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

Back to the original post, the question is about quality items, not vanilla, everyday stuff...

FWIW - My experience here tells me two things:

items that are priced to sell get bought here quickly.

people generally think their rifles are worth more than they really are.

Recently listed a set of Meopta MeoPro 10x42HD binos; they were brand new in box replacements for a damaged pair. Priced them 10% below best online price and they sold in 2 hours and buyer and seller were satisfied. Optics do pretty well because the quality manufacturers will honor warranty on just about anything; not much risk to the buyer.

Spot on

That's the case with most everything, not just rifles. But I know my stuff is worth a lot, and yours? not so much...

Yes...and thanks for the sweet deal!

I think this is a good discussion. What does one think about selling hunting rifles at certain times of the year? I buy something I want any time I see it. Do you think there is any credence in selling a rifle closer to hunting season?

I personally have had great luck selling my items on these sites like this. I sold a whole bunch of stuff recently. Small dollar odds and ends. I do currently have a couple scopes at I think very fair prices, but no takers. When I saw a similar scope in gloss in lesser condition sell for what I’m asking. I guess it’s a timing thing....as in everything in life.

Trade in a gun at a gun store and you can expect to get 70-75% of the retail price of a new one, unless you have a very unusual, rare or special run of something.

Here, sellers expect to get 110% of the new price, I guess because 'they' owned it makes it special.

I bought some good rifles on here at good prices, every now and then you will see items priced to sell quickly. They do go fast. I’ve sold a lot of miscellaneous items that I could never have sold anywhere else. I’m thankful for the classifieds. I enjoy looking also.

100%

I think this is exaggerated just a wee bit. Maybe if folks are selling savage or the ilk.......I don’t even stop at those

Right before the election is a great time to sell

Make that more like 40% of MSRP at a gunstore or pawn shop.

ya!

GWB

Buy high sell low. Always worked for me

I find decent deals on quality gear here pretty often.

Rokslide on the other hand rarely has stuff priced any better than 5% or maybe 10% at most below the new price. Those guys are a bunch of tight asses.

A lot of good points made here. I think this is one of the better Classified Forum's to buy and sell because of the audience. As previously stated though a posting may get buried fast not to be seen.

One of the major factors is the aging of gun collectors and hunters. Go to a gun show and most collectors are gray-haired (including me.) The taste of rifles, optics, gear has changed and we have more guns, ammo, gear being produced right now. As the aging collectors or their widows try to get rid of their collection they are just dumping more on the market and causes lower prices. I had a friend who helped a widow of his friend sell off his guns and ammo. It took about three years to get rid of everything and at some pretty heavy discounts.

It’s a buyer’s market right now for sure. The classifieds here have always been a goldmine for me personally when I have money to spend. I can normally find what I want at prices I’m happy with. I like dealing with people here much better than gunbroker or gunshows. Love they guys at my local gun store but I can generally find guns significantly cheaper online and just have them transferred at the lgs, I pay a transfer fee of $25 each time and will generally buy other stuff from them to help keep their doors open.

I like and use the classifieds her a lot. High end stuff limits the market, the higher end the product is the less people are going to be in that market. That is the way it is for everything. Why do You think ford and chevy sell more cars than Mercedes.

I'll be 68 this year.

I am a "junk man" at heart.

I've been buying, selling and accumulating stuff for 40 years +.

My kids are doing great and only one of them hunts and he's making more money than he can throw away and in his mid 30's has more guns than I do.

So in the future, I'm gonna get rid of some "stuff".

I can't think of anyone I'd rather have some of my "stuff" than some of the fine folks that post here.

It's hard to lose by making a profit, but on the other hand, nothing in life is free. Time and money. I don't know about y'all, but if I take my wife and kids out to dinner at a nice, or even nicer restaurant, I can spend anywhere from $100 to $1K, depending on where I go, and that experience only lasts a couple hours other than in my memory. If I've owned a knife, pistol gun or scope for years and have had the pleasure of using it, and sell it for a sum that is less than what I paid to acquire it, I consider that cheap entertainment.

Years ago I made my living for a time as a commercial real estate appraiser.

IIRC the definition of market value went something like this.........

Market value is the most probable price that a property (item or commodity) should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus. Implicit in this definition is the consummation of a sale as of a specified date and the passing of title from seller to buyer under conditions whereby:

buyer and seller are typically motivated;

both parties are well informed or well advised, and each acting in what he or she considers his/her own best interest;

a reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market;

payment is made in terms of cash in U.S. dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and

the price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale.

Hard to beat the market!

ya!

GWB

Gotta call BS, GW.
You have posted too many pictures to claim to be a junkman.


Your last line sums up my thoughts reading this thread.

I think people like to base their prices on the highest number seen.
If it was $1k in the O-years, they want $1k.....+.

The market has moved the other way, and people don't want to adjust.


I have RRA AR I bought before O got nominated, over the next 8 years I could
have made some good money on it. Today, it's a loser.
That's how markets move.

Yessir right on the money