GB photography/value

[Model29-26.5]

Am I correct in my deductions that the quality of the photography, lighting, angles, white gloves ( i.e. collector grade and do NOT even think about touching this fine piece with your filthy mits!), background, expensive looking sellers logo etc means a good bit more value, or will people see through this?
It seems to make a difference.
Your thoughts?
Thanks

 

[Truckman]

The phrase "marketing strategy" comes to mind......Ben

 

[Breakaway500]

When it comes to selling ANYTHING..presentation trumps everything.

 

[Yendor 1]

I don’t read too much into it

A pair of white cloth gloves, and a red background cloth cost next to nothing, especially if you use it over and over. A fancy logo probably doesn’t cost any more than a cheap one.

I do appreciate the fact that someone paid attention to detail. That, to me indicates that the firearm you are about to pay more than everybody else thought was worth, is a decent value.

I love Gun Broker. Don’t go there looking for a bargain; That’s probably not going to happen. And like I said, you’re going to pay more than everybody else thought it was worth. And don’t forget to add all the extra fees when you bid: Tax, Shipping, Transfer Fee. But it’s not that much more than buying it from a gun show, or the shop.

 

[AveragEd]

I love Gun Broker. Don’t go there looking for a bargain; That’s probably not going to happen. And like I said, you’re going to pay more than everybody else thought it was worth. And don’t forget to add all the extra fees when you bid: Tax, Shipping, Transfer Fee. But it’s not that much more than buying it from a gun show, or the shop.

That's not always true. I placed the opening bid of $416 on this Model 66-4 and that won it! It had it original rubber Pachmayr grip on it and it appears to have barely been fired. I've had good luck on a few others, too. Before the scroll-engraved Remington Model 700BDLs caught the scammer's eyes, I was able to score six of them, three with DBMs, for the price of a standard 700BDL.

Ed

 

[JayCeeNC]

Good photography and lighting merely allow YOU to more accurately decide how much you're willing to pay.

 

[Valmet]

Yes- pictures and presentation are everything if you’re trying to get top dollar for something on GB. I’ve never understood the folks who throw a high dollar item up with 2-3 grainy pics.

 

[NewLiberty]

The cost of getting a halfway decent photo setup, particularly for handguns, is pretty low. And GB doesn't have any limit on the number of photos a seller can add. There is really no excuse for a seller not to have at least 10 or so photos on each listing, showing various angles of the item.

High quality photos give the buyer a more accurate representation of the item they are buying. There should be no surprises about condition when the purchase shows up. Condition issues should be clearly shown in the photos.

So, those higher quality photo setups protect both the buyer and the seller in the transaction. They allow the seller to accurately show condition to the buyer, and for both parties to settle on a fair deal based on that condition.

 

[Frailer]

I’m not sure I agree with the “see through this” sentiment, as it implies the quality of the photography shouldn’t affect the selling price.

Buying a gun without a hands-on examination is something of a risk. Good-quality photography mitigates this risk somewhat, as does the reputation of the seller.

With that said, there is certainly “marketing” involved. And yes, it matters.

 

[Yendor 1]

Ed, how long ago was the purchase of that 66-4?

 

[hdfinder47]

Ed, how long ago was the purchase of that 66-4?

As in: what decade?

 

[luvsmiths]

Sell your car filthy, or washed and waxed?

 

[Dvus]

Good photography can make thousands of dollars difference in a sale price. I recently snagged a beautiful unfired Colt SAA .45 in nickel with what looked like cheap imitation stags. Pictures were grainey and slightly out of focus. I almost moved on until I read the seller's reviews. A lot of buyers that were pleasantly suprised by how good the items were when they arrived, with several noting poor picture quality. I took a chance and got a like new Colt with a beautifully fitted pair of Sambar stags for about half of what I should have paid.
Using white gloves on an everyday item on the other hand does not make a difference. There is one seller that comes to mind that sounds like "Giant Fridge," that uses the white glove treatment to distract you from their lofty, sometimes uninformed and/or vague descriptions.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Good photography can make thousands of dollars difference in a sale price. I recently snagged a beautiful unfired Colt SAA .45 in nickel with what looked like cheap imitation stags. Pictures were grainey and slightly out of focus. I almost moved on until I read the seller's reviews. A lot of buyers that were pleasantly suprised by how good the items were when they arrived, with several noting poor picture quality. I took a chance and got a like new Colt with a beautifully fitted pair of Sambar stags for about half of what I should have paid.
Using white gloves on an everyday item on the other hand does not make a difference. There is one seller that comes to mind that sounds like "Giant Fridge," that uses the white glove treatment to distract you from their lofty, sometimes uninformed and/or vague descriptions.

Yes. Although I won a very nice 19-3 4” from them for $741.

 

[Bald1]

It absolutely matters. The people reading this know what they are looking at. You want crisp clean pics of all the important parts. Todays auction buyer gets caught up in it all and feels like they are buying a highly sought after gun. There’s 3 sellers that come to mind that could make a HiPoint 9mm look priceless and create a bidding frenzy.

 

[wcat94]

Be carefull, even with good pictures they can be deceiving. I was burned by a seller selling a model 12-2 that looked new in all pictures. The one photo missing should have shown the punch mark where the barrel pin was removed and a cracked frame. No returns and after I pointed it out in email, there was never any response. Win some and loose some I guess.

 

[Model29-26.5]

It absolutely matters. The people reading this know what they are looking at. You want crisp clean pics of all the important parts. Todays auction buyer gets caught up in it all and feels like they are buying a highly sought after gun. There’s 3 sellers that come to mind that could make a HiPoint 9mm look priceless and create a bidding frenzy.

As far as presentation and lighting in particular, AK Arms makes the bluing look almost blue/grey and really get great coloring in their photos. The stocks always look great and the wood grains come out well. I think they’re fetching a premium.
Every item I see, the bluing looks great, but I know that it’s lighting as bluing on all the items has that look. It’s bluing like any other good item that is not worn.
But, it has to be said that they have taken the time to find a look, logo and formula that looks premium.
It is definitely going to matter. I just wondered what folks on this forum thought?

 

[flundertaker]

It’s like dating online. The number of filters available today can make the homeliest 4 look like an 8. Proceed with extreme caution kings.

 

[AveragEd]

Ed, how long ago was the purchase of that 66-4?

Oh, a few years ago - certainly not these days but definitely after snubbies became everyone's fashion statement. I harber little interest in them and only started the bidding to help the seller out when the gun received no bids during its first couple days. I never went back to follow it because I was certain I would be outbid in a hurry. The "You won..." email surprised me. I've never shot it.

Ed

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Not tooting anyone's horn here, but, a good example of great pictures and descriptions are Woodlawn Boys and Sarah15. If your not happy with a purchase from either site, it's your fault.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Not tooting anyone's horn here, but, a good example of great pictures and descriptions are Woodlawn Boys and Sarah15. If your not happy with a purchase from either site, it's your fault.

I bought from Sarah. Model 27-2 6” blue. They absolutely showed the bluing wear, scratches and tiny rust spots.
The gun looked way better than it did in the photos.
I remember they were selling a whole collection by a guy named Howard Trotter who was a Louisiana businessman who had a collection of 2000 guns with a particular interest in SW.

I think AK Arms makes the bluing look almost grey/blue.
With Sarah, the lighting made the blue look almost olive in color.
You don’t really know what you’re getting until you get it, and I have so far been more than happy with what came through.

 

[MajorD]

Good quality pictures at the proper angles are definitely helpful. Every once in a while I do stumble on a good deal on gun broker- usually something mis identified.
One thing I look for is a good clear picture of the yoke cut area on the air weights to confirm no frame crack. When looking at air weights if there isn’t a good clear sharp picture of that area, I won’t chance it, and when it seems every other picture in the listing is sharp and clear and that area isn’t pictured or is taken out of focus, I definitely run away fast. On the air weights I would really like to have gun in hand to examine for sure

 

[Dvus]

Not tooting anyone's horn here, but, a good example of great pictures and descriptions are Woodlawn Boys and Sarah15. If your not happy with a purchase from either site, it's your fault.

I agree, I have purchased from both and have been very satisfied with their presentation. I have also had good outcomes with Lock, Stock and Barrel. Nice to see they are getting away from selling only out of Kaliforniastan.

 

[rct269]

WAY BACK when we had words in the GUN LIST----instead of pictures on our computers, it didn't take long to figure out who could be counted on to ship a gun to you that was exactly as they said it was---or better.

By the same token, all those guns described as "99.9 Percent" weren't!!

I'm picky, and I wont spend any time at all looking at lousy pictures. Those who show you every square inch with perfect pictures get top dollar for their merchandise---and they deserve it.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Bald1]

It’s like dating online. The number of filters available today can make the homeliest 4 look like an 8. Proceed with extreme caution kings.

8!!!!! I ain’t dating no 8. I think you meant 10

 

[.38SuperMan]

I spent 55 years as a commercial photographer doing catalogs and advertising for hundreds of major corporations. If you want to get your top dollar and beat your competition then you invest in top quality photography, design and copy. If you look like an amateur and people can’t see what you’re selling you’ll be perceived as an amateur no matter how good your product is.