluebook values never seem to reflect the actual marketplace. With the advent of sites like gunbroker.com and auctionarms.com, you can get a pretty good feel for what a gun is really worth on the market. Also, factors like the number of bids, how many times it's been listed and so on give you an indication of how hard it was for the seller to get his price.

 

[Keith]

Bluebook values never seem to reflect the actual marketplace

I beg to differ! You can bet the sellers check the bluebook before putting the gun up for sale, or before buying a used gun. It's only human nature to try and get better than "book" on a gun - or more often, to inflate the condition to get that extra hundred bucks out of the piece.

If you know what the actual value is you are way ahead of the game. It's worth repeating that all of those values are based on the condition and few people know enough to tell the difference between say, a 75% and a 90% gun.

A smart buyer will ask to check Fjestads when buying an older gun - and every gun store has a current copy right there behind the desk some place. If they won't show you, then you should shop elsewhere. If you like older guns, it is well worth your time to find an old cope of Fjestads and become very familiar with judging condition.
If the price is in line with what Fjestads says it's worth, then buy it. If not, well... it's your money!

Keith

 

[Standing Wolf]

If it's a gun I really and truly want, and it's in good shape, I'll haggle hard, and if necessary, pay the sticker price. If it's a gun I merely want, I'm a lot more discriminating, and haggle much harder.

 

[Majic]

The Blue Book is just a guide. If a certain firearm reaches a popular status and the availability is low then the market changes to what ever the buyer is willing to pay. If you sit back and wait for a specimen to show up reflecting the Blue Book value then you will be the one not owning that model.
The buyers control the market. As long as there are buyers willing to pay a higher price than book value then the market will reflect that price change. Also if a firearm doesn't sell listed at book value then the price will reduce to move that model. There may be minor variations, but overall the market is flexible.
The internet has opened up the market as now we have access to specimens we wouldn't have seen in the past, but also it has raised the prices in many locations.

 

[SnWnMe]

Value also thrives on the "next bigger fool" concept.

 

[444]

"So, what factors do YOU take into account when giving your opinion of the value of a used gun?"

I don't give other people my opinion on the value of a used gun (or new gun for that matter) very often. I might make a comment to one of my closest shooting buddies but that is it. I have seen guns that I considered to be a bargin and told a good friend about it, if I already owned one or didn't have any money. Obviously I have learned that no matter what my answer is, they always come back later and tell you they could have got another one cheaper or they should have bought it at the asking price because it was a steal.
So the question pertains only to my buying of a used gun. I base my decision on only two factors: How bad do I want it ? Do I have the money ?
If I buy, I never look back. I don't worry if I could have talked them down $10. I never look to see if I got a good deal. I am just happy to have it.

 

[XavierBreath]

444,
That is kind of how I look at it too. If I loose $20 on this deal chances are I'll save $20 on the next deal. I don't really start to get concerned unless the price seems to be off in the range of $100 or more if it's a high dollar gun, or $50 on a low buck shooter. I won't let $20 keep me from getting the gun I want.

That being said, if it's a new gun with several in stock, I expect to get the pick of the litter. If it's used, I expect to be able to field strip it, and in some cases shoot it. Otherwise I'd just find the best deal online or in SGN. If a dealer wants to compete with SGN, then he can allow a reasonable inspection of his firearm.

As far as reference guides, I use the Blue Book, and look at online auction prices. I do that before practically any purchase. Just getting away from the counter will clear your mind. Then it's up to you not to become stubbornon a price.

 

[TechBrute]

I pay how much I want to for it. If I had the opportunity to buy a $60K s/s shotgun for $5K, I wouldn't buy it for myself. If I don't want the gun, it isn't worth anything to me. On the other hand, I've been known to pay a premium for what I want.

 

[Wildalaska]

The blue book is just a guide and shoudl only be uised with recourse to the net..

Also regionality is taken into acopunt and "hot trends"

Wildanyonewantmyformula?Alaska