Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire When You're Putting a Rifle Up For Auction, Include the Scope or No?

Sell them separately. You'll get a lot more money that way. If its a good scope and you still have the box (that's a bonus), sell it on ebay. You'd be surprised what you can get out of a good used scope on ebay. Just be sure its a good scope.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Without a doubt THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To sell the rifle with the scope, you are assuming 2 things. First, they want that scope (which with all the scopes on the market, it would be a real fluke if that was the one they wanted.
Second, You are assuming they don't have extra scopes to put on their new rifle if they get it. Which I highly doubt. I know very few people who don't have extra scopes and even if they do, the one they want to use, for that particular rifle, they may need to buy anyway.

This come from strictly a buyer:

I have never bought a rifle for the scope. However, I have bought a rifle because it was scoped. Sometimes it's hard to tell if a firearm has been properly D&T'd. If there's a scope on it, there's a better chance that it can be made to wear my scope without any fuss. If the rifle is a model that went through its whole mfg history being D&T'd at the factory, this is not a problem. That is not always the case.

I also would not be put off by a notice "Scope and Rings Not Included" in the description.

I have bought a rifle for the scope.
Rem. M7 with a 3x9 vari x-II, at a farm auction.
Looked at guns, no interest in a 243.

When they got to $200 looking for 1st bid, I did to make it move.
Had been looking to buy that exact scope, $240 at the time, so when it stopped
at $325, I jumped on it, came home at $365.
Got my scope, and a M7 that only cost $125.

19 years later, that scope has never been off the rifle. A Campfire member
gave me a youth stock for it, and for the last 4 years my oldest daughter has hunted it.
This year, the youngest Wil.

Anyway, I'm in the separate it camp. The best buys on used guns usually are packages.

When I had my shop used rifles were put on the rack the same way they came from the factory. Scopes, mounts, slings and other accessories were removed for separate sale.

If not in a hurry, maybe run two auctions... one with the scope... and one afterwards without.

Sometimes it is very nice to get a G2G package... especially when the glass is top shelf.

My CZ550 (9,3 Mauser) comes to mind... she is set-up and G2G with a nice Kahles

If no takers for fair money, strip her down and sell separate.

That kinda thing.

I never do... Rifle only, scope only...

Finding someone that likes your scope and rifle combination is much harder than finding a buyer for either one alone. When I sell the bases and rings go with the rifle, but not the scope.

Great advice. Glad I posted this.

Bases and rings will be included, but scope will be sold on eBay.

Sell it in the Classifieds here which are free. Why pay eBay's fee?

I sold them as a pair once (a nice combo, scope no longer made).

I regret it and trying to buy the scope back.

Now I only sell that way if the scope is something I know darn well I am not going to use again, or if it wouldn't sell for much on its own. I wouldn't sell a rifle with a premium scope sitting on top.

^^^^

In general, you will probably get more for them separately, but there are always exceptions. I think an older rifle that has been drilled and tapped for a vintage mount will be worth a lot more if they are together than separate. It really hurts the value of a rifle if there are some big ugly holes in it. Same with holes drilled and tapped for a receiver sight.

Also if the mounts are very unusual I think it is a mistake to spit them up. I saw a very fancy Sako at a gun show long ago with a unique claw mount with engraving on it, but no rings or scope. The seller didn't have them and it probably cut the value of the rifle by at least 50%.

Jerry

I’m glad that this thread was started. I may start eliminating several firearms, and was going a sell as a package deal.....apparently that is not the “smart” way! Thanks! memtb

I always remove a quality scope before selling a rifle. In my 40+ years of gun buying, I've only once bought a gun because of the scope on it. That was a Winchester Hi-wall in .219 Zipper Improved that had a Redfield 3200 mounted on it. The rifle was advertised as a Lo-wall and I didn't look carefully, because I wanted the scope and the price was such that the rifle ended up costing me about $150 after the value of the scope was deducted. I'd planned to part the rifle out (a Lo-wall isn't really a good action for a cartridge as hot as a .219 Zipper Improved) and I only realized the seller's mistake (and mine) after getting the rifle home. Turned out that the rifle was a custom job by J.W. Van Patten, a fairly well known custom rifle smith from northeastern Pennsylvania who was active in the last half of the 20th century. Only real steal I've ever gotten in a gun deal.

Since we're beating on this subject a bit, another reason to remove the scope is that it could kill a potential sale.

A person might want the rifle but not the particular scope that's on it. Rather than pay "extra" for the scope they will look elsewhere.

One of the very few times the fire is in damn near total agreement...

If it's a Leupold, I tend to just leave it on there. Kidding, just kidding.

Us minons.
Will never be told or given the chance to buy the scope or rifle????



What the fugg is it TRH?????

Gawd......

LOL!!!

You can't afford it 😄