doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Price Negotiating on Fine Guns?

i am reminded of a high school friend's, father's advice....sam said that in any business transaction completed without two "no deals"....you either paid too much, or sold too cheap.

one of many reasons that face-to-face transactions are preferable to auctions, etc....ymmv.

best regards,

tom

Dogon said “there’s always another one around the corner” was my disagreement, Cb. There is no “rule” to prove, exceptions or none. And Stan is a shooter.
JR

Depending on the gun it can be difficult to determine the market. I’m looking at a mint Beretta 451 EELL and there are very few of them out there to gauge value. Sometimes you just have to hold your nose and jump on in if you want it bad enough

JMHO
Once you tell the seller that you are negotiating, you're not.
LOL

Most things can be negotiated (assuming it's not an uncommon item), but...the Stan example is a good one. Sometimes there really is only one that will ever cross your path. The key is knowing that.

John Roberts' example above on Stan's Elsie Field Grade is a case of a gun with a very unusual combination of features: 32" barrels, single trigger, 16ga, really nice condition. All of those combined = price increase. Not sure I've seen it mentioned here, but since we're talking British guns specifically:

Right now the market on British 12's is relatively soft. Relative to the smaller bore guns. The Brits made a lot more 12's than anything else. Smaller bores are in greater demand compared to the available supply. Which can make small bores look expensive in comparison and/or 12s very good buys. Take your pick. If barrels shorter than 28" work for you, then guns with 25" or 26" guns (especially 12's) can be really good buys. Not all that long ago, there was more interest in guns with the 25" "Churchill" barrels. That fad has faded.

Delete. Double post.

Gun types go up and down in prices as interest goes up and down. Ten years ago really nice hammer guns were dogs to sell. Now a nice hammer gun will get a lot of interest. Short barrels are not easy to sell but some pairs with 25-26-27” do make decent money. Quality always has a market. But I see a lot of really nice box locks going for very little money. Extractor guns seem as scrap in box locks with ejectors only slightly better.

I break guns down into price ranges of less than $1,000 which will get you any number of very good box locks, $1,000-5,000 which will get you a tired side lock with a name, a decent pair with no name or a very nice side lock with a decent name. $5,000-20,000 will get you into guns with minor issues to perfect working, name guns. Above that you are getting into real money guns and each needs to be examined on a case by case basis. I recently passed on a gun with a $4,000 asking price because it has beef poorly restored, refinished, restocked and in general ruined. At any level it is buyer beware, now more than ever as any number of collections are being liquidated. And it never hurts to make an offer. My college roommate made offers every day until he got a yes. Sometimes he asked five and sometimes it would be many times five but he was funny and polite and never let no bother him.

Once I looked that gun over I immediately realized I was looking at a gun without many peers, as a late season dove gun, and because of the rarity of the options on a Field grade Elsie. When I looked at the hang tag and saw it was completed on my birthday I think I let out a low "Oh, no". The owner asked what was wrong. I gave up any hope of bargaining when I told him the gun was completed on my birthday, though years earlier. Had I been a savvy gun trader I would've never let on. Because I let the cat out of the bag the hope of negotiating was gone with the wind. I was able to work a trade with the owner so I didn't have to pay full asking price. Ab-so-lute-ly no regrets.



Collector? ....... nah. Shooter? ....... yeah.

Stan, that gun looks to be a fine collector of late season dove. The person who ordered that gun had unique and good taste.