I'm in the process of selling off my collection and I responded to a Wanted to Buy ad. The fellow was looking for one of the guns I wanted to sell. We discussed and after sending pictures and making him a good offer (slightly less than current going price), he came back with an offer of half of the price I had quoted him. He said he didn't want to pay the price I offered because he couldn't make enough on the gun when he resold it. Needless to say, he didn't receive a reply from me although I was ready to send him off an email written on asbestos paper!

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Bill

I don’t feel the need to be a wholesaler to gun traders. They’re always wanting top dollar for what they have and want you to give them what you have so they can flip them (which is technically a breech of federal law). No patience for it on my end.


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I understand your feelings. It can be incredibly frustrating selling guns (and accessories) online.

No offense intended to the OP, but I don’t understand the anger. Many sellers of used things, maybe even most, over price expecting some negotiation. The buyer has no way to know what a seller will take unless they make an offer to the seller. The other option is to auction it.

How about a simple “no” by the seller?

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Vegan by proxy.

Not worth getting angry over...... but I wouldn't be bidding against myself.

He wants to buy wholesale and flip it at retail................ you're looking to sell it directly to the "same buyer" he's looking for.

If you're not desperate for cash ...... keep waiting for that retail buyer!!

That may be true in most cases but the buyer obviously knows enough about the market value and admittedly is asking the OP to basically give it away to him so he can resell it and make good profit on his end. Typical behavior for the self absorbed. AND, the prospective buyer can just as easily say “no” to the asking price.


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None of that bothers me too much and I don't respond to any low ball email offers but what bothers me is when they do that at a gun show. Sometimes I'm in a hurry and only have so much time at a show and guys will hang out by the front door and want to look at what you have when you first walk in. I immediately tell them how much the gun is and they'll spend a bunch of time looking at it and act like they are interested and want to make some small talk, then hand it back. If they were really interested I wouldn't mind but they just want to buy a gun dirt cheap then sell for a big profit and its a waste of my time.

A lowball offer is not bargaining in good faith. It is wasting your time.

Try selling firearms for a living and dealing with them. Somewhere in their pea brains it doesn’t register that you know your business or you wouldn’t be in it! I guess I’ve slowly become jaded and burned out on those “types”. Like I said in my first reply to the OP, I’m not their wholesaler. Not to mention, flipping guns without retaining possession for an established length of time is a breech of federal law and many of them end up getting a knock on their door.


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You don't know that the buyer is self absorbed or not. That's just name calling.

The buyer didn't contact the OP. The OP contacted a buyer that posted an "I buy guns" ad (it's in the OP). The OP offered to sell his gun for near retail. The buyer countered with a wholesale price. What did the OP think was going to happen?

Both people here have the ability to say "no." Both people have the ability to make a counter offer. The OP set a price. The buyer made his counter. The OP didn't say "no" or counter back. He didn't like the counter. He's stewing and venting about it on the internet.

Either make a counter offer or say "no, thanks" and move on. Lots of serious stuff going on to get wrapped up about that.

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Vegan by proxy.

So many think they will fall into a desperation sale.
I've chuckled to myself when I've encountered some of these small fish who think they're so savvy, and have no idea of who they're trying to shave.

I encountered it with a car sale a few years ago. Listed the very fair price as firm/no offers, yet the first guy to come along,who acknowledged that the car was everything that I said it was, low balled me. ...Thanks for wasting my time.
Second guy said that he wanted to look at another car,so off he went.
I then decided that the car was actually too underpriced, so I raised the price $300. The second guy then called back with renewed interest, and I said "Fine, but the price is $300 more." He disappeared.
Prospect #3 showed up. Made a tiny,tiny effort to chisel me, and then said he'd take it. A smooth deal. He still got a good car at a very fair price....and the crazy thing was that he never test drove it.

Tire kickers. I won't have a tag sale, just throw it in the dumpster.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I've been a trader of things of value all my life...

Traded pocket knives as a school boy, I've dealt in cattle, horses, mules,
land, gold & sliver, crude oil and firearms of every description.

I have never got my feelings hurt or upset if things didn't work out.

I always looked for the square deal...

I'd rather be known as a square dealer of all things large and small !!!




.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

It isn't just guns where stuff like this can happen. When I was selling my first house, I had it up for the sale price recommended by my agent. Somebody came to a viewing and said the price was too high. So I said, "OK, give me a number."

Response: [crickets]

I wasn't going to negotiate against myself. Happily I did get a decent offer from someone who was willing to waive inspection and settle in 30 days, and put up twice the earnest money.

I agree completely
The gun board i use has a trader rating for each person
I am very proud of my 100% positive rating
I would fo nothing that might jeopardize my reputation .
Ive had guys try to lowball me but ive also had gentlemen make reasonable offers
I do not make lowball offers but i will try a reasonable offer if i think the asking price is higher than market

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the rules? there are no rules

Non-specific want ads that say "I buy guns" is an instant red flag that the person is a flipper.

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Release the Kraken

Ummm... If he is a member of this site, he should not be using the classifieds for commercial profit. Also, if his intent to re-sale for profit was stated explicitly, then he would be required to have an 01 FFL if I understand the CFR correctly.

A WTB for resale is just bad form. Please post some feedback in the appropriate place here on the forum.

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On the Oak Savannah

Don't sweat the small stuff. Dickering is as old as dirt. If somebody offers me half or less, I just say try again; you can see my price. If they get close, I might meet them in the middle. It's a game. It's back and forth. Anybody can quit the game or not even start. I grin at gunshow "sellers" with untagged items. How much, I ask? Make me an offer. No, you start, you're the seller. Or I may just say, I'm going to lowball you to start the negotiation. Offer them 10 cents on a dollar. Sometimes they get irritated and I walk away. Sometimes, they grin and decide to play. It's all fun and games until somebody strings you along and doesn't bargain in good faith. Then it's just time to cut off the discussion and walk away.

Just my 20 m$.

Some years back I was helping the widow of a friend dispose of some estate items. One was a baseball signed by Lou Gehrig & Babe Ruth that my friend had inherited from his dad. I had it authenticated and then listed it on ebay after getting a pretty good idea what it was worth. I had several extreme lowball offers. All were from people who had some type of sports memorabilia stores or businesses.
My response to them was why should I contribute to their business' profit ? I owed them absolutely nothing. The baseball sold for about $8000.