Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire For those that worked in a local gun store

Our local shops used to consign for 10%. Lately some have moved up to 20%. Or you can go to cabelas and wait hours for them to offer you $75 fir your new in the box 700 adl 7mm-08 youth thats just like the one they have one their used rack for $799. Probably worth $300 but they want to give you $75 and try to get $800.

Bb

That's a tough deal. I've done that before and the widow thought her husband was a real gun enthusiast, and he did have a couple of nice guns, but many were just old guns he's probably had for 30-40 years, that I suggested she pass on to the grandkids. Not what she wanted to hear but I wanted to shoot straight with her.

I used to know a guy who worked for Cabelas gun shop (The Library) and he said they gave 70% of blue book. I'm not sure if that's the case. The market is pretty strong on handguns right now, so if there's any way I'd try to get her to sell them or pay for a table at the next gun show and you go and sell them for her. I think it's proper to have her go with, to make the final decision so she knows what all goes into the process. Anything sells at the right price, but you can pack guns back and forth to the car and the gun show if the prices aren't market. Part of that is just dealing with people.

I would also be interested in the list. A good way to sell them easy is a contact with the local gun range or Oregon Hunters Association or Friends of NRA comittee. They can email out to their group of.membera . Its a good way of getting it in front of the right people

Not the right time of the year for it, but a flyer listing the guns with a phone number tacked up at the local rifle range can sell guns, if the range allows it.

Hell she could probably list them on the classifieds here and move them if she's willing to fool with shipping to FFLs.

Around here, consignment will cost you 20%

Even more reason. Why waste her time and expose her to that insult? Like I said.

You're not "helping", if you're telling him to go to the gun shop and sell it.

There's no reason to send her down there in the first place. Period.

I worked for a local gun store in the 90’s; the Owner’s policy was to pay 80% of his estimated sale price. It was a good policy, it took the local market preferences in to account, allowed for price fluctuations for in-demand guns, and left a margin for negotiation (nobody paid tag price on a used gun). I want to think the consignment margin was 15%, but I can’t remember.

I used to own part of a shop - depending on the gun - we'd offer $100 less than we thought we'd make off it. Small shop, successful, but not enough to live off. My 2 "partners" were' retired and had the time.

A widow, her daughter, and grand daughter brought in a bunch of guns after grand pa died - some treasures, some junk. She wanted to move them all.

Took the time to appraise each and made her an offer, I personally bought a rifle (for me - not the shop - paid for with my $$ ridiculously low, She know I'd appreciate and care for the gun, not just sell it and send it down the road.

It was interesting how many of the same guns rotate through a shop - especialy a small shop in a small town, and the same serial #'s return....

A dear friend died a couple years ago and the family had far too many rifles to sell off.
We took them to the local gun shop that sold them on consignment and the shop kept 20%.
At first it seemed a bit high but he marketed them online and got top dollar for them, handled them shipped them and they were insured while being in his care.

What's you're rifle worth minus 20%?

The biggest used gun dealer around here offers 60% of retail if buying outright, and 66% on trade.

A LGS might be offering more these days as guns are selling pretty quick and they are looking for inventory, since new guns are hard to get. IMO this is the time to sell. LGS don't make much on new gun sales, it's the used guns and ammo where they make their money. I would expect that they'll want to make 30% at least on used guns. Find out the "blue book value" and if you can get 70% of that from the LGS, you've done real well. In times when the market is not as hot as it is right now, 50-60% of blue book is the most likely. If the LGS doesn't have much in their racks and you have nice conditioned desirable firearms, you can do ok for some quick cash and avoid the hassles. Whether selling thru Gunbroker, auction houses, or LGS, they are all going to take a cut.

I've never seen a bargain gun at one of the pawn shops around Ft. Campbell. Especially these days. They'll rip the guy off who brings a gun in, and then turn around and rip the one off who eventually buys it.

As far as local gun shops go, there is one that I know of that would typically operate in 10-20% profit on guns they bought to resell and on consignment sales.

50 to 60 percent

30 cents on the dollar. As I was told years ago, but that was Scheels.

I just wish that everybody who thinks stores "rip people off" would go for the easy bucks and open a store themselves.

I have not worked in one for 20 years but even though the prices have changed, the business of business has not. Every day a gun sits in inventory, the store still has to pay out money for rent or mortgage, salaries, utilities, security service, insurance, bookkeeping, and the ever-growing list of taxes. Every cent of that has to be paid out of the "margin" between buying and selling a gun. Notice that I did not add "profit" to the list - because after that list of costs, there often isn't any.

Run of the mill gun shops usually give 30% on run of the mill guns.

20% on consignment is a fair deal if you have a local gun shop you can trust.
Pawn shops are outta the question, they are use to a much higher profit margin, nothing wrong with it, just the nature of their business. I'd be surprised if a pawn shop would offer more than 40 to 50 percent of the value on a bulk purchase.

Consignment is the way to go, if a gun store owner has to purchase and tie up his own funds of course he is going to have to go for a higher profit. I could see looking for 40% profit or more being fair on a purchase.
There might be some quick sale guns in the collection but there is likely a few that might sit on the shelf for a extended time.

How long do you want your funds tied up before you recognize a profit?

This^^^^

Consignment well cost you 15 percent here!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

THIS....exactly