Custom Gun prices

S

sfwusc

New member
Why do people on Armslist when trying to sell a custom gun think they are going to get all their money back out of it?

You make an offer on a fair price for a factory gun....they say you are low balling them.

Do people really get their money back out of all these custom jobs? I mean I am going to take it back to factory settings more than likely.
 
I think if you're going to take the gun back to factory settings, you are probably looking in the wrong place with custom guns. They probably don't expect to get everything back, but they also aren't going to let it go for the same price that a factory used gun would be sold at and for good reason.

Edited to add:
The exception being historic firearms or crappy home gunsmithing jobs. Sporterized milsurp and altered collectible pieces will plummit in value, and no one wants a gun that won't even function anymore because of crappy gunsmithing.
 
Last edited:
Ahh, I looked at this thread because I was actually curious to see a discussion on custom gun prices. But you mean CUSTOMIZED guns.

I assume you are talking about rifles with replacement stocks, mag pul laden AR's, etc. If you start checking prices on gun accessories it would be crazy not to ask for more money when selling them. Although, when it comes to toys (boats, ATVs, guns, etc) many people don't seem to understand what used means. In the past, I've made offers to people on armslist with ads like you mention, most are reasonable and just set it as a starting point. Others have become insulted, tried to justify the price, and sent links to sites like midway, which clearly show a MINOR price difference between the new item and their price, lol.

Edit--I would definitly say that a true custom gun IS worth more than the sum of its parts. Even if i bought all the parts from Brownells; Surgeon action, Jewell trigger, etc and put it together myself, would it compare to a complete custom rifle from Surgeon? NO WAY. The quality of workmanship and the experience and skill of a reputable builder is worth far more than the best components!
 
Last edited:
I am not talking about custom builds.

Just mostly factory guns and they want 95% of their money back (including the upgrades). So the gun is more than new.


First it is used. Second, no one is going to want those exact upgrades.

Most places don't give people much value for scopes on rifles (aka pawn shops).

Yet people put a 50 dollar scope on the used rifle and think they should get nib prices if they each the cost of the scope.
 
Are you new to Armslist?

A whole lot of crap can be filtered out of your day if you simply avoid Armslist as if it doesn't exist. :)
 
In the marketplace, the value of something is what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller for it. It's that simple and that complicated.

So whenever buying or selling anything (guns, furniture, cars, art, books, etc.) in any secondary market, there is always likely to be some kind of dance between the buyer and seller -- the buyer will want to pay as little as he can, while the seller wants to get as much as he can. All of the is fairly obvious, but sometimes when it takes place in the real world it is sometimes not a very pretty sight.

And of course, when discussing "custom" guns, there are a great many variables:

  1. A lot of folks, especially when they come to sell their prized custom blaster, can have an exaggerated idea of its value.

  2. But the fact is that there are custom guns and there are custom guns, and not all are equal.

  3. Sometimes people see the prices realized for a gun built Armsnd Swenson or Jim Clark or Wayne Novak and figure their prize gun built by the guy down the street should be worth the same.

  4. But the reality is if a custom guns built by certain well known gunsmiths, when the provenance can be documented, some people will pay some pretty fancy prices for them -- because in some circles those guns will have a special, high, perceive value.

  5. And that is the way it is in any secondary market. Some things fetch premium prices because of who made them or because of the vagaries of fashion, while similar things are just old goods which no one will pay much for.
 
The more renowned the smith the easier to sell

It might even add to bluebook value, but pretty safe to say-you will never get out of a gun what you put into it.
Always exceptions, but usually pretty spot on.
 
Of course if you actually had Armand Swenson build you a gun, you paid him in 1970s dollars. If you sell it today, you get 2014 dollars -- there might be more of those.
 
Unless by a top known builder, I don't think you get your money out, even if the work is excellent. I guess we've all seen the crude bubba "customs" at ridiculous asking prices. Those sellers seem to actually believe that since it is "custom", it really is worth the prices they've seen asked for quality customs by top builders. I guess it's kinda like the money spent restoring muscle cars, etc. A friend that bought an old '60s car and had all the restoration and custom work done, told me to buy a car already done, becuse the owner never gets all their money back out of them. He jokingly told me he'd spent his kid's inheritance doing his ;-).

As far as stock guns, I'd sure like to buy a new gun, use it for weeks/months/years then get all my money, or more, back out of it. Sad to say that, with very rare exception, it hasn't worked out that way for me...ymmv
 
rock185 said:
Unless by a top known builder, I don't think you get your money out, even if the work is excellent....
Click to expand...
And candidly I'm not going to buy a custom or modified gun at any price if (1) I don't know exactly what was done; (2) I don't know for sure who did the work; and (3) I don't have good reason to know that the guy who did the work is a first class gunsmith/craftsman. I want to see things like invoices/build sheets as well as the smith's mark on the gun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top