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

I agree, I assumed 'polite' offer was understood. But I routinely make public offers at gun shows, shoots etc., professionals do not 'swell up' and throw a temper tantrum. Offers are done with taste and diplomacy and for consideration.

Have you ever ruffled a car salesman, that ground i love!!!!!!!! Got to know their starting point. Price negotiating is an art, skillfully executed, I can take a low ball offer and politely decline, and have gone on to make a great buy or sale.

Hope you understand, but the gun market is soft now, and not all the lower priced guns are junk. I am sure you can satisfy yourself with holes in paper. Some of the medium to up to $2K can and do surpas some of the older guns ...we like.

I'm not trying to turn this into a political meeting and that's not where I want this to go because it's been a good discussion. The market is soft
right now because we have a republican in the white house and thank God for that. I seen guys back when Obammie was in there buy up tons of .22 ammo and every cheap AR they could get there hands on so they could sell them for mega bucks. It was to the point around here for 5 years or more you couldn't even find a box of .22 ammo on the shelf anywhere. People around here couldn't even take their kids out for a fun day of shooting unless you wanted to pay out the rear for a box of .22 ammo. If you are one of those people and tried to capitalize on it, well you can rot in hell as far as I'm concerned. Yes the market is soft and is where it should be. I don't want to go back to the days of not finding shells, powder and primers non existent. Just my opinion

I will add this though. I did run across a Steyr spoon bolt double trigger .222 the other day and I bought it on sight. I knew I would probably not find another one so it now resides with me. I still paid more than I wanted too but I wanted it. A buyers market is ok by me.

You must be my brother!

I didn’t swell up. The forum member was brand new with zero feedback and it was his first attempt. I thought it was distasteful at best and let him know. I wasn’t upset, I just thought he sucked pretty hard and likely a do nothing. If I said yes, he'd May have faltered. So many on the Georgia based forum do. Anyhow, I get what you’re saying. I’m a salesman by profession. I appreciate a well thought out offer and the negotiating process.

LH rifles are always tough to sell, Ruger has a habit of discontinuing them then suddenly they are gone and what's out there becomes scarce, so an LH should buy when they're available.

But fellow lefties want to still buy them at a discounted price.

Again, I was talking in total specificity (plurality) and not at you directly.

The market is soft...compare to what? To Obama years?

One issue is the nature of what you're trying to sell. The current market for higher end collectibles of any kind is soft right now. I hear complaints from guys who own high quality side by side shotguns, including the higher grades of the classic American guns (L.C. Smith, Parker, Fox, LeFever, Winchester 21) and British and European guns. Older Browning Superposeds too. The very highest grades have an extremely limited supply and there's still a market for them, but ask somebody who bought a Holland and Holland or a Purdey ten years ago how much it has gone up. Not nearly as much as it had in the preceding decade, if at all. Same thing with classic handguns - truly rare and high condition collectibles still sell, everything else lingers.

Right now, at least based on my discussions with lots of local gun dealers, the market seems to be doing well in only a limited number of areas: AR15 clones, high capacity polymer frame handguns and ultra long range rifles. Otherwise stuff comes in and sits on the shelf for a long, long time.

If you are a buyer, have an interest in collecting such things, and have the cash, it really is a great time to buy and hold or use. Just don't expect to be able to retire on the profits when the time comes to sell.

" Just don't expect to be able to retire on the profits when the time comes to sell."
This!!

The market is soft. You also have to factor in that the tides are starting to shift from people who can appreciate the value or perhaps sentiment of something like a New have M70 Classic or JM stamped Marlin to newer shooters or a younger generation where they dont really care. In the age of Glocks and AR15's the appeal and nostalgia of Winchester levers and Colt 1911's are shrinking. Couple that with the guys who do appreciate the classics are starting to sell off their collections as they get older and you get a surplus of what were once hard to get(driving the value up) to a surplus of guns that people are slowly losing interest in(driving prices down). Today manufacturing has made getting a quality firearm more affordable for a cheaper price. Case in point, all my Model 70's say New Haven on them but my kids likely won't care.

D500lnn: In direct refutation of your puzzling contention I refer to you that you review the "For Sale" ad in todays classifieds here!
A "quality item" (that you think do not sell here!) sold in less than ONE HOUR!
For $800.00 (eight hundred dollars!)!
The item was a Remington 700 VSSF Rifle in caliber 220 Swift.
Again that quality item "sold" in less than one hour "here" - I would have bought it had I seen it earlier! Even though I have one exactly like it already.
I have bought numerous items from these classified over the years.
Indeed, not every item listed hereon is "quality" nor are they all priced "correctly" - that is not the "fault" of these classifieds.
I enjoy looking for quality items on this site and BUYING them.
I am way more of a consumer than a "seller" but the several items I have listed for sale here on these classifieds over the years all sold quickly - and I have received nary a complaint while doing so.
If you think these classifieds are a waste of your time then there is a very easy solution to that!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I feel like you’re being a dick and it’s not warranted. I simply started a thread. I’m very proud that you sold your “quality” m700 in under an hour. I love these classified. I’ve bought some great rifles and sold a few as well. Lately, I’ve only post3d for an older friend of mine and nothings seems to be moving. I understand the reasons. I’m simply stating that there are still quality items on here that are sitting longer than they should. Quite frankly, I’m not sure what the fascination is with big green Ti’s, Mountain guides, VSSF or many of the others. The only ones I like are the KS rifles. It’s my opinion and we’re entitled to those. I like the classified and I don’t need a azz hat like you trying to show me the door for a simple thread that was constructive conversation until you showed up. Congrats sir again for selling your 220 Swift in < 1 hour. Very very impressive.

Yesterday, I just bought a Kimber 84 Classic in 308 with 33 rounds fired, Like new condition, proven accurate by original owner (moa or less with his short test of handloads).

Paid $725 shipped and it doesn't have a mark on it. Stock has some pretty nice figure in the buttstock as well.

That was on Accurate shooter.com

It had been posted for 3 hrs and 10 minutes before I said to hell with it and Pm'd the owner/made a deal and posted my public "i'll take it"

If that doesn't prove the market is soft, I don't know what does.

I think it had around 80 views before I bought it...............

Different site, but the accurateshooter classifieds are usually pretty active.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/kimber-84-classic-308-gorgeous-wood.3979212/

Very solid deal. You feel like you stole it😂 if it was any higher, you may not have said the words. Glad you got a nice rifle at a hell of a price!

I just wonder what the h*ll the other 80 or so people that viewed it were waiting for!
I already have a Kimber Classic Select in 308, but I know a STUPID good deal when I see one.

Great time to have a pocket full of cash, that's for sure.

I really think there are just multiple factors in play now. I am not sure the economy is truly as good as we may be being told, some of the young adults have grown up being shown weapons in video games, and that may be what they think they want. Some of these guys and gals were toddlers when USRA went out of business and they have not even a clue or a care about "New Haven Connecticut" or any other classic firearms that aren't being made anymore.

I know for myself, I just don't have a need or a want for anything in a standard caliber right now. I sift through the ads here and a couple of other places a few times a week, and just haven't found anything that is of interest to me lately. I know when I was looking heavily with the intent to buy, price did play a factor. I was not looking to screw anybody out of any money, but if thought it was over priced based on looking at the same rifle on other forums and classified ads, I just wouldn't touch it. I know some guys that try to sell the old toys at a slightly inflated price to cover the costs of the new toys, and I understand the reasoning, but good luck, I won't pay the inflated price.

I think you have to be patient, and just ride it out, you may have lower the price 25 dollars or so to draw interest, pick up the shipping to draw interest. I am just throwing things out there, and I really hope that your items sell. Good luck to y'all, and god bless.

[/quote]

I just wonder what the h*ll the other 80 or so people that viewed it were waiting for!
I already have a Kimber Classic Select in 308, but I know a STUPID good deal when I see one.

Great time to have a pocket full of cash, that's for sure.


[/quote]

😂😂nice man!

d500lnn: Well if there was a "dick" involved in this thread it was you!
That "quality" Rifle was not mine (read more carefully please!) it was some unknown person to me.
Please look up the want ad and pay attention to the time it was posted and the time it was sold - like I suggested to you in rebuttal to your ludicrous contention!
I will repeat, that was a "quality item", which you claim "can't be sold here-on" and yet it sold "here-on" within the hour!
You have been proven wrong and if in your mind anyone who proves you wrong is a "dick" then again, I call YOU out for being "dick #1"!
If nothing good ever happens here on this classified ad section of the Campfire then I must again ask "what in the hell are you doing here"?
I have bought MANY items (guns, scopes, dies, knives, collector ammo and numerous other items off of this "classifieds"!
There are indeed quality items bought AND sold here - I know - I done'em!
And will continue to do so despite your petty attempt at besmirching this cool site!
AND... I am not the only one who must see benefits here-in - this is one of the most popular sections of the campfire - check the user views!
Or would that be to simple?
Again I must ask, nick, if this venue is such a waste of your time why don't you invoke the obvious solution?
You're a schitt stirrer (troll?) and have been proven wrong, and apparently are intent on proving for everyone to see that YOU indeed, are a "dick"!
Enjoy spending your time somewhere else.
I'll be here perusing the classifieds every chance I get.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I’m not proven wrong. There was one items you can bring tot he table. The manner in which you presented your info was in fact much that of a total douche. That’s ok. I can handle folks proving me wrong. You only brought one item to the example table and it was a really great example. Good job. Again you put words in my mouth saying the classified were a drag and not any good. I never said that. Look I’ve got tons of responses regarding the agreement of a soft market. I’m proud for your that your (not actually yours, but one you deem sought after) beloved vssf sold in under an hour. Right buyer, right price, right time. Troll is the farther east thing from myself. You clearly had nothing better to do and decided to in fact stir the pot with your response. No one, not one person had a snide or smartalec comment until you showed up. The Montana guy with Big ideas. Thank you for stepping up to the plate and taking a great big swing to prove you know so much. I’m sure many appreciate your view as do I appreciate you taking a few moments of your life to show us what you know and somehow know my intentions. Bravo sir. I think I’ll just take my things and go home now. You’ve really destroyed my confidence and feelings.......😂😂😂

Most "quality" items are higher priced, which they should be, over lower quality items. Price alone (even if priced below what they are worth) puts them out of a lot of people's range....so they're harder to sell. Someone may recognize it as a great buy, something they'd love to have, but even if they can afford it they decide to hang on to the $2000 rather than purchase the $4000 rifle. They may take the $ and buy a $1500 rifle for $1000 instead....even though the "deal" might not have been as good it was easier for them to palate the cost. For most people $ matters and in a quality firearm put together with quality parts by a quality smith it's simply going to be more expensive. Same holds true for scopes, stocks, knives, etc.