Classifieds and pricing

[Chukar60]

Am I imagining it or are used guns not moving very well on the classifieds? I have seen quite a few nice guns of all brands sitting for what I would have thought extended periods of time and often not moving at all.
Are gun sales seasonal in this hobby? Or are folks hanging onto their money a little tighter these days? Do people have an exaggerated sense of what their guns are worth?
Just looking for some thoughts and opinions. I have no idea. Maybe I am seeing something that is not there?

 

[Lewis]

I think you hit on all the causes. I agree there have been some well priced guns that seem to get renewed over and over before selling. I know I will be a lot more frugal this year. Inflation has also eaten away at a good bit of otherwise discretionary funds.

 

[Yoda_1794]

This is one of the hobbys, sports, activities that gets quickly pushed to the side when financials go south. Weve been seeing mass layoffs, higher interest rates, higher credit card debt, and a number of other negative items in the country.

I follow the auto industry as well and have seen lenders offer 10 year auto loans!!

Strange times

 

[Doc C.]

Agreed. It is a buyers market for now.
I fear we will be seeing double digit interest rates soon.
They are already charging double digit interest rates for cars and trucks if your credit score is not
above 800.
tough times ahead.

Doc

 

[Reg Creep]

Couple new models on the market attracting buyers too. Bunch of guns up for sale to make room for the new toy.

 

[MikeVV]

Part of it is the price that the owners put on the item(s).
If I'm interested in something that I don't know the current "new" cost, I'll go looking (thanks internet !).
One thing that I was somewhat interested in earlier today, I did just that, went looking for the current new cost.
I found that the used cost was...a whappen $20 cheaper for a $260 item than new.
Hell no, for that "deal", I'm buying new !

This happens a lot.

Mike

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Part of it is the price that the owners put on the item(s).
If I'm interested in something that I don't know the current "new" cost, I'll go looking (thanks internet !).
One thing that I was somewhat interested in earlier today, I did just that, went looking for the current new cost.
I found that the used cost was...a whappen $20 cheaper for a $260 item than new.
Hell no, for that "deal", I'm buying new !

This happens a lot.

Mike

Yup!
I've seen people trying to sell single tins for $20unless they are rare...i just bulk buy $3-$5tins

 

[wyshadow]

Tough market if you're trying to sell. I lost a ton of money from my past four sales.
I wondered if our hobby is being flooded the past few years, and we are now feeling the impact. The economy isn't helping anything right now.
In the beginning I always knew I was going to lose some money if I sold but right now I'm wondering if this hobby is getting too expensive to play anymore and one should think of getting out before it gets out of hand. Some pcp's are going north of 3k now, and when first got in, I thought $1500 was hard to swallow.

 

[boscoebrea]

used prices are too high .Too many new models coming out close to the price of older models, and money is tight
Price right, item takes flight, price high, no goodbye.

 

[SHOMER]

I humbly submit the sounds of our weekly cracking economic ice is something many serious minded folks already sense.
In such times as these, it's very hard volunteering to add any extra weight to the loads we carry. That said tomorrow's deals will be better than todays offerings as others seek to lighten their own loads for whatever reasons? I like most these days will be keeping close to the safety of any shore line.

"I will unite with anyone to do good, but with no one to do harm." ~Frederick Douglass

 

[Struckat]

I can’t blame people for trying to get their money back out of a gun they have decided to sell.
I now have 5 pcp, all purchased used. Some very good deals, and others, only ok.

The gap to new does seem to be shrinking on some. The other thing I have noticed is that in the fall people sell. By the time we get to spring, the offerings get thinner.

I may want the latest thing, but I am happy being 20 years behind the new product curve.
It takes patience to watch the classifieds and find what you perceive as acceptable.
I am also glad I have a keeper or I would have way too many to shoot.

 

[L.Leon]

I personally learned a lesson from a safe full of unused firearms. So maybe that’s also part of why the reluctance of many to simply buy. There are only so many things you can do with any air gun. And the fact, that you can only shoot one at a time? For instance one of my PCPs blew the rest out of the safe. Why? Because the “one” did everything I tasked the others to do. So a guy like me is not looking to buy his next PCP off the classifieds…

 

[rangur1]

used prices are too high .Too many new models coming out close to the price of older models, and money is tight
Price right, item takes flight, price high, no goodbye.

Generally I agree. I personally often enjoy quick sales as I price items attractively. I've even had a few jokers chide me for listing items way to cheap as they see it, I of course told them to pound sand. But in reality, the standard was roughly $400 off a $1500-$2000 gun , this being based on still great condition and less than year old. that was about 25% off. Now your looking at more like 40% or more. I just listed an $1800 platform for essentially $1000 and added shipping into price. so that's 40% off and no bites yet. last year it would have been gone in an hour or less. The economy is soft and unfortunately, this will get worse for some time. One just has to try and ride it out.

 

[Billinoregon]

I struggle with this. Somebody might look at the B25H I have in the classifieds for $130 shipped and say, that's too much. I look at it and figure it's probably gonna cost me $35 to ship it, maybe $40 ...

 

[_CTAIRGUNNER_]

I think a big part of it is, the price of new. A lot of people get into airguns and think theyre going to produce youtube results right out the box without any outtakes. In order to get that next youtube gun, I need to get MY MONEY BACK, the hobby isn't cheap thats for sure, I think this is one big reason.

 

[ghoststalker]

I find many of the items i am interested in, are not a whole lot less then I can buy new. I bought a blue laminted stock for an rm5 long, from a guy on here, for 150.00. As they were, are no longer avalible. Which by the way I need to sell. And that's the only thing I've bought here.

 

[L.Leon]

Generally I agree. I personally often enjoy quick sales as I price items attractively. I've even had a few jokers chide me for listing items way to cheap as they see it, I of course told them to pound sand. But in reality, the standard was roughly $400 off a $1500-$2000 gun , this being based on still great condition and less than year old. that was about 25% off. Now your looking at more like 40% or more. I just listed an $1800 platform for essentially $1000 and added shipping into price. so that's 40% off and no bites yet. last year it would have been gone in an hour or less. The economy is soft and unfortunately, this will get worse for some time. One just has to try and ride it out.

Also depends on the platform being sold. The Ranger XR in .25 is underpowered and the shot count is two magazines. If your Ranger was in .22? It would be sold by now.

 

[beerthief]

Retired so monetary things do not change . right now i am attracted by all the sales but i am also in the "do not acquire a wall full of guns" as i did with PB's. I am only buying the things i want IE: I have a HW35 .177 i will not buy anything similar in .177 .
In regards to the OP questions , what i see is a lot of high power large bore guns (anything over .22 ) difficult to shoot in a town or city lots , and high priced compared to new cost.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Mostly high asking prices.

 

[mobilemail]

I suspect two big players are:
1. The cost of shipping, and related difficulty for some, dissuade some folks from even listing. Adding $75 to what appears to be a fair but not giveaway price will change the situation considerably.
2. It seems interest is waning for airguns that aren’t regulated, side lever and tactical, even if the gun for sale is of a high build quality. And as more favor a tactical design approach (which admittedly has some advantages), there is less appreciation for custom wood.

Nearly every airgun I own was purchased used, and I generally scour the classifieds first when I’m in the market for something. Im at the place where I have what I need. Maybe that is the third reason why fewer people are buying.