doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Fine gun store pricing question

What about needing to get permission from the wife,John? Would that be bad form as well??...Geo

Your right George! I can not tell you how many times I have heard they have to ask the "Boss"

Hey, if you have to ask the "Boss"" that's who I want to talk to, the decision maker. Have her call me!

John

Most dealers vastly inflate the asking price so just take that as the normal situation, and when you make an offer, they are going to counter offer.

In my experience the double gun market is currently Very Soft and many dealers are asking price the might have gotten years ago, especially Brit guns because 90% on them were exported to America in the past couple of decades. There are many more guns than people that want them. I would consider the current state a buyers market and deal accordingly.

For what its worth~~

Steven, I agree that it is a buyers market and more so buyers with cash in hand. To me the market is flooded with beaters, well worn out guns and poorly refinished or poorly maintained guns. High condition guns are rare and still command a solid price but not ever increasing prices.

Just as important to buyers there are more informed buyers and more buyers who come to sites like here asking questions. When a buyer learns what to look for 90% of the guns for sale quickly become guns he is not interested in buying. They linger on auction sites or the web for years as trash, clutter and background noise. For those guns there is almost no market at the asking price. That market is not soft it just does not exist.

IMO there are several big name dealers that grossly over price their offerings. Often discounting them 30-40% or greater after they've been listed for several months and received no offers.
Do your research, offer what your comfortable with and stand your ground. Best plan to not suffer heartburn after the fact.

My guns are not my wife's concern.

I have owned basic Birmingham type guns for well over a decade and am convinced that their values have not increased one penny. In fact, they've probably declined. Not a very attractive investment. Over the past year I've bought a couple at prices much lower than I would have dreamed of just a few years ago.

I'm afraid that if I had to depend on the guns you could sell my wife, I'd have a hard time doing any hunting at all! Think we best leave her out of it altogether...Geo

Amen, brother- Women have no business being involved with a man's right to buy, sell and/or trade all the guns he can afford--

Over the years I have sold two guns and I wish I had them back. One was a Winchester Classic Double 28 gauge and the other a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in .338 Win Mag. It was a mistake to sell them although I didn't lose any money on the Model 70 and made some money on the Classic Double. I have never bought guns as an investment and only buy the ones I mean to keep. I would like to leave them to family members when I die. I look at individual guns and their value as guns rather than investments. I know others enjoy owning various guns and the trading process. I know Larry Brown if that means anything to anyone; the man who intends to own every gun in the U.S., one at a time, using the same $5,000.

This is spot on. True collector grade guns or rarity type guns still command high prices IMO. Common guns and in particular common guns in 12 gauge sit and sit and sit. There are some guns in Gunbroker that have been there for years. Can't understand why at some point the seller's don't just list them for a penny and let them go. The market for those will never move north IMO.