How’s the gun market?

SV_Dude

Get Off My Lawn
Minuteman
Supporter
May 2, 2024
67
27
Prescott Valley, AZ
Sooo… I have been trying to sell some guns for a while, more so on armslist but recently on here as well. I haven’t gotten a single serious bite on any of them. I feel like my prices are right, my guns are not cheap crap, and they are in good shape.

There doesn’t appear to be a big scare of guns being banned, is this it? There doesn’t seem to be any signs of an ammo/gun shortage. Are people holding off because there’s no panic in making them buy anything?

Here’s my sale thread in the bst section:

Also, if this is the wrong sub forum or if posing a link to my sale thread is a no-go, lemme know and I’ll take the beating and move/delete my thread.
 
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Used gun market is ass. dealers are siting on a TON of used inventory that doesn't move. Don't be surprised to get offered about 50% of resale price vs more like 70-75% which is typical margins for most shops on used guns.

Everyone thinks their shit is worth more than it is. Lower prices each week until someone bites.

Your prices are all about 25-40% too high if you want to move them.
 
I’d argue otherwise. Sure, I’m not selling a $6,000 AI rifle or something of that caliber. But I’m also not selling cheap plastic glocks/sigs either.
Well that is where what you think disconnects with reality. Kimber, CMMG are undesirable brands that most competent , affluent and educated gun owners stay away from. The Large Frame DD sucks and and no one wants another overpriced braced pistol with undesirable features. SIG 1911's are also ass and that shotgun is not worth the price it would cost to ship it. There you go. You asked why its not moving and that is why.
 
I’d have to agree with the shotgun statement. I won it at a local competition… I’d never buy it myself.

Maybe I think too highly of Cmmg and Kimber. And that’s sad because I don’t think very high of them at all. I think Kimber used to make good stuff but I wasn’t happy with the kds9c so I went with a staccato and have been much happier with it. Cmmg, if it weren’t for the soft aluminum upper and the failures to eject, it wouldn’t be a bad gun. The sig I just bought for nostalgia since I had one a long time ago and I liked the looks of it.

Anyhoo… I’m not about to give guns away just because the market sucks. I’ll likely just hold onto them. Thanks for the input everyone! The brutal honesty is important, keep it up.
 
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The vintage shotgun market is also on the pits. I’m talking about stuff like Parker’s, factory OG Win model 12 vet rib target guns, and the like. 20 years ago, people were fighting over these.

What’s happened is that the people who collected and loved these types of firearms are all now quite old and more into selling than buying.

And, while there are some young shooters entering the market it’s a small percentage compared to years gone by. Too much anti-gun brainwashing, too many other attractions for their attention, and too many are just plain pussies.

Yeah we have younger shooters on the forum but again…young high end rifle shooters are a small percentage io that group in the past.

There are a lot of hunters still….far less than before…but what do they need to go kill a whitetail? A modest .308 bolt gun will do the trick.

IMO, this is not a short term phenomenon and we will continue to see a decline in shooting sports overall.
 
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I just bought a nice Sistema Colt, a nice Model 1917 30-06, and a H&R M1 Garand today. Paid 2100 for the lot.

Prices are way, way down for things to move. Many prices you see are high due to folks wanting to combat inflation, but the guns don't move. The guns that do move are priced under value in order to get them moving.
 
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The vintage shotgun msrket is also on the pits. I’m talking about stuff like Parker’s, factory OG Win model 12 vet rib target guns, and the like. 20 years ago, people were fighting over these.

What’s happened is that the people who collected and loved these types of firearms are all now quite old and more into selling than buying.

And, while there are some young shooters entering the market it’s a small percentage compared to years gone by. Too much anti-gun brainwashing, too many other attractions for their attention, and too many are just plain pussies.

Yeah we have younger shooters on the forum but again…young high end rifle shooters are a small percentage if that group in the past.

There are a lot of hunters still….far less than before…but what do they need to go kill a whitetail? A modest .308 bolt gun will do the trick.

IMO, this is not a short term phenomenon and we will continue to see a decline in shooting sports overall.

Same scenario with older cars.
 
I’d argue otherwise. Sure, I’m not selling a $6,000 AI rifle or something of that caliber. But I’m also not selling cheap plastic glocks/sigs either.


Dude you literally have about the cheapest shittiest shotgun there is within your listings, a crappy sig 1911, a crappy Kimber, and a couple other things and your prices are pretty high in what’s a buyer market.

The market is dead. If you want to move something then it better be rare and desirable or cheaper than shit. I’ve been buying guns left and right for about 50% of their typical used market value because people are desperate.
 
Been sitting on this for a while cause I’m not desperate. Market is terrible though
IMG_9413.jpeg
 
If you got no bites, there is no demand. aka you priced high
If you get spammed with bites, you priced low.

Basic economics
Forgot one...

If you get spammed with trades, you are priced right, but everyone is broke or their wife controls their purse...
 
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I have gotten a lot of trade offers but I don’t really need anything else.

I’m not desperate, don’t need the cash. Just don’t like safe queens. But I’ll hold onto them till we get some knuckle head in office trying to ban them. Maybe they’ll be worth something at that point. However, I do agree that this is definitely the time to buy since it’s a huge buyers market!
 
My favourite LGS is swimming in more mediocre guns coming in for Consignment sale or sold as used than they can handle.

AR platform rifles and HD shotguns are stacked up in piles.

Few folks buying, most looking to sell.

For outright purchase they are offering probably 25% of new value at best.

Sig and Kimber 1911 style standard pistols aren't moving at hardly any price above a few hundred dollars.
 
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They call it the Trump Slump. Did the same thing during his first term....not quite this bad though. There will likely be a shakeup at mid terms, and things will get sporty, and perhaps things will pickup.

I'm not sure I'd count on it.
Folks are seriously out of money
Folks are seriously overstocked on guns from the last 10 "panics"
Many Gun stores are hurting bad from business being the worst ever
I'll bet before long we see lots of Manufacturers having to give big discounts or rebates to get anything standard moved.
Nothing new and exciting has come up that makes folks really want to buy something better than they already have.
Innovation seems to be very much lacking.

But folks being out of money and the economy being in the toilet (despite what the media says) and the fact that the cost of groceries / living / everything you need to keep the roof over your head has gotten so high compared to income, folks just don't have the money to toss at guns anymore.
 
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the fact that the cost of groceries / living / everything you need to keep the roof over your head has gotten so high compared to income
This is a biggest part of it in my shooting circles.. Groceries and other basic living expenses are ramping up so the only ones I see actively expanding their collection make good income or live and breathe shooting... Even then its slowed down, but those people aren't buying the type of gear that most people are trying to sell anyway..
 
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Forget the used gun market. New gun sales are down nationwide as well. Having pro gun Trump and a R congress doesn’t help either.
In general, consumer spending is good. But the gun market is at some level becoming a victim of demographics. There are less hunters and the Boomer generation that drives the gun markets are dying. Prices will firm up, but when is the question. And of course premium guns tend to hold value no matter what.
 
Nothing is moving other than what people actually need or are fluid enough to get what they want. It's a typical cycle in regards to defensive guns, especially AR's. Threat is down, people are hurting for money, they don't feel they need them and need money or the wife is nagging the fuck out of him. While I hope not, in a few short years, folks will be flocking in to "get one before AOC takes them away" Prices will be up and a few short years after that, same cycle, especially with retards wanting trade in at 2k for their PSA mega blaster 2.0.
Make a decision, dump them or hang onto them for the high cycle.
 
The economy is slowing, consumer debit is up and consumer spending is down. We will be in a recession by the end of the year.

People are hurting economically.

Everything since COVID costs 50, 100, 200%+ more. Wages haven't really gone up however. Job market is ass. Housing is the most unaffordable it's ever been since they started tracking that metric.

It's been bad for a while, and I think many are finally realizing that reality. And it's only going to get worse.
 
My favourite LGS is swimming in more mediocre guns coming in for Consignment sale or sold as used than they can handle.

AR platform rifles and HD shotguns are stacked up in piles.

Few folks buying, most looking to sell.

For outright purchase they are offering probably 25% of new value at best.

Sig and Kimber 1911 style standard pistols aren't moving at hardly any price above a few hundred dollars.
I’m seeing the same in western Canucastan.
 
People are hurting economically.

Everything since COVID costs 50, 100, 200%+ more. Wages haven't really gone up however. Job market is ass. Housing is the most unaffordable it's ever been since they started tracking that metric.

It's been bad for a while, and I think many are finally realizing that reality. And it's only going to get worse.
Many of my acquaintances are quietly struggling to keep up the “financially ok”facade.
 
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Sooo… I have been trying to sell some guns for a while, more so on armslist but recently on here as well. I haven’t gotten a single serious bite on any of them. I feel like my prices are right, my guns are not cheap crap, and they are in good shape.

There doesn’t appear to be a big scare of guns being banned, is this it? There doesn’t seem to be any signs of an ammo/gun shortage. Are people holding off because there’s no panic in making them buy anything?

Here’s my sale thread in the bst section:

Also, if this is the wrong sub forum or if posing a link to my sale thread is a no-go, lemme know and I’ll take the beating and move/delete my thread.
Which one do you have ? i will love to add to my chef, i have some collecting dust that i will love to Trade depend on what you have and if selling also, i dont mind
 
I live in an area dominated by Healthcare professionals. Several Doctors and Nurses, FNPs, etc in my circle are quietly struggling. Elective procedures are down, people avoiding the Doctors office for fear of massive bills they know they can't pay, etc.

When "safe haven" jobs are feeling the pain, you know things are headed South.
 
I'm an old guy - been around a LONG time. Learned my lesson on guns and components back during the Clinton era of hard to get stuff. We've had 3 ( THREE !! ) long term gun stores close within the last 7 months - not entirely due to the economy - but, it was the apparent final straw for each of them. All of them were good stores with extensive inventories, and good business practices. Sad to see.
As hlee said, and as much as I hate to see Dem's in office, they are good for the gun industry.