Need a way to find going prices on used guns

[roundgunner]

A shooting buddy is getting a divorce. She is a gun hater and is probably going to do the “I’m afraid he’s gonna shoot me”

thing so I’m going to buy his stuff until it is over and then sell it back. I need to know if there is a way to find going prices on used guns so the courts won’t think he is trying to get over on her.

Any help like a web site or a blue book kind of thing would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

[roundgunner]

A shooting buddy is getting a divorce. She is a gun hater and is probably going to do the “I’m afraid he’s gonna shoot me”

thing so I’m going to buy his stuff until it is over and then sell it back. I need to know if there is a way to find going prices on used guns so the courts won’t think he is trying to get over on her.

Any help like a web site or a blue book kind of thing would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

[Beaver]

I use Gunbroker, Auctionarms, Gunsamerica in that order. I look up guns that I need to know about and then "save" the auction on my watch list. After the auction, you'll get a fair sense of value. I think all the national auctions' prices are higher than a local shop or friend to friend. I gave my last Blue Book away and will probably buy the next new edition I find. Hope that helps. beaver.

 

[84CJ]

I think most of the sites like Gun trader charges for the use of their site. You could check gunbroker.com or gunsamerica.com to see if anyone is selling the type you need a price for see what the reserve is maybe. I have an old gun Trader book I would be willing to send you but it is old I think something like 2001. A local shop here in SC will do apppraisals as most I'm sure not sure what the rates would be. But having that type of appraisal would be better I think.

Maybe someone here has a newer book you could get with to get mor up to date prices. No book could keep up with current actual pricing these days.

 

[gunsmith11]

Blue book is only a rough guide, different parts of the country, some items can vary a lot
The gun show people like to use it too show you that you are asking way to much for that piece of junk

 

[Class III]

If you want the blue book prices, post manufacturers, models, barrel lengths, finish, condition, etc... and I will look them up for you.

 

[tomhenry]

The court is highly unlikely to be schooled on market value of his guns. Their red flags would be something like him selling his guns for $1 to a friend.

I don't think you'll have to be all that precise re purchase price. Just don't be ridiculous.

The judge has a ton of cases, and each case has a ton of considerations, so he's not going to monitor the sale all that closely. He deals in volume of cases, and volume doesn't allow him to go over every item with a fine toothed comb.

An approximate/ballpark selling price will be fine.

 

[nisamo]

Use the Blue Book.

 

[jcall]

Went thru a divorce a few years ago with something similiar, instead it was my motorcycle. It was in fine working order, but I sold it to a buddy for $50 (value at the time was around $3000) and he would sell it back for $50 when the mess was over. If it came up as a problem of value, which it never did, I would have said it was not in working order for various reasons. Needless to say they are not going to go thru the hoops of trying to prove it wrong. It would have been very simple and easy to make the bike "inoperable".

Arent divorces fun? Good luck

 

[GatorFarmer]

Just ask on here. Between the lot of us, there'll be someone that will know the actual going value of most anything, including some really odd things.

I'm not entirely sure that hiding assets before a divorce is entirely kosher FWIW.

 

[5Wire]

Spend about $40: Click the Online Subscriptions to The Blue Book of Gun Values. As has been posted, the prices shown are generally lower than what you might pay retail. The BBGV is used mostly to price trade in values, sort of a wholesale price guide.

You can look up whatever you want, copy & paste intp text document. Very convenient and worth the small expense just on general principle, IMO.

 

[Jack Flash]

Courts like documentiation and "expert" testimony/references. He may get away with selling them for $50 apiece and saying that there was "something wrong" with all of them, but if it comes up in court, it will sound fishy. The last thing your buddy should do is give the impression that he is trying to hoodwink the judge. They hate that. Do it right.

Also, if your buddy says, "I got the values from asking a bunch of guys on the internet" that may not carry much weight with the judge. Sure, you know the prices are at least in the ballpark, but the judge has no way of knowing that and may think it is just internet BS.

I would get a blue book and use it. If any questions come up, your buddy could produce the blue book in court for the judge to examine and see the values for himself. The cost will be peanuts compared to the rest of his divorce expenses.

 

[roundgunner]

Originally posted by Jack Flash:
Courts like documentiation and "expert" testimony/references. He may get away with selling them for $50 apiece and saying that there was "something wrong" with all of them, but if it comes up in court, it will sound fishy. The last thing your buddy should do is give the impression that he is trying to hoodwink the judge. They hate that. Do it right.

Also, if your buddy says, "I got the values from asking a bunch of guys on the internet" that may not carry much weight with the judge. Sure, you know the prices are at least in the ballpark, but the judge has no way of knowing that and may think it is just internet BS.

I would get a blue book and use it. If any questions come up, your buddy could produce the blue book in court for the judge to examine and see the values for himself. The cost will be peanuts compared to the rest of his divorce expenses.

Thank you for your responses.
I agree with Jack Flash and will try to get him to do it the right way. i'm sure she is going to be a PIB. I may be contacting y'all again.

 

[rundownfid]

I would get a blue book and use it. If any questions come up, your buddy could produce the blue book in court for the judge to examine and see the values for himself. The cost will be peanuts compared to the rest of his divorce expenses.

Even better, perhaps, and not much more expensive would be to get a local dealer laying out the blue book price on a spreadsheet under his letter head. Show that you paid him $50 bucks which will document his professional position. Since your friend is buying them back the price needn't be ridiculously low, or even "paid in full". Perhaps a document from the gun dealer listing all arms and a fair market value( from blue book) and a simple agreement selling them to you for the same. As long as you have paid some of the money and agreed to pay the rest you should be fine. Good luck.

 

[Eagle Guns]

Go to Gun Broker and use the "Smart Search"to look up completed auctions to see the final selling prices.

 

[rburg]

Another approach is to just use his cost. It may not be trendy, or you can "Mark to Market", but its hard to argue with his historical cost basis. Equally important is to note what each is, how long he's had it, and any damage or wear and tear.

If, as is usually the case, this is a sham transaction where no money even changes hands, it might not matter.

A big factor will be the age and rarity of the guns. If most are "middle aged", meaning not old as in prewar, or new, as in purchased last week and unfired, its going to be hard for anyone to argue much. Remember, the guns are now gone. Her lawyer might be overjoyed at seeing a value of "cost" without any depreciation on most of them. A lot of guns go down in value for the first 10 or 20 years. If you're nervy, you can even put in cost and then a decrease in value for wear and tear.