Ever SOLD a gun at an online auction?

K

Kevinch

New member
I may need to sell a gun or 2 to make up for some of the $$ I have spent on new acquitions lately.

Have any of you ever used the online auctions to sell a firearm?

I'm not looking to make a killing, but maybe get a little more than trade in value. I would post without using a reserve, & I have a good digital camera to take nice pics with.

Can anyone share an experiance or offer advice?

Thanks,

Kevin
 
No, because I like to KNOW the person I'm selling to. I've never had to sell anything before. But, I'd take a little less $ if I knew the person too. It's just a little extra caution.

Ben
 
YES

I ensure I am dealing with an FFL. After the auction ends, I contact them and ask for the FFL number before they send the check and the signed copy of the FFL. You can check the number online at: http://204.254.113.252/

Set the minimum price you are willing to sell the gun for as your starting price. Reserve auctions rarely result in a sale. People use this option to gauge or to see what the gun is worth and don't generally want to sell their items. Often, they don't even have them in stock. They merely put items at near-retail prices for auction banking on the FFL taking as long as the product from their distributor.

Anyhow, http://www.auctionarms.com has a $10 for two week subscribership if you only want to sell two guns. Put them up for a 6 day auction and then another six day auction. Make sure they end on Saturday, Sunday, or an evening time in the EST time zone to get the most exposure.

http://www.gunbroker.com is where I normally sell. They don't have membership fees, just a final selling price fee that is reasonable. It's a little like eBay without the listing fees. These are the two premier sites I know of. Any other questions, just ask.

Be honest about condition and always put a PICTURE with the auction if you can. There are tutorials about how to do this on both of the sites.
 
I have bought and sold several firearms at both Gun Broker and Auction Arms...up until recently, Gun Broker had NO FEE for a basic listing...that has changed, however! I like Gun Broker's format a little better, but I find that I see more and more familiar names--and guns for sale--on Auction Arms now!!! Look into the rules and regs of each site, ask questions...and even consider posting one or more gun on TFL's "For Sale" board...it works, tho' your gun might not move as quickly here as on the auction sites....mikey357
 
Badger has it right. No problem selling on one of the auction sites as long as you check out the FFL on the receiving end; they need to be currently active. Get an ink-signed copy of the FFL before you ship.

Gunbroker's site (http://www.gunbroker.com/user/ToolsForSellers.asp) has a good overview of the process you need to go through to stay legal. And it doesn't hurt to exchange phone numbers with the buyer and talk to him or her about the deal. If you smell a rat . . . 'nuff said.
 
I have been useing on line auction site for a number of years.Mostly ebay and auction arms.I have had good luck on auction arms.Take your precautions as far as FFL dealers go.I do disagree with Badger on reserve auctions.In the past two weeks I have sold 4 firearms on auction arms.Two for a dealer friend and two of mine.I listed in all 6 firearms all with reserves and sold 4.I can't see where reserves stop sales as long the are reasonable.They offer the only form of price protection there is for the seller.
I allso use reserves on ebay.The ones that don't like reserve auctions are normaly the buyer that wants to steal the items.If the buyer will pay a FAIR price he will not mind a reserve auction.
My opinion from long experience.
 
Points taken, Bob, but what is the purpose of a Reserve? At first, I used reserves as a bidder to keep track of auctions I wanted to watch and see how high they would go. Now you can do that with watch lists.

I don't see the point of a reserve. Looking at your auctions, on the Marlin 45, Vlad2000 bid on it twice. It seems he's the only one interested in it right now and he was willing to pay $400. Personally, I'd hold out for a higher price too. Problem is, without a 'price' he doesn't know how much he'll have to pay to get it. At this point, he's the high bidder and MIGHT pay your reserve if he knew what it was.

BTW, as an aside, can you get me a picture of that gun? Is it the Choate stock? I've been looking for one just like it, believe it or not. The link you have doesn't work.
 
Uhmmm...

After going through a great deal of grief from FFL licensee's in (the socialist state of) Maryland, I looked at the BATF regs on firearm shipping. Almost to a one, the licensee's I asked refused to send a signed copy of their license to a non-licensed seller for fear that the non-licensed seller could copy the license, and with some minor alterations, use it for nefarious purposes.

Originally, I had this really long, convoluted post...Long story short:
go to

http://trac.syr.edu/laws/18USC922.html
http://www.atf.tres.gov/firearms

Read the facts for yourself about firearm transfers. There is a great deal of incorrect info out there.
 
badger;
All of the people that have puchased any of the firearms that i have up have emailed me for the reserve price.I cheerfully give it to them.This is the norm it seems.The only point about reserves that I am trying to make is that I really hate to start a gun worth 1000.00 at 500 with no reserve.I will end up with a lowball bid and then I am out a lot of money.If I start it at a 1000.00 it seems no person wants to bid.I think a lot of it is pyhclogical(sp).I can't give any reasons for it other then that and it works for me.
Some people hate the reserve and some don't mind it but I have to use it to cover my a**.
 
As an individual, I never insist on a "signed" copy of an FFL, but do verify the license is valid and only ship to the "licensed premises" address as shown on the license.
 
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