In a bind: Gotta sell a couple revolvers...

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Poper

Poper

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Laid off since early Dec. and wife recently diagnosed w/ cancer. At age 60, life begins to suck. :(

Anyway, I recently sold my 1978 6" LNIB Python to my younger brother for about 1/2 of the GB prices just because I hated to see it go so bad. Now I'm in another pinch for money and am going to liquidate at least two more of my collectible revolvers.

The first one is my S&W M14-3 K38 Masterpiece. LNIB with original wax paper wrap, tools and paperwork, target trigger, target hammer, target grips. I think it has been fired, but I haven't fired it. I started to shoot it one day, but after loading the cylinder I looked at it and decided it was just too dang pretty to shoot. :eek: It's one I got in a trade several years ago from a good friend.

The other is a 2nd Gen. Colt SAA, 7 1/2" bbl. in .44 Special. It's blued w/CCH frame. It's an excellent shooter and in very good condition. The original grips are gone and someone replaced them with nice wood aftermarket target grips. I have a soft spot for anything .44 Special and this one has spoken softly and sweetly to me for many years.

Looking on Gunbroker, it's apparent very little is selling and nothing is selling for the asking prices. I'm torn between advertising it in Armslist, Shotgun News or biting the bullet and doing the no-reserve-penny-auction thing on GB.

What say y'all?
 
Stuff sells on Gunbroker when it's priced reasonably. When I'm trying to determine the value of an item, I only look at ads that have bids. An item is only worth what people are willing to pay for it. No bids=nonome thinks it's worth that much or other people are selling the same for less.
 
eldon519 said:
Stuff sells on Gunbroker when it's priced reasonably. When I'm trying to determine the value of an item, I only look at ads that have bids. An item is only worth what people are willing to pay for it. No bids=nonome thinks it's worth that much or other people are selling the same for less.
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This. Gunbroker is still a good gauge of what's a reasonable price. Look at the highest people actually bid, then set a starting bid at a reasonable amount based on that and NO RESERVE. Most people who see a reserve immediately walk away.

Never, ever, ever set a reserve price on an auction. Instead, set the starting price at the minimum you're willing to take. People inherently dislike reserve prices for many reasons. One, they hide the true minimum price. Two, they screw people out of their money because, if a person's maximum bid exceeds the reserve price, it automatically bids the reserve amount and bypasses normal bid escalation. And three, a person can be the high bidder and still not win. Reserves are dishonest, and people don't like that and walk away.
 
Prayers for your Wife and You also. Let us know if and where you list, not that I'm buying, but so we can direct others your way.
Best Wishes.
 
Proper, I was diagnosed with terminal "Double-hit Lymphoma" in May of 2013 (suspected cause exposure to Agent Orange in the early '70's); I was sitting with my wife in the oncologist's office when I was told I had less than a year - brutal punch in the stomach. Well, it is April 2016 and I am typing this reply - smart doctors, good medical science and a never quit mindset got me this time so far. Moral of the story, things that are bleak at the time have a tendency to get easier if you keep that mind right. You and your wife will be fine - keep the faith and have very good luck.
 
I've had the best results using GB for pricing by looking at the last 90 days of Completed Auctions with no reserve (All Completed Auctions if there's low traffic on the item). I sort the results by highest number of bids to gauge interest and determine the "average" price for something in similar condition.

Some say GB selling prices show a 15% premium due to national exposure. I reduce the inital asking price by at least that amount. From my observation if you're the same starting price as everybody else you don't get any bids; possibly because when everything is the same price nobody can make a buying decision.

Good luck.
 
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I pray the Lord will touch your wife with His healing hands, and that you'll soon be back to work.

I've been in your shoes. My wife suffered a ruptured aneurysm in her brain about eight years ago (I had heart surgery a couple of months before). And I was out of work for two years and had to sell off most of my guns during that time. I've replaced some of them since, at least the ones I really wanted.

To your question. Is there a local "gun for sale" board where you live? We have a good one here in Virginia and I was able to list mine on that board for free. I made a couple of donations, but there was no charge. The seller sets a price (no auction). The buyer can negotiate in private messages. I always priced a little higher than I wanted, because I can always come down, but I can't go up. All sales were face to face. Some of them we had to drive to meet up with the people, but we just looked at that as an opportunity to get out of the house and have a nice road trip. I had no trouble selling any of them, and only once did I have a buyer look at the gun and decline it. I never met a buyer I didn't immediately like, and everyone was always eager to provide any documentation needed to prove they were legally allowed to buy the gun.

And as an aside...Smith & Wesson and Colt Revolvers usually had people standing in line..."If your sale falls through, let me know, I'll take it.)

(I'm assuming you understand you have to know and follow all local laws, blaw, blaw, blaw...)

Good luck with your sale, and may God bless you.
 
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Here is a link to the cowboy action clubs affiliated with SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society. Click on a state to bring up a list of clubs close to you.

http://www.sassnet.com/clubs/

Most club secretaries will let their club members know when firearms are for sale in their area. With two nice revolvers like that, you could probably sell face to face in your home state and avoid the hassle of going through a third party. I know the cowboys would jump on the Colt if you price it fairly, and the Smith should go quickly also.

Good luck on both the sales and your wife's health.
 
I know the feeling all too well. I was fired for a BS trumped up reason in Feb. 2 car payments, 2 house payments, bills, and savings drained from remodeling the 2nd house. Now that the 2nd house is rented (monday) I suddenly have had a need for legal council on another matter that I have been advised not to discuss. Who knows where life will take me...gotta have faith brother. In the worst of times is where faith in whatever faith, diety, etc you believe in or you bounce off rock bottom. I'm praying for ya, and hope things turn around.
 
Poper,

We'll keep you and your wife in our prayers. I've sold a couple of guns and had good luck on Armslist. I priced that a couple of dollars under comparable guns and received responses in less than a day.

Tom
 
About two years ago my wife went through 8 chemo treatments and a double masectomy for breast cancer. It is an ugly, terrible operation but so far she is cancer free and doing very well health wise. So I truly hope that you folks have the same results. Believe me my thoughts are with you and I feel your sadness.

If you don't sell the model 14 send me a PM. I would be interested and will pay fair market value for it. The colt I can't afford. Sigh:(
 
WardenWolf said:
Two, they screw people out of their money because, if a person's maximum bid exceeds the reserve price, it automatically bids the reserve amount and bypasses normal bid escalation.
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This doesn't even make any sense!! If the reserve is less than the buyers MAX bid, then the seller SAVES money.......:scrutiny:


OP, sorry to read about your situation and I hope things improve
 
newfalguy101 said:
This doesn't even make any sense!! If the reserve is less than the buyers MAX bid, then the seller SAVES money.......:scrutiny:


OP, sorry to read about your situation and I hope things improve
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They screw the BUYER out of their money because it instantly jacks the price up without a bidding war between legitimate buyers.

And sorry, OP. I'll keep your family in my prayers.
 
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WardenWolf said:
They screw the BUYER out of their money because it instantly jacks the price up without a bidding war between legitimate buyers.

And sorry, OP. I'll keep your family in my prayers.
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Still makes no sense. There is no bidding war, as there is a reserve. Why leave the bid under the reserve? So that it can fly up hundreds of dollars at the last second?

Think about that. If a reserve is 800 and the max bid a person sets is 900 what would happen if the bidding stalls at 700? At the lady minute the price would jump to 800 for the bidder that put in a max bid. He didn't lose anything because he already bid over that amount. It sure wasted a lot of time for everyone involved though.
 
Hey POPER...

What do you figure for the SAA?

Maybe we can work out a deal and if it stays in Arizona - you might get flush one day and want to buy it back.

I hate seeing medical issues force these kinds of decisions but thank God you have at least some resources to draw from.

Best of luck in any case.


Todd.
 
ApacheCoTodd said:
What do you figure for the SAA?

Maybe we can work out a deal and if it stays in Arizona - you might get flush one day and want to buy it back.

I hate seeing medical issues force these kinds of decisions but thank God you have at least some resources to draw from.

Best of luck in any case.


Todd.
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Thank you, Todd, for your well wishes.
I haven't really put any prices to anything yet. In discussions with a couple friends and such, I am leaning toward No Reserve Penny Auctions on GB. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. What I would want to get is probably more than the market will bear for these two revolvers, so I think the fair way to do it is the NR PA. I might get screwed, but probably not. There are always bargain hunters on GB and it is rare that something sells too cheap.

I am by no means an expert on either of these guns. What I do know about the Colt is apparently there were not many made chambered in .44 Special. This revolver is not pristine, though it is certainly not rough. I have had it for quite a few years and have fired about 300 or 400 rounds through it. It usually gets shot when my brother visits. It is one of his favorites (mine, too) and he shoots it exceptionally well.
After looking at GB, there is only one other 2nd Gen. in .44 Special currently listed, and it is no where near a comparable gun. I am guessing the one I have should sell for between $1,200 & $1,400. If I get a buyer in AZ, I would be ok with a face-to-face transfer with an AZ resident.

The S&W M14-3 is LNIB and I am guessing should probably sell for $800+ on GB.

Stay tuned. I have several rifles and a shotgun or two that will appear on GB, too.
 
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