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AlDente67

Selling used and taking it in the tush

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I know many of you sell your unwanted long guns privately, but to avoid the hassle and possibly botched transfer paperwork in a parking lot somewhere, have you ever sold a used gun to a dealer?

 

FFL around here basically looks it up on Gunbroker and offers half (or less) of any recent completed sale.  If no sales recently, he'll offer 10 cents on the retail dollar.  Is that normal for the secondary market around here?

 

I know his logic is sound - he is simply going to flip it and has to make a profit on it, but it just seems like quite the haircut for someone who simply takes a picture and creates their own auction.

 

He says that even if a gun has zero rounds fired through it, it is now used and commands less than half on the used market.  Sounds like a car dealer, but I don't know if this is the norm in NJ.  If so, I'll be much more careful in what I decide to buy new in the future, expecting to never let it go.

 

I know most might say to sell it myself on an auction site, but I don't really want the risk of a deadbeat buyer, etc.  So I guess this is the price of convenience.

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Private sales are not a big deal. You are in control, not the buyer.  List it, FID, DL, and COE and its a done deal.  Stop overthinking this. It's costing you money!  Odds that in the future a LEO will knock on your door are beyond remote at best.  You saw his FID and DL, have your copy of the COE, your done. No different than a FFL who books in a transaction. 

 

Dealers telling you it's worth less than half without an evaluation and NRA grading are lying to you! Stay out of those places, they are not treating you fairly, period. 

 

There are good dealers out there, ask around and find them.

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I sold a Remington 700 on GunBroker, and got just what I wanted for it. The seller pays the shipping and FFL fees, and pays you in certified funds before you ship. It is a pretty low risk transaction. Selling face to face to a member of this forum could be another way to go.

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I've sold probably 80-100 items face to face, and only had two sales that were negative. One was because the buyer was a real girl about things, and the other was the buyer backed out last minute. It may seem sketchy sometimes but as long as you fill out COE's/PP's and check DL and FID card, you are following the law and everything is fine.

 

If you don't sell it privately, I would go Gunbroker or another gun forum's marketplace before ever trading or selling anything go a gun store. Gunbroker is easy - you list an auction, someone wins or buys it now and then they send you a USPS money order or cashiers check. You cash it, get the money in hand, then ship them the gun. It sounds simple, and it is simple. I've done it plenty of times.

 

In my opinion, anyone who goes to a gunshop to sell or trade something is going to get ripped off. That's pretty much a fact. So as long as you don't mind getting bent over, then go for it. But if I were you, I'd attempt to sell it privately before anything else. Plus wouldn't you rather sell a gun to someone on the forum and have them be happy with it versus getting 200 bucks from a gun shop for a rifle you bought for $500 and put 100rds through? 

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Ask around people you know and shoot with first.  You'd be surprised how people "know somebody who knows somebody" who is interested.

I like to deal with friends or people I'm familiar with first.  

 

I agree with the others.  Not worth losing hundreds of dollars selling to a dealer.  Would not want to see you get ripped off or a fellow member

not get a good deal.  

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Ok. What are you selling? I can help you out....lots of experience here.

LOL

 

 

 

Seriously, OP: face to face transactions are no different than you walking to a gun store store and buy whatever you want. Just make sure the proper documents are present, filled out and signed as a store would and you're good to go.

 

And BTW, the address in the DL and FPID don't have to match, but everybody requires it to do so , so you can go with that. Also, the transaction can be done anywhere you want...parkway rest area, 7-11 parking lot, church, gun range...this includes handguns. But you do it where you feel comfortable. Folks tend to gravitate to gun ranges and that's not a bad place for it.

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Bought from a forum member with a classified listing a few weeks ago. Whole thing took about 10 minutes. Showed DL and FPID, filled out COE, paid and left. Done deal and 100% legal.

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I usually prefer meeting at a house when buying FTF, just because some idiot won't panic if they see a gun case or something. However I've also met at a restaurant, both times I bought off Dajaman, and at a North Jersey Rest stop when I bought off Blueline Finish lol.

 

Both times the guys were really cool, and in the future i highly recommend doing business with them. Actually, backwoods customs also, I met him at a milkshake place out in the pinelands, But I met J0n and deadeye at their homes.

 

Ideally ranges and gun stores are the best, otherwise a convenient place that's equidistant is good, or just wait until you have to take a trip in that direction anyway. 

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First off, I will freely admit to being cheap, and I like a good deal where I can find it.  But before you jump all over the bricks and mortar gun store guy, you have to remember....he may be low-balling you a bit...BUT....he has a lot to cover.  Salaries, insurance, rent, even the heating and electric bill have to be covered.  And he is also the one who has to stand behind the deal...if there's some hidden defect, the bricks and mortar gun store will be expected to make it right...and all of this comes out before he sees a penny of profit for himself.  

 

With a private sale, none of the above is present, but the buyer is taking on more risk, since he is the second buyer....most manufacturer warranties only apply to the initial purchase, and the buyer's recourse is extremely limited, so a lower-than-retail offer should be expected. 

 

Just remember, if you were buying a car, would you expect to pay full price for one with a few thousand miles on it?  Of course not!  Used is still Used.....whether its a car or a firearm.

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I have conducted many private sales and purchases. It is not a hassle at all. Educate yourself on the process, pre-type the COE's, print 'em out and you are good to go.

This^. Never had a problem. When I was thinning out my accumulation I believe many of the buyers were from this board. All sales were at my home. For safety's sake, I always had my .38 snubby in a belt holster under an untucked shirt.  Like Reagan said, trust but verify.

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It all depends on whether you're a buyer or seller, and on the dealer. My old shop was selling a used Sig p238 for $50 more than I paid for new, even including the transfer fee. And my new gun had a laser.

 

The price may have reflected the shop paying fairly for the gun, but from dealing with these guys for 20 years I highly doubt it. He probably got it for $200 from some desperate soul.

 

I suggest private sales whenever possible, unless you're really strapped for cash.

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