Need help with Auction arm & GunBroker.com
- Thread starter corv
- Start date
George in NePa
New member
Not sure I understand...
What exactly do you want to know? How to get one cheap? Keep checking the auctions, maybe you'll get lucky. OR, contact one of the many dealers on the auction sites, tell them what you want, at what price you're interested. Maybe they have one for sale and you can bargin with them prior to them posting it for sale. I've bought and sold on gunbroker, sometimes people pay far more than an item is worth, just to win an auction.
What exactly do you want to know? How to get one cheap? Keep checking the auctions, maybe you'll get lucky. OR, contact one of the many dealers on the auction sites, tell them what you want, at what price you're interested. Maybe they have one for sale and you can bargin with them prior to them posting it for sale. I've bought and sold on gunbroker, sometimes people pay far more than an item is worth, just to win an auction.
Some of the biding does get carried away. Even ammo componets have high going prices on these 2 sites. I find that e-bay (even though they do not list firearms) had much better opening bids and reserves and final bids on reloading gear and componets with one noticible exception ........ Lee lead production pots! It may be as Geroge said in his previous post people may bid just to win the auction but I always see USED Lee bullet casting pots go for way more than a new one costs from Midway and thats NOT including the shipping which is free at Midway!
I think most of these gun auction sites are a joke. Case in point: Reserve Auctions. The only purpose in these over a basic style auction is to get the price as high as possible. Look at the starting price the sellers post. It is usually much, much lower than their reserve price. I've seen starting prices listed as $5 for a $1000 item. So, you'll get in several bids, and none of them will meet the reserve price, and the auction won't go through, and the item doesn't get sold. Or, by setting a reserve price (which from what I've seen, is almost always right at what I would consider a good retail price), the seller plays on hype and the impulse buying mentality to get people to post a bid just a little higher than the last one in the hopes of securing the winning bid. I guess for a lot of folks, it becomes a game they want to win, and each bid higher than their own is probably somewhat of an insult, so they bid higher. I have a different take. I basically hate these types of auctions. I consider the attempt to sucker me into paying more for something than its worth to be an insult to my intelligence. The basic style auction is a little better, because the seller lists the minimum price they are willing to accept, so you don't waste your time bidding on something, only to find out a minute later that "The Reserve Price has not been met". Whatever.
And, yes, I understand perfectly that the purpose of an auction is to maximize the seller's take, and I am not saying they should not have Reserve Auctions, just that I think most folks that bid on these are suckers. Let me put it this way, I peruse the auction site rarely to look for hard to find guns, and sometimes visit an ongoing auction or two just to gauge what the prices are for easy-to-find items. In only about 5% of the auctions that I see do the final bid prices come in at or below well-priced retail values. The rest are higher, often much higher.
IMO, the best plae to find guns for sale are classifieds, like http://www.gunsamerica.com. People post the prices they want, and you contact them if you interested. Its that simple. If they don't get any takers, they either decide to to lower the price or keep the gun. I've purchased one gun off GunsAmerica this way, and very pleased with the process. Did I get a steal? No. Did I get ripped off? No. I paid a fair price, and am happy that both the seller and I mutually benefitted from the process.
rock
And, yes, I understand perfectly that the purpose of an auction is to maximize the seller's take, and I am not saying they should not have Reserve Auctions, just that I think most folks that bid on these are suckers. Let me put it this way, I peruse the auction site rarely to look for hard to find guns, and sometimes visit an ongoing auction or two just to gauge what the prices are for easy-to-find items. In only about 5% of the auctions that I see do the final bid prices come in at or below well-priced retail values. The rest are higher, often much higher.
IMO, the best plae to find guns for sale are classifieds, like http://www.gunsamerica.com. People post the prices they want, and you contact them if you interested. Its that simple. If they don't get any takers, they either decide to to lower the price or keep the gun. I've purchased one gun off GunsAmerica this way, and very pleased with the process. Did I get a steal? No. Did I get ripped off? No. I paid a fair price, and am happy that both the seller and I mutually benefitted from the process.
rock
I just purchased an IMI semi-auto UZI from gunsamerica. It was listed in like new condition though I would consider it very good. The gun came equipped with 9 mm and .45 ACP barrels, bolts, and magazine. Of course, until I actually fire it and test its reliability, I reserve judgment. But, I agree that it's a great site where you look into whatever you may be interested and you either accept the price or look elsewhere.
I've used GunsAmerica on several occasions - it's great if you collect guns that aren't popular in your geographic location.
I contact the seller directly, and use Postal Orders for payment (that way it's a federal beef if they welsh on the deal). They ship to my local FFL, who charges a flat rate since I'm a member of a local club.
It's also a good place to shop for items like magazines, etc.
Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC
I contact the seller directly, and use Postal Orders for payment (that way it's a federal beef if they welsh on the deal). They ship to my local FFL, who charges a flat rate since I'm a member of a local club.
It's also a good place to shop for items like magazines, etc.
Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC
LightningLink
New member
Here's a tip for bidding on AuctionArms and GunBroker: Bid the most you are willing to pay, and then don't look back. The auction will take from your maximum bid only what it needs to beat the current bit amount. The proxy bidding service will automatically outbid anyone that beats your lowest bid, up to the limit you set.
I once got in a bidding war over a used Beretta 84 magazine (hard to find). They average around $50 depending on condition. Well this auction got out of hand and was damn near close to $80. By the time I snapped out of it, I was about to be proud owner of an overpriced magazine. Lucky for me, the other guy put in one last bid and he got stuck. Again, figure out up front what it's worth to you, and bid that amount only. Since I've started this new method, I haven't won a single Beretta mag auction yet. BUT, instead I have found a couple great deals at the gun shows that made the wait worth it.
LL
I once got in a bidding war over a used Beretta 84 magazine (hard to find). They average around $50 depending on condition. Well this auction got out of hand and was damn near close to $80. By the time I snapped out of it, I was about to be proud owner of an overpriced magazine. Lucky for me, the other guy put in one last bid and he got stuck. Again, figure out up front what it's worth to you, and bid that amount only. Since I've started this new method, I haven't won a single Beretta mag auction yet. BUT, instead I have found a couple great deals at the gun shows that made the wait worth it.
LL
Badger Arms
New member
Bid your max and don't look back.
That's good advice. I'll add that you have to be creative a bit. If you get in Early on the auction, bid, say, $101 instead of $100. If the auction goes to $100, you will have the winning bid by $100. The bid increment is usually high enough that the other bidders will have to go $5 higher to win.
Be careful of different types of sellers. One is the 'volume' seller who lists hundreds of products at near-retail prices hoping to get one or two suckers. Another type lists a few guns at over retail prices over and over again. The kind I hate most are those who put retail reserves on their products and a super-low selling price. I hate reserve auctions in general. For the most part, I bid on basic auctions that I've got a reasonable chance of winning.
That's good advice. I'll add that you have to be creative a bit. If you get in Early on the auction, bid, say, $101 instead of $100. If the auction goes to $100, you will have the winning bid by $100. The bid increment is usually high enough that the other bidders will have to go $5 higher to win.
Be careful of different types of sellers. One is the 'volume' seller who lists hundreds of products at near-retail prices hoping to get one or two suckers. Another type lists a few guns at over retail prices over and over again. The kind I hate most are those who put retail reserves on their products and a super-low selling price. I hate reserve auctions in general. For the most part, I bid on basic auctions that I've got a reasonable chance of winning.
I'll give you another tip. Look at the link to auctions about to close. You can pick an auction that's less than 2 hours from closing and put in a bid, you're much more likely to win those. I've picked up a few C&R guns that way, and I don't have to keep checking the damned auction for a week to see if I'm still in the race.
SnakeLover
New member
I've used Auction Arms several times, all of them I considered to be good transactions. I've purchased firearms, ammo, and accessories. I follow these rules when I'm considering buying:
1) Set a firm price BEFORE I bid that I won't exceed.
2) Figure out what I could buy the item for locally. When you add $25 for shipping and another $25 for FFL transfer, it may not be a great deal after all.
3) If there is not a picture, I don't buy, regardless of the price. Always remember, BUYER BEWARE!!
4) If it's a reserve auction, I sometimes shoot the seller an email before bidding. Over half of them tell you the reserve. Then I decide to bid or not. The bonus with this is that if you contacted them and it doesn't sell but you have the high bid that is close to the reserve, they might just sell it to you. I've had this happen several times on Ebay.
5) Check the sellers feedback. No history, no bids. I don't want to deal with amatures.
6) If I bid a proxy, I use an odd amount, like $103.54, something that is unlikely to duplicated, thereby not giving the other buyers any info
7) Research BEFORE you bid. If all the 6" like new Colt Pythons are selling for around $800, expect to pay around that price. Don't be upset if you don't win with you $500 bid.
The internet can be a great place to find items you are looking for. Just takes time.
Snake
1) Set a firm price BEFORE I bid that I won't exceed.
2) Figure out what I could buy the item for locally. When you add $25 for shipping and another $25 for FFL transfer, it may not be a great deal after all.
3) If there is not a picture, I don't buy, regardless of the price. Always remember, BUYER BEWARE!!
4) If it's a reserve auction, I sometimes shoot the seller an email before bidding. Over half of them tell you the reserve. Then I decide to bid or not. The bonus with this is that if you contacted them and it doesn't sell but you have the high bid that is close to the reserve, they might just sell it to you. I've had this happen several times on Ebay.
5) Check the sellers feedback. No history, no bids. I don't want to deal with amatures.
6) If I bid a proxy, I use an odd amount, like $103.54, something that is unlikely to duplicated, thereby not giving the other buyers any info
7) Research BEFORE you bid. If all the 6" like new Colt Pythons are selling for around $800, expect to pay around that price. Don't be upset if you don't win with you $500 bid.
The internet can be a great place to find items you are looking for. Just takes time.
Snake
Thanks for all the replies and info.SnakeLover,what you posted is pretty much how I did my bids.To top every thing, I was high bid tonight on a Marlin 336 that was a basic auction.Went $5 over what I had been using as my max.Liked the way the rifle looked and the condition was stated to be excellant.Will see when it gets here.Really appreciate everyones help and will let all know how the rifle turns out.
As one who has been selling on ebay and auction arms for yrs snakelover has it pegged right.THe only thing I would like to add is if you bid be prepared to pay for the item.The amount of people that turn out to be deadbeats are getting very large.I guess they think their word and contract(it is a contract) isn't binding if over the net.This costs me money plus time and headaches.If you have any questions on the item ask the seller.He will be happy to answer if he is legit and most are.
PS-Allso reaad all the ad.People put payment instructions and shipping instructions there.If you want a different method of payment or shipping ask before you bid.It saves headaches on both ends plus no bad feelings.
By the way I am beemerb on both sites and I am going to have some nice firearms up for sale on auction arms starting Sunday.Look for them
PS-Allso reaad all the ad.People put payment instructions and shipping instructions there.If you want a different method of payment or shipping ask before you bid.It saves headaches on both ends plus no bad feelings.
By the way I am beemerb on both sites and I am going to have some nice firearms up for sale on auction arms starting Sunday.Look for them
Of course, sometimes the sellers get their noses out of joint for no reason too. I have purchased a number of items from auctionarms, but I had one guy that got snotty because I wasn't prompt enough. Never mind that I never got the initial email, and I was on a business trip when the second email arrived. The day I mailed him the check, he sent me an email announcing that the deal was off. To his credit, he did send the check back, though as soon as I got the email, I stopped payment on it. Remember, just because a deal doesn't come off on your timetable, that doesn't mean the buyer is a deadbeat.