Seeing If There Is Enough Demand To Continue

[Dynasty]

Hey everyone,

I originally posted this over at AR15.com, but would like to get THR's input as we all are part of the firearms community.

I have an idea for an informational product that will benefit us firearm owners when it comes to selling and trading our firearms on the internet.

The product will provide valuable information on how to sell and trade your firearms easier and faster with less hassle. This will provide both the seller and the buyer with a smooth and enjoyable transaction. The guide contains proven steps and strategies that will get your firearms sold/traded. Period. Once the information is implemented, it is easily repeatable to allow you to sell and trade your firearms over and over again with the same success each time.

Rookie sellers will find this information very helpful and even the experienced sellers will find value in it too.

In what way do you feel is best to provide this information?

There are 3 ways this information can be formatted:

1) Ebook

2) Audio

3) Video

The product will be an instant download to allow you to instantly sell/trade with guaranteed success.

The goal is to help us firearm owners enjoy a better all-around buying/selling/trading experience.

Feel free to comment and share your opinion on this idea.

Thanks!

 

[Davek1977]

Don't mean to be harsh, but I don't see a huge demand for this. Most people interested in buying, selling, and trading firearms have done so successfully for years, and won't want/need advice on doing so. Its like a new product that helps catch mice or changing a tire. most people have methods of doing such things they've used successfully for years, and even if a new way is marginally "better" most won't make the change when they have used the old method hundreds of times with success. Successful buying, trading, selling all comes down to knowing the guns market value, of which there's many ways of discovering. With things like Gunbroker and whatnot, its easier now than ever to buy and sell guns. I don't see a need for a "new" way of doing something most people don't have issues doing in the first place. Let me guess....this is a "for-profit" venture, right? As in, these materials won't be available free of charge? That makes it even less likely experienced people will flock to it....no one wants to pay money to learn how to do something they already do successfully.

 

[GBExpat]

I voted Video ... drop it in You-Tube as so many others are.

Quite frankly, I don't think that there is much call for such a thing ... but ... I also thought that everyone knew what it meant when the water at the seashore suddenly pulled WAY back from the shore, so ...

 

[SFsc616171]

I do not see a need to produce, or ascribe to such a thing, with the current Presidential electee's fingers into all they are, at present.

I do concur with Davek1977's thoughts oin the matter.

Ginning up a 'how-to' sales guide, in a format more comfortable for those born after The Fall of The Berlin Wall, reminds me of those who are building their homes from scratch, again, in New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina.

 

[buck460XVR]

I take it this will be a free download?

 

[RPRNY]

Video. Always best. I think there remain huge numbers of people who don't get the whole how to engage in legal firearms commerce over the the internet thing.

 

[larryh1108]

If it's something you are compelled to do, I like to be able to download it and keep it on my computer, print it out if desired (esp if you have standard forms in it) and use it when I need to.

Asking a forum of people familiar with doing what you are may sound silly but I've seen enough posts from people here asking if Gunbroker is safe, if they have to ship to an FFL, meeting someone F2F from another state, etc that assuming we all know the laws is silly.

The general public is pretty much ignorant of selling/buying firearms. The biggest question is how to market to these people. Having a hard copy download as well as a youtube video may be ideal. I can't see it being a large enough file to be called a book (eBook?). A video may be much longer, boring and could lose the person's attention if not done quickly and with great detail requiring their attention without distraction. Anything more than 4-5 mins may be too long.

 

[Midwest]

I'd suggest "Tips and techniques for acquiring and hoarding 22LR" instead.

I could use this information.

Maybe make a video/movie on how to organize 'friends and family' and then head over to Walmart before "the truck comes in" and wait in line before the 'regulars' do and get some of that 'mythical' ultra rare .22lr. It might win an academy award. Call the movie/video "Hunt for .22lr"

.

 

[wankerjake]

I'm not sure of the demand, but it would be valuable if you can get it to the target audience. Take a look at the classifieds and find all the terrible adds with a short description and no pictures. A lot of guys would sell things a whole lot faster if they put up a descriptive add with good pictures.

I'm not sure these people are going to take the time to watch a video though if they are too lazy to even attempt to make a successful add.

My guess is that while it's good information that was more prevalent in the firearm community, I doubt there is a high demand for it.

Anyone who really likes to buy/sell firearms is going to learn by experience. That's my opinion.

 

[Frosty Dave]

I voted "don't see as valuable" because you don't offer any details to make me think it's going to be a valuable product, only generalities. If you offered it to me at no cost and then asked me if I would be willing to recommend it to others at the price of 99 cents per download, then I might be inclined to say yes.

I also wonder why you are asking us what media we prefer instead of what media presents the material best - is there some secret gun trader's handshake that you can only demonstrate on video? If your plan is to write something suitable for an ebook and then stand in front of a camera and read it to us if your audience prefers video, your product will be very likely to bore us to death.

 

[Dynasty]

Davek1977 - I understand your points. My goal is to give newbies the proven step-by-step guidance to listing and successfully selling their firearms. Most do not have the willingness to venture into the internet forum sales territory because of their lack of knowledge on the subject. I personally know several firearm owners that have been in the active in the firearms world for 5, 10, 15, 20+ years and do not understand that you can sell legally using forums. Say if they do realize they can, they still do not know how to properly make a listing and complete a successful sale.

To address your point that there are plenty of experienced sellers out there that have their own unique system...I certainly agree with you. And I'm glad they have found what works for them. That does not mean they can't pick up a few tips to even better their success. It's like a giving an already successful sales professional a few new tips and strategies that will allow them to be even more successful. They will only benefit from the new material.

You are correct when you say this is a "for profit" product. I feel many people view selling their firearms online as a pain in the you know what. My product will solve that pain and show how to go about making the listing/selling process as painless as possible with their desired outcome of selling their firearm.

 

[Dynasty]

RPRNY- I agree with you. There are still many firearm owners that do not know this type of selling exists and do not know how to go about getting started successfully.

 

[2bfree]

The product will be an instant download to allow you to instantly sell/trade with guaranteed success.

I stay away from anything that says "guaranteed success".

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

The guide contains proven steps and strategies that will get your firearms sold/traded. Period. Once the information is implemented, it is easily repeatable to allow you to sell and trade your firearms over and over again with the same success each time.

That sounds more than a little bit like an infomercial "get rich quick" pitch.

 

[ngnrd]

The product will ... allow you to instantly sell/trade with guaranteed success.

Hooey.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Why is thread still active? It is very probable its stated purpose is a disingenuous attempt to merely advertise. Obviously all three suggested formats would be used for marketing to ensure maximum exposure as none are cost prohibitive for a viable product.

 

[Dynasty]

Nom de Forum - I made this thread to simply gauge interest to see if people could benefit from such a product. I mean no advertising at all. I'm trying to "see what the people want" so to speak. My goal is to help those that need direction in this area.

 

[Davek1977]

I think you've gotten your answer....3 out of 4 people so far see no value in this, and like myself, are suspicious of ANYTHING that "guarantees success" Too, your experiece varies from my own.....I don't know of anyone who has been unable to sell a firearm that they've wanted to be rid of... For even a "junker" gun that is unusable and worthless, the solution is easy....find a "gun buyback" and get rid of it, then go buy something you actually want with the money! If you didn't sound so much like a 3AM infomercial with your wording, I MAY be more inclined to be interested...but honestly, I doubt it.

 

[buck460XVR]

The thing is, there are so many free sites and references out there for selling on online auction sites and how to list a firearm for sale FTF, that I doubt if there would be a market out there enough to recoup your initial costs. Gun Broker has a great tutorial for selling guns on their site. There are also many sites that come up that tell you how to properly list your gun for sale and how to make sure you don't get scammed along with the laws regarding FTF sales. At one time there may have been more of a market out there, but now you can damn near Google how to do anything for free. If your wish is to truly help folks out, make a YouTube video with your information and suggestions. Odds are, IMHO, it will get more responses than a pay-per-download on how to sell a gun..

 

[Cee Zee]

From what I saw happen to a guy who sold a gun to a kid who lived across the state line I can see there being some value to this but IMO that guy had to know he was messing up because he also sold the gun to a kid. Still I can see having the information available. I'd see this as more of a smart phone ap though. It's something you can take with you to gun shows and flea markets and have it with you. I wouldn't expect to get rich on this. People know they can find the info on the net if they try hard enough so they won't be anxious to shell out big bucks especially for something like a book that can't be updated as laws change. Audio and video aren't searchable so finding particular rules for a state would be tough. And if you're thinking about selling DVD's I doubt you'll find much of a market. It would cost too much for info that can be found other places for free.

 

[ForumSurfer]

Honest, unadulterated opinion:

I see two product options.

Option 1: How to make ads that work. Wow, there's no way to say that without expecting it to come with a free bag of extra cheesy Cheetos.

Option 2: Option number 1 AND including information on laws. This would would be terribly complex with all of the state laws and federal law. Not only that, these laws change. Depending on your state, they can change frequently. Now you're selling a product that gives legal advice to people too lazy to research, information that may be out of date not long after their purchase. That is doing them a disservice right off the bat. It honestly comes off as fly-by-night-ish like companies that target elderly people with buzzwords and slogans. It's a free market, though. I can tell you if I saw that guide, I'd make note of the author/publisher and not buy anything else from them.

 

[Davek1977]

This "service" or "product" is basically reinventing the wheel, then claiming its something new and different. No laws are kept secret, nor is selling a gun thru gunbroker or the like exactly rocket science. Of course there are those ignorant to such things out there, but the ignorant types won't be buying this product either, because they simply don't care...why would they obtain the information from this "new" source when they've refused to get it elsewhere? Thats the ultimate question, I guess......why would they utilize your info when they've refused to utilize myriad of information sources available for free already? What is it about your product that will make the ignorant desire not to be ignorant any more....and if they AREN'T ignorant anymore....why would they pay for information that's available for free?

 

[RussB]

Sounds like a way for you to profit from others gun sales, just like putting them on consignment

 

[CWL]

Before you proceed with this, make sure you are fully lawyered-up since you want to make a profit selling instructions on how to make firearms transactions. Make sure you are following all the federal and local State for any of the advice that you want to provide for a fee.

 

[Potatohead]

You never know what will take off. Folks saw no need for ye ol' television either I bet.

"I get all I need on my AM radio"