trading your gun in at a gunshop

[nova512]

i have in the past made the mistake of trading in really good firearms and get chump change for them(this was in the mid 90's)so for giggles i asked about a trade in value of one of my guns ,now i understand that a business has to make money but i have to say even the lowballers on here are better to get more then a gunshop.i do not know how they can offer 225 for a glock 27 with night sights and think someone would take it,this was not me with the 27.i seen it happen with my own eyes.or give lame excuses about the wrong type of hand guard (factory) on an ar then say they cant sell it...how many people bought an ar with the factory grip and forearm?ive bought 2.so lets here your stories.

 

[Bondhead88]

Selling anything to a any type of dealer is always an amusing thing to watch.

I used to sell cars and when someone would bring in their car for trade the used Car Manager would tell them he could only give them so much because it had close to 100,000 miles on it.

then when we went to sell the same car, the Used car Manager would tell the person buying the car they had to pay that much because it had less than 100,000 miles on it.

 

[sepe]

I saw someone try to sell or trade a Glock 27 to a dealer in Warsaw. He said it had 50 rounds through it, the offer was around $250 because "we don't sell many of those and I don't like them". A guy bought it in the parking lot for $275, I had a hard time keeping a straight face as I was walking to my truck and saw the moron taking that much of a loss because his girlfriend said she was scared of guns in the house.

 

[Field King]

a majority of gunshops would not be open very long if not for used gun trade ins and purchases for re-sell! Margin$ on new guns are very small, not enough to carry most small stores!

 

[redneckmedic]

BLASPHEMY

 

[Gamez235]

I always tell guys to sell them outright first, we do have to make some money on what we sell. If a used Glock sells on the market to consumers for 400, as a shop I've got to get it for less than that, cause that what I am going to have to try and sell it for, and well all know that everyone wants a deal so I've got to think ahead that I might sell this for 350, so I have to take that into account as well. We're not buying gun cause we want them ( although at times, yes it's cause we want them ) we mostly buy them to resell them.

If you're trying to get the most of it, find another "consumer" who is buying a gun cause they want to use it, not a shop who's buying it to sell it.

Although I do want your used guns of course. It allows us to offer products at a substantial savings to our customers..

 

[nova512]

no i think they stay alive on their ammo prices ,walked into one ive never been in before seen a tin of 762x54r their price was slashed to a low price of 149.99 i just bought a tin from aim shipped i think was i little under 105

 

[Gungho_1989]

Hmm only Glock's I have ever put an offer that low on were 1st gens that were beat to ****.
nn I won't usually pay that much for them now though, newer model Glocks in good condition we pay better money for by a good bit than that.
My theory is take care of the customer on both ends as well as I can. I do need to make some money on used guns but I don't have to gouge every cat that walks in the door to do it.

The thing that bothers me the most it when a guy comes in a week or two or even a couple of months later carrying the box for a gun I sold him, I cringe every time. Fortunately they always go better than I expect.


Ive never had any but one guy get down right belligerent with me on a trade, he simply over valued his firearm and would not see reason even after I proved he was way off.

Some guys forget that the guys on the other side of the counter are who takes care of us, helps pay the bills.

Ive been on the outside far more than the inside and I've seen it all over the years, sometimes I've laughed sometimes I've cussed but its just the reality of the business.
You learn not to step on snakes if you get bitten enough.


If you keep coming back and shopping with us thats worth far more to me than making an extra 50 bucks on a deal.

 

[chayne02]

At least in the auto market, most dealerships make more money per unit on used cars. I am sure that this is the same for the used gun market. The only question is how much a difference there is in the volume of new versus used firearms.

 

[DownByTheTracks]

Hmm only Glock's I have ever put an offer that low on were 1st gens that were beat to ****.
nn I won't usually pay that much for them now though, newer model Glocks in good condition we pay better money for by a good bit than that.
My theory is take care of the customer on both ends as well as I can. I do need to make some money on used guns but I don't have to gouge every cat that walks in the door to do it.

The thing that bothers me the most it when a guy comes in a week or two or even a couple of months later carrying the box for a gun I sold him, I cringe every time. Fortunately they always go better than I expect.


Ive never had any but one guy get down right belligerent with me on a trade, he simply over valued his firearm and would not see reason even after I proved he was way off.

Some guys forget that the guys on the other side of the counter are who takes care of us, helps pay the bills.

Ive been on the outside far more than the inside and I've seen it all over the years, sometimes I've laughed sometimes I've cussed but its just the reality of the business.
You learn not to step on snakes if you get bitten enough.


If you keep coming back and shopping with us thats worth far more to me than making an extra 50 bucks on a deal.

Many good points here. I've had guys bring in a gun worth $200 and demand $800 simply because it's "an old Marlin" and "a guy offered me that once". I tell them to wear out their tennis shoes until they get money from that guy. Not being rude, but some customers are way out of whack on what they think.

As a dealer, repeat business is the most valuable business, so I offer as much as I can so that the seller is happy dealing with me and will buy from me in the future. If I try to con him down another $75 from fair price I could lose hundreds a year in potential repeat business.

My advice to sellers is to seek out a reputable and fair dealer.

 

[rjstew317]

a majority of gunshops would not be open very long if not for used gun trade ins and purchases for re-sell! Margin$ on new guns are very small, not enough to carry most small stores!

dons gun would be the exception to that rule. i went there today for s**ts & giggles. holy cow, i knew they are over priced but come on! they sell their XD's for $400 more then Gander mountain.

 

[Bondhead88]

dons gun would be the exception to that rule. i went there today for s**ts & giggles. holy cow, i knew they are over priced but come on! they sell their XD's for $400 more then Gander mountain.

I gotta go to Don's sometime just to see this for myself. I keep hearing about it so much I am thinking of making a t shirt.

10 reasons not to shop at Don's but why I still go there.

OK who's first!

 

[TiminMishawaka]

I had one tell me I wouldn't get more that $400 for my Colt Python. That was amusing.

 

[DanO]

I saw a guy come into a NW IN gunshop just after Obama was elected. He had a NIB Marlin camp carbine in .45 ACP, a stainless NIB Mini 14 ranch and a HK 40 cal pistol which was lightly used. THe sales guy told him the Marlin was no longer made and was hard to get parts for, the mini was ok and he was not interested in the HK. He offered the guy $500 for the mini and Marlin together. Now the guy had seen all of their blued minis were jacked up to $800, but the sales guy said they were new and he had to make a profit. I was trying to get the owner's attention to step outside, because I would have offered him $800 for the pair of rifles, kept the Marlin and sold the mini for $600. He sold both to the store for $500.

All that said, they HAVE to buy cheap to stay in business. That store has done me right a lot of times, and I don"t begrudge them a good deal. It is business. No one is making them sell, and with the inernet today there is no excuse for being ignorant of what your gun is worth. As for low ballers here, I don't take it personally. If I want something, I try to get the best price. Unless you are a widow, I will offer what I think someone will take. We all work too hard for our money to just give it over.

 

[Gamez235]

Pawn stars... All I have to say, you want to see some people take a beating, watch it. Or American Pickers...

 

[Newbomb92]

Many good points here. I've had guys bring in a gun worth $200 and demand $800 simply because it's "an old Marlin" and "a guy offered me that once". I tell them to wear out their tennis shoes until they get money from that guy. Not being rude, but some customers are way out of whack on what they think.

As a dealer, repeat business is the most valuable business, so I offer as much as I can so that the seller is happy dealing with me and will buy from me in the future. If I try to con him down another $75 from fair price I could lose hundreds a year in potential repeat business.

My advice to sellers is to seek out a reputable and fair dealer.

I wish all businesses had this mentality. If someone gives me a fair price on a used trade in, or even a sweet deal on anything, I'm going back for repeat business even if the next purchase is a normal or higher price. If a shop tries to gouge the hell out of me, I walk out and don't go back.

 

[Dawall]

You know what time it is when the dealer pulls out the 29th edition Blue Book to see what your gun is worth. They are eager for you to look in the book also.

 

[Farmerjon]

What is this talk of trading in a gun????? Selling a gun????? That is like sharing your wife!!!! Ain't doing it!!!!!!!!

 

[Lobo]

.

 

[JJGatesE30]

What is this talk of trading in a gun????? Selling a gun????? That is like sharing your wife!!!! Ain't doing it!!!!!!!!

Sharing your guns is like sharing your wife.

Selling your guns is like selling your wife.

Do you just do it for fun or do you want to make some money at it?