premium for sealed box on gunbroker?

[MrBitey]

I'm looking for a VP9 tactical NIB on gunbroker, and I'm trying to understand a price disparity between auctions that close around $1300-1400 and Buy Now that aren't moving at $1100. Both are new in box items, and the main differences seem to be Auction vs. Buy Now, and sealed NIB vs. NIB that's been opened for display and photos.

Is a sealed box worth an extra $300? Or do people just get caught up in the auction? And why aren't the Buy Now items selling? The company auctioning the sealed NIB firearms seem to have inventory that they're dribbling out both individually and as sequentially numbered pairs, so there's clearly demand at the higher price point. Having not yet bought through gunbroker, what am I missing?

Links:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/887533988
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890523165

 

[jmorris]

Some people do stupid things in auctions, gambling tables and such. I have sold things at auction that could have been bought new for less. In that situation, I didn’t complain.

 

[Archie]

Beats me. Apparently those pistols are greatly desired among some people. That's all I can see. I would be interested in some 'old' guns or old ammunition in sealed sales containers. Probably more than I want to pay, but...

 

[armedwalleye]

I dunno. Show me an unissued, in the box Remington Rand 1911A1, we'll talk. But regardless of the current and/or future markets, I just don't see the potential for payoff or increased value in the difference between new with an opened box and new with an unopened box on any current or recent production handgun.

Since they're not moving, I'd suggest at least THESE PEOPLE aren't getting caught up in in. At least not yet.....

 

[MrBitey]

Since they're not moving, I'd suggest at least THESE PEOPLE aren't getting caught up in in. At least not yet.....

To clarify, it's the sealed NIB auctions that ARE moving, and there have been a couple of unsealed NIB items that aren't selling, even though several hundred less (still a bit over MSRP though). So it looks to me like folks are willing to pay $300 more for a sealed NIB vs one that has been opened, handled, photographed.

 

[Drail]

New sealed in box. Bwahahahaha! That's just like "never fired".

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

The company auctioning the sealed NIB firearms seem to have inventory

Seems pretty chancy with their FFL.
Mistakes at any factory have been made and I do know my dealer would INSIST upon opening
the box to verify the serial number of the gun instead of relying on the end label.
Too much risk for his license.

JT

 

[scott511]

Seems pretty chancy with their FFL.
Mistakes at any factory have been made and I do know my dealer would INSIST upon opening
the box to verify the serial number of the gun instead of relying on the end label.
Too much risk for his license.

JT

That's what I was thinking; doesn't the gaining FFL have to open the box to verify the serial number when receiving? If I was an FFL, I wouldn't want to record a S/N in my book based only on the box.

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

Seems pretty chancy with their FFL.
Mistakes at any factory have been made and I do know my dealer would INSIST upon opening
the box to verify the serial number of the gun instead of relying on the end label.
Too much risk for his license.

JT

I may be mistaken but I thought the receiving FFL had to verify serial numbers.

 

[BigAlShooter]

I saw the same thing a few weeks ago. I have been watching prices of the Kel-tec PMR-30. I saw two guns being bid up to $520 - $530 and the exact same gun, same color, had a buy it now for $450. Actually, it said they had two at that price and they both sold really fast. I don't think people care about the opened or not box. I think it is just the timing. How many of us have bought something and then a week or so later saw it for a cheaper price?