doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com GunsAmerica VS Guns International????

I have been away from both sites for a while. I know some of you have voiced opinions on both of them.
Based on what you know, which site seems to get more traffic or should i just ask which site you have more success selling quality firearms on?

Bottom line; which site is better? in your opinions.

i buy and sell on both sites...with about equal success...

if by quality, you mean higher priced, then gi has an edge...

items valued under $1000 dont sell well on gi...but will move on gb, if priced at low retail...

and antiques are hard to sell on gi...but will sell on gb...

sometimes one will find a bargain on gb. but rarely on gi...

Here's my take, having bought and sold on all three.

GunBroker: Still the largest venue, with the broadest reach. You can find bargains once in a while, but for double guns specifically, it's usually just the same small number of dealers, with guns priced for 'lazy dreamers.' What I mean by that is, prices that will appeal to only the least price sensitive buyer. Because they are so big, navigating their help function feels a little detached.

GunsAmerica: I think private sellers and dealers whose primary business is NOT on the internet, prefer this format. I've never liked the look and feel of the site, and the downside of some private sellers is they are clueless about details, don't want to ship, etc, etc. But that's also how you get bargains, and I have found more here than any other site...hands down. I'm talking about ALL guns, not doubles specifically (but there have been some...I positively STOLE a gorgeous L.C. Smith Ideal a few years back). I have not yet interacted with staff, or can't recall.

GunsInt'l: Nice format, and the open contact info makes it the most conducive to getting to negotiation. I think from a quality perspective there is as much or more than GB. And the universe of buyers seems to be more specific than the others. I say that as a GOOD thing, because you tend to get fewer but better quality (i.e. higher liklihood) inquiries as a seller. The staff are helpful and responsive.

Nutshell:

For BUYING: GI and GA...because of prices and negotiation ability.

For SELLING: GI and GB...for different reasons. GI for ease and format, GB because of market reach and sporadic "have to have it" bidders.

NDG

I have sold on GB and GI. I think personally if you just want to get rid of a gun, start it at 1 cent on GB, upload some great photos and let her go. If however you have a somewhat rare or hard to find gun and know you want "Blank" amount of money for it, then put it on GI with the price you want and you will have some interest and can get into negotiations on price etc. I think there are much more knowledgeable sellers on GI for sure.

PS. I'm not sure with what is going on with the Virus that either is a good choice right now. Folks are concerned and I sense some are sitting on their wallets until they see how this whole thing shakes out.

My early collecting was all Shotgun News--just a paragraph with % descriptions. And the annual gun show in Anchorage.

I got back to my collecting a couple of years ago, I sold a bunch of trap guns on Trapshooters.com as they sell super quick IF priced to sell and you hit a specific buyer. On their format it is easy to put up pictures and separate parts like stocks and barrels sell. Perazzi release triggers will sell in minutes!

I started buying my old Remington's but needed to learn who/how in this internet age.
I don't really like to buy on GB as I don't care for the auction format--I did buy a very cool Model 32TC for what I felt was a deal, mostly cause of the double triggers. I will add I was the only bidder.
I have purchased more from GI but always with a telephone called in offer, much lower than the listing price of course! I enjoy negotiating a deal.

Do guys put the same gun on multiple sites?

I'm a collector and have never sold a gun on a website; so can only speak from the/my collector's perspective. I've purchased guns from GB, GI, and GA; and I've done so because each has, from time to time, listed a specific item/s I wanted. And I've also passed on a lot more items posted to these sites because I thought they were overpriced or out of my budget. I personally don't like the 15 minute rule on GB, but have purchased more guns thru GB than any of the other auction sites. I suppose that's because their size provides more opportunities, but many times I was the only bidder on the weird guns I appreciate and got a bargain; and am convinced that poor descriptions and poor photos furnished by the seller was responsible for the lack of bidding. I've purchased the fewest number of guns thru the GA web site than the other two; but check it regularly because one never knows where an unusual Syracuse, Hollenbeck, or Baltimore might pop up. The main thing I appreciate about GI and GA is knowing the sellers asking price up front as I know immediately if I can be a player or not. Sometimes a seller is negotiable on his asking and sometimes not; but if I see the gun as being reasonably priced, then I'm OK with a non-negotiable price.

i often list items on multiple marketing outlets...sometimes i even stand on street corners at busy intersections passing out flyers...also advertise on radio and tv as "crasy eddie's discount double guns"...then there is my church based work...

when one of ibm's most successful salesmen was asked the secret to his extraordinary success, he replied:

"oh, ah jes trows alota shyte agin da wall...an den waits tu see watt cums back"...he also, said he developed the technique when trot line cat fishin in alabama farm ponds...dim were da good ole days...

I have three guns (none of them doubles) listed on Gunbroker right now. All were $0.01 opening bid with no reserve.

As of this morning, the bidding could be described as follows: one is at about where I expected it to be, one at a good deal more than than I ever expected it to bring, and one substantially below what I expected.

I really don't care what they sell for in the end as I have no real financial investment in them, but I am concerned with whether the buyers will complete the transactions. The listings were put up 8 days ago and the last week has been a series of ever increasing restrictions on going places and doing things, including working for wages for a large portion of the population. Combine that with the market meltdown and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see one or more of the buyers fail to perform.

stop whining and think positive...