In a rush, I have a local shop that pays about 70-80% of market value.
They also consign at, I believe, a 20% fee. But I haven't done that.
Best I've seen from any gun shop. So, I am lucky to have that option; but I know that not everyone can find a shop like that.
Check around.
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Gunbroker will get you good value *if* it is listed well, you include many *good* photos, describe it well, shipping is as low as you can reasonably get it*, you pay for a "featured" listing, and it is a model that people are actually buying. If it is a desirable model, a long listing (2 weeks, minimum) and penny starting bid will get the most interest and a higher closing price. It feels terrible to know that the item could sell for pennies, but that just doesn't happen unless it is not a desirable item and/or it is listed badly.
Some things go through periods of low sales and just don't move on gunbroker or other marketplaces - especially C&R stuff. For example, trapdoor Springfields are down right now. No one is quite sure why, but they are not moving and the average sale price is below pre-covid levels. Penny starting bid, bad photos, high shipping cost, and a short listing time would be an absolutely stupid thing to do with a trapdoor Springfield right now.
*With gunbroker, remember that shipping is something that many regular users (especially the younger crowd) check before even looking at the photos. $100 shipping on a handgun is an instant rejection, unless a rare and desirable collector's piece. $80+ shipping on a rifle might be a little easier to swallow, but it is still a turnoff for regulars. Try to keep it as low as possible - generally under $50, and even lower for handguns.
Photos, photos, photos. Good photos. People will buy a rifle with more damage and the same or higher price, but well documented in good photos, before a rifle with one mediocre photo but a description that says, "barely used, not a scratch on it".
'Does that mean there are no scratches, but the bore is a sewer pipe?...
And why is he only showing one side of the rifle?...'
And keep in mind that unless you use a dealer to ship everything, you're going to have to send a copy of your ID with each of the firearms. So, it may or may not be worth the risk of identity theft, or the cost of masking yourself behind an FFL, depending upon your personal risk level and the FFL's fee for such.
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Normally, I end up not getting top dollar, because I sell to friends and family more than anyone else.
But online forums and gun groups can be good places to move niche items or seemingly common items that are desirable, for whatever reason, to a group of highly focused idiots collectors.
Those highly focused idiots collectors have allowed me to obtain some very rare or common-with-very-rare options or factory modifications, though. Cuts both ways.
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Re: the link to the other discussion
LSB gets top dollar on gunbroker, due to their reputation and exposure.
But you don't see all of that, because they have to take their commission. They make it easy for you and will get you likely the highest return possible from a consignment auction. But your return could still be lower than if you sold the items yourself.
Check the numbers and see how it works out.
