Selling guns on consignment ??

[bogus bill]

Over many years I have flipped two to three hundred guns, mostly by having a table at gunshows. Also sold a few on consignment at high end gun shops with good luck. After many years of buying, selling, haggling, I just GAVE away all of them to mostly family and friends. Thirty handguns, twenty rifles and shotguns. I valued them at aproximently $80,000 had I used gun broker with good pictures and luck. No plastic, most were what I call "Classic`s", Most S&W`s, Colts, Winchesters, Browning's etc from the 1940`s through the 1980`s.
In short, I am on Hospice. Never been on a cruise, wanted better trucks, new vehicles etc but with a couple of low ends, never splurged for 60K trucks or 25K new hawgs.
Did have a safe full of fine seldom seen. seldom used classic guns. "Smoke em if you got em"

 

[RSIno1]

Try here first - it's free. Then GunBroker - there are other online ones but they seem to have a lot of scammers. Here in CA most FFLs take 30% for their consignment fee and by state law can't even offer it for sale until they have had it 30 days to make sure it's not stolen.

 

[bogus bill]

I have lived a charmed life. I built the vast majority of my gun collection living in California in the 60`s to 90`s, backed off as politics and more laws developed and removed here to Utah in 2,000. I had a few touch and go incidents in California but NO jail time, no lawyers involved, no gun loss, packed a big part of the time (even CC),. I did have a permit to OC in uniform on my guard job. I had to do some explaining about four or five times and always "walked" That doesn't sound like the California we all have come to fear does it?
How did Nazi Germany get so powerful? There were a lot of "Goot Shermans" as there is a lot of nervous dudley do rights today that love pointing out the very worse could happen in what would take a rare coincidence, gun hating judges, new recruit young cops with no common sense etc. Young new ambitious PA`s etc.
Your demeanor counts for 95% of everything.

 

[tinman]

Never have sold on consignment. As you are discovering, they usually want too much of the sale.
Post your items on whatever forums you frequent and see if you get the desired results.
...........it worked for an unneeded smoker......... :roll:

Thanks, Yeah, I hope you are getting some use out of that smoker. I smoked some lamb and sausages last weekend. They were delicious.

And yes, 15% is just too much.

Yes sir I am. Been learning a bunch about building a proper fire for each type of meat. Thanks again.

 

[powder smoke]

Add in the paper works, that is if that is legal in you jurisdiction! Over here it is! ps

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I have sold a couple guns on consignment. My practice is to tell the dealer what I want to get out of the gun and let him sell for whatever he can get for the gun. Bob Wright

I think that's how I'd try it. Probably a good idea to let the "dealer" tell you if he cannot live with such a deal, meaning he knows how much it would likely sell for. :wink:

 

[RoninPA]

I have sold a couple guns on consignment. My practice is to tell the dealer what I want to get out of the gun and let him sell for whatever he can get for the gun. Bob Wright

I think that's how I'd try it. Probably a good idea to let the "dealer" tell you if he cannot live with such a deal, meaning he knows how much it would likely sell for. :wink:

I have found that most people wanting to do a consignment really don't know what their guns are worth and really don't know how to evaluate them. When they bring them to me to consign, I evaluate the gun and we talk a lot about the gun, what they want to get, and what a realistic price range would be. We don't do any paperwork until they are satisfied on what they may actually receive from the sale. If they want more than it is worth (sentimental reasons, or whatever, I pull out the BBGV and show them that and then explain that is not necessarily the "street" value - it could be more or it could be less. Nothing happens until they are happy. I have had people tell me that "Well, maybe I'll hold on to it for a while and think about it." That's fine by me and tell them I am here if they have any questions or want to discuss it later.

I had one older gentleman (mid 80's) call me and tell he he was going to take all his guns to as local gun shop (which does not have a good reputation for treating people right) and sell them to the shop. I told him not to but to bring them to me and let me evaluate and tell him what I might be able to sell them for. Long story short - I made him probably 4 to 5 times as much money as he would have gotten selling them to the local gun shop, even with my 15% fee. He had a pretty low s/n Colt SP-1 (R6000) in 95-98% condition and I know the LGS would have ripped him off. He really didn't know what he had other than it was a Colt AR-15 he bought years ago. When I posted it, for a good fair price, it sold in 15 minutes and he got probably $1000 or more over what the LGS would have given him.

So those that say 15% is too much, I believe it all depends on what the FFL has to do to get the best sale done and how hard he works to do the sale to benefit the customer.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Like any other transaction . . . if both the seller and the dealer/consigner are happy at the conclusion, it was successful. :wink:

 

[Thumbcocker]

Local shop charges 15% for consignment in the store and 20% to post on gun broker. The 20% includes good photos, all the paperwork, and the shipping. I have no complaints. I
Just don't expect quick cash. If you have time it is a good system.

 

[langenc]

What about putting an ad in a local advertizer?? Maybe none in your area.

Set a reasonable price for a 'package' for a newcomer, gun mags and couple boxes of ammo which they might have trouble getting somewhere else.
Put a note on the local bulletin boards and dont forget the gun clubs, bennie of belonging to one.