Advice on selling firearms online auction type sites.

[M_Lee]

I have four pistols I want to sell and get the best price for. I figure the online auction sites (gunsamerica, gunbroker etc) would allow me to get a broader market and better price. I have never sold a firearm online. Anybody out there have any advice or tips from there experiences doing it? I know the firearm needs to be mailed to an FFL dealer etc. What is the best way to do that? Which carrier service does it? I am in the New Orleans area. Any bad experiences selling guns online?
Thanks for any assistance.

 

[flyboy]

Just be advised that if you sell them through gunbroker or another online selling site, they will charge you a fee for doing so. Also, gunbroker will also charge you tax for the sell as well. As for shipping, you can not ship a handgun by USPS yourself. The only way you can do that is if you have an ffl ship it for you. If the recieving ffl will accept shipment directly from you, then your option is either UPS or Fedex and they usually require overnight air shipments on handguns which is quite pricey.

 

[JBP55]

Many Used Pistols on this forum are listed at a Premium Price.
Do you expect more?

 

[Mxav]

...sooo, whatcha selling?

 

[DAVE_M]

It’s generally not worth it for individuals to sell on Gunbroker, due to taxes and fees associated, in addition to transfer fees and shipping costs, unless you have an extremely valuable item.

 

[twinin]

I agree Gunbroker is more for if you have a specialized item with a small market not a standard Glock, AR-15, etc.

 

[lesgeaux]

It has been more than five years since I sold on gunbroker. People are paying stupid money on that site if you make your ad right and put up with the hoops you need to go through to sell there, which really is not that bad, but you have to consider all the info.
To ship your long gun, you can go through USPS, it is a fact, they can not refuse you if you follow their rules. To ship a handgun, you have the usual rip off artists(aided by us.gov) UPS, FED-EX. But you do have an option to use Buds gunship shipping service, I forgot the name, but they seam reasonable in their prices compared to the ripoff artists. I think the Taxes on the sales is paid for by the buyer as usual, when really has the taxes for a sale been paid for by the seller.
There are fees but in long run you make make much more on your sale there. At least there once the sale goes through your have a better chance of completing the sale with the highest bidder.

 

[southerncanuck]

I'm with Mxav... whatcha selling? LOL we're both down the road from you

For about 1/10th the effort and hassle you could just put em up on the classifieds section in here and they'll be sold before you sit down for dinner. You might get another few bucks in an online marketplace, but that's going to evaporate in shipping and service fees anyway.

I use this template for a bill of sale: https://diyforms.net/wp-content/uploads/Firearm-Bill-of-Sale-Form.pdf -- Not legally required (yet) but it's a good practice to CYA keeping a record of the serial, date of transfer, and buyer's DL number.

 

[JBP55]

I'm with Mxav... whatcha selling? LOL we're both down the road from you

For about 1/10th the effort and hassle you could just put em up on the classifieds section in here and they'll be sold before you sit down for dinner. You might get another few bucks in an online marketplace, but that's going to evaporate in shipping and service fees anyway.

I use this template for a bill of sale: https://diyforms.net/wp-content/uploads/Firearm-Bill-of-Sale-Form.pdf -- Not legally required (yet) but it's a good practice to CYA keeping a record of the serial, date of transfer, and buyer's DL number.

I have never seen a BOS with all that wording.

 

[noahvale]

I mostly window shop on gunbroker. I did get a really good deal on an old CZ 52. The guy said he was the retired USPS postmaster in the little town he lived in Oregon. He sent it to my FFL, FRC range in Baton Rouge, via Priority Mail. The gun almost fell out of the envelope, yeah soft USPS envelope, and he didn't put my name on it. In the end it was fine and I got a great deal. Don't do it that way...

 

[M_Lee]

Thanks for the info. I'm a retired cop and any firearm sale I make gonna require I see ID and and a proper bill of sale be made up with the buyer's info. I'm sure that's a turn off to some potential buyers but that's the only way I'll do it.

 

[JBP55]

Thanks for the info. I'm a retired cop and any firearm sale I make gonna require I see ID and and a proper bill of sale be made up with the buyer's info. I'm sure that's a turn off to some potential buyers but that's the only way I'll do it.

When will we know what you are selling?

 

[Martman300]

You can get a lot more for them on Gunbroker. Some sell for a premium here, but rarely, the ones here are more of a fair price for both parties.

the people asking GunBroker pricing, just won’t sell the item. Pretty much all items listed here, ammo, parts, magazines,etc.

when was the last time someone here paid $175 for an S15 magazine? Or $899 for a Glock 43?

‘’When I sell on there, I let the bidders set the price.

as far as your case firearms, search there and here and compare pricing. I would rather buy & sell here, but I use both.

selling a firearm is much easier here, but you will most likely get less for it.

on Gunbroker, click the box saying you collect taxes or you will have to pay them, just for our state right now, this is changing though.

as far as shipping, it’s UPS, or FedEx. I would charge $35 to $40, they will pay it.

it does have to go through an FFL, use the GunBroker approved ones if possible. The buyer gets to select this, but mention it in your listing.

Very important, do your research...... can a California resident buy a Glock 43 or 43X? Can. Person in Boulder Colorado buy your 15 round magazine?

the answer to both is NO. Colorado except for Boulder can buy a 15 round mag. The G43’s are not on the California roster.

if this bothers you, you can use an FFL to ship out an item for you, (another fee), by the way GunBroker only charges 6% max.

I use Paul Prokop for my FFL $20 cash.

a lot of this makes using Bayou Shooter a better option. YMMV

 

[Gator 45/70]

When will we know what you are selling?

Dudes a retired cop, Probably some throw down zip guns ?

 

[M_Lee]

Dudes a retired cop, Probably some throw down zip guns ?

lol...no, never had to use a throw down gun. Did see some real junk guns in possession of crooks, though. Mind you, they did go bang.
Closest I ever saw to a zip gun was this AK-47 converted to a bolt gun. Encountered it working in Afghanistan. Worked for a while with a program there where the Afghan security forces would exchange what they had with us for new weapons. This one was unique. Probably originally was Soviet issue. We didn't try and shoot it lol.

 

[sandman7925]

lol...no, never had to use a throw down gun. Did see some real junk guns in possession of crooks, though. Mind you, they did go bang.
Closest I ever saw to a zip gun was this AK-47 converted to a bolt gun. Encountered it working in Afghanistan. Worked for a while with a program there where the Afghan security forces would exchange what they had with us for new weapons. This one was unique. Probably originally was Soviet issue. We didn't try and shoot it lol.

View attachment 104290

Thing looks like a piece of modern art. That’s rad.

 

[Gator 45/70]

lol...no, never had to use a throw down gun. Did see some real junk guns in possession of crooks, though. Mind you, they did go bang.
Closest I ever saw to a zip gun was this AK-47 converted to a bolt gun. Encountered it working in Afghanistan. Worked for a while with a program there where the Afghan security forces would exchange what they had with us for new weapons. This one was unique. Probably originally was Soviet issue. We didn't try and shoot it lol.

View attachment 104290

Now that right there is one sweet shooter !!!

NOPD trade in Glocks, Some people on here are gayee for em !!!

 

[Enal]

Not exactly accurate. Stay away from USPS all together and your doing better already.

An FFL is Not Required to ship a pistol to another FFL unless the FFL doesn't accept transfers from an individual. Typically when they come from a site like Gunbroker, they have no problem with that sale and you will always want to include a copy of your D.L. and a simple statement that the gun is yours and you are selling to "XXX-XXX". Now for shipping I have been using www.shipmygun.com for several years now and it actually is a much cheaper way to ship all types of guns via UPS and the service is run by Bud's Guns. You sign up for an account and can be up and running in no time. It gives you a Letter of Security to include and/or show to UPS if needed. You just aren't allowed to sell to another person that isn't an FFL. When you are going through the steps on shipmygun.com it uses the national FFL database to pull up all the current FFL's from all over the USA. Some will show a a "Preferred" and some are just newer to the shipmygun.com site, but you can still ship to them. Again...I always make sure the FFL I'm shipping to will accept from an individual, but I've only had 1 person that wouldn't and that was a couple years back. This past year hasn't been a problem at all...

Like I mentioned, using shipmygun.com goes through Buds Guns so you get their volume shipping discounts and have insurance available. The last sub-pistol that I shipped cost me $22 total with $1800 insurance for the gun and that was 2-Day Air since all handguns require this service. Long guns can go Ground if you want. When you submit for your label on shipmygun.com it goes through a series of checks to make sure everything is correct and you will have a pdf label emailed to you. Sometimes it takes a few hours if they are super busy, but generally I get the label in under an hour.

GunBroker is really the safest online service and they did just start charging taxes to the buyer, but that's all in the invoice. It takes a little getting used to, but you can look at the other ads and copy/past or just get a better idea of what you want. Pictures are Priority! You need to have 5 really good pictures that aren't from 5ft away or bad lighting etc...Good pictures of the important areas of the gun will grab people's eye the quickest.

I've sold quite a few guns on GB in 2020 and did exceptionally well vs here in the classifieds because more people see what you have to sell and they are all grouped properly. GunsAmerica works in a similar way, but just not quite as easy and not as well known with the FFL's.

Good Luck
Enal

Just be advised that if you sell them through gunbroker or another online selling site, they will charge you a fee for doing so. Also, gunbroker will also charge you tax for the sell as well. As for shipping, you can not ship a handgun by USPS yourself. The only way you can do that is if you have an ffl ship it for you. If the recieving ffl will accept shipment directly from you, then your option is either UPS or Fedex and they usually require overnight air shipments on handguns which is quite pricey.