Everyone has a way of dealing with this...

It happens- whether in a shop, at a gunshow or even trying to trade with a friend or buddy. I understand that each of these places have a different level of discourse depending upon how well you know or like the person that is being traded with...

I've seen a bit of everything over the years- from people being irate and trying yell the seller down on the price and go into a tirade off on the seller why it is priced so much higher than someone else's- which I hope I never have the pleasure to see again- but know I will in the course of "going to see the varmint."

If it's a piece that's prices 2x more than the market- I'll just sit it down carefully and leave. Sometimes I will make the gesture of wiping my hand upon my britches to get off the stigma of a piece too high- but only if the seller seems overly obnoxious, obtuse or surly- or if I know them. If I know them really well, I'll sometimes put it down and say "ouch! That burnt me!"

I just wanted to say that I know that for every high priced piece, there is an equal one in condition out there for much, much less- and it's usually your buddy that picks it up. I think this is hidden very well in the appendix of the Murphy's law book.

That's my thought for the day.
Please keep your wallets close there guys- if you are at the shows today.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I just take a simple approach. If it is within negotiation range of reasonable and I'm interested, I may negotiate.

If it is so far out of the realm of reasonable from my understanding of its market value, then if asked if I am interested I'll just say in a polite manner that I think we are too far apart to meet a mutually satisfactory agreement. Why do anything else really?

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" I said, good DAY! "

Years ago, in the mid-90's, I went to look at a used dirt bike. It was a Harley-Davidson 250 motocross racer, built in the 70's. They weren't even real Harley's....Harley had them made in Italy by Aermacchi. Somewhat rare and collectible, but they're out there.

This one was in "OK" shape, not great. I offered $1000 for it, as it needed work to get it running. The guy scoffed at my offer saying, "That bike is going to put my daughter through college".

I told him he'd be lucky if it bought her books for the first semester and got back in my truck.

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'Merica!

Ah, that's the rub...I'm talking about pieces that are far (2x or more) outside the figure for negotiation...usually absurdly high asking prices on unmarked items. It's always an unmarked item anyway- isn't it? If it's clearly marked, I'd either pass by it or never give it a second look.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I heard the opposite side of that argument presented pretty well once. At a motorcycle meet a guy was trying to buy a set of expensive driving lights and telling the seller that his $400 price was too high. The exchange went like this:

BUYER: "But a vendor on the other side of the campground was selling them for $350."

SELLER: "Go buy them from him."

BUYER: "I can't, he is sold out."

SELLER: "Then his price is too high."

BUYER: "What do you mean his price is too high?"

SELLER: "When I am out of them, I only charge $300."

The last few gun shows a seller has been bringing a gun that I like and want, problem is its priced to high. So every other show or so I ask the price and it does not go down even after years of not selling. He says its on consignment from another dealer and some such non sense. Anyhow this show I ask the price and get the same line, so this time I tell him he had it here for years why not ask the owner to lower the price a little and lets make a deal to sell it. He makes an angry face gets all red and looks like I just made some lewd comments about his mother. He storms off to the other side of his table. I guess its a big oh well from me I dont care if he drags it to every show from now till eternity. I wont ask again nor go back to see his wares.

If people want to sell things, lets talk. If people want a traveling museum that their problem.

I rarely if ever say anything; just lay it down and walk on. Just like a pistol I saw priced at over $800.00 when I bought my Beretta Centurion . Most of the others I saw were in the $400.00 range and one or two really beat to pieces around $385.00. All but one or two only came w/one 10 Rd. mag. and, the one I bought came w/two fifteens.

I tend to live by the rule you have a gun (or anything else) to sell and I have $$$. That being said I think many folks place a gun they really don't want to sell on the table in hope someone will "make them sell it". I figure if the right person comes along good for them both. In the end I simply say "you have a great gun here and I would love one, but it's out of my pay grade", because you never know when you will run into the guy again.

At a show two weeks ago I found 3 Colt Sauer's in 458 Win, price range from $2,000 to $3,500, with an older Ziess scope on the "cheap" one..... In the end not a good gun for shooting at whitetails, but a great reminder to walk the show the first time with your wallet in the car.

When I go to a show I wear a recognizable bright colored ball cap. You can see me walking anywhere in the show. If I see somethng I want I make an offer regardless of what they are asking. If they decline my offer before I walk away I tell them if they change their mind my offer will still be good while I'm there if I haven't spent my play money. I've had several come up to me later and make the deal. Those that didn't I didn't worry about. The only problem here is every now and then I run into something I just can't live without and the above strategy goes out the window.

Welcome to the forum Dominus Lex, yep that Colt will defnitely put a hurt on the "Monster Bucks"!! I do know several people that hunt everything with a 458. I asked a friend why, he said he only gets two or three shots a year with it, so why not??
I always cruise the gun show, and am willing to haggle, that is half the fun!!

Back when I was buying every M1 carbine I could lay my hands on I went by the addage "are you paying too much, or buying too soon." I figured carbine prices would go through the roof so I didn't figure I was paying too much, I was just paying the new price early . . . speculating if you will. It paid off for me, I sometimes paid $300 for carbines when they were going for $150 - $200. I don't think I got hurt.

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- Change it back -

Thanks Peyton, I agree anyone who is selling at a show, and is firm on the price needs to think again. The only thing better then the new toy, is the haggle. As to the 458 on everything, my dad use to say "you can do that... but are you sure you really want to...."

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always trust your cape...

Jeebus! Do you want to sell one of those carbines?

If it's too high I'll try to deal, if it's still too high I walk away.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

So, I've spent $100 on fuel, two nights in a hotel to go to a gun show where I will have to negotiate as well and send the gun back to my FFL. Or, I'm stupid for spending $200 over the S&W lowball special price to go back home and clean it, and put it away?

I usually pass on by and don't say a word if it's priced too high. If I handle something not marked and learn it's too high I'll tell them it's too rich for me. That gives them an option to lower the price if they care to and nobody gets insulted by my lowball to them offer.
I did just that when a dealer saw me eyeballing a NIB Model 57 in 8 3/8 in his case he was asking $1150 for. He didn't open negotiations and I moved on to his other guns also priced high. I was back there recently and now it's marked at $1250. I'd like to add it to my collection of .41s but won't insult him with an offer of what I think it's worth.
I let a 357PD sit in another dealer's case for a couple years unsold and never made an offer on it. Once he dropped the price I snatched it up. He knows what I like and if he wants to move something now he'll bring it out of the case for me to look at and give me his lowered price. I often buy then and if I don't I tell him why like I have it's twin at home.
Sometimes it pays to deal with people that know you and what you like that way.

I have seen the same thing - a great gun that you see gun show after gun show that is priced way out of line with the market. I think some dealers at gun shows keep a special gun as a "lure" to get you to stop at their table - something that they are not expecting to sell.

I think it is to get you to talk to them and look at the other items on their table.

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6/23/2022

No big deal. Up to that time I've obviously managed to get along without it. Like the line in the "Mikado", a great many men have to learn how to live without Yum-Yum.

had a guy try to tell me that his 50 dollar tag on sig 522 mags was a good deal. i laughed and walked on

Do as I do. My plan is simple.


First, make sure it is a gun you want to keep. The casual guns are not worth the effort.

Next get the seller to make you a price. If the price is too high, then tell the seller you can work out a deal

Have him write on a piece of paper the lowest amount he will take. You write on a piece of paper the highest price you will pay and be fair in your pricing.

Exchange papers and split the difference. It usually works for the higher priced used guns. It never works for a new gun and never needed for the cheap guns. Sellers admire the novel approach to agreeing on a price.

Then often a seller paid too much for a gun and will not admit it so it is time to walk away.

Reminds me of the $7000- Trapdoor Springfield at one of the local gunshops. I man died and his son sold 180 of his guns to the local shop. One was this Trapdoor, it was nice, very nice, but nothing rare or special, standard Trapdoor rifle. When I walked in I saw the tag and I thought it said $700, nope $7000. There was no wiggle worm on that, and when I asked the owner where that number came from, well, because someone walked in and said that it was rare. No documentation. The gun dropped eventually to $4000 and then $1200. Finally it sold for about $900, but not because of any haggling.
Recently I went into that same shop (oddly enough you can find good deals in there) and on the wall was a nice Ithaca 37 Featherlight 12 gauge. Nothing fancy there but the gun is really nice. Then I saw the the tag. $650. That's about $250 more than it should be going for. I didn't even debate the point with the owner as some people will just have to learn that their prices are too high.When enough people pass up those guns at really high prices, well then the prices come down.
I don't haggle or even attempt to when I see prices that are way too high, because I have never seen a dealer drop them down far enough to make it worthwhile. Best just walk away and chuckle, I know I do.

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Vaya con Dios

I’m going to come real razor’s edge close to sounding like a “hater” here and I swear I don’t mean to be. But this is the kind of thing that is causing prices to become what they are. People are free to buy and do what they want with what they bought, but as more and more of anything gets locked into a safe, closet, basement, whatever then the prices jump as guys like me get desperate to find decent condition anythings out on shelves still. In my eyes paying over $600 for a decent Model 28 while I’m sure many guys have their eyes roll back into their heads to see that price. I’m even seeing decent condition Model 10’s close to $500 and that even makes me real a little. Kahr Arms has responded to the Carbine demand, Springfield Armory has responded to the Garand demand (poet and didn’t know it?), and S&W has brought out the Classics. They all have pricing, not quite the real deal issues but for many now that the real deals are in private collections and priced out of most wallets the remakes are getting more acceptable. So if you start rolling your eyes at some over inflated price tags, be careful, they may just get that price from someone who is getting desperate to own something that is getting harder and harder to find. I’ve passed on many a $999 M1 Carbine that was pretty beat up but that’s getting closer to being the going rate. And we just got the slap down on getting any brought home.

Just for personal entertainment I have occasionally offered the seller of a ridiculously overpriced gun an nearly identical one at half the price.
(I haven't been taken up on one yet. I guess a 100% profit just isn't good enough.)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I politely ask "Out of curiosity, what is special about this item that makes it worth that price?". The responses are usually entertaining.

That is so true. I have been told some pretty good stuff about some pretty beat up stuff. Some of them talk like they are so serious too. But it all comes across like trying to sell ice in an igloo owner. I had a guy try telling me that a Norinco 1911 was a classic because Clinton got them banned. Ummm, half truth, the other half??? So I guess the worst you can do is ask.

Your approach is the best one in this thread. Just as often as not, there is a reason for what appears to be a high price. Keep in mind its not the sellers fault you're under financed. Its not his fault you spent too much money on video games or meals out. If you don't have the money, it costs you nothing to be polite. I'm just amused at the comments we hear about some very nice guns. Usually its just sour grapes on the part of window shoppers or tire kickers. Many don't have 2 nickels to rub together, but want to boast about the better guns they have at home. From the sellers perspective, its pretty easy to tell the legitimate customer from the boaster.

For the last few years we've thrown in our lot with the group of table David Carroll and some other friends use. We often hear comments about his wares being way out of line. The interesting thing we see are some of the big name collectors plunking down the dollars and taking home the rare guns. Its not his fault you're impoverished, or don't know a spectacular example from a worn one.

What I've seen is mouthy people who try to feel better about themselves by trying to put down another man's guns, or his prices. Its easy to see thru the envy, and its not very flattering to the person doing it. Remember when your momma taught you if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?

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Dick Burg

Whatcha gonna do? Knock him in the head and steal it? I probley will make a offer, if they dont take it I walk or pay his price. Once at a gunshow where I had a table someone low balled me big time. Somehow I sensed he didnt have the price of his offer, gambeled big time, and said sure! He walked off without a word!
Another day I had a springfield carbine on my table. (About 40 years ago.) A real likeable guy wanted it bad, but was short. I let him have it for a song even though I knew I could have got my price latter. He almost cried. I have had guys I felt were gang member type try to buy guns from me without quibbleing about the price and I would come up with something creative to stop the sale. It never was always about strictly price when I dealt hot and heavy years ago. I usualy made out good anyway and felt good about most my transactions.

What do you do when a gun is too high?

Normally not a problem for me, but my wife usually grabs a step stool.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I seem to notice when some are buying guns the price is always high, but when they sell, they have guns made of gold.

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Sure you did

I been use to doing without stuff I wanted all my life. I don't have any trouble just walking away.

I ask what they would want for cash money.
I make an offer.
They say yes or no.
My last ditch is "If you'll take X amount of green folding cash I'll buy it right now."

I'd like to say it's gotten me some smokin' deals but well....

I never was much of a horse trader.

I'll make a reasonable offer, if the seller has no "wiggle room" I'm always prepared to walk away. It's not my place to lecture the seller about pricing and it sure doesn't help with the negotiating process. Be patient and keep looking, eventually you can find the gun you want for a price you are willing to pay...

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"Shall not be infringed"

Probably a few generations before you did, also. I graduated from that school too. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

If I can see the price, and it's obviously too high for any kind of deal I would consider reasonable, I just walk on without comment.

If there's no price and I pick it up and find out it's way more than what I think it's worth, I just say "thanks, nice gun", then put it down and move on.

None of my business what someone wants to ask for their stuff. They may get lucky, they may hold it long enough to mark it down, or they may hold on to it forever.

I'm sure I've missed some good deals by not at least making a lowball offer compared to the asking price, but there's always another gun, or whatever.

Like everybody else, I have paid a little more than I should have for something I really wanted.

If is way out of line, however, I walk and usually don't say anything one way or the other. When I see things marked that way, I figure the seller is trying to rip someone off or is not serious. Either way, I have no use for somebody like that.

Yup. I've also walked away from what research showed to be a smokin' deal. Go back a day later & sho' nuff... gun gone.
Live & learn.

I agree with others who've speculated that some people really don't want to sell but will list a ridiculously high price on the off chance that just maybe somebody will bite. I know that just about everything I own I would sell if the price was high enough. OTOH It doesn't cost anything to make an offer. Maybe the correct course of action in these situations would be to make an equally ridiculously low counter offer!
John

Just Saturday.... A guy came to our tables and offered up a 38/44 HD. It was a very nice nickel plated gun, with some funny numbers in the crane. He wanted $800 for it, I offered up $750 and he refused. I didn't need the gun, but it was a 4" N frame. I do have a weakness for those. About an hour later David Carroll was crowing over his smokin good deal as they only made 50 of the -2 guns. Better he has it than me. He'll probably double his money with room to spare. I don't want to be bothered with selling another gun. I have too many to sell right now!

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Dick Burg

I saw a nice Model 24 at a show one time and asked to look at it. I checked it over and it was probally 98% and a 4 or 5 hundred dollar gun at the time. I wanted it and asked his price as it wasn't tagged.
He said he didn't have a price so I asked if he'd take an offer. To that he replied he'd just bought it and didn't want to sell it.
I suggested he put it under his table and not waste buyer's and his time.
I was so perturbed I didn't even check out the rest of his guns and moved on.

I would suggest that some, not all, sellers remember that when I thank them for their time as I explain that their price is out of my price range. I don't have a problem with a premium price on a premium handgun, but I do have a real problem with $500.00 price tags on beaters. I also have a REAL problem with the attitude of a few sellers, who believe that anyone who will not pay their exorbitant prices is a low life. Ok, my rant is over and I will shut up now.

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Always Stay Strong!

In the overall scheme of things I don't think Faulkner's method of M1 Carbine acquisition is having such an impact on pricing of available supplies and if it is then I'm grateful to him for upping the value of my lone example.

While it's always been this way with used guns, it does seem that folks these days are really scraping the bottom of the barrel with what they're calling "rare and collectible." Old doesn't equate to rare and collectible. Sometimes old is just an old, ratty gun. Trying to snatch and grab at any potential future value while ignoring the ravages of "deferred maintenance" makes for some amusingly high priced firearms.

Was at a small show this past weekend. I cast an eye at a shabby looking Colt New Army revolver without even picking it up. This rickety thing was poorly refinished, bore was poor, and had cheapo plastic aftermarket grips on it. He tried to sell it to me for $360. They made almost 300,000 of them, the design is primitive, and this one was a poor representative specimen. It will never be worth $360.

A local pawn shop has a late '40s M&P blue/4-inch. Neglect has turned most of the worn blue finish to a soft brown. No scaly rust, just brown. Stocks are greasy, grimy, black with filth, scuffed and dented. It is priced at $625. It's been there with that brown, filthy price tag on it for over 3 years now. It may be found lying right next to the Smith & Wesson Model 49 with extremely worn blue finish and the front of the trigger guard caved in from a heavy blow from which is attached an equally shop worn $495 price tag and some old worn out 1960s vintage H&R junk .32 priced at $285.

I managed to pick up a nicely sporterized Winchester produced Model 1917 Enfield, rear sight "ears" properly removed, drilled and tapped, bolt bent, floor plate and magazine box properly recontoured for slimming effect, all bedded in a rather nice, classically styled, walnut sporter stock with real fine-line checkering for $50. Only things missing were the safety assembly and the bolt release but those are easy finds. Now that's my kind of deal.

I do more buying than selling secure in the knowledge that it's only a hobby for me and with that in mind if I feel a piece is overpriced I'll usually let it go but occasionally will pay the asking price just to get something I want.
The prudent thing to do would be to pass on all overpriced firearms. If it was my livelyhood I'd strictly adhere to a buy low sell high business model.
A lot of it revolves around what you're into. Best wishes.

I ask folks what they have to have for that gun. If its within reason, I might neogiate with them. If not, I just say, "thanks, that too high for me" and lay it down and move on. No skin off my nose and who knows, somebody might buy it. A lot of times I'll go back to the table at a gun show just about an hour before every one pulls up stakes, suprising how many guns I've bought for a reasonable price then.

Even though some sellers have the "If I have it, its gold and you have it, its **** attitude", it doesn't bother me in the least to walk away with a shake of my head.

Rule 303

I'll Bite,
Get it to eat something so it'll come down

At this point EVERYTHING seems over priced to me. I understand why my dad scoffed at the idea of paying $120 for a surplus 1911A1. In the back of my mind Victorys are still only worth $100 and I wonder why I can't find a nice 57 in the wooden box for $250 like my last one cost.

One dealer visits all of the several gun shows in my area. Over a period of six months I admired and even fondled a very nice 4.5" barreled Browning .22 Challenger first model; it was priced at $495.00 which IMO was too much. I never made an offer during that time because he really liked to deal close and I didn't want to argue. Finally, at last weeks show my lust for the pistol got the best of me and I asked what he wanted for it 'out the door'. He offered a pretty good price. I pointed out that the slide stop wouldn't move, that the safety was sticky and he had it for six months; I offered $50 less "just so he could get it off his table". He surprised me by accepting the offer!

A little kitchen table gunsmithing put the pistol back in good order. It shoots great and is the nicest .22 auto that I own. Better still, my wife loves to shoot it and has claimed it as her own because its "pretty".

Sometimes good stuff comes to those who wait.

Charlie

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SWCA # 2294

Probably, but I never see them.

I have a three-step approach.
1. If "way too high" - walk on, never give it another thought. In a few months or a couple years, I may see the gun again and someone else may be selling it. Or another one may show up. Or I may become interested in something else. Etc., etc.
2. If a "little too high" - pay it and forget it.
3. If "ridiculously high" - take note of the seller and avoid him in the future.

Generally, I try not to worry about paying "too much" for a gun, since nearly anything I pay is too much because I probably don't need it in the first place.

I'm more interested in condition than price. If the condition is there, the price will catch up to it. Really nice guns still bring a premium.

I think it's reasonable to make an offer based on a fair market price for a gun, regardless of the listed price. Just because someone thinks they should be able to sell it for that much doesn't make it worth that much. If the seller acts insulted by an offer that is reasonable based on fair market prices, it's an indication to me that I wouldn't want to do business with them anyway. I understand the mark-up on new items, and expect to pay fair market price for a new gun or a new car. It's when I see a dealer buy a gun from a recently unemployed fella for $200 and sell it an hour later for $550 that I start to feel disgusted. I understand needing to cover overhead and everything, but telling the seller it's nothing special to get it at a low price, and then telling a buyer it's a rare gun in excellent condition, well that isn't business, it's outright lying and just plain dishonest in my book. If that's what it takes to be successful in a retail business, I'd be proud to be a failure. I value character more than money or blued steel.

I think what goes around comes around, and the respect you earn when you treat people fairly as a buyer or a seller is invaluable. Honest dealers know when they have an item priced really high, and aren't threatened or offended when you make an offer that's fair. I'm not offended if they refuse to come down, or won't come down enough for my comfort level. Their reasons are none of my business. It's just a gun, anyway. In those instances, I usually tell them I guess I don't want it that bad, but I hope someone comes along who can't live without it. We usually shake hands and part on good terms. If they act huffy and pretentious, like I just don't recognize fine weaponry when I see it, I still wish them good fortune and treat them with civility. The ones that laugh with you, and are up front with you even if you don't reach a deal, make the experience worthwile even if you leave with no new firearms. The rest aren't worth dealing with, or cussin' at.

I usually end up buying guns from people I know and trust, and visit the gunshows just to see them. If the only draw at a table is the guns, I often just walk past. I'd rather give my money to someone I think deserves it.

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Hastings

I usually just make a slight grimace and walk away, but one time a saw a good to fair condition 5906 TSW and the price was 650 dollars!
After inspecting the gun I just couldn't help but laugh in the dealers face and didn't even bother negotiating since the gun wasn't even worth half that price.

Speaking of which, 3rd generation smiths are getting harder and harder to find in gun shows. I couldn't find any at the last show I went to.
Makes me wonder if people are hording them in their closets.
To those people: do you REALLY need 8 copies of the same gun?? Think of lesser unfortunate people like me, struggling to get a piece of that 3rd generation american dream.
/VIOLIN