My First Auction - I want to do it right
Hi all, this is a continuation of this thread:
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=504885
I've decided to try an auction here and failing that I'll send it to one of the meatspace auction houses I've been in contact with. I've been combing through listings to try and educate myself on the fine points of selling an antique firearm online but would appreciate some feedback from the experts here, hopefully to gain some confidence that I'm on the right path.
So, from the previous thread, I am advised to not use a reserve and to start the bidding at the minimum I'll accept for the gun. I'll do that. Any advice about the "Buy It Now" option? I don't see any reason why I should offer that, especially on my first attempt to sell. Seems I could be leaving money on the table by fixing a price if I've underestimated interest in the gun. I am thinking I'll start the auction at $10,000 and hope it goes up at least a bit from there.
In my research, I've been concentrating on completed auctions that ended with bids, a surprisingly small subset of the total number of auctions. It's clear that the most important factors in drawing bids are having a desirable gun and a realistic price. The quality of the auction text and pictures varied wildly though. Obviously I'm hoping that I have a desirable product but I'm kind of a control freak, so I want to do the auction well.
About the pictures. I think the pictures linked in my first thread are not good enough. They were taken w/o flash but under bright lights and I don't think they really represent what the gun looks like. I see advice to take pictures in natural light, so I'll experiment today. I'm sure I can figure that out. My question for this forum is should I take any disassembled pictures? Should I try to get a picture of the bore/rifling and then take pictures of the cylinder, hammer, backside of the gate, underside of grips, etc? I see a few auctions that do this, but most don't. Photography tips would be much appreciated.
About the auction descriptions. Is there no way to format a description? I saw many auctions where the description was a wall of text that would have been a LOT more readable if it had been broken into paragraphs. Also, I kept looking for examples where the seller included links to larger versions of the pictures or to pictures he didn't want to embed in the photos section, but I didn't see any. Is this just not allowed or did I just not find any? Seems to me buyers would be interested in high resolution versions of the auction pics.
Any advice for me regarding FFL? I see several auctions where the gun is old enough to not require an FFL transfer, but the auction requires it anyway. Is there a reason I might want to require this?
Last question is about payment options and and if I should offer an acceptance period. I seem to recall hearing that PO money orders were as safe as anything, but I don't know for sure. Advice? Also, some sellers offer a 3 day inspection/acceptance period. Any thoughts on the pros/cons of doing this? Certainly I want whomever buys this gun to be happy with their purchase.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I'll probably aim for starting this auction on Monday morning.
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=504885
I've decided to try an auction here and failing that I'll send it to one of the meatspace auction houses I've been in contact with. I've been combing through listings to try and educate myself on the fine points of selling an antique firearm online but would appreciate some feedback from the experts here, hopefully to gain some confidence that I'm on the right path.
So, from the previous thread, I am advised to not use a reserve and to start the bidding at the minimum I'll accept for the gun. I'll do that. Any advice about the "Buy It Now" option? I don't see any reason why I should offer that, especially on my first attempt to sell. Seems I could be leaving money on the table by fixing a price if I've underestimated interest in the gun. I am thinking I'll start the auction at $10,000 and hope it goes up at least a bit from there.
In my research, I've been concentrating on completed auctions that ended with bids, a surprisingly small subset of the total number of auctions. It's clear that the most important factors in drawing bids are having a desirable gun and a realistic price. The quality of the auction text and pictures varied wildly though. Obviously I'm hoping that I have a desirable product but I'm kind of a control freak, so I want to do the auction well.
About the pictures. I think the pictures linked in my first thread are not good enough. They were taken w/o flash but under bright lights and I don't think they really represent what the gun looks like. I see advice to take pictures in natural light, so I'll experiment today. I'm sure I can figure that out. My question for this forum is should I take any disassembled pictures? Should I try to get a picture of the bore/rifling and then take pictures of the cylinder, hammer, backside of the gate, underside of grips, etc? I see a few auctions that do this, but most don't. Photography tips would be much appreciated.
About the auction descriptions. Is there no way to format a description? I saw many auctions where the description was a wall of text that would have been a LOT more readable if it had been broken into paragraphs. Also, I kept looking for examples where the seller included links to larger versions of the pictures or to pictures he didn't want to embed in the photos section, but I didn't see any. Is this just not allowed or did I just not find any? Seems to me buyers would be interested in high resolution versions of the auction pics.
Any advice for me regarding FFL? I see several auctions where the gun is old enough to not require an FFL transfer, but the auction requires it anyway. Is there a reason I might want to require this?
Last question is about payment options and and if I should offer an acceptance period. I seem to recall hearing that PO money orders were as safe as anything, but I don't know for sure. Advice? Also, some sellers offer a 3 day inspection/acceptance period. Any thoughts on the pros/cons of doing this? Certainly I want whomever buys this gun to be happy with their purchase.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I'll probably aim for starting this auction on Monday morning.
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I think you are over analyzing....just do it! 0 -
Well, you really do need to figure out how to take better photos before you list it. I disagree with the folks who say to use natural light. I have found that the best light is fluorescent light, since it is "whiter" than incandescent; I use a big 2 x 40 w industrial fixture, with a hand held shop light for fill lighting. But, there are lots of ways to do it, you just need to experiment.
If your camera limits close ups, you may just want to pay a professional, especially since you hope to get big bucks. Most wedding photographers also do studio work, & great photos will pay you back by way of higher bids.
For a revolver, I would take some close ups of the cylinder front & back, so that needs to come out. (Be sure to use the correct gunsmith screwdriver to remove any screws.) Folks also want to see the frame under the grips, plus the back of the grips. Take pics of EVERY place the serial number is stamped.
DO NOT attempt to post a link to an album. (I don't even know if it is permitted.) The GB auction side has made it easy to post photos directly from your computer, but you may have to resize them (smaller) first. Post the maximum (6), complete your listing; then, go back & "CHANGE" your auction, which permits you to add 6 more. For this guns you should have a minimum of 12 photos. It's usually difficult to photograph a bore, but try it.
Neal0 -
If you want to use bold print, type <b> before your text and type </b> after you've completed your text.
For paragraphs, type <p>0
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