What's it worth, please?
Hello, I'm as new as can be here and appreciate any offered opinions.
I need to purge a bunch of stuff that is just sitting unused.
One item being this Colt 1911 Series 80. I'm not certain of
what route to take to sell it off, but it has sat unused
for too many years to bother keeping it. I thought about
just taking it to my local gun store and see what
I can get for it, wait until next month when the local
gun shows spring up and sell it that way, or register to sell
at GunBroker. The latter seems a bit tedious just to sell one item.
So my questions are, what's the best way to sell these days,
and also, what is this worth? Is it anything special,
outside of it being stainless? Someone told me the "150" logo
in the grip was silver, and was worth money, but they possibly
didn't know what they were talking about. One thing for sure,
I don't know what I'm talking about, so come to you all for help!
Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
I need to purge a bunch of stuff that is just sitting unused.
One item being this Colt 1911 Series 80. I'm not certain of
what route to take to sell it off, but it has sat unused
for too many years to bother keeping it. I thought about
just taking it to my local gun store and see what
I can get for it, wait until next month when the local
gun shows spring up and sell it that way, or register to sell
at GunBroker. The latter seems a bit tedious just to sell one item.
So my questions are, what's the best way to sell these days,
and also, what is this worth? Is it anything special,
outside of it being stainless? Someone told me the "150" logo
in the grip was silver, and was worth money, but they possibly
didn't know what they were talking about. One thing for sure,
I don't know what I'm talking about, so come to you all for help!
Thanks in advance for any and all replies!
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Maybe 800 retail,,dealer offer 550-600, daily newspaper,,? your mileage may vary. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Grasshopper
Maybe 800 retail,,dealer offer 550-600, daily newspaper,,? your mileage may vary.
Thanks Grasshopper, it's much appreciated!
[:)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by Dunkin67
or register to sell
at GunBroker. The latter seems a bit tedious just to sell one item.
If you register to sell on GunBroker, you can do a "completed listings" search and get a good idea on the prices ones in similar condition to yours have sold for recently. (I don't follow the 1911 Colt market close enough to give you an approximation on price.)
Expect to disappointed if toting it around looking to sell to local FFLs. While they are in business to make money and need to buy below the retail price, many are used to people walking into their stores with no idea about what their firearms are worth; such people are also usually hungry for immediate cash, so they will accept prices substantially lower than "fair wholesale."
While selling online does involve some work, you seem to be able to take decent photos -- which is a big important part about selling online. When you measure the time (and comfort and convenience, as you can work when it fits your schedule) of doing a listing for GunBroker, compared to the time either running around to stores, or meeting strangers for a possible local sale, the GunBroker route really isn't bad. You also will usually get the "full retail price" for your item -- which is something that can be very difficult to do when selling locally as that market is always smaller than GunBroker's national marketplace.0 -
Agree with all above. A small clarification with what competentone said with the actual auction side of GunBroker, (a seperate entity from the forums)-- anyone can register there to view listings, sold items, etc, so need not be "register to sell" for this free service.
Once registered and signed on, use the advanced search to look up sold listing prices. You'll get the hang of it.
Welcome to the forum, dunkin,and good luck with your Colt-- should have no problem there. As a biased "blue finish" guy, I cannot say about your stainless question?
45er0 -
Thanks so much for the replies gents!
Doing a little surfing at GunBroker for similar items,
you can see what's selling and what's not for sure. Lot's on there,
but very few with bids. I'm sure I'll accrue some fees
if I do register to sell, and no doubt local ffld's are going to
offer the bare minimum, but just wondering if the profit
ends up close to the same, either way. Just pondering out loud...0 -
Its worth only what someone would offer, but I'll second the earlier guesstimate of about $800 fair market value, say give or take $75. Where you are might affect that a bit (ie it would be worth quite a bit more in MA).
On how to sell, if you don't mind being offered quite a bit less (maybe $250 less) than true market value for the gun, just take it to your nearest gun store and be done with it.
If they offer a consignment sale option, that might be best/easiest. They attract buyers, sell the gun at a fair price for you, handle the actual transfer, then take a cut. That's a win-win, if their fee is reasonable.
Assuming they won't do this, the easiest way to sell it is to list it for sale at your local gun club (assuming they let you). Person to person sale cuts through most of the hassle. Gun is desirable enough that I think it would be a pretty easy sell.
Want-ad in local paper or similar for-sale publication can work, but that's a hassle (Do you want do deal with random phone calls from complete strangers looking to buy a gun?).
GunBroker.com is an easy way to do this, and you're basically guaranteed true market value (minus relatively small fees of the sale). You probably will have to complete the sale through an FFL (though if you sell locally, maybe not).
Registering is actually not a big deal at all, and IMO probably both faster AND easier than the other methods. As above, you will need to take lots of good (well lit, detailed) pictures to get max value, but you're already most of the way there with the images listed above. I think if you do it this way, you'll end up with the most money in your pocket at the end of the game.0 -
Look at it this way. If you take it to a gun dealer, you will have 1 person making you an offer, and he is going to offer you the least amount he can get away with ( he has to make a profit).
Take it to a gun show and you will have 50-100 dealers to make you an offer and wanting to pay wholesale.
List it on GunBroker and you will have many thousands of people wanting to pay you least amount, but they will pay retail.
The fees are probably a lot less than what it would cost you to drive to the gun dealers and shows, and you may not sell it. If you put a reasonable starting price, you will have people clamoring for a chance to own it. Plus you will very likely get exactly what it is worth. You have a good start with the pictures, it won't take much more work to list all the details for the gun.
Good Luck [:D]0 -
Welcome aboard Dunkin67,
May I suggest another option,that being,having a current seller of GB list and sell your item for you.
One of our best sellers is 'Locust Fork'. She has been in the gun business for a long time. She has earned herself alot of respect.
Here is a link to her current listings;
http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/BI.aspx?IncludeSellers=618902
and/or she is on the 'general discussion' forum all the time. Good luck with your sale and again welcome to the forums.0 -
So, I went ahead and registered to sell!
Just hoping for a smooth transaction.
Thanks to everyone that replied, it's truly appreciated!0 -
Hey new guy... Good luck and hope your GB auction when you do list it sells for a good $$$
Be sure and put your auction number of your item on this post so we can follow it.
GOOD LUCK !!!0
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