Looking for gun store that gives FAIR trades in Memphis/Jackson area

[Links2k]

I don't expect retail on my trades, but I also don't expect to be offered $275 no matter what I am trading and then have the counter guy tell that the magical wizard is the back of store will only pay that much cash or trade.

Anyone know anything about the pawn shop in Eads or Oakland that claims to have good prices/customer service?

I have been saving for another M&P 15-22 and MSSA fees, but I am thinking about giving up all of the long guns except the M&P15T and the Mossy 930spx and buying some nice 1911s since the outdoor range situation in the Memphis area is so bad.

[56FordGuy]

There's usually no good way to trade with a gun store on a modern firearm. They can buy whatever you're trading in for wholesale cost brand new, so they have to pay you less than wholesale for your used gun. Even if you've only shot it once, it's still used/ pre-owned, etc.

Gun stores have to make money, or else they'll close the doors. Your best financial move is to sell your gun yourself, then go buy what you want. Trading in, be it on a gun, a car, or anything else, is usually a losing proposition.

[Jonnin]

I find I can usualy be "happier" with trades than trying to sell for cash. Cash, you get the lowest offers around: folks find a similar gun on the net, offer you even less since you dont have to ship it, etc, or you are up against the whosalers etc. A trade, even if you lost "value" you get back something you like better, will actually shoot, etc, which is better than getting chump change for your weapon which usually is not enough to buy a replacement.

[Howler]

What he said

I gotta ask how you like the Mossberg 930. Will it run as good as I hear?

[Metalhead]

It depends on the item, market value, so on so forth.

Essentially for a shop to make a trade worthwhile we do indeed have to offer you less than wholesale. Say you have a Glock 17 in excellent condition. A gunshop can buy it brand new for $440. To make it worth the investiment on a used weapon they willl have to offer you less than that, as even if the gun is in brand new shape it will still be a used gun regardless if you fired it or not.

Say a brand new Glock sells for $509. If you have say, $400 bucks in a used gun as a retailer, and try to sell it for I dunno, at $469 - what would the end user do? Personally, if there was just $40 between a new and used gun, I'd pay the extra for a new one. That's just me, though.

Everyone is different, but generally a retailer has to put enough of a distance between a new and a used gun to make it worthwhile for someone to purchase the used gun. Most shops make far more money on used weapons than they do on new ones, as the margin can be much better. However, it really does just depend on the item being sold. In our case as I cant say anything in regard to other shops, if its a gun we've had for awhile we'd be more apt to offer you more for your trade than normal just to move inventory.

Also keep in mind that you only pay tax on the difference of the trade. Say Someone trades in a gun and is offered $1000. Essentially they are getting $1097.50 on their trade since they dont pay tax on the $1k.

That, in a nutshell, is how trades work with gunstores. Granted some will try to take more advantage of the situation than others, and there are other variables like how desirable some guns are than others, but thats how it works at the very base.

[DaveTN]

I could only offer options in the MidState so I wasn’t going to respond. But I have to ask….. I see guns selling here at or above retail price all the time. Why would you not just do that and go to the gun store with cash?

[Metalhead]

I'd guess the answer is not payiing tax to an individual. There is the paranoia factor though, too with some folks.

[Guest ryan02]

That is why I am glad I live near Guns & Leather. We I decide I am not using a gun enough to justify keeping I would rather go up there and trade it as opposed to jacking around to try to sell it. The guys up there always give me a more than fair trade value ( although if it's Daniel (ha)he is a little on the tight side) Dennis will usually give the best price but that is understandable since he don't have to answer to anyone on what he gave for a gun like the other guys do. I have bought 11 handguns there this year.(8 Sigs-3 Glocks-1 H&K) and fairness and honesty is what keeps me coming back. Hands down the best gun shop in TN.

Edited January 2, 2011 by ryan02