What is the Best Way to Sell My Guns?Internet or Gun Show?

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Duke Junior

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Cherokee County,North Carolina
Although I certainly value my guns,I'll be retiring next year and probably moving to New Mexico, my favorite locale next to California ,which is no longer feasible.
Hopefully to slip away into the supposedly golden years catching up on reading all those Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway novels I missed in my prime.:rolleyes:
Downsizing my collection is an imperative before my move although it pains me to sell a gun.That said(TM, Standing Wolf acknowledged:D)any advice you all can give me on the best way to go about this would be most appreciated.
We are speaking of about a dozen handguns and rifles with an estimated value of perhaps $8,000.Also ammo,holsters,etc. worth another $2,000.
I will retain all my Mil-Surps,favorite hunting rifles, along with my everyday carry guns for personal defense of course.
 
Although you will lose some in commission, you might consider selling them through a local dealer (if you have one that gets quite a bit of traffic). This can really reduce hassle if you are disposing of a number of guns.
 
If I did not have a friend who is a gunsmith and dealer with a store front who handles mine I would go the gun show option. You will get cash up front. No packaging and shipping. I would get a drivers license no. from the buyer even though not generally required. Just to have a record if the arm is ever misused and you are at the end of the paper trail.
 
You may want to try a gun show or two and be firm on your pricing, at least until you have time to see what comparable guns are going for. Also do searches on Auction Arms and Gunbroker (auctions ended in last 90 days) for the price the gun(s) actually sold for ... ignore unsold and not met reserves as they are meaningless. Also be sure to factor in shipping to those selling prices, and it would also be prudent to add $20-25 for the transfer on the buyers end.

With that experience then, you may want to try your hand at the internet, but unless your an FFL find out how much your FFL is going to charge you.

Yes ... I know that it is permissible for a non-FFL (civilian) to send a gun to an FFL, but many FFL will not accept a gun from anyone other than another FFL. Also, shipping charges are considerably less if done by an FFL because the USPS Priority Mail route can be used. Now I'm talking handguns here. Long guns are a different matter and the shipping costs may be essentially a wash.

Regardless, make sure you state what the shipping charges are in your listing.

Good Luck ...
 
Here is another option instead of Gun Shows or an online thing like GunBroker.com - why not try putting up for sale notices at local gun ranges (if legal in your area). Most gun ranges, those that are real ranges as opposed to sand pits or mounds of manure, have a range house with an office and a bulletin board is usually near to the office, in my experience. On said bulletin boards they often allow, even encourage, people to post guns they have for sale.

All the best,
GB
 
There is a section below for selling firearms...put a few on there with descriptions and an asking price. If they don't sell, then no harm...but if any do...then that's another one you don't have to worry about.
 
I've only sold one gun, and I did it at a gun show. Let me tell ya, folks at gun shows can smell a motivated seller a mile away. I sold my rifle for a lot less than it was worth, but I had bought it for a lot less than it was worth, so I came out about even. If I hadn't been willing to go way below "blue book," I wouldn't have been able to sell it.
 
Internet. It's tough to sell at a good price at shows, unless you sit and wait through several.
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Thank you all for the suggestions.
I'm leaning toward PremiumSauces idea.It may take several gun shows to sell off the collection eating up my profits with table costs,etc.
I'm fortunate that this is not a do or die situation,but pick and chose.

How about offereing them to other High Roaders first in the Trading Post Forum of THR?
Buy, Sell and Trade: Handguns
Click to expand...

This is another option I'll seriously consider.Thank you.
 
Hey I'm in NC.

Post them up on here, and then they may sell...may not. A lot of people will see them. I browse the for sale ads frequently, whether i need to buy something or not :)
 
First, let me say that I think you are possibly making a mistake by selling them now. You will get to enjoy them a lot more after you retire. Also you will have a lot more time to sell them after you retire. It can be a hobby to 'sell' your guns after you retire. Plus you are moving to a most gun friendly state as I understand it so I would wait.

That being said, I have found that I get more money out of guns I sell on the internet than any gun show. Only problem is that you will have to ship so you need a nice FFL that will do transfers for you at a reasonable cost. That is a BIG problem for me where I live as all the FFL's around here don't want to be bothered doing transfers anymore.

I like the classified in forums like the and others, but they don't work well for every gun. That is were the auction sights work better. For those hard to move guns, you just list them on GB, AuctionArms, etc and let it sit. The advantage there is that you don't have to constantly put them BTT (back to the top). Also you don't tend to get as many 'low ballers' that want it for nothing. Plus you tend to recover your shipping costs.

So usually I try the classified first, and if that don't work I go to GB.
 
First, let me say that I think you are possibly making a mistake by selling them now. You will get to enjoy them a lot more after you retire. Also you will have a lot more time to sell them after you retire. It can be a hobby to 'sell' your guns after you retire. Plus you are moving to a most gun friendly state as I understand it so I would wait.
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Flame Red ,your comments have given me cause to reconsider.Perhaps you are correct.There's a lot of good commonsense in what you are saying.A few more items on a cross country move don't add up to very much.And there would be a lot more time to do everything when I retire in a year.
I'm already missing some of my rifles and they haven't even been sold yet!And yes,NM is very gun friendly.
So, I'm going to talk to my wife and reflect on the matter.Also it really does not add up to that much money.
I really appreciate all the fine suggestions.If we do decide to sell the firearms either here or in New Mexico ,I now know how to go about it.
Thank you all.:)
 
Since you aren't in a rush, I'll second the idea of posting a list (with pictures and prices) here on TheHighRoad in the Trading Post. Since you can ship to any FFL, all you need to state in your post is that you will ship only to an FFL who will receive shipment from a private seller. Leave it to your potential buyers to locate an FFL to receive the gun. Make sure buyers know they are responsible for shipping costs. All you need is one motivated buyer who wants just what you are selling, and you're golden. If nothing sells, you aren't out anything but your time. And you'll get the enjoyment out of fondling the guns as you set them up to take pictures, and describe them in exquisite detail, etc. You may decide at that point you really don't want to sell a particular item ... and again, you aren't out anything. So I say again, sounds to me like your best option is to post a nicely detailed list on the Trading Post forum here at THR, and let it ride.

(Of course, I'm also pushing this because I'm interested to know what you might have that I might want! ;))
 
I also have a gun or two to sell, so I'll add a question that I hope may be of interest to the OP, also. I've only bought something off of ebay once, so I have very little knowledge of these things.

For newbs like me, how do you handle the transfer of funds, and the timing of funds/shipment? I looked at the Trading Post info, but it this type info is there, I missed it.

Thanks

Edit: To be clear, questions are regarding sale on THR's Trading Post.
 
INTERNET!!!!!

Gun shows are horrible wastes of time and effort. All you'll get are insulting "offers" and a bunch of staring lookie looes who waste your time with dumb questions. Gun shows are a good way to take a huge loss on a gun.
 
Relayer, if I understand your question, you're interested in how to conclude the deal in a fair and safe way. Well, any time you do a deal at a distance there is level of trust involved. There are things you can do to enhance that trust.

Note that the seller is really in control of the transaction. He or she has the item to be sold, and doesn't have to release it until paid. On the other hand, the buyer only has the seller's word, supported hopefully by a full and honest description of the item, including pictures, upon which to make the "buy" decision. So look for sellers with "good reputation" on the boards ... measured by things like post count and any feedback received in a feedback area of the forum.

You should exchange phone numbers and talk to get questions settled, both about the item, its condition, why it's being sold, etc., as well as to confirm details on payment and shipping.

When paying, use a USPS Money Order. Messing with the Post Office can get someone in serious trouble, and selling and not delivering when payment is sent by USPS constitutes mail fraud. Get tracking info for the shipment if at all possible.

Reality is that there really must be some significant trust involved. But if you keep good records of communication, make sure you exchange contact info, and talk through a transaction before sending your payment, you should do okay.

And if you're the seller, stay in communication with your buyer. Keep him or her posted on when you received payment, and when the gun shipped. If shipping by UPS or FedEx, email with tracking numbers. Don't let your buyer wonder what's happening.

I've done a lot of transactions over the web, at auction sites and on the various gun forums. Haven't been burned yet, and I don't think any one I've dealt with has been disappointed, either.

Hope this helps!
 
A place like Cabelas is another option. They usually want to discount about 30% under Blue Book. If you have good stuff and are selling multiple guns you can negotiate down to 20%,which is what my local dealer charges for consignment.Advantage is you get cash upfront, and don't have to wait months for them to sell. Also don't have to deal with the internet, posting pictures,shipping,non-payers, returns etc.
 
At a gun show, you'll have to deal with alot of dealers who are looking to buy low, sell high(hey, they have to make a living). The big internet auctions can be a hassle. I'd rather stay right here and use the "Buy, Sell, Trade" section.
If You don't mind me asking, how about any family that might enjoy them? Do you have any children, relatives, friends, etc., that would like to inherit one of them? I would rather keep them in the family, all things considered
 
I highly recommend selling them on this website. Since it is a community atmosphere, you shouldn't feel bad about giving us huge discounts. In fact, you could even judge individuals and give certain ones even better deals.

or: I'm in college. Can i have a gun, please? I'll pay shipping!
 
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If You don't mind me asking, how about any family that might enjoy them? Do you have any children, relatives, friends, etc., that would like to inherit one of them? I would rather keep them in the family, all things considered
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That's a good point,panther.I have children, 3 girls and 2 boys and only one of my children has any sincere interest in firearms and only in the realm of self defense,not hunting or collecting.
With my grandchildren its to early to tell.
But the more suggestions I get like yours, the more I'm inclined to keep my guns.
I've lost $20 grand in my 401(k)since September 22.Why sell precious firearms for a comparative pittance?
Everyday that goes by advice like yours and Flame Red's makes more sense.
I think I'll just hold on.At least my firearms are not losing any significent value.:)
 
Duke, don't sell them until you've been retired for a while. I shoot ten times more since I retired then I did while I was working. Plus you'll have plenty of time to reload as well.
 
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