Worth going after?

[Coyote56]

This came into the shop today. Owner looking to sell. Model 19-3
Barely looks used at all..I mean this one is pristine..shop offered $350. That didn't fly at all.
This K frame got my attention..any idea what's an attractive price to offer this guy if I can pick it up on the rebound? No box, etc.Just the gun.

 

[maxfam]

Can't suggest a price, but the shop owner is a crooked businessman, is that better?

 

[Xfuzz]

Six Bens....grips not original.

 

[Cotis]

Offer price is insulting. Definitely worth going after! As XFuzz said, grips are not S&W factory, looks like Taiwan made ones.

 

[Baxter6551]

Agree on stocks. Look like the Thailand ones. Also agree on the $600 offer. Ask owner if he has the box / papers / tools.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Hey here now, before anyone else badmouths the person who made the offer, various things have to be taken into consideration. Off hand, that is likely 50+/- year old revolver. It is missing the box/docs/tools as well as the original stocks. It is a revolver. Are revolvers popular in SE Tennessee? Will that gun sell quickly or will it still be in a showcase come Labor Day? A shop near me offers 70% of retail for used guns IF the item is in VGC and something they can move in a reasonable amount of time.

That shop employee may just know his market.

 

[Birdhunter6]

I paid $800 for a 4" 19-3 in '21. It had target grips, no docs or tools.

I'd been looking for one for a long time. I considered that to be a fair price but by no means a bargain. If you don't have a Combat Magnum, you owe it to yourself.

I understand a dealer has to make a profit, but geez!

 

[ken158]

The shop offer was likely more than a pawn shop offer and they certainly sells more plastic guns than revolvers anyway. Shops have to pay employees, rent, utilities, etc so my thoughts are the offer was only a little low and would probably have bumped it up another $50. Got a buddy that works at a SW and as many know, they started taking in trades and buying used guns for cash. Their policy is to offer from 40 to 60% of book value.

 

[Rudi]

Grab it if you can.

 

[CajunBass]

Seem like the shop offered about 50% of what he expected to mark it up for retail, which is about normal in my experience. Which is why "we" always advise never sell to a gun shop. That doesn't make him a "crook" though. Just a businessman. It's an offer. That's what it's worth to HIM at that moment. Seller is free to take it or leave it.

I agree with the $600-700 range.

 

[Narragansett]

I think it is worth more than 700. The fact that it does not have the magna grips does not mean much to me, because I would change them out anyway. The msrp on a M19 classic with a hole is 1000 dollars. I would much rather have this. I say 8- 850.

I doubt collector grade, but they ain't making them anymore

 

[StrawHat]

Offer price is insulting. Definitely worth going after! …

Can't suggest a price, but the shop owner is a crook.

Indeed! Why should a brick and mortar business with overhead dare make a profit? Better they should all go out of business. Just what the left wants.

Kevin

 

[stansdds]

I agree with some of the previous posts. $350 is somewhere around half of its potential resale price and this is how gun shops and pawn shops make money on used firearms. Non-original stocks, but otherwise looks to be in excellent condition, I'd say $600 with $700 being the max. If the correct box, docs, and tools are available, then it's closer to the $800 mark.

 

[mchom]

Its a little funny...

Some become offended that this shop owner offered such a seemingly low price! It's the gun lover inside all of us. We can't help it...

But as was stated this shop owner has bills to pay...
Mortgage or rent, utilities, payroll, etc...
Also cash flow is king in business and no small business especially can allow their cash to be tied up into inventory for extended periods. Hence the seemingly low offer (Which I believe is around the norm of 50 to 60%)

Most of us on the forum pretty much know a gun store isn't the place to sell your guns. But we probably don't mind when a widow decides to offload her spouses guns and then we get a chance to score.

 

[WR Moore]

My experience in this area is....dated, but as noted above, the shop has to make money. Unless the item is something that's in high demand, the sale price of a used gun is about what dealer cost of a new version is. Or at least that's the general practice. I've run into shops that priced used guns at retail or above. That's not even a price where the dickering should start.

While it's not exactly real life, Pawn Stars shows the general idea. If the item is something that will turn over quickly they're willing to pay more. If it's an item that may be valuable but will take too long to turn over or has a very limited market the price is either low or they won't take it.

The only genuine bargain I can remember was when I bought a bolt gun some years back. It came out of storage with about 3/8 in of dust on the box. After I got it home I checked the serial # and found it'd been in stock 7 years.

 

[C3Ranger]

[QUOTE= Are revolvers popular in SE Tennessee?

After visiting just a couple of good local shops, I think you would have to answer "yes", revolvers are popular! And now that the area is the new home for S&W, I would think demand for examples like this one has increased.

I have no comment on what the shop offered the seller, but it is definitely worth pursuing to buy!

 

[Nightowl]

I paid $700 for one in about new condition several years ago. It was all original but no box. It certainly was an impulse buy and I paid a premium for it, but it was there in hand!
The model 19s all shipped with target stocks, who cares if those are not original. If you want original, there are still available on the market. You will have to hunt hard to find one in better condition.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Glock, Inc. is in Smyrna, GA (metro Atlanta). Folks around here, especially new gun owners, lean towards lighter weight, high capacity firearms that can be accessorized and bedazzled to suit them. I just don't see many young people gravitating towards revolvers when I am out shopping. I rarely notice anyone younger than I am shooting revolvers at the ranges I frequent.

There is a local forum one can peruse for revolvers but the pickings are slim and overpriced. RG, Charter Arms, Rossi, Taurus, High Standard etc. with astronomical tickets on them. S&W and Colt guns in poor condition, generally start at $400.00 or more.

 

[swagmeister]

The $350 offer by the shop does not surprise me. In fact, I'm surprised they offered that much! Pawn shops and gunshops have never and probably will never offer to buy (or give trade in value) anything close to a reasonable figure on a quality firearm. I knew a guy a few years ago who worked in a pawnshop who said the standard procedure for that shop was to offer 30% of the gun's actual worth. So on a Model 19 Smith's fair market value of $800, they would offer $240. Then the gun is placed in the cabinet for sale at $900-$1000. After it sits for a couple of months, they would take $750-$800 cash for it (with 9% tax added of course) and make the buyer think he is getting a good deal. They still make a tremendous profit. They do the same things with diamonds, watches, and jewelry brought it to pawn or sell. Pawn shops and gunshops have gotten so high the last few years on their guns and knives that it is laughable but uninformed people or desperate people still sell their stuff to them very cheap or pay their outrageous prices for items. I live in an area where there are several riverboats for gambling. People get addicted to gambling and they bring in items to the local pawnshop, including firearms, to get whatever they can to have enough money to get right back to the boat to feed their addiction. They sell or pawn very valuable items. That is very sad but happens alot. I realize that the gunshops and pawnshops have to make money to run their business and they are not forcing people to sell stuff to them but they will just have to make their money by taking advantage of someone else besides me!

 

[22hipower]

The $350 offer by the shop does not surprise me. In fact, I'm surprised they offered that much! Pawn shops and gunshops have never and probably will never offer to buy (or give trade in value) anything close to a reasonable figure on a quality firearm. I knew a guy a few years ago who worked in a pawnshop who said the standard procedure for that shop was to offer 30% of the gun's actual worth. So on a Model 19 Smith's fair market value of $800, they would offer $240. Then the gun is placed in the cabinet for sale at $900-$1000. After it sits for a couple of months, they would take $750-$800 cash for it (with 9% tax added of course) and make the buyer think he is getting a good deal. They still make a tremendous profit. They do the same things with diamonds, watches, and jewelry brought it to pawn or sell. Pawn shops and gunshops have gotten so high the last few years on their guns and knives that it is laughable but uninformed people or desperate people still sell their stuff to them very cheap or pay their outrageous prices for items. I live in an area where there are several riverboats for gambling. People get addicted to gambling and they bring in items to the local pawnshop, including firearms, to get whatever they can to have enough money to get right back to the boat to feed their addiction. They sell or pawn very valuable items. That is very sad but happens alot. I realize that the gunshops and pawnshops have to make money to run their business and they are not forcing people to sell stuff to them but they will just have to make their money by taking advantage of someone else besides me!

Yes, all that. But for pawn shops the real money is in loaning on firearms not necessarily buying and reselling them although that works too. I've bought several guns from pawn shops where the owner/manager told me that whoever "lost" it in pawn had had it in and out of pawn for years and had paid the value a time or two over in loan interest before finally losing it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457