Does anyone else share this opinion? I have concluded that I simply do not have the stomach for bidding against others. I do not get any thrill from it. I usually bid more than I want to, and in general simply do not enjoy the process. I would rather pay a little bit more or simply frequently check buy it now type sites or forums than end up in an auction!

I have bought several revolvers from gun auctions.
I think simply what I do like to pay for the revolver.
That is my final bid. I don't carry away to bid to high.

Same experience for me. Make your bid and forget about it. If you get an email that you won that's great. If not, someone else gets pride of ownership. NEVER engage in a bidding war.

I just can't buy a gun without seeing it first. No photos but real life in hand.

I just won the sweetest model 65-3 4 inch in an auction and glad I did. This beauty was described as 99% but I think and all the guys at my local FFL agree it's 100% like new condition. I bid 500.00 and never looked back and got it for 480.00. Did I pay too much? I don' think so and I would do it again.

I have won a few auctions on GB. Never had a bidding war. I just think what I would be happy paying for the gun. Add ~ $45.00 for S&H and transfer. If that is still OK I make a bid.

Bid and sometimes I win. I do not bid agaisnt others. I bid what I will pay and leave.
What is up with $35.00 S&H???

Guy22

I don't mind auctions. No bidding wars for me either. I usually bid what I'd like to get it for. If that don't fly,I'll bid once more. The second bid being my maximum. I also will contact a seller who has had a gun I want go unsold through several re-listings and make him an offer. Works more often than you might think.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

I have not yet done guns but have bought everything from camera equipment to two Mercedes on ebay. Never had a bad deal and my "system" is to put in my bid a few hours before the end of the auction if the price is still in the ballpark and then turn it off. I don't watch it at the end and I don't do the last second sniping.

If I win I win, if not, it was not meant to be. Got a very nice 280SL in 2004 and a 2006 500E at about 50% book back in 2008.

It seems some guys just must win a certain auction, and will bid whatever it takes - often stupid money.

I don't have the patience , or the money. I go to a fairly large local gun auction held 3-4 times a year. The prices some of these guns bewilder me. If ya ever douted that some people have "more dollars than sense" , go to a gun auction. I've seen Jennings and Raven .25 autos fetch near $200. And when ya add the 10-13% buyers premium and 6% sales tax , some of these final prices make no sense. Some end up way over retail.

And the last few times , the ammo prices made even less sense!

I'm not wild about on-line auctions, but they allow access to items, I would not normally be able try and buy. I try and wait until the last day to two then make my max bid and forget about it until the sale is over; as others have posted I either get the item for my price or not.

^^This.

Unfortunately, this holds true for most auctions nowadays!

The last gun auction I attended, proved the recession was over for Oklahoma.

I like online auctions even less.

I honestly don't mind gun auction sites... That said I really don't enjoy finding myself getting dragged into senseless bidding wars.

A couple of weeks ago I was bidding on a Beretta CX4 carbine listed on Auction Arms. In a period of a day I watched the high bid go from $600 to $1400. A day later I found and bought a BNIB CX4 on GB for half that price. Best I can figure is that the seller must've gotten a shill to bid up the rifle or wanted to end the listing. Otherwise I've got to wonder who, in their right mind, would spend that much on that particular rifle.

I do not like buying anything I can not see and touch so online actions are not for me.

We used to have a local auction near my work and it was a fun kind of place, No guns but I bought a lot of stuff there. Auctioneer spoke slowly and clearly, you knew what the bid was and who had it.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I've never bought a gun on an auction site but have bought many other items that way. I'm like most who posted here, I put in my max bid and forget about it. If I win that's great, if not I'll keep looking. I refuse to get sucked into a bidding war against people who think an item is worth more than I do...

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USN 1992-2002
ET1 (SW/AW)

I love a real live auction. The biggest issues is having the time to go and not having any recourse for returns. But I've learned to never bid on anything that I have not taken the time to closely inspect. Most of the guns I've bought at auction have been good deals for the price. Some have had issues but the price was right considering. Bought a beautiful Savage 99 in 300 Savage this spring for under $400. That was after going to several other auctions and watching similar guns go for well over $600. My last auction find was a real nice pinned model 60 with original grips. Total cost was a little over $400. It also turned out to be a fantastic shooter. The same auction had a nice, 3 digit serial number, Baby Chief listed. Tried to get that one but my limit of $800 for it was done $25 better by another bidder. I'm sure it went to a good home.
I have seen some crazy priced winning bids though. This March I saw a nice, square butt, model 36 go for over $700. Still trying to figure that one out, especially when I've seen more than a few at the local shows with box and papers and lower asking prices.
A good auction has a good entertainment value too. Not talking about the TV auction reality shows, which to me are just about as far from reality as you can get. Besides seeing some ridiculous winning bids, more than once I've seen somebody get pissed off or upset when they couldn't get their low ball bid recognized by the auctioneer on an item that ends up selling for way more. When I start to bid on something, it's usually when the initial flurry of bidding has stalled at a price below my predetermined limit. I figure it's no use fanning the flames.
But, as others have said, the key is to do your research, set your price, and sit back and enjoy the show. And sometimes you end up coming home with something you didn't expect. Last week I made a quick trip to a local estate sale that had a "38 S&W" listed. Turned out to be a well worn 2" model 10 that went for $210. I quit at $200, just wasn't worth it to me. But I did come home with over 40# of coated deck screws and about 200 square feet of 3/4" pine lumber, all for $22!
John

I watched a 98% M29 with 4" barrel (gun only) sell for $1200. Four days later I bought an identical gun, LNIB with box, docs, and tools for $800 because I thought it was a bargain. And yes it is now fired.

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S&WHF 366

I am one of those people that falls in love with a certain gun and "really NEED to have it." That characteristic and an auction are a BAD combination! I am learning over time that I can walk away from any gun. A big part of this is being thankful and content with what I do have in the gun safe. It has been very helpful to see the patient attitude of many of the longtime collectors here on the forum. PD

I spent 10 years of 3 days a week for 3 months each year at cattle auctions. I've seen too much chicanery between people that know each other and have reputations on the line to ever buy something on an internet auction.

I go to an occasional local gun auction here and have got some bargains, but I know what I'm willing to pay and have the experience to know when to stop.

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Eccentric old coot

The bad thing about not being there is your dependant on the auctioneers description and condition appraisal. Which are often baffling and highly optimistic , unless you have a trusted and knowledgable agent on site to do an inspection. I once inspected what was described on the menu as a ''rare all-original New England Westinghouse made M-91 Mosin-Nagant in very good to excellent condition''. Only thing is it was obviously captured and reworked by the Finns with several SA markings on stock and bolt and a VKT barrel. First (opening) internet bid was $750. As for very good to excellent? Maybe , after some vodka.

With that kind of narrow mindset you are missing out on a lot of good stuff. Take mail order Russian Brides for example

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Forum consigliere

Some movie star once said "A man's got to know his limitations."

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I've only purchased one gun through an online auction. As a result I obtained a nice model 34 for what I considered a fair price. I only engaged in one "bidding war" over a motorcycle accessory. By the time I was the high bidder I realized that the price was stupid. Fortunately someone else wanted it even more and outbid me in the last hour. Since then I put in my maximum price and leave it. I may lose a few but I don't have the regret of paying more than I think the item is worth to me.

I thank Gunbroker for bringing many more available guns to my attention, but I still make the circuit of local gunshops and gunshows to be sure I find them all! As my wise brothers have stated before, decide what you are willing to pay, place the bid, and leave it ALONE! You will lose more than you win, but the ones you win will be satisfying and your pocketbook will live to spend another day.

I don't do on-line auctions but do frequent local auctions that are selling guns. I got what I think were screaming deals on the last two. A Remington 1100 12ga 28"VR Mod. for $150.00 and a Remington 700BDL SS 338RUM with a Leupold Vari-X III 4.5 - 14 x 40 AO for $700. Most times it's the obscure estate auctions with a handful of guns that I've done the best at.

The majority of my last 30 or so gun purchases have been either a live local gun auction or an on-line Gun Broker/Auction Arms auction. I have yet to have a problem, (other that having to pay a little too much for a couple). You do need to be able to set a price limit and stick with it. If not you will not buy very many nice guns.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Buy with a non-firing inspection

Early in the bidding put in a bid for an amount that would thrill you if you got it for that price and ignore the e-mails that say: "You have been outbid for item . . ."

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