Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Soft market for used guns?

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Perhaps. I, too, am trying to take advantage of it but I'm not having much success. I'm not seeing the kind of stuff I want to buy available at "reasonable" prices yet. Some of it is stuff I once owned, bought new, and the now used selling prices are 2x to 4x what the stuff cost me new in box less than 20 years ago. I figure it is like the a-holes that bought up .22 ammo to sell at scalper prices. I'm not here to rescue someone from their foolish purchase any more than they are here to rescue me from some past foolish sale. Nope, when the price finally comes down to a level reflective of the value the thing has to me, then I'll pay that. If it never does, it never does, they can keep it.

Tom

Right now is the time to buy!

If Trump is re-elected, gun’s will get even softer.

I’ll take a soft market, vs Pocahontas or Mayor Pete in the Oval.

DF

I'll state a sad fact, younger people are not getting into the shooting sports or hunting. When I was a youngster all the kids in my school hunted with the exception of a few, now no kids hunt with the exception of a few. Shooters in competitive events tend to be middle aged. I've noticed the number of shooters dwindle in trap and sheet shooting. While competing at a AKC dog trial last week we saw no younger owners or handlers, average age was 45 to 50 years old. I suppose that the high cost of these sports is partly to blame, but not entirely. This is just and observation from my area, but I suspect it is a trend. I try to get kids out hunting and shooting, but most have no interest or their parents are opposed. Hunting and shooting are just not PC with the younger generation, so demand for firearms has dropped along with prices. I've sold off a few firearms in the past year, but they are replaced with others I'm interested in at the time, I usually loose money to move them, but it is the cost of my hobby.

I have been concerned about this trend for awhile. Just my $.02

I was looking at a Savage 99 in 243, the newer C model. 775$. I thought it was a fair price. Hopefully the guy still has it.

Amen.........

What he said. ^^^^

Lol. Yeah those SxS shotguns sell themselves dont they? I'd love to know where the place is that people will pay good money for these guns because I sure haven't found it

Gunbroker is an example of nothing. It's just a bunch of sellers fishing for suckers

I would largely agree, with the exception of no reserve auctions. I think that completed no (or low) reserve auctions are one of the best current measures of what things are actually selling for.
The remainder of sky high listings are pipe dreams looking for smokers...

Penny starts are the real gauge on Gunbroker.

Yes. I said no reserve but this is more correct, as plenty of the “no reserve” auctions have exceedingly high “starting” bids.

Ive been seeing a fair amount of customized Springfield 03 rifles for sale lately, a couple of them had really nice walnut stocks on them. Nobody seems to be interested in these anymore either.

I've had pretty much zero success with advertsing stuff locally, and GB sales entail a long drive to a UPS CSS, so I've sold a couple on GB through a dealer that handles everything, at a price of course. They went to a 20% commission, so that's out now. I'm beginning to think using them as Christmas and birthday presents may be the way to go.🤔

Again, as I suggested earlier, it depends on finding the right market.

Yes, the market for "classic" guns is shrinking, but not as much as many here believe. There's still a major market for top-grade classics--which does NOT mean the basic pre-'64 Model 70 .30-06, or a basic Model 12 shotgun or Model 94. That's obviously because the guys who believe XYZ factory gun, made back when they were young, was absolutely the best in the world, are dying off.

But there is still a market for top-grade side-by-side shotguns, and GOOD custom rifles--whether older walnut-stocked models or today's top synthetic-stocked accuracy models.

But most Campfire members buy rifles and shotguns that don't cost much more than $500--or scopes, for that matter. That's because the average Campfire member is looking for a bargain--and in his 60's.

"Asking" prices on other Internet sites are just that, asking rather than selling. Dunno why some get upset at that--it's one of the basic principles of capitalism. But when I want to sell something, the asking price is pretty reasonable--because I actually WANT to sell it.

Gunbroker--and similar sites--remind me of the older guys (some even older than me) at local gun shows, who keep bringing the same pre-'64 Winchesters (or other "classic" guns) with the same price-tags they've had on 'em for years. They don't really want to sell them. Instead they want to show 'em off, and bullshit with the other old farts.

Gunbroker--and similar sites--remind me of the older guys (some even older than me) at local gun shows, who keep bringing the same pre-'64 Winchesters (or other "classic" guns) with the same price-tags they've had on 'em for years. They don't really want to sell them. Instead they want to show 'em off, and bullshit with the other old farts.
Hey,I resemble that!!!

I have talked to a few guys that have picked up pre64 M70s in 270 and 30-06 in the last year or two for 400-500 price range. Not safe queens and not junk either, just used and good condition.

Mr. Phil,

I totally agree with you on the military weapons. I have several that I bought not too many years ago from Aim Surplus that are being offered on GA and GI for a lot of money. I still get the urge to buy every "sporterized" Krag I see and I'm on the back side of 70 and don't even hunt any more.