New Member: How badly did I get ripped off?

T

ThePiousPriest

Inactive
Hey everyone, first post here. I've been stalking for a while, finally decided to get off my behind and make a forum account. I recently bought an AR-15 by DPMS with a few enhancements. This was my first AR buy and after getting the gun appraised for a trade-in, I found it to be FAR less than what I paid for it. The guy at another gun store appraised it for 500. scope, rail, grip and all.

I bought a DPMS oracle in August for 846 after tax. After looking online, I found the gun for around 600. Was there a price drop on DPMS rifles any time or a shortage in their supply chains?

If that was bad on the gun, wait till you hear the mods.

TAPCO Intrafuse Verticle Foregrip. 22 dollars at the gun store, 8 bucks CTD.
GMA Quad Rail: 80.99 at the store, 42.90 CTD
NcStar Mark III tactical scope model STR3942g. 170.99 at the store. 63 CTD.

Grand total:1116.48
Had I bought from online and done an FFL transfer with shipping? Roughly 800.I overpaid by 310 dollars roughly, how bad of a rookie mistake is this? This was my first AR buy and I guess this is lesson learned.
 
Seriously, don't beat yourself up. We never know the ins and outs of shopping and bargaining when we first start out.

If $300 something dollars is all you overspent, for your first purchase, you're ok.

When I first started out, I always paid asking/retail. I'd shudder to think how much I've lost. Thousands. More maybe.

But I do my part for the economy anyway. I buy high and sell low.

Just enjoy your gun. It's a fine one.
 
You didn't get ripped off because you agreed to pay the advertised price. Next time I'm sure you'll do more homework.

In a similar fashion a guy I know told me he didn't fire his HK USP .40 b/c HK's were only going to go up in value. When I told him I saw the same gun, used but in very good condition, at my local gun shop for $499, his jaw hit the floor.

Actual vs perceived value...
 
If you want to be real unhappy take your rifle to a pawn shop and ask how much cash they'll give you for it.

Once you buy something never look at prices again. Second guessing yourself is not the Tao;)
 
You seem to have bought the gun 'a little too soon'. That's all.

Quality guns that are well cared for often catch up to the price eventually, so enjoy it in the meantime.

JT
 
Don't feel beat up or ripped off!

Never look back, living in the past in counter productive to your future! As for the price you paid you can look at it this way. What is a good deal? The price that one agrees to sell at and another agrees to pay. As for what a gun shop owner may value or offer you is irrelevant. Example: I have a Savage model 12 Varmint BTCSS, list price $1180, I paid $890, local gun shop offered me $300 and I'm a friend of the shop owner. Did I sell no! What is wrong with the DPMS that can't be changed or upgraded, nothing! I just built a AR15 with Magpul parts that I had laying around that were purchased for other projects and never used. I remember asking myself the same question, why did I buy this stuff and what am I going to do with it now? Move forward :D
 
I always look over the Internet and then ask questions on forums before I buy big ticket items. You will be surprised at how willing folks are to help you out. BTW, When I was growing up Catholic Priests didn't carry guns as far as I know. Gee, things have changed! :)
 
If you got what you wanted and are happy with it, no problem ....get out and shoot it.


I think I wasted 300 bucks at the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum ....


And I can't go back and do it the next day like shooting a rifle.
 
You'd overpaid...so what? $300 is a nice dinner or two... Enjoy your gun. Shoot it until the thing falls apart. Heck, I know for a fact I'd overpaid for my SUV but I wanted the dang thing 'cause not many SUVs come with stick these days. Point is, don't look back.
 
Congrats on your new gun,Most everybody gets bit once in a while, it dont hurt very long.It may turn out to be a favorite then a few pennys wont matter.:D
 
Welcome to the Forums! DPMS makes a good rifle. I have 2 of them at the moment and have owned several more through the years. You could have saved a few bucks by doing up front research but don't beat yourself up too much. Most of us have done the same thing. There are much more expensive lessons in life than this one. Enjoy the rifle. I'll bet it won't be your last one to buy.
 
You didn't get ripped off because you agreed to pay the advertised price.
Click to expand...

See, I don't ascribe to that line of thinking. If someone is misled about current pricing, you're getting ripped off. Now if he *knew* about the inflated value and still paid, that's a different story.
 
Doing your research after you have purchased seems self defeating. Either you are looking to prove to yourself that you got a good deal, or that you did not. This strikes me as a waste of time. You bought the rifle from a reputable dealer, at a fair market price. Why look for reasons to beat yourself up? Sure there are deals where you might save a few bucks on the net. There are also deals that will cost you a few bucks. How much is you time worth? I do not think you did as bad as you seem to be beating yourself up over. Relax and go shoot that AR.
 
always look over the Internet and then ask questions on forums before I buy big ticket items. You will be surprised at how willing folks are to help you out. BTW, When I was growing up Catholic Priests didn't carry guns as far as I know. Gee, things have changed!

Catholic priests have always carried guns, just not
rifles.
 
Don't lose any sleep over $300.00. Most of us have over paid at one time or another, either on guns, tools, appliences or autos. Life is a learning process. Hell, some of us have even wasted more money than that while drinking beer at strip joints in our youth. Write it off as a loss and learn from it. That is why car salesmen hate to see old guys coming in shopping for cars and trucks, because we won't be burned again or fall for their BS.
 
If it makes you feel any better as a brand new home owner I got snookered for about $500 on something we didnt really need. Don't beat yourself up, just learn from it and do more research before buying again.

Maybe set a price limit of $20 that you can spend spur of the moment. Do this until you get a little more seasoned with guns and prices.

Again it may make you feel even better, my limit like that is still only $15.
 
You could have done worse.. you could have done better... Honestly... if you are happy with the purchase... who really cares.

I buy/sell/trade guns behind the counter for a living.. and there have been times where I know exactly what a gun is worth.. and I have over paid to have it for my personal collection because it was in front of me... and I just had to have it then and there.

They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
 
Ask an AR builder what his actual cost of constructing "the One," you get a lot of the same.

Even with a $79 lower, a $48 upper, and a free trapdoor butt plate, I've got right on $1000 in a rather plain A1 stocked, rifle handguard 6.8SPC. What doesn't hurt is that I flipped other stuff I already owned and didn't put any new cash toward it.

What does "hurt" is that new off the rack, it would sell for, eh, $850 tops. Since I've shot it, anything that comes off is now used, and would only bring half. Maybe $650 tops, used, for the whole rifle.

That first shot "cost" me $350 dollars.

Best thing to do is keep shooting it til it wears out, that way you get all your money's worth.

It costs money to gain knowledge.
 
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