Home Forums Gear Free Classifieds Why are quality items so hard to sell?

Very soft market.
Pricing reality has not caught up with the soft market.
Was at a gun show in the past year and saw 22lr ammo at prices at least 25% higher than you can buy them retail or off the numerous ammo sites.

Quality needs a market.

Do i need a set of Norseman drills for $100 or go to Home Depot and get a set for $30?

Before I try to sell anything I check buds and grab a gun or some of the good retailers on line. I try to price well under them. Why would someone buy my used gun for close to or the same as they can get a new one.? I see a lot of guys pricing a used gun at or above what a new one is selling for, then complain about cheap people who won't buy it. You have to figure everyone one the fire can probably use Google. It's just an educated marketplace.

What some of the custom knives are going for is ridiculous . The time, effort and craftsmanship that go into those pieces are worth more than they are going for. Best deals on the fire as far as I’m concerned.

If the advertisement is reasonably well written with some decent photos (which many fail at), then, by definition, if it doesn't sell it is priced too high.

In other words, no matter how much a person wishes their gun is worth, the market doesn't lie.

It's Trumps fault .

if you think prices are high here go to a gun show.

I have a few things for sale , but always end up buying more .

My interests usually fall in the C&R category....no transfer in a gun shop.

If your item sells quickly...........you priced it too low.

Not true. The market isn’t only where it is advertised. The potential buyer may not even be seeing the ad. There are thousands of buyers that would pay what something is worth, but don’t know where to look but the normal venues, such as retail stores.

A narrow field, such as the classifieds on the Campfire is not a real measuring stick to what value is. Just because it doesn’t sell, doesn’t mean it is priced too high, it can mean that the serious buyer doesn’t know it is for sale...

I’m always looking for something that I’d like, but I don’t need anything. That means that I’m not in a rush and I’m not going to pay top dollar, I suspect many folks here are in similar circumstances. If you want top dollar you need people competing for it.

It’s worth what someone will pay for it.

I'm sorry the dealers here are unhappy that we don't line up to pay their prices, but I'm looking to get the most for my dollars.
When what I want, need, and can afford comes up, mostly I'll post a "I'll take it".

no one makes an offer because if they do they get ragged on for low balling the seller(not me) but other buyers was.

THIS

The original theme of this thread is "Quality." Old used stuff, priced for unexpected lottery gains is another thing. Quality is usually higher end, expensive stuff and the market for those things is very limited. If you look at the Campfire Classifieds, most of the stuff is "bread and butter' common guns and accessories, just trying to be moved. The quality stuff is always more expensive and doesn't sell due to the number of people that won't buy it, not because of the value...

Maybe its just the same guys selling to the same guys over and over , just taking turns keeping the stuff in their closets and safes. I don't sell here anymore for the most part. If I price my items to sell I get ridiculed , if I price it what its worth I get ridiculed. The fire isn't what it use to be but what is? Its also free so there's that.

What you probably don’t realize is the person selling that rifle is an actual dealer and is offering a brand new in box firearm no one else has had transferred to them. With that you are saving say a minimum of 7% sales tax plus the money difference between the gun at bass pro and his rifle..seems spot on?!

MK

Where are the quality items with a blood sale price that you are talking about?

I consider "custom" items as quality. However, a person never recovers the cost of custom items and can expect to only get a fraction of the dollars they spent. Firearms or any other custom items for that matter.

I agree. 100%




Sako Bavarian’s you have to give away. I’ve seen some nice older Sako’s for sale priced right and no sale. I’ve seen more modern custom builds go for < $2000 that are worth more than that(yes I understand you never get your custom money back). KS mountain rifles which are arguably the best rifle big green ever produced. Sako 75 are a little harder to sell. The Ti were hot for a while but cooled off. The only ones I see that sell by big green are CDL SF or mountain guides etc.......certain KS rifles I see go for much more like the Model Seven KS in 350 Rem Mag.

As far as scopes, I feel very fortunate on these classifieds. Before free classifieds, scopes were almost give away items. A quality optic (older Leupold, Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, S&B, even older Bushnell) are worth the money.

Anyhow, I was just curious on this topic.

I think the demographic is changing. You can go buy a plastic rifle(no offense intended) that is accurate so why pay up for a classic that shoots just a bit better. I don't post much on this sight but have been watching it for 15 years. I couldn't afford some of the classics when I was younger and now I don't see the reason for some of them when I can get the accuracy for a lot less. I like vortex scopes now because you walk into scheels and just exchange for a new one vs sending one back to luepold/Nikon. (Convenience) A lot of the former customers are gone(deceased). The exceptional classics might hold but a decent shooter in good shape has a smaller customer base

I have had to sell many items for less than I wanted to sell for.Reality sets in and if you have an item you no longer need,it is better to take a small loss on it than have your old lady give it away when you croak.On the other side as a buyer ,you can usually negotiate a better price for something you crave.I go to a lot of gun shows because once in a while you are that blind squirrel that finds a nut.When I price something I try to leave some wiggle room for negotiating.How ever I don`t like low ballers and don`t give low ball offers that are insulting.I think a good deal is one that both the buyer and seller feel good about.JMHO,Huntz