Falling prices

[Professor]

Seems like the only things going down in price are guns. Today on gunbroker, I won a new model flattop 45 colt blackhawk convertible for 735. Plus shipping, tax. The box was not matched to the gun but otherwise appears excellent from a good FFl seller.
They were bringing 1100. 1000 was a good price. Im not sure if people are just broke, believe things will be more broke depending on political things, or what. My friends gunshop that his Dad opened in 1947 is experiencing a record slow winter and spring. They are concerned about the future outlook. They are focusing on vintage and discontinued stuff. New guns other than Glocks just sit there. Including the new marlin lever guns which were super hot.

 

[hittman]

MSRP is in the $950 range I think so, that price should be about right for a used item. Maybe even $50 high??

Or, are the flat tops higher? Distributor model?

 

[bigbillyboy]

With inflation what it is, I get it ......

 

[JAYDAWG]

Things are worth...... what people will pay.......at the time...........

 

[Professor]

MSRP is in the $950 range I think so, that price should be about right for a used item. Maybe even $50 high??

Or, are the flat tops higher? Distributor

I dont think you watch as many of them on gunbroker as I do.

 

[hittman]

Well …. Auctions are best place to SELL, so no ….. I don’t watch there. But was asking cause I’m not that big a follower of single actions or new models. Just trying to learn …..

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

...My friends gunshop that his Dad opened in 1947 is experiencing a record slow winter and spring. They are concerned about the future outlook. They are focusing on vintage and discontinued stuff. New guns other than Glocks just sit there. Including the new marlin lever guns which were super hot.

I've sensed the same thing. Is it possible that the demand for guns is largely fulfilled? When you sell lots of a product that has a 50+ year life, it doesn't take long before everyone has bought what they want.

Corollary question: what is the market demand for ammunition? Is it increasing, decreasing or stable?

Lots of "first gun" buyers also buy boxes of ammo for that weapon. Many of those buyers never even shoot the initial supply of ammo they bought.

It is possible the "market" has reached equilibrium. If so, we should expect the gun makers to launch "new, different" products to stimulate demand, and concurrently curtail production volume for existing weapons.

"May you live in interesting times." (allegedly an ancient Chinese curse)

 

[contender]

Actually,, due to the covid pandemic crap,, many gun makers,, Ruger included,, had to cut back on production. Their workforce was drastically reduced.
With the reduced output,, and the general public's fears,, prices for many things skyrocketed. Just like the panic buying when we have a politician talk about a ban or even when a ban is going to take place. People paid stupid high prices for AR's several times over the last 10 years,, only to see the market soften.
Many people here wanted a SA handgun,, and couldn't find them,, and overpaid for those as well.
With Ruger & others now getting back up to speed employee wise,, and working on a backlog of production,, prices are coming down.

 

[Randyzzz]

My local shops are telling me that business is down too. I was in one yesterday and they had a new S&W lever gun for $1200, and several Henry’s. Last year a lever gun lasted less than a week in the rack. He told me they had all been there longer than a week. He had a consignment NM Blackhawk in .41 for $799- it has been there a while too. I offered $600 but it didn’t fly. Probably for the best…Now ammo is still very pricy for the hard to find calibers. Still hovering around a buck a round for .44Mag, .44SPL and .45 LC.

 

[CAJUNCHEF]

Seems like the only things going down in price are guns. Today on gunbroker, I won a new model flattop 45 colt blackhawk convertible for 735. Plus shipping, tax. The box was not matched to the gun but otherwise appears excellent from a good FFl seller.
They were bringing 1100. 1000 was a good price. Im not sure if people are just broke, believe things will be more broke depending on political things, or what. My friends gunshop that his Dad opened in 1947 is experiencing a record slow winter and spring. They are concerned about the future outlook. They are focusing on vintage and discontinued stuff. New guns other than Glocks just sit there. Including the new marlin lever guns which were super hot.

Sounds like a good deal. I've been wanting that exact model .45 Flattop Blackhawk convertible with 5.5" barrel. I stopped searching for awhile, prices too high.

Now I will start looking again.

 

[Heliman]

I recently attended a show in Albany, OR. From what I saw the prices for used firearms are quite a bit higher than I expected. New arms seemed normal.

 

[bigbillyboy]

Prices are all over chart . Hit or miss at the gun auctions , if the Amish are there in numbers and they want a particular gun , forget it . And I have got some super buys in the last 6 months .......I do some online buys, those prices seem steady .

 

[bigbillyboy]

Sounds like a good deal. I've been wanting that exact model .45 Flattop Blackhawk convertible with 5.5" barrel. I stopped searching for awhile, prices too high.

Now I will start looking again.

I just saw 45 convertible stainless bisley on Locked and loaded for $ 784 . It was not there yesterday .

 

[Johnnu2]

I thank God that I'm old and don't buy anymore....!!!
Does anyone besides me remember a brand new Colt SAA or a Python new for $190.... ??? Sure makes it hard for us old timers to buy anything.... Now you know why some of us live in tents in the desert.
Yeah I know, times change and we were only making $1.50 hr. I'm just glad to be out of most "markets".
Just sayin' for fun ))))))))))))))))))

J.

 

[JiminMaine]

Seems like the only things going down in price are guns. Today on gunbroker, I won a new model flattop 45 colt blackhawk convertible for 735. Plus shipping, tax. The box was not matched to the gun but otherwise appears excellent from a good FFl seller.
They were bringing 1100. 1000 was a good price. Im not sure if people are just broke, believe things will be more broke depending on political things, or what. My friends gunshop that his Dad opened in 1947 is experiencing a record slow winter and I

I think the prices of guns are down because the demand is down. The demand is down because the prices of housing vehicles, food, gas and just about everything else is way up and people don't have the extra money to spend on guns.

 

[Huntfish918]

The spring Wanenmacher is this weekend in Tulsa. My friends and I have a total of seven tables. Most of our stuff is "what they don't make anymore" and some low end items, but we try to focus on $900 - $3000 pieces. Hopefully the bottom won't drop out of collectibles, We have a ton of money tied up in old Winchesters, Colts and Dan Wessons

 

[bobski]

guns are worthless without ammo and gunpowder.
and they got it sewn up.
in other words they are playing us around their inventory.
its like selling gas grills, but the gas bottle people jack their price.
then the gas grill and gas bottle guys go and party in the tropics and slide payola across the table to each other.
ya know, like what congressmen and politicans do..

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Yesterday the news broadcast that pawn shops are seeing fewer people are redeeming their pawned items, and more people are pawning items they own. Those are sure signs that people are experiencing a cash crunch. So, I don't believe recent declines in used weapon purchase prices are unique.

 

[Hankus]

Sounds like a good deal. I've been wanting that exact model .45 Flattop Blackhawk convertible with 5.5" barrel. I stopped searching for awhile, prices too high.

Now I will start looking again.

I’ve seen several dealers have the Bisley Convertibles in stock. Single Tens too. Ruger must have made another run of single actions.

 

[gnappi]

At gunshows I often ask dealers "how's it going"? and if they say not good I'll reply with either... "pray for a gun ban" or "does that makes you negotiable"?

I see plastic guns flying off the shelves though and that market doesn't appear to be suffering, but most everything else seems to be.

 

[bigbillyboy]

I've seen several dealers have the Bisley Convertibles in stock. Single Tens too. Ruger must have made another run of single actions.

they must have , I noticed them showing up on the online sites all over

 

[gjgalligan]

Looking at the Poll of how Old are we here on the forum I see that 77.7% of us are 61 + in age. Here in Michigan the DNR says the numbers of hunting licenses are steadily dropping as the younger folks are not interested in hunting.

If they are not interested in hunting then the whole market of hunting guns is dropping. How many times have we heard the new plastic handguns are selling better then steel? People may buy a couple of guns for self defense but that is about it.
I would guess the firearm market is on a downward spiral overall.

 

[thinckley]

Based on the fall "pumpkin patches" on every hunt, I think license purchases are up in Utah. It has gotten so bad that I only put in for special hunts, I do not have the time to hike in 10+ miles in order to not bump into another hunter over every single ridge and fold in the ground....

 

[bigbillyboy]

Looking at the Poll of how Old are we here on the forum I see that 77.7% of us are 61 + in age. Here in Michigan the DNR says the numbers of hunting licenses are steadily dropping as the younger folks are not interested in hunting.

If they are not interested in hunting then the whole market of hunting guns is dropping. How many times have we heard the new plastic handguns are selling better then steel? People may buy a couple of guns for self defense but that is about it.
I would guess the firearm market is on a downward spiral overall.

Makes sense , I know locally hunting is down . Local state game lands parking lots used to be full of vehicles on opening day. Now , a half dozen cars at most . So I can see walnut and steel flooding the market in the future ..........

 

[thinckley]

I know one company that has not gotten the memo....

https://www.proxibid.com/South-Texas-Auction-Company-LLC/auction-house/11550
They have an auction that starts closing in 6ish hours. 298 items, not a single bid, everything has an opening bid that is close to straight retail, before all of the fees.

I've seen 4 other auctions by this company close the same way in the last couple of weeks. If there are any bids at all, it is usually only on one or two items.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Supply and demand. When it was hard to find stuff, people over-paid. LOTS of new gun buyers were created 2019-2023 which caused a spike in buying and a spike in pricing. Now that they bought their one gun, sales dips off and so do prices.

They have an auction that starts closing in 6ish hours. 298 items, not a single bid, everything has an opening bid that is close to straight retail, before all of the fees.

Local/private sales are the same way. Local forum has a guy with a Tisas compact 9mm 1911 for $550 when the good deal online for a new one is $549 plus fees. I don't buy from dealers but I am not sure I'd pay MSRP for a used gun from a private seller (discounting vintage of course).