Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

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westsidebestside
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Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by westsidebestside »

I have a couple of guns I would like to sell, common everyday ones. I have heard that guns hold their value very well, but am not sure what that means in terms of asking price. Looking for any rules of thumb.

Example: Have a Glock 43, bought in December 2015, have shot an estimated 1500 rounds. Have the box and everything that came in it. Seeing that a new 43 goes for $450-500, is asking $350-375 reasonable?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
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Re: Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by Javelin Man »

Glocks hold their value better than most, you could ask $375-400 . Other guns, especially .40 S&W caliber, drop in value quickly to a little over half original cost. High quality expensive guns hold their value but you can't find anyone to buy it. :(
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Re: Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by sodbuster95 »

Like most things, a firearm is worth what someone will pay. There are guides online (Genitron, for example) that attempt to give values, but those may or may not accurately reflect the current market and obviously don't account for condition.

I usually go to Gunbroker and do an advanced search for completed sales to see what things are actually selling for (not the listing price, but the actual sale price).
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Re: Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by JediSkipdogg »

Glock, Sig, S&W, etc hold their value pretty well. The issue for most is when they start throwing in accessories such as "I have 10 mags that go with it." Not many people want 10 mags, and well, the seller doesn't want to be stuck with 10 mags to a gun they don't own, so they will take a loss on the mags, maybe even down to 25% of their value.

If the gun has night sights, the question will always be how old are they. If they need to be replaced in the next year or two, take money off for that.

I think in your Glock question, what you are asking is fair. You can always knock a bit off if someone offers you a little less.
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Re: Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by willbird »

One thing to do is look where the guns are sold new and cheap. Say Vances guns as one example, and also Basspro and Cabelas.

I have been in Cabelas and seen used guns on consignment with prices higher than the same gun new because they were running a sale on that model.

I agree on the accy, maybe better to sell them separate and do not list in the for sale ad. Buyer might try to wrangle them as part of the deal for the same price you would get for the gun and say 2 magazines.

Ditto for ammo if you are getting rid of a whole caliber by selling that gun. A few boxes is one thing, but if you have 500-1,000 or more (as you should IMHO hehe) then you will get more from it as a separate item.

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Re: Rule of thumb for selling price of common guns

Post by 747tech »

They hold their value in direct proportion to what you paid. If your one of those guys who just runs to bass pro and buys one at their retail plus you will be disappointed. On the other hand if you have a specific gun you want and wait to find it on sale and possibly with a rebate you should do pretty well on resale. Now if you try to trade it to a gun store you will loose your butt. To what extent depends on if you fall into category A or B.
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