fossils and guns
Single-Sixer
How does Gun Broker work? Are there sights out there better than Gun Broker?
Thanks for any advie@
Thanks for any advie@
Gun Broker?
- Thread starter fossils and guns
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Gun Broker provides a venue for sales of all type of firearms and related products. It is also a good source to determine the market price of guns compared to what might be seen at your local stores. Read their rules and register. Spend some time searching different products. I enjoy looking at actual pictures of some guns that I have never actually held before. There are other similar sights like Guns America. Shipping costs are a factor but they vary from location to location. Sales tax is often not applied for out of state sales. Sometimes I have been told by local shops that they cannot find an item from a distributor and I can locate one at one of these types of sights. You will have to weigh the pros and cons to determine if purchasing from one of these sights works for you.
mattsbox99
Hunter
GB is an auction site, much like eBay, but much better. They have some nice tutorials if you are interested in buying or selling. Just check the links at the top of their home page.
chet15
Hawkeye
That brings up a great question that I haven't had much time to research. Which auction site has better features and more economical for sales. GB or Auction Arms. I've just always used AA before and they work OK, but there must be some better things about GB that I'm not aware of.
(Again, just haven't had time to make the comparisons)
Chet15
(Again, just haven't had time to make the comparisons)
Chet15
wixedmords
Blackhawk
I've had to contact Gunbroker on two occasions with poor results. Still I use the site. For price comparisons you need to look at ended auctions as Gunbroker is loaded with auctions that sellers "wish they could get the asking price" or "some mark will come along" pricing. So don't use current auctions for pricing purposes.
Gunbroker is a sellers site, that is for sure. Auction Arms has been a little more buyer friendly to me so far. The owner of Auction Arms has been much pretty involved at making the site better and finding new things.
Guns America is really a different site than the other two. It is much more like standard classifieds.
As a group all 3 are useful. Independently they have their issues.
Gunbroker is a sellers site, that is for sure. Auction Arms has been a little more buyer friendly to me so far. The owner of Auction Arms has been much pretty involved at making the site better and finding new things.
Guns America is really a different site than the other two. It is much more like standard classifieds.
As a group all 3 are useful. Independently they have their issues.
smitty_bs
Bearcat
I've made purchases on both and been very happy. For some reason GB has many more guns listed than on AA. I don't know why, I feel comfortable with both sites......you just have to be careful and do your home work with the sellers. Check feedback and ask questions.
Retsoff
Bearcat
I've used both GB & AA to buy a few guns. Even though GB has many more firearms of all types than AA, I've actually bought more from AA. AA just seems to have the right weapon at the right price for me when I'm in the market. What I like about both of them is the feedback feature. I don't do business with any first time sellers nor with any seller who has more negative feedbacks than what I like to see (this obviously depends on the number of transactions a particular seller has conducted). I occasionally look at Guns America but, like someone has already stated, this site reminds me more of the newspaper classified section.
I always ask quesions of the seller, even if I already know the answer. The seller's response tells you a great deal about themselves. One other thing to consider before buying a weapon from either GB or AA: Add in the cost of shipping and your FFL dealer's fee to the auction price. You may find that you can buy that same weapon for the same price or less from your local dealer. I've yet to have to pay sales tax, if the seller lived in a different state than mine.
That sums up my experiences with GB & AA. Both are good sites in their own right but it always pays to mind the feedback before bidding on and/or winning an auction. Also, if you are the winner of a particular firearms auction, it pays to communicate well with the seller and your FFL dealer. Remember that yours is usually just one of several (if not many) auctions that the seller and/or your FFL dealerhas to keep track of. The better you communicate, the less chance of something getting screwed up. I make sure both receive copies of the actual auction I've won. I promptly FedEx or UPS the paperwork to the seller to include a USPS Money Order, a copy of the auction I've won and the FFL license for my dealer). Sometimes you can have your FFL just fax a copy of his license to the seller. Using the process I just described, I have yet to have a bad transaction, though I know there's always that 1st time.
Good luck and welcome to the world of internet gun auctions.
I always ask quesions of the seller, even if I already know the answer. The seller's response tells you a great deal about themselves. One other thing to consider before buying a weapon from either GB or AA: Add in the cost of shipping and your FFL dealer's fee to the auction price. You may find that you can buy that same weapon for the same price or less from your local dealer. I've yet to have to pay sales tax, if the seller lived in a different state than mine.
That sums up my experiences with GB & AA. Both are good sites in their own right but it always pays to mind the feedback before bidding on and/or winning an auction. Also, if you are the winner of a particular firearms auction, it pays to communicate well with the seller and your FFL dealer. Remember that yours is usually just one of several (if not many) auctions that the seller and/or your FFL dealerhas to keep track of. The better you communicate, the less chance of something getting screwed up. I make sure both receive copies of the actual auction I've won. I promptly FedEx or UPS the paperwork to the seller to include a USPS Money Order, a copy of the auction I've won and the FFL license for my dealer). Sometimes you can have your FFL just fax a copy of his license to the seller. Using the process I just described, I have yet to have a bad transaction, though I know there's always that 1st time.
Good luck and welcome to the world of internet gun auctions.
varoadking
Bearcat
I've conducted 55 successful auctions on GunBroker.com...it's a great resource...
pete44ru
Hunter
GunBroker, and Auction Arms, are auction sites, wher you must register with a credit card to bid/buy (or sell) - and where items are auctioned off to the highest bidder after the particular auction has run the course-of-time (length) chosen by the seller.
Some sellers choose to set a hidden "reserve" selling point, below which, any bid will not take their item.
Some sellers also choose to include a BIN (buy it now) price, which allows any buyer to bypass the bidding process, and immediately purchase the item for the BIN price at the specified terms.
IMO, an internet gun auction site is pretty much like any other - they are simply conveyences where other parties may buy & sell firearms & related gear.
EVERY buyer & seller - whether an FFL with an inventory listed, or Joe Blow with one gun to buy/sell - needs to do their homework, so that:
Their item(s) will sell.
or
They are successful bidders (buyers).
To achieve the above goals, one must "know" what they have to sell (or bid on, buy) is worth - keeping in mind that while a picture's worth a thousand words, a complete description (1,000 words) is also desireable for presesnation,
AND
"presentation" is EVERYTHING" - since it's how an evaluation is made.
As a seller, your item will have a better chance, if a better presentation is made.
As a buyer, think how hard it is to assess a poorly-presented item.
FWIW, I have successfull sold firearms on GB & AA, starting ALL my auctions at $0.01, with a reserve set somewhere between the real world wholesale/retail/street $$$.
OTOH, I have also successfully made purchases by knowing in advance the true market value of whatever I was seeking, and then limiting my top bid to my assessment.
ALL auction sites must be somewhat biased towards sellers - after all, the sellers are the ones posting the ads that generate the auction owner's commissions/income.
To believe an outcome of a dispute would be otherwise would be an unreasonable expectation IMHO.
.
Some sellers choose to set a hidden "reserve" selling point, below which, any bid will not take their item.
Some sellers also choose to include a BIN (buy it now) price, which allows any buyer to bypass the bidding process, and immediately purchase the item for the BIN price at the specified terms.
IMO, an internet gun auction site is pretty much like any other - they are simply conveyences where other parties may buy & sell firearms & related gear.
EVERY buyer & seller - whether an FFL with an inventory listed, or Joe Blow with one gun to buy/sell - needs to do their homework, so that:
Their item(s) will sell.
or
They are successful bidders (buyers).
To achieve the above goals, one must "know" what they have to sell (or bid on, buy) is worth - keeping in mind that while a picture's worth a thousand words, a complete description (1,000 words) is also desireable for presesnation,
AND
"presentation" is EVERYTHING" - since it's how an evaluation is made.
As a seller, your item will have a better chance, if a better presentation is made.
As a buyer, think how hard it is to assess a poorly-presented item.
FWIW, I have successfull sold firearms on GB & AA, starting ALL my auctions at $0.01, with a reserve set somewhere between the real world wholesale/retail/street $$$.
OTOH, I have also successfully made purchases by knowing in advance the true market value of whatever I was seeking, and then limiting my top bid to my assessment.
ALL auction sites must be somewhat biased towards sellers - after all, the sellers are the ones posting the ads that generate the auction owner's commissions/income.
To believe an outcome of a dispute would be otherwise would be an unreasonable expectation IMHO.
.
picketpin
Buckeye
I prefer Gun Broker. The basic thing is the same but sort of like tonight. AA has 7 Ruger #1s, Gun Broker has 317. As I am primarily looking for older, non prefix, pre 1976 #1s and bargains, I do a quick run through AA and then spend the rest of my time of GB.
There are numerous other sites that are simply lisings by sellers at a set price, GunsAmerica but several other. While they seldom have as many as GunBroker, they often have a rare or bargain #1 or other stuff.
If you live in rural Idaho it's the net sites or basically NOTHING.
RWT
There are numerous other sites that are simply lisings by sellers at a set price, GunsAmerica but several other. While they seldom have as many as GunBroker, they often have a rare or bargain #1 or other stuff.
If you live in rural Idaho it's the net sites or basically NOTHING.
RWT
tangodown980
Bearcat
The clue is to define your "needs" and "wants" as specifically as possible. Caliber, Maker, Style, Model, etc and then lurk on AA or GB for a while to see what things are closing for. There are a bunch of very hopeful sellers and then there are a some real jems. Timing is everything with the jems.
Personally, for C&R, I prefer AA. GB has more parts n stuff... GB probably has more newer stuff. That said check out the reputation side of the seller - if they have a negative response w/n a few months - you might need to carefully consider the deal.
My 2cts
Personally, for C&R, I prefer AA. GB has more parts n stuff... GB probably has more newer stuff. That said check out the reputation side of the seller - if they have a negative response w/n a few months - you might need to carefully consider the deal.
My 2cts
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