advice to husband on selling a few guns?

[robert45]

My husband and I both have HCPs. He has(finally) decided to sell a few handguns and a shotgun. He does not work w/the computer so I am doing the legwork. I do post and sell on CraigsList and am very careful who I respond to and give information to. I realize guns cannot be sold on CraigsList. This site(TnGunowners) does have a Classifieds and we may decide to go that route. Any advice on talking with interested people would be welcomed. Any red flags we should be aware of? We would rather not deal through a gunshop or pawnshop but still want to be very careful how these are sold.

[Symbolic]

First, you have to purchase a TGO subscription in order to post guns for sale in the classifieds. Click on TGO Store, directly under the banner up top, and you'll see the option to purchase either a 6-month or 1-year subscription. From there, proceed to the classifieds and post away. As for being careful who you sell your guns to, there is a TGO bill of sale that you could print out and use for your records. Also, look at user's iTrader feedback. There's also your gut feeling.

[RobertNashville]

Okay...

1. Stay away from Craigslist; especially when selling a firearm. Yes, you can't openly sell a firearm on Craigslist but people find ways around that. I would highly suggest selling through TGO or, if you and your husband are wiling to put up with a bit more hassle and a broader potential buying audience, Armslist or GunBroker.com.

2. Be sure of the value of the weapon you are selling...use the BB of gun values as a good starting place plus find out what brand new versions (if there are any) of what you are selling are selling for.

3. Personally, I like to deal with people on TGO who have a positive iTrader rating and who have an HCP...that's not required of course but I feel better in doing so. I also recommend using a firearm transfer form so you have a paper record of the transfer (especially important, I think, if the firearm is traceable to you because you bought it through an FFL originally).

4. Common sense should prevail as usual...when you are meeting someone to make a transfer do so in a public place and if you can, don't do so alone and be armed! You never know; that's why we get HCPs right?

I don't meant to scare you at all...I've done a number of transactions with TGO guys and have never had a problem...I've always felt I was treated fairly and had easy transactions.

[Mike.357]

only thing I will add is that if you plan on having someone fill out a bill of sale you make sure they know up front. Could be a dealbreaker for me and lots of others. I suggest putting it in your add if you so choose to do it.

Welcome to TGO and good luck in selling your guns!

[Dolomite_supafly]

Something I ALWAYS do is take a sharpie marker and write on my hand. I right their name and telephone number before heading out to meet them. And if I can, a license plate number, before getting out at the meeting place.

Meet in an area where there are going to be witnesses if something bad happens.

And remember you are not obligated to sell to anyone. If it doesn't feel right walk away or don't even meet them.

Dolomite

[robert45]

All good advice. "if it doesn't feel right, walk away" is great. We live in the country and that is where the guns are. The easy thing would be to give someone directions to our house but that could really be asking for trouble. Definitely more of a hassle taking the guns somewhere and meeting someone in a parking lot. We will definitely have to figure out a way to meet up w/someone without seeming to be selling firearms out of our trunk.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Do not invite people to your house that you do not know. They might decide to pass on the sale then come back later and burglarize your home.

Even if it is only a mile away at a convienence store that is better than having a stranger know where the guns are.

Dolomite

[wcsc12]

All good advice. "if it doesn't feel right, walk away" is great. We live in the country and that is where the guns are. The easy thing would be to give someone directions to our house but that could really be asking for trouble. Definitely more of a hassle taking the guns somewhere and meeting someone in a parking lot. We will definitely have to figure out a way to meet up w/someone without seeming to be selling firearms out of our trunk.

Armslist.com is the craigslist for selling firearms. I've purchased 2 firearms from there. Granted the people I've purchased from were a little weird but the transaction was pleasant.

As far as meeting place, I would seriously think against asking someone to come to your house to meet you to buy a gun. No offense but there's just too much in that one sentence that screams no to me. I would do so in a public place that's open and full of people. My last purchase was done at a weigels. The one before that at Walmart. Just be sure that know when they get there, they are going to try and haggle you on the price. It's an inevitability. Gunbroker is a bit better as people just auction it but you really don't get the chance to inspect it first you know. A picture is worth a thousand words but doesn't beat actually looking at something.

[robert45]

In ads, do you list your landline telephone #? There are ways to find an adress from just having a telephone #. Our cellphones do not work well here, as we are between two mountains.

For my CraigsList ads, I have pretty much stopped answering all email requests. I answered one email and got Spam for months and I know it was from that one reponse.

[RobertNashville]

In ads, do you list your landline telephone #? There are ways to find an adress from just having a telephone #. Our cellphones do not work well here, as we are between two mountains.

For my CraigsList ads, I have pretty much stopped answering all email requests. I answered one email and got Spam for months and I know it was from that one reponse.

You can always establish a free email address just to handle your sales and then stop using it later...same thing with a phone because no, I'd never give out my home number. Personally I do give my cell phone number but if I were worried about it, I'd simply go buy a "throw-away" cell phone and use it until all your transactions are done.

[Jonnin]

my 2 cents...

first things first, figure out the actual value of each item and write it down. You can cruise gunbroker and local stores and such to get an average price for the item NEW and USED. Figure out what it has SOLD for (not just asking prices, which can be stupidly high, or starter prices, which can be as low as $1 due to the nutty reserve not met auction type sites where the seller hides the lowest bid he will accept so you have to add a buck at a time until you find his threshold).

Now that you have a price, you can do any of many things. My top thoughts...

1) sell it at a gun show. Individuals there will see you have the gun and try to buy it. If they offer a fair price, you are done.

2) Sell it online. Dangerous: incidents of being relived of your weapons and possibly hurt are uncommon but happen. Also shady buyers, out of state buyers, and other issues. You may have to ship if you use a nationwide broker, and that means shipping and ffl fees. Face to face meetings should be done in highly public places with a buddy watching your back.

3) sell it at a gun store, on commission. You set the price, store shows it to people for you, and you get 90% of what it was sold for. Not too bad.

4) Trade it in --- either to a store (most stores are more reasonable on trades than buying from you, you can usually do OK here) or at a gun show (often better than the store) or to an individual (best result, but have to do work to find buyers).

It depends on what it is how much work you may have to do in order to sell your items. A rare, multi-thousand dollar gun is harder to sell than a $350 common pistol. A beat up gun is harder to sell than a nearly new one unless you take a substantial loss.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Jonnin

[robert45]

sell it at a gun store, on commission

that is a great thought. Husband is checking gunbroker right now for comparables but sounds as though I will be finishing it up, he is having a hard time finding what has already sold

tried to register at gunbrokercom $1 activation fee for any free email address such as yahoo,gmail did not register oh well

Edited November 1, 2012 by robert45

[DaveTN]

sell it at a gun store, on commission

that is a great thought. Husband is checking gunbroker right now for comparables but sounds as though I will be finishing it up, he is having a hard time finding what has already sold

You have to join and log-in to check items that have sold. (It's free). It's really the only way of seeing what stuff is really selling for.

[Glock30]

In regards to the phone issue: I don't typically give a number until a deal has been agreed upon. If you don't have good cell service at the house, get the other party's number and drive out (if it's not very far) to where reliable service can be had; THEN call that person. A phone call reveals many things and will either allow you to continue your deal or offer the opportunity for second thoughts.

No matter what, meet in a reasonable public place, back out if it doesn't feel right, and never let someone come to your home.

[robert45]

I printed out the Bill of Sale/Firearms Transfer recommended earlier. As we reside in ne Tenn., if we sold a pistol in Asheville, NC when we were visiting there, would we have to go through a FFL dealer? Do most people do that for a private sale?

[jcj]

I printed out the Bill of Sale/Firearms Transfer recommended earlier. As we reside in ne Tenn., if we sold a pistol in Asheville, NC when we were visiting there, would we have to go through a FFL dealer? Do most people do that for a private sale?

Yes, you would have to go through an FFL if dealing with a buyer from out of state.

For in-state private transactions a simple face-to-face exchange (no FFL) is the normal practice.

I've bought and sold several with folks here on TGO. No problems.

[monkeylizard]

We will definitely have to figure out a way to meet up w/someone without seeming to be selling firearms out of our trunk.

There's nothing wrong with that. I've bought several from a trunk.

I've done several deals via the TGO classifieds. It's the only way I'll buy/sell via the web.

You can always put something in your TGO ad stating that the buyer must have been a TGO member for at least 6 months, or have over 150 posts, or have an iTrader rating of at least 4. Or other things like that. Then you know at least that you're not dealing with some completely random person who found the site and your ad via a Google search and just joined up to buy it.

Be sure to clarify in your ad if you will require an HCP or a Bill of Sale. You can always ask for one during a transaction, but if you're going to require it, be up front about it.

Edited November 1, 2012 by monkeylizard

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you want i can give you a quote on the gun values. I am not going to buy any of them so I will be honest.

You are more than welcome to PM the list.

Also, because you do not have benefactor status, yet, on here please do not accept any offers or sell any of the firearms to anyone through this website. Doing so will undermine the trust we have built up for our benefactors. If anyone approaches you trying to buy please let them know they will be listed in the classifieds here if you become benefactor.

Becoming a benefactor here will guarantee top dollar and a quick sale of your firearms. It is also allow you to see their feedback so you can reassure yourself the sale will go without a hitch.

Dolomite

[robert45]

"If you want i can give you a quote on the gun values."

that could help. how should I do that, PM you? I could have the info ready by tomorrow. Do you need serial #'s?(that question is from my husband)

[Dolomite_supafly]

I don't need serial numbers.

Just like this

"S&W 686 with 4" barrel" or "Savage 110 in 30-06" or "Jennings in 22lr"

Dolomite

[buck1032]

Robert45,

As you are starting to see, Dolomite is a stand up, honorable and very helpful guy. As such you will be able to take his word and advice as the honest truth (because it will be).

[Oh Shoot]

I printed out the Bill of Sale/Firearms Transfer recommended earlier. As we reside in ne Tenn., if we sold a pistol in Asheville, NC when we were visiting there, would we have to go through a FFL dealer? Do most people do that for a private sale?

Federal law: you cannot legally sell a firearm of any type to a resident of another state without going through a FFL. Long guns can be at an FFL in either state, handguns must be at FFL in the buyer's state.

Some states have additional requirements, and NC is one of them. To buy a pistol, buyer must first get a permit to purchase. It's my understanding that a NC carry permit negates that.

- OS

Edited November 1, 2012 by OhShoot

[Guest D.B. Cooper]

In ads, do you list your landline telephone #? There are ways to find an adress from just having a telephone #. Our cellphones do not work well here, as we are between two mountains.

For all my ads (Craigslist, answering ads on here, etc) I use http://www.ringshuffle.com/ It has an iOS app, but I use it just fine with my landline phone, my Google Voice #, and my Android phone too.

[Jonnin]

"If you want i can give you a quote on the gun values."

that could help. how should I do that, PM you? I could have the info ready by tomorrow. Do you need serial #'s?(that question is from my husband)

only time you need to give out a SN is to prove the gun's age for collectors items. For example to get the correct date on a browning a5 shotgun which were made for nearly 100 years so the SN narrows down the when which changes the value. Even then you can give partials... SN 132XXX for example can be sufficient to show it was made in whatever year. This is not something you have to worry about often unless you scored a collection of fine older firearms --- it is a problem you would WANT to have

[robert45]

Dolomite,

I am trying to PM you but cannot figure out how. Or should I list the 5 pieces in this thread?

Done. Thanx.

Edited November 2, 2012 by robert45