OT: thinking about selling my pistol, what is the best way?

Bobwhite

Bobwhite

Joined
Nov 30, 1999
Messages
2,913
Hey all, I have a pistol that I might want to sell. I took it down to the local gunshop, and the price they offered me was insulting. About 1/3 to 1/4 of what I paid for it. I didn't use it much, so it is in great shape. I think the only way to get a good price is to sell it privately.
The problems are:
How do I determine how much to ask for?
How do I cheaply get it out there that it is for sale? Newspaper, online?
How do I handle the paperwork for ownership transfer? Especially if I don't sell to someone in my area.
Any insight into how to proceed appreciated. If it is going to be too much of a problem, or I am going to loose too much value, then I'll probably just hold onto it. I need the money and I never get to shoot it.
 
Gunbroker is a good online auction.

Depending on the pistol, You'll need a copy of the FFL he'd like the pistol shipped to. Ship only to the address on the FFL.

Shipping will need to be through Fedex or UPS and will run 35-50 dollars overnight.

Hope this helps a little.

Brian
 
Take it to a local gun show and sell it yourself. No paperwork needed if you sell to an individual.
 
<<No paperwork needed if you sell to an individual.>>

But if it is in your name and he commits a crime.....
 
Azis said:
<<No paperwork needed if you sell to an individual.>>

But if it is in your name and he commits a crime.....
Click to expand...

You sold it at a gun show. Simple as that. Not against the law in most states (commiefonica, NJ and NY excepted). I have done that a number of times. A worry? Dunno. Hasn't given me any sleepless nights yet. ;)

Jeff
 
Gun show...lots of folks walking around with cash in their pocket. For your self interest, you might want to make a note of the sale and have it nortarized. It'd just be a note to yourself that as of that day it was no longer in your control, but it'd be something.

.
 
Gun show or private sales through ad in local paper.

I call my friend when I need a price from the Blue Book of gun values as he usually owns a current copy. Another way to determine value is to go to one of the online auction sites and see what they are selling your firearm for.


munk
 
Azis said:
<<No paperwork needed if you sell to an individual.>>

But if it is in your name and he commits a crime.....
Click to expand...

Actually, you are committing a crime ONLY if you knowingly transfer (sell) a firearm to a convicted felon or a minor. YMMV as this applies to Kentucky.
As for shipping, your best bet is to go through an FFL and let him/her mail it regular USPS/insured/delivery confirmation.
If he isn't a crook, it won't cost a lot. Also, add the price of shipping to the buyer.
 
What brand and calibre? That is...if saying so doesn't violate any forum rules.

The gun show route is the best bet.


Semp
 
Thanks for the help all. I need to find out when the next gun show is. They have them at a convention center near me a few times a year. In the meantime, I have to really consider this. If the show is too far away and I decide to sell online, I will post it here on bladeforums first, in the for sale: gadgets and gear area, and give you all a heads up so you can check it out if you are so inclined.
 
I have the current Fjestad Blue Book of Gun Values, as well as the 2005 Gun Digest and Shooter's Bible if you want some quotes, although the last two are just current retail and you already have that figure. I also have the Gun Digest Book of Gun Values from a couple of years ago, but stopped buying it yearly as it just got too expensive. Now I usually buy a new one every 5 years and then add about 2-3% for each off year.

Remember, you're probably not going to get for it what you paid, but the guy at the gun shop is going to beat you down. Now, if you just sell it on consignment through his shop, he will have an incentive to price it fairly and move it for you. I have done that many times, and the gun shop I deal with takes 15% for brokering the transaction. But I still end up with a good price and all the paperwork and transfer stuff is handled automatically.

Here in the PRK it has to go through an FFL dealer and have everything recorded. Before that I would just buy or sell from a guy at the gun show or through the paper for cash. In Nevada, or maybe Utah. To some guy named Joe. Or was it Bill? Can't seem to remember...

Norm
 
Bob,

I've got a copy of the Blue Book of Gun Values... what do you have to sell? I can let you know what the "average" price is out of the book. That doesn't mean it isn't worth more though. Reseaching on the other gun sites listed above will give you an idea of what it is selling for.

You can also sell items at other forums, like the Smith and Wesson Forum (http://smith-wessonforum.com). Once you make the sale, the individual has to send you a signed copy of an FFL... then you take the gun (and FFL) to your gun shop and have them ship it off to that FFL holder.

Most gun shops will do this for you for a fee, around $10-25.00. Just add that to your sale price.

Alan
 
Bobwhite said:
If the show is too far away and I decide to sell online, I will post it here on bladeforums first, in the for sale: gadgets and gear area, and give you all a heads up so you can check it out if you are so inclined.
Click to expand...

Bob, et al:
Just a heads up on links to the for sale forum. We aren't allowed to do the *heads up* with knives anymore and I'm going to assume it applies to guns as well because it is something that just happened recently.
Spark says it is a waste of bandwidth. Sorry.:(
 
For what it's worth, as far as selling at a gun show

It just happened to be on the news tonight that a school teacher sold firearms to someone that was a felon. Though he didn’t know that he just got a 10 year prison sentence.

That is in Miami (the gun city in the USA)
 
The key is knowingly selling. We don't know all the facts of the situation.




munk
 
Azis said:
<<No paperwork needed if you sell to an individual.>>

But if it is in your name and he commits a crime.....
Click to expand...

Sorry, I've been out of the gun loop for a while... Did we start a national gun registry or something?
 
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