gun values

[bigpapa]

i have a friend that has lots of guns,her dad just passed away and she wants to find somebody trust worthy to tell her how much they are worth,she would even pay an appraiser.

  if somebody could point me in the right direction i would really appreciate it

[KahrMan]

If you can get a list of the guns and some pics there are a lot of guys here that could give you real world values. 

[Snaveba]

And might offer to buy them. 

[Darrell]

There's a book available called "Bluebook of Gun Values".  It might be worth buying the latest edition in order to get a ballpark idea of the gun values. 

There are auction sites, too, which seem to yield top-dollar for guns that sell. But there is an attendant hassle that goes with using that route. 

KahrMan is on the money, too.

[Snaveba]

Another source to get a feel for current values is GunBroker.You will have to search the completed sales, then it’s best to sort those by number of bids (most to least). This will give you a feel for the interest in the sale. Just remember that sometimes folks go a little stupid on GB and get in a bidding war. I usually look at multiple sales and then try to come up with an average value based on guns of the same condition. I also then price depending upon how quickly I want to move the fire arm. 

[Grayfox54]

The Blue Book is useless. The prices are out of date the moment it was printed. It does make a great general reference book though. 

Checking completed auctions on GunBroker is your best bet. This will tell you how desirable a gun is and what they are actually selling for right now. 

As mentioned, post 'em here. We got some knowledgeable folks on this site. Plus, if she decides to sell, lots of us would be interested.  

Warn your friend to NOT sell anything until she's done some research. There are unfortunately unscrupulous people who will try to take advantage of her lack of knowledge and try to buy the guns at ridiculously low prices to cheat her.  

Edited March 19, 2023 by Grayfox54

[bigpapa]

she has several black powder,an ar7,a couple of ak47's.

i know about guns but im out of my leauge here

[gregintenn]

If you can post pics and good descriptions, I expect between us, we could get you headed down the right path. It won’t be an official appraisal, but probably worth at least what you paid for it. Condition is always of utmost importance.

An appraisal is just one man’s opinion. You’ll get several here.

Edited March 19, 2023 by gregintenn

[btq96r]

7 hours ago, bigpapa said:

she has several black powder,an ar7,a couple of ak47's.

i know about guns but im out of my leauge here

AK-47s you say?

[RED333]

My best WAG

Black powder, 300 to 700  dollars and up depending on make and condition.

AR7, 300 dollars max, you can buy new for 300.

AKs, 500 and up, again depending on make and condition.

[runco]

Gun values are in general what the market will bare at a particular point in time and a honest true evaluation of the condition of the gun(s).  I agree with with what people have already said use Gunbroker, books, and etc.  However, you must consider this:  Gun values and what you can get are two different view points that in my experience novice people just do not think through. 

Now as far as what you can get for your gun(s) will depend upon your patience, targeted market, your evaluation, and medium of advertising in my judgement.   Also, as a seller complying with law is a given, and make sure your friend follows, and is aware of prohibited buyers.  There are some resources on this site to read up on.

 

 

[Ronald_55]

Let me warn you to take Gunbroker and other auction site prices with a grain of salt. There are a good reference, but I see things sell there WAY over the prices you would see locally. 

I echo above. Get details and post a list. 

[Grayfox54]

51 minutes ago, runco said:

Gun values and what you can get are two different view points that in my experience

Very true. What they're selling for on the internet and what you can actually get locally can often vary greatly. What may be a hot seller in a different part of the country may not appeal to the folks where you live. 

In my experience used black powder guns have very little resale value unless they are really rare or collectible. Usually half or less than original retail price. 

The AR-7 will depend on who made it. Several companies have made them and some are more desirable than others. The current Henry version sells for about $250 brand new. OTOH an original Armalite could go for much more. 

The AKs can vary as to maker, features and such. Not really my thing, but we have some folks here who are very knowledgeable. 

[btq96r]

Also worth considering are questions about timeline for getting rid of them through a sale, and if local sales are the only option.  I get you don't want your friend to get ripped off, but if holding a lot of firearms and dealing with all the unfamiliar quirks around selling and shipping aren't appealing....this may be more a fire sale compared to retail one price point wise.

[threeshot]

Are there any middle TN gun shops that either buy guns or sell on consignment?

Bass Pro or Cabela’s buys guns.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s do not purchase modern muzzleloaders, black powder or air guns.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/we-buy-guns

Edited March 20, 2023 by threeshot
Add Bass Pro purchase restrictions

[Tuffus]

7 hours ago, threeshot said:

Are there any middle TN gun shops that either buy guns or sell on consignment?

Bass Pro or Cabela’s buys guns.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s do not purchase modern muzzleloaders, black powder or air guns.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/we-buy-guns

Try Sportsman's Warehouse. They have a store in Murfreesboro. https://www.sportsmans.com/we-buy-guns

[Ronald_55]

7 hours ago, threeshot said:

Are there any middle TN gun shops that either buy guns or sell on consignment?

Bass Pro or Cabela’s buys guns.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s do not purchase modern muzzleloaders, black powder or air guns.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/we-buy-guns

Selling to them (same company) will net you MAYBE a bit more than a pawn shop, but no where near market value. Plus I am not sure they appraise unless they are offering to buy. Plus. if like our local one, the best they can do is a gun values book and a Google search as to value. Remember they are buying to RESELL.

[Grayfox54]

Completely agree. Selling to a gun shop is the last resort. Like Ronald said, they have to resell at a profit. Generally they try to buy for 50-60% of actual value. 

[threeshot]

5 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

Selling to them (same company) will net you MAYBE a bit more than a pawn shop, but no where near market value. Plus I am not sure they appraise unless they are offering to buy. Plus. if like our local one, the best they can do is a gun values book and a Google search as to value. Remember they are buying to RESELL.

 

4 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Completely agree. Selling to a gun shop is the last resort. Like Ronald said, they have to resell at a profit. Generally they try to buy for 50-60% of actual value. 

I agree. My post is offering an alternative if you are not willing to spend time listing the firearms for sale, getting contacted by people who try to lower your price or want to trade you something for the firearm, the dangers of selling to strangers, getting payment and possibly dealing with shipping the firearm legally.

[DraxTheDad]

There is a good gun shop in Franklin that has a good rating "Arms and Ammo" (don't go to the Armory) that may be able to help you out.   

I'm an older guy and am willing to help out (often don't have a ton to do) and wouldn't mind seeing some cool guns.  I'm not too far from you.  And might be interested in them.  

 

[AnotherMike]

22 hours ago, CylonGlitch said:

There is a good gun shop in Franklin that has a good rating "Arms and Ammo" (don't go to the Armory) that may be able to help you out.   

I'm an older guy and am willing to help out (often don't have a ton to do) and wouldn't mind seeing some cool guns.  I'm not too far from you.  And might be interested in them.  

 

Hey @CylonGlitch just wondering which Armory you meant. Nashville or Outpost? Also, wondering why. Bad experience? Or just not a good price offer in your experience? Thanks

[DraxTheDad]

Honestly I want to say Outpost, but I kinda can't remember which one exactly (why I was vague about it).   The prices were expensive and the service was lousy.   So... not sure which one it was.  

[CaneyRiverDog]

I have a friend in Alabama that pretty much does this as a business. She'll meet you and clean all the inventory and list them on Gunbroker with a 100 pictures per gun. If interested let me know and Ill get her contact info. Also you can consign at Rock Island Auction in Illinois. Their Items BRING TOP DOLLAR ON EVERY GUN!! The bigger the audience the bigger the payload

[Rambo84]

Are you still looking for a consignment shop?

[bigpapa]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:07 PM, Rambo84 said:

Are you still looking for a consignment shop?

i think they found somebody,thank you so much