I was watching this auction which ended earlier today:
Mossberg 500 ATP 12 Ga 18 1/2? Persuader Like New : Pump Action Shotguns at GunBroker.com

Why was this shotgun deemed to be worth $705? My reason for asking is that I have one just like it, not in new condition but well taken care of. I have no sentimental attachment to mine, bought it on an impulse at a pawn shop 25 years ago. Just got me thinking....

Condition, and paperwork. A collector needed one of those to fill a hole.

A nice $250.00 shotgun. But I guess in the end it's worth what someone will pay.

That's easy. It's an older one. It looks to be in really nice shape, plus it's got some very nice looking wood on it. There are lots of people, myself included, who much prefer the look and feel (some people might say the warmth) of the older guns, instead of the black-on-black-paramilitary-tactical look of the newer ones with their composite stocks and forends. Plus, I don't know much about Mossbergs, but being from back in the early eighties, it might have a steel receiver instead of the alloy ones of today.

This one was worth that price, too, because someone decided it was worth that much to them. It sold for what the market would bear. Wouldn't have surprised me to see a higher selling price.

Well it does have attractive wood and nice bluing and appears to be in excellent shape.

Yes, a little odd. This exact gun was on Gun Broker continually for about 3 months with no bids. It was first listed April 28 - May 12, 2015 with no reserve and a starting bid of $495 and received no bids. Over the 3 month period the opening bid was gradually lowered to $435.

A conspiracy theorist could claim a shill bidder in this case. Finally, after 3 months of no bidding, the winning bidder placed a maximum bid on 7-21-2015 of $705 or higher. I wonder why a bid significantly higher than the minimum opening bid on something that had not received a single bid in 3 months? Then more weirdness on 7-24-2015, over a period of about 30 minutes, a second bidder placed 4 separate bids pushing the bid up from the $435 opening bid to the final $705 closing price.

More weirdness. Here's an equally nice similar Mossberg that went for $195.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=489546435

__________________
Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

Maybe in 1982, sure. This is 2015, the 21st Century. I'm seeing single-barrel Stevens and Savage 12-gauge shotguns in good shape going for $200 now. Just the other day, I watched an almost pristine Stevens 311A double in 12-gauge change hands for $600. The buyer didn't even try to haggle.

Well, I'll admit I've made four or five separate bids over a short period of time...just trying to crack the other guy's maximum bid on a gun I wanted. I almost fell into that I'll-Show-Him-He-Can't-Outbid-Me trap, but finally came to my senses before I made a complete fool of myself, and bowed out of the whole thing.

But some people will do that same thing, and they won't stop until they win. I often think it's as much of an ego thing as it is for just wanting the gun.