Selling My Guns

[Mister Coffee]

I'm posting this here, but the mods may have to move it to a more appropriate place.

It's time for me to sell my guns and get out of Dodge. I've never sold anything before, and you may consider me a total novice when it comes to Internet commerce. I ask for your advice, general or specific, about the process of selling guns. What are the Do's and Don't's? I've been studying the information over at Gunbroker. "How to List Items" seems pretty clear, but I am still uncertain about FFLs, taxes and shipping. I'll have to go back and look some more.

In short, any advice you have would be useful. I'm completely unschooled in this process. Maybe you could provide links to sites with good information.

Thanks.


P.S. Selling pistols and a shotgun. Nothing "rare" or "collectable." Nice things, but not rare.

[jonnyc]

As I've seen others all over the 'net answer you, I would start with the For Sale forums on one or two websites. After that, consignment is probably your best bet, as all you need to do is set a price and them pick up the check. Be aware that some LGSs will take a hefty chunk or your profit. Shipping is easy...UPS or Fedex for pistols and USPS for rifles. Just make sure you receive cleared payment and a valid FFL prior to shipping.

[Bob Reed]

Hello, Mister Coffee,

I just wanted to wish you much luck on your move and of course, feel free to use the For Sale section here if you wish.

BTW: You do not have to be an FFL, to ship to an FFL.

[ToddSig]

Hi Mr C. I have not sold many guns, and some states make it easier, while others are more difficult. Virginia went from easy to difficult recently.

I agree with some of the previous posts, try first selling on some forums and see if you can get an easy quick sale. Next, in my opinion would be on GB, the fees are not bad, they collect tax as far as I know based on the buyer's listed stated. The third option would be consignment at a LGS or have them list on GB. As JohnnyC stated, they might take a rather large % of the sales price, but they do much of the heavy lifting of the sale, including shipping.

You might consider selling on GB, and check with a LGS to see if they will ship it for you. So you sell, then deliver the pistol to the LGS for shipping to the receiving FFL. I think Fedex charges non FFL holders/individuals about $100 to ship a pistol to an FFL. USPS has far better rates, but from what I understand only FFLs can use USPS to ship a pistol. A LGS as an FFL can ship USPS priority mail, and probably charge you a small fee for doing so over the shipping cost. This might be cheaper than you shipping directly through FEDEX to an FFL.

One issue on you personally selling on GB, if you dont have a lot of sales and feedback, some buyers stay clear, so bidding could be impacted.

No question, it is a challenge, but can be done with planning.

Hope this helps.

[ruber]

Hi Mister Coffee,

I’m in California, so one of the more challenging states. I really try to use a local forum that I participate in whenever possible. I have had really good luck with that, plus being able to read through past threads is as good as a five star rating in many cases.

I have tried consignment, and it has never been worth the cost, but here in CA the ffl also needs to sit on the gun for a month for it to clear pawn checks.

I have shipped directly to ffls before, but I live pretty close to FedEx andUPS hubs and do my due diligence before shipping. Lots of folks here use shipmygun.com which can be more expensive than shipping yourself, but takes the research/guesswork out of it. In some cases it saves people money, but I have great ffls nearby that don’t charge much to ship.

Good luck with your sales!
-Chris

[CXM]

Depends on how many you want to sell... if you have a lot, consider an auction company such as Rock Island Auction Co.

For less Gun Broker is a good choice. They have a lot of info on their web site.

FWIW

Chuck

[Mister Coffee]

ruber: I'm in SoCal. Where are you?

[ruber]

Wow, not many of us Californians on these forums!

I’m in San Diego (was out in Anza Borrego all day with the kids). I’ll send you a pm-