Hard to sell a gun where I put in a lot more than what I would pay now.

[bushmaster1313]

I have one gun that I bought for $250 -- then I put in another $250, for a total of $500.

If I did not have this gun now I certainly would not pay $500 to buy it off the rack.

If I tried to sell it I might get $200, if I was lucky.

I knows that "sunk costs" are a bad way to value an item, and we are not talking about wheelbarrow full of money, but even though I could use the space I have trouble parting with this particular gun.

Anyone else have a similar story?

 

[Rock185]

I have some friends that I don't think have ever lost a penny on a gun sold or traded. I am not quite so sharp, and rarely break even. I guess it's kinda like the swimming pool we had. We did not recoup anything extra on the sale of our house for having a nice pool, but it may have helped sell the house......ymmv

 

[DR505]

People actually sell their guns?

 

[LVSteve]

Let me guess, a milsurp that you bought sporterised and returned to milspec, or a milsurp you made into a hunting rifle. Rarely does either scenario work out well, at least financially. You may guess how I know.

 

[Gryff]

I always think back to the Sig P6 German police surplus pistols that hit the American market about six years ago. People bought them for $300-350, refinished them and put on night sights, and then didn't understand why nobody would buy the guns for $500+.

I always figure that after-market items and modifications are done for my benefit. I count on never re-couping those extra costs unless the work was done by a major name that I can document. But even that has limits. I saw online yesterday a person who is selling a Ruger SP101 for $2000 because it was modified by Gemini Customs. Just can't fathom paying that for an SP101 regardless of who worked on it.

 

[Onomea]

Yessir, been there and done that.

But hey! Project guns provide so much entertainment, from the research, the planning, and to getting it done. The learning, the suspense and then the gratification.

All in all, a relatively cheap form of entertainment, don't ya think?

And ya do have something to show for it when you're done. Not like, say, a vacation in the Florida Keys. And if you sell, even at an ultimate loss, you still have some money in your pocket, right?

(Hey, I can rationalize darn near anything when it comes to a gun I want! )

 

[williamlayton]

Folks, a gun is a tool and a posession.
It is like a car.
I do things to ALL my guns that will never be appreciated in the selling price to anyone else but they will benefit by much of what is done.
Now, finish is another story.
While you have it, enjoy it and do to it what you wish.
NO manufacturer builds a gun the way I want it.
Blessings

 

[bushmaster1313]

Folks, a gun is a tool and a posession.
It is like a car.
I do things to ALL my guns that will never be appreciated in the selling price to anyone else but they will benefit by much of what is done.
Now, finish is another story.
While you have it, enjoy it and do to it what you wish.
NO manufacturer builds a gun the way I want it.
Blessings

Exactly

That's why it's so odd that I have trouble letting this one go.

 

[Arik]

Never bought project gun or guns I wanted to modify. I have changed out minor stuff like grips but that's it. I only buy if it has what I want that way I don't keep putting money into it.

 

[ErnieDeBord]

Sounds like the world of the Ruger 10-22s, ask me how I know! Regards Ernie

 

[Cpo1944]

Sounds like an Old Horse trader I once knew. When the animal was his ; It as a "Little Jewel" but as soon as it was sold and taken away it suddenly became an "Old Scab"! My guns sometimes seem that way too. I have a lot of 'Old Scabs".

 

[Muss Muggins]

I just don't sell guns any more. I've weaned out what I don't like, and I just accumulate now. I've regretted selling or trading every gun I've parted with . . .

 

[Stevie]

If I liked a gun enough to put $250 into it above the $250 purchase cost(unless it was a Perazzi shotgun or the like)...probably wouldn't be selling it

 

[TTSH]

I learned my lesson the hard way. Buying project guns is, more often than not, a losing proposition. Now I only buy used guns in a condition that I can live with... with only minor cleaning/restoration or inexpensive upgrades required, if that. I found it is worth paying more (and sometimes a lot more) up front than trying to buy low and renovate.

 

[Stevie]

I'm not saying that I don't over-spend for a gun I want. Or that I don't end-up with a project-gun I have too much money tied up in.

I'm just saying that I try to buy something I'll be keeping for a long-while.

As a youth..I bought and traded for quite a few firearms...and kept a rare few I could never part with. Sold or traded the rest and probably lost money on every one!

I try to be smarter now..and still buy quite a few firearms. I just buy stuff I want to keep or pass on to the kids....

 

[twobit601]

The only guns I ever sold were bought in the 1980's and sold after 2000. They had become safe queens. Value almost tripled and I bought other guns with the proceeds. I also have family guns that I would not sell for 100 times their actual value.

 

[DR505]

Here is one such gun...started life as a .40 S&W Bright Stainless Commemorative, but was "blemished" and so cost me $250. I sent it to Alan Harton, along with $400, and it came back as a 10mm with J-Frame sights and a nice bead blasted finish. I went into this knowing full-well I might not be able to recoup the cost, but my son will one day have a one-of-a-kind, yet very practical, revolver.

 

[ejeli]

Recently I bought a Glock. I then spent an equal amount of money trying to make it into a S&W. It is still a Glock but now very expensive.
e.

 

[Rastoff]

I have some friends that I don't think have ever lost a penny on a gun sold or traded.

I bet those same friends never lose any money in Vegas either.

Guns are almost always a losing investment. It's rare that a gun appreciates. There are only two ways to make money on guns; be a dealer or find those rare "garage" finds where the owner doesn't know what they have. I couldn't bring myself to take advantage of an ignorant owner so, I won't be making any money that way.

I've lost money on guns. I've made money on guns. I've broke even on some guns. That's the life of a gun enthusiast.

Here is one such gun...started life as a .40 S&W Bright Stainless Commemorative, but was "blemished" and so cost me $250. I sent it to Alan Harton, along with $400, and it came back as a 10mm with J-Frame sights and a nice bead blasted finish. I went into this knowing full-well I might not be able to recoup the cost, but my son will one day have a one-of-a-kind, yet very practical, revolver.

Brother, I'd pay you $650 in a heart beat for a 10mm Vaquero.

 

[H Richard]

You really don't want to put money into a firearm for custom features unless you are certain you have a need for those features and will for a long time to come, and know you will never get your investment back. Buying a gun with those features done by a "recognized" expert may net you some of the money back and may actually cost you less in the long run. When is the last time you saw a Richard Heinie 1911 for sale?

 

[deadin]

If it's a gun that I wanted at the time and am now tired of it, I look at the loss as "rent".
If it's a gun that I paid too much for in the first place and have to take a bath when I get rid of it, I look at it as "paying for an education".

 

[Farmer17]

I buy and sell lots of guns and I'm not a dealer, I just enjoy owning and shooting different guns, and I always make money when I sell. Almost always, there was a M-15 Smith that I bought off the internet for $240 that when received, looked like it had been dragged behind a truck and then painted with a do-it-yourself Parkerizing kit. I think I lost 40 bucks when I traded it but probably could have broke even if I would have tried harder. The key is to not spend money on modifications, if I don't like a gun the the way it is, I sell it. If you shop hard and look for a good deal, then take care of the gun after you buy it, you can almost always sell it for a profit on Armslist or Facebook.

 

[Mcwsky09]

I buy and sell lots of guns and I'm not a dealer, I just enjoy owning and shooting different guns, and I always make money when I sell. Almost always, there was a M-15 Smith that I bought off the internet for $240 that when received, looked like it had been dragged behind a truck and then painted with a do-it-yourself Parkerizing kit. I think I lost 40 bucks when I traded it but probably could have broke even if I would have tried harder. The key is to not spend money on modifications, if I don't like a gun the the way it is, I sell it. If you shop hard and look for a good deal, then take care of the gun after you buy it, you can almost always sell it for a profit on Armslist or Facebook.

That's pretty much the lesson you could learn by watching Pawn Stars or American Pickers - the only way to be (relatively) sure of making money when it comes time to sell is to get a real good price when you buy.

Buying pretty much anything at full retail is a sure way to lose money when you sell it. Buying things that don't get worn out or used up on sale is a good way to get close to break even when it comes time to sell. Buying things at closeout/firesale or with special discounts or rebates is likely a good way to have a good odds of making at least some money.

The old buy low - sell high comes to mind - of course if you are buying high you've already blown the equation before you've even done the math.

 

[williamlayton]

Hard not to like some mods -- even if you loose money.
Here is one I had circumcised and it looks very good with the new Jewish look.
And another that you can't even see the mods.
Another that the mods are a better finish.
Blessings

 

[TTSH]

I bet those same friends never lose any money in Vegas either.

Guns are almost always a losing investment. It's rare that a gun appreciates. There are only two ways to make money on guns; be a dealer or find those rare "garage" finds where the owner doesn't know what they have. I couldn't bring myself to take advantage of an ignorant owner so, I won't be making any money that way.

I've lost money on guns. I've made money on guns. I've broke even on some guns. That's the life of a gun enthusiast.

I think that sums it up nicely.

While I try to convince myself (and my wife!) that there is some "investment" component to my gun buying, the fact is that I am mostly buying an item that I will enjoy owning and using. I do not buy with the expectation that I will make a profit in constant dollars. Rather, I am happy just to keep up with inflation, more or less. In other words, if I buy right (a critical prerequisite!), I would hope not to lose any money except for actual depreciation (from use) and various procurement costs such as shipping, transfer fees, sales tax, etc.

Put another way, I look at the money I put into guns as a relatively safe store of value, not as an expected source of income.

Truth is that many of my guns have appreciated in value more than inflation and some others have crashed and burned on me... but the majority are about even with inflation best as I can tell and that is fine with me.

 

[steelslaver]

If I end up with something I like I don't care. I am lucky to have a small machine shop and do my own mods. But, parts can get expensive. But, I get enjoyment from it. Much better than spending money on 6 packs that become recyclable aluminum cans.
I just got back from 2 weeks of elk camp. Spend enough to buy a lot of T bones. Only got one nice Mule deer buck. Will be going out for more hunting and spend more $ for a maybe elk. LOL. Be Happy

 

[dant]

Not a problem, all too often this happens, and what makes things "interesting," fun" thrill of the hunt" and on and on.........
nothing wrong with fixer uppers and "project guns" a learning process, or curve. YOU spend what you can afford...if it was not for gun smiths, custom gun guys, the gimmick, makers and sellers, the gun industry would be pretty flat...same with cars not everyone wants white wall tires and stereos.
You plan on "customizing" you cannot plan on getting all your money back out of YOUR "custom" one reaches the point of "diminishing returns".
who'd a thunk some of these guns like Colt Pythons and Winchester lever guns of long ago, would get as valuable as they are today??? wow...should have bought every Python we sold in the shops back in the early 70's for around $289 to $329...tough sell, then..........
you buy ,do , what YOU can afford to do at any given time.....

 

[Brian41]

In the early 70s I bought a well used model 19 for $165.00. I spent another hundred having it reblued and action work done on it or maybe a little less. Nice gun but for years would never get my money back out of it. Bet though I'd get $265.00 or better out of it today. I did have my money's worth out of that gun shooting it over the years and that's why I had the work done to it all those years ago.
I don't put that percentage of purchase price into guns today but don't mind investing some money to make it a better gun for me. Since I don't sell too often I'm not so worried about getting my money back out of them either.
I have though bought guns that had work done to them or nice things such as scopes added. I don't usually pay more for that work or accessories but have come out ahead in such deals too.

 

[James&theGiant1911]

A few years back I had 2 Browning Hi Power Practicals sent to Novaks for some work. One an adjustable site model model the other fixed. Well the other one had a replaced barrel on it not making as desirable as my other adjustable site model so instead of having 2 models of the same gun I decided to sell the fixed site HP. I sold it for what I had in it but I regretted it and tried to buy it back but the guy would not sell it and he ended up having probably around another 2 grand stuck into it. I miss the gun, the moral of the story, do not sell something unless you plan on never seeing it again.

 

[venomballistics]

Here is one such gun...started life as a .40 S&W Bright Stainless Commemorative, but was "blemished" and so cost me $250. I sent it to Alan Harton, along with $400, and it came back as a 10mm with J-Frame sights and a nice bead blasted finish. I went into this knowing full-well I might not be able to recoup the cost, but my son will one day have a one-of-a-kind, yet very practical, revolver.

Nice ... and comes in at $650.
While it may be true you cannot recoup the costs, theres another way of looking at this.
just checking the price of American Eagle 10MM ammo at Midway ... 1000 rounds is priced to backorder at $670... Which is higher than your total investment in the gun by $20.

1k rounds is enough to break in the action and season the barrel.
10K rounds might be all you eat with it in the course of it's career with you, though I could be wrong, and probably am.
but kept as a base figure its $6700 in ammo.
your $650 total is really quite insignificant in the scope of operating expense.

Precious few guns will ever achieve historical value like Elmer Keith's 44 magnum, or Pattons sidearm.
In fact Macnameras squirt gun has more historic value than anything we own. (you think they'd have given him a real firearm?)

Mod away folks.