How would you sell 8000 bullets ??

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rfwobbly

rfwobbly

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A very sick friend of mine asked me to clean out his rental storage area. He was a vendor at local gun shows back in the early 90's and picked up deals on things other vendors didn't want to carry back out to their trucks. In the back of his locker were two 50cal ammo cans that were bolted to the floor. Well, it seemed that way.

Turns out that each had 4000 124gr LRN bullets for 9mm from Georgia Arms inside. These cans must weigh in excess of 80 lbs each. So I can't move them easily. They are way too heavy to ship, and no one at my club is interested. I could divide them up into 500 bullet lots, but the PO is 8 miles away and a nasty drive.

What would you do ? My pal can't work and really needs the funds.
 
I would split them in 1K lots, 2K maybe the same to ship as 1K so check with your carriers.
 
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Well right now equivalent hard cast round nose 9mm runs about $105 per 1000 shipped from xtreme and everglades so your ballpark pricing is probably going to be discounted from there. If you are shipping them the post office flat rate boxes are the only reasonably priced option. The boxes themselves are free. Bagging the bullets then double boxing is recommended. Medium shipping box can hold up to about 4000 of 125 grain bullets (stay under 70 pound total weight limit) and runs about $15. The small flat rate boxes will hold 1000 and cost $8. There is a marketplace on THR and lots of other sites where you can list them.
 
rfwobbly said:
How would you sell 8000 bullets ??
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As already posted, in two medium flat rate USPS priority boxes, holding 4000 bullets each. (UPDATE: I guess the weight rating must have changed as now it is showing 70 lbs)

So I guess maybe 3 medium boxes.

I have bought many bullet packages and bundles like this before as 4 bullet boxes fit inside. Yes, post office/mail person may complain or have you pick up the box at the post office.
 
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Efficient lots are 5 lbs below max weight of USPS Flat Rate postage, so 65 lbs including packaging. Note that if you haven't done much of this sort of packaging. . . it needs to be drop-proof. Double-boxed and bagged minimum.

8k pistol bullets is actually a small supply. . . I have that on hand, and I don't even like 9mm.

$60/k is ok pricing, I pass at $70/k.
 
Whatever you do is going to be labor intensive. I would count them out in lots of 1000 and advertise them for sale on the forum. I would ship using USPS flat rate boxes. I would bag them, double box them and use lots of reinforced tape. Research the going prices and price them to sell.

Good on you for being willing to help your friend.
 
Get the small fat rate USPS box and fill it full. Dump out and count them. Put multiples in a medium flat rate box to fill. Now advertise on the trading post here at a fair cost. Watch them go. Should only take two or three trips at most.
BTW Thanks for helping another gunny deal with this when he needed it.
 
rfwobbly said:
So the consensus is to bag them into smaller lots and sell them. That's what I was afraid of !
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No! No one who's going to buy secondary market cast bullets is going to count! If you're within a quarter-pound of stated weight, everyone will be happy. Count them into 65# MFRBs with a bathroom scale, state the weight, and list them for sale; at $200/~3600 in a box, they'll probably sell this week.

If you don't keep any, you'll need 2 MFRBs, and a half a SFRB.
 
IF you ship in flat rate boxes, bag the bullets in zip-lock bags, tape the bags tight, put the bags in another outer bag inside the FRB, and fill any excess space with filler. You don't want the bullets shifting around in their bags, and you don't want the bags shifting around in the box. I GUARANTEE the USPS will drop the box at some point. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

But before you decide to ship, try to sell them locally.
 
bds said:
As already posted, in two medium flat rate USPS priority boxes, holding 4000 bullets each. (UPDATE: I guess the weight rating must have changed as now it is showing 70 lbs)

So I guess maybe 3 medium boxes.

I have bought many bullet packages and bundles like this before as 4 bullet boxes fit inside. Yes, post office/mail person may complain or have you pick up the box at the post office.
Click to expand...

The 70 lb limit has been in effect for a couple of decades. I started carrying mail in 1992 and it was in effect back then.
 
To to local ranges and post on their boards. Try locally first.

If you do ship it you wrap the bulk box in clear shipping tape it will add more drop protection than using a double box. When I get 1000 bullets in a small bulk box they have been wrapped in packing tape lately and not even a hint of damage.

If shipping becomes necessary try to set it up where you only make 1 trip to the post office. If you explain to the buyers you are not shipping until you sell most of the bullets and why I'm sure they won't mind. Of course I'm not talking about 6-8 weeks but a week or 2 is reasonable.
 
I have bought 1000 of round of lose bullets they come in a small to med box and only taped up good my mail man sad what in there it heavy I said bullets for loading I load hand guns and long guns
 
Any local places to sell them? Range, gun shop? The major consideration is shipping, and my "postperson" gets kinda POed when any packages run over 10-12 lbs. One time I got 25 lbs of casting alloy and it made it as far as the front step. Heavy packages really need to be packed very tight and secure, a 25 lb package will get tossed, dropped and kicked along the floor. Just because you can put 65 lbs in a box and mail it, doesn't mean it will get to it's destination in good shape.....
 
I had a bullet business about 12 years ago. The USPS and flat rate boxes are your friends. You'll have no problem selling those bullets once word gets out. I would look to see what the bullets are selling for and go from there.
 
I have used small flat rate boxes and then the medium flat rate fits 6 of the small ones like a glove! Ordered some bullets from a vendor once and thats how he shipped them. The small boxes firm up the medium. Also use the Tyvec envelopes, once sealed they are about impossible to tear.
 
I think I would also have to take a shot on Armslist. Give it a chance, say two weeks. Matter of fact if you belong to more than one forum place them for sale on all of them.
 
2011redrider said:
I have used small flat rate boxes and then the medium flat rate fits 6 of the small ones like a glove! Ordered some bullets from a vendor once and thats how he shipped them. The small boxes firm up the medium. Also use the Tyvec envelopes, once sealed they are about impossible to tear.
Click to expand...

This works like a champ. Put the bullets in the Tyvek envelopes, but those in the small boxes and put the small boxes in the medium box. This keeps the load from shifting, puts a double wall of cardboard, the bullets stay in the envelopes.

Just make sure to NOT short yourself on the packing tape.
 
rfwobbly said:
A very sick friend of mine asked me to clean out his rental storage area. He was a vendor at local gun shows back in the early 90's and picked up deals on things other vendors didn't want to carry back out to their trucks. In the back of his locker were two 50cal ammo cans that were bolted to the floor. Well, it seemed that way.

Turns out that each had 4000 124gr LRN bullets for 9mm from Georgia Arms inside. These cans must weigh in excess of 80 lbs each. So I can't move them easily. They are way too heavy to ship, and no one at my club is interested. I could divide them up into 500 bullet lots, but the PO is 8 miles away and a nasty drive.

What would you do ? My pal can't work and really needs the funds.
Click to expand...
I would split them up a little. The 500 count is pretty common way to sell or buy them but I've bought whole ammo cans before. 8 MILES is a nasty drive? I'd bring them home and have a "Man Cave" yard/garage sale. The ad is free in most papers and those will sell before you even "open up".
 
lightman said:
Whatever you do is going to be labor intensive. I would count them out in lots of 1000 and advertise them for sale on the forum. I would ship using USPS flat rate boxes. I would bag them, double box them and use lots of reinforced tape. Research the going prices and price them to sell.

Good on you for being willing to help your friend.
Click to expand...
I store mine in pickle jars, peanut jars, orange juice bottle. They all hold about 26 pounds. At 7000 grains per pound that would give you 56.5 bullets per pound. ABOUT 1460 bullets per jar.

Quart milk bottles or just sell the whole ammo cans but you can take them to about any hardware store and get it weighed.
 
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