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#162586 09/30/09 09:44 PM
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I normally don't even look at guns with reserves but I'm looking for a few guns for rental guns at a friends game preserve.

I sent a guy a question about the reserve price on a gun today and I got a condecending answer that, if you reveal the reserve price, it's not really an auction. My opinion is that, if there is a reserve, it isn't an auction.

Am I looking at this wrong?

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For the life of me I can't figure out why people want to keep what they want for a gun a secret.

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I actually can't stand it when people ask me the reserve. It's just as bad as people who phone you about a car you're selling and ask 'What's the least you'll take for it?' without ever even seeing it first.

The whole point of a reserve is that it protects the seller from selling at too low a price. In other words, "I'd rather keep it than sell it".

Additionally, a reserve is meant to stimulate bidding activity. If you've ever been to a live auction, they start low and go up from there. A reserve works on the same principal. It allows a low starting point but again, protects the seller.

A reserve is not what people want for a gun - that's called the
'Buy it Now' price. A reserve is what they are willing to take for it- two different things.

It's naive to think that almost any auction doesn't have a reserve - even if it's not obvious there is one.

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Dick seems to have my vote. In a real auction as you mention, the last bid wins, no matter what the guy thought it should have brought. No hidden reserves. ON a typical GB or AA's auction, For example, starting a bid at $.01 for a 12 ga. beater Trojan and having a hidden reserve at $3102 is a real PITA. ED-1's auctions are a classic example of wasting everyones time. I can't recall ever seeing one of his guns with someone reaching the reserve. I guess they don't know the same gun is always sitting on GunsAmerica or International with the real for sale price sitting on it. I'm sure glad he uses upper case letters in his listing so I can be prewarned to pass it on by. But, I support everyones right to list and price his guns in any way they want. JMO Randy


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Why waste time listing a item if you do not sell it? Say it so all know what you have. This is my gun and I want X # of dollars for it. Many now list the reserve right in the description. You have a right to protect your investment, fine. List the gun and let people know what you will take for it.

Most people here have a rough dollar figure that they are willing to invest in a gun. If your reserve is within reason, and you state it in your ad, you should get more interest. A too high reserve will never sell a gun but one that is in the ball park will generate more interest and more potential bids. It is not like the bidding is going at such a fast pace that stating your asking price, which is your reserve in effect, that you are going to be discouraging people from bidding.

Many only look at guns with the highest number of bids anyway. Why look at 2500 guns when only 30 are getting any real interest. Many guns are being listed for the hundredth time? Sellers like MIkej99 and the torchman list the same guns for months and years with out selling them.

I bet more than a few guns never get a bid when they might if the reserve was known. If your gun has not been sold after a very few listing it never will. If the reserve is too high for a buyer he never will buy the gun. If it, the reserve, is within his price range then he will look closely at your gun and may bid on it. Since he already knows that any bid below your stated reserve is a waste of time his opening bid should be near or above your reserve. Hidden high reserves do noting to encourage sales.

Most auction sites are not anything like a real auction. Many are trolling for suckers. Some are decent sellers who just have no other way to reach very many potential buyers. Why not tell them what you want for a gun? You may be almost of the same mind but will never know it. And buyers can learn what the "reserve" market price is and may have to adjust upwards how much they need to spend.

Buy it now prices are often higher than the reserve. It gives the seller more than his reserve price in exchange for ending the auction early. And do you think that any buy it now price is less than a reserve? No, it is a instant take it or leave it price with the option of trying to buy it at auction if you still want it for less. I like buy it now prices.

I do not see what an advantage is to list with a low starting bid and a hidden high reserve. Gunbroker may sell a fifty doubles a week but almost two thousands never get a bid. Starting price too high, reserve too high, crappy photos, never because the starting price was too low of course. Relisted every week. Big deal. Anything to encourage a bid should help increase your chances for a sale.

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I agree, if you want the starting price set at a certain point the start there. What is the sense at starting at a penny if you want a couple of grand for a gun. If people are seriously interested they are going to bid on it at your starting price and go up from there.

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Start the auction at the least amount you will be willing to part with the item for. I pass on reserve auctions.

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Gregsy,

I understand your desire to not sell the gun for drasticly less than it's worth but the reserve does not stimulate bidding. Go on gunbroker and choose the "highest number of bids" option, almost all are auctions starting at 0.

I put a starting price on the first guns I put on gunbroker and they drew no bids, I later started the same guns as 0 starting bids and they brought several hundred dollars more than the original starting price.

The reason is that many buyers, me included, don't even look at the pages and pages of guns with starting bids and reserves that are way past the value of the gun.

It's true that sometimes a gun has a set bid or reserve that is reasonable but there are 20 guns that are drasticly over priced for every one that is reasonable.

When I sell a shotgun, I always get at least 1,000 looks, how many do you get with a hidden reserve?

I want the maximum number of people to look at my gun. That's how it will bring the best price.

Respectfully, Dick offtheporchmedia.com

Last edited by Dick Jones otp; 10/01/09 06:56 PM.
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Originally Posted By: GregSY

If you've ever been to a live auction, they start low and go up from there. A reserve works on the same principal.


I have been to plenty of live auctions with reserves. They ALWAYS tell you what the reserve is before bidding is started.

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By the way, absolutely hilarious screen name, buddy boy. One of the unsung classics, full of good quotable lines. I've considered using ED209 for an alias.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNckavq9fiY


Dave
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