Selling a used gun?

[*Mountainhunter]

While I enjoy the guns I own I don't like keeping them if it isn't at all likely I will be using them.
What percentage reduction of the purchase price should a very nice and very lightly used gun sell for?
I have a Bergara Premier Mountain rifle in 6.5 CM that has likely about 60 range rounds through it. Between rifle and scope I have about $2700 into it not including sales tax.
How much of a reduction is reasonable?

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Well it depends on demand.
I just sold three I have had for years and two were very sought after.
I made a few bucks on one,lost a few hundred on another and lost a bunch on another.
The one I lost the most on had 2500 invested with the ammo and sold it for 1350.
Guns have always been considered a good investment but I disagree.
Yes you can definitely break even or make money if that’s your soul purpose but there no different than watches,coins etc.
I’m always shocked when I see guns on here with 12 bumps to the top.
That’s a sign it’s priced to high.Nobody cares what you paid and everyone is looking for a deal.
There is exceptions.
It’s a hobby so take what you get and get something else you want is my thinking.
In your case maybe you get 18-1900 but I bet it will be 14-1700.
Usually easier to separate and make easier sales.

 

[EastHumboldt]

There’s one person on the planet that cares how much you have invested in something you’re selling. Everybody else wants to get whatever you’re selling at 60% of retail or less. Except maybe your mom. Maybe she cares.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

A rifle is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it on a given day. It’s really a question of how long you are willing to wait to find a buyer.

Most of the people browsing the classified ads on an internet site are tire kickers and lowballers. Same as at any flea market or gun show anywhere in the country.

There’s no magic percentage I am willing to lose. It’s just a matter of “how much cash to buy something else can I get out of this thing I don’t want?” I have a couple of rifles I have tried to sell that are “worth what I wanted for them.” But no one else agreed with that, and for the amount of money other people were willing to pay, I was willing to keep the rifle sitting in my safe.

If I think $600 is a fair price and no one offers more than $350-400 I will keep it. But I’d probably let it go for $500 to a WKR who was also a good poster.

A lot of the time, I have managed to buy a used rifle at what I thought was a fair price and then sell it again for the same price I paid for it. So, I end up losing the sales tax or shipping costs as a “rental fee.” But I am not in the business of trying to make money buying and selling rifles. I am just looking for rifles I think I will like and selling them again if I don’t (or if I find something else I like better).

In your case, I would look at comparable sales (finished auctions, not listings) on GunBroker. Then figure that GunBroker charges fees that add something to the total cost, but add some peace of mind to the buyer. And I would be happy to get whatever the average is for comparable rifles.

If the rifle is tricked out with scope, bipod, custom stock, etc., then I would list one price that is tricked out and one price that is bare bones. Some people like the idea of a working package. Other people won’t want to be upsold on accessories.

 

[ShredLikeRed]

Q_Sertorius nailed it. I hate haggling. I’ll post my stuff for what I want out of it (usually quite below market value). I’m not trying to make a profit out of it. If it sells it sells, if it doesn’t I’m not losing any sleep.

 

[EuroOptic]

While I enjoy the guns I own I don't like keeping them if it isn't at all likely I will be using them.
What percentage reduction of the purchase price should a very nice and very lightly used gun sell for?
I have a Bergara Premier Mountain rifle in 6.5 CM that has likely about 60 range rounds through it. Between rifle and scope I have about $2700 into it not including sales tax.
How much of a reduction is reasonable?

I am a serial buy / sell / trader personally. If im planning on trading/ selling a gun to a FFL and the gun is current production, common pricing is gonna be 20% below dealer cost ; typically 30-40% below retail price.
Older stuff, custom stuff, and one offs are a sellers' market essentially.

Your bergara is a really nice rifle, and it is discontinued.
I would hold onto it for a year or two if you dont need to sell it, wait until the supply runs up on the commerical market and then sell - you'll get more for it.

I always recommend trading rather than selling, you can usually come away with a better deal if you find a local shop that will work with you.
I just recently traded a ruger 77 alaskan bush rifle in 9.3x62 for a S&W 629-1 2.75" 44 magnum
He got a good deal on the 44, real value of it was around $1400 - my rifle was essentially new in box, dealer cost was $900ish. I made out on that trade, and he got a rifle that was a lot easier for him to sell and essentially make the same amount of money off of as he would of off the 44 mag.
Point is, make friend with your local FFL's if you are gonna swap guns around a lot - it pays off

 

[wyosteve]

I sold a few guns when Cabelas was still buying them before Bass Pro took over. The manager was upfront and said he’d offer 70 percent of what they felt they could sell them for. I felt that was fair at the time.

 

[Jbehredt]

I sold a few guns when Cabelas was still buying them before Bass Pro took over. The manager was upfront and said he’d offer 70 percent of what they felt they could sell them for. I felt that was fair at the time.

Ours is still buying. I did well trading off a couple rifles there recently.

 

[Macintosh]

What I see around me is very few recent or current-production used gun items (including guns, scopes, stocks, accessories, etc) “normally” fetch more than 70-75% of street retail. And, very few of the people willing to spend more than that are shopping for a package deal. If you want top-dollar you almost have to split it up, and even then you’re very lucky to get 75%.

 

[Jack321]

I sold a few guns when Cabelas was still buying them before Bass Pro took over. The manager was upfront and said he’d offer 70 percent of what they felt they could sell them for. I felt that was fair at the time.

When I worked for one of the "Big Box/Big Three" outdoor stores this is exacly what we would do: We would pay 70% of the value.

Before online gun website, I use to love thumbing through Kellys Blue Book of guns to figure out gun values. Usually it was like cars, the gun drops 50% new price once its out the door.

So as an example (and I know it sucks)

Guy comes in with a $1000 rifle and a good used one sells for $700 used. $700 x 0.70 = $490 and we put it on the floor for $700

Essentially $500--so like I said, 50% of the new price.

That also means that if the rifle doesn't move, we can sell it for 10-20% sale and still make 10-20%.

Guns sitting on the shelves cost money. Stores are in the business of making a profit.

Use to LOVE Employee Days where they'd give us an additional 10% off things and guns that were in the store for over 120 days were an additional 10% off!!

We would hide and stash guns in the back away from managers or pull the triggers units! Just to get them to the 120 days BELOW cost!

Oh man! Those were the days!

Had a couple cool managers that would look the other way and see it as a "company perk", and a few times we got busted by the real witchy ones!

Loved every minute of it! Best job I ever had!

 

[RockAndSage]

Depends on who you're selling it to, as others have noted. As a general rule for non-collectible guns, when selling to a retail gun store expect to be offered 50-60% of retail value of the gun's cost new. Much more than that and the math just doesn't work for the realities of running a gun store.

If selling to a private buyer, it's entirely an issue of how much you're willing to haggle, and how long you're willing to wait for the right buyer. The better it's priced the faster it'll move and the less people will try to haggle. A good middle-ground is about 70% of its value.

 

[jayhawk]

Two questions you must always ask:
“Did a Democrat just win the presidency?”, and
“Is it COVID?”

If the answer is “yes” to either of those questions: you can sell your used guns and ammo for 50% above MSRP because people want something to defend their homes with when neighbors come to steal their toilet paper.

 

[Baddog]

Two questions you must always ask:
“Did a Democrat just win the presidency?”, and
“Is it COVID?”

If the answer is “yes” to either of those questions: you can sell your used guns and ammo for 50% above MSRP because people want something to defend their homes with when neighbors come to steal their toilet paper.

This. I’d hold until after the next presidential election if you are in no hurry to sell.

 

[Boarmaster]

On higher dollar setups I suggest separating the scope from the rifle and selling separately.
On $400 rifle with a $100 scope it doesn’t make much difference. Most that will be interested in a higher value rifle will have their own idea for a scope. Easier to find someone looking for a particular rifle or a particular scope than both combined.
Theres always someone out there willing but used and save a bit but how much is a pretty good guess.

 

[Blurry1]

on the occasions I have offloaded a gun I almost always go to one of my local shops that does consignment. They will typically take 20-40% from the sale price depending on the shop. Find the shop that takes 20% and be done with haggling, shipping etc.

 

[Steve300xcw]

The few I've sold, be it online or in person. Quick peek around gunbroker an such to get a ballpark price and go from there.

I prefer trading when possible though.

Blue book always cracked me up

 

[RockAndSage]

The few I've sold, be it online or in person. Quick peek around gunbroker an such to get a ballpark price and go from there.

I prefer trading when possible though.

Blue book always cracked me up

Similar, seems Blue Book was better for an insurance quote or replacement cost estimates, and was hit or miss on what market value actually was.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Even on trucks its a joke IMO