How far will you drive for a good deal?

[jh225]

OK folks, answer me this.......... If you are looking for a used or purchased but unfired gun, how far will you drive to get a good deal?

 

For arguments sake, let's assume the deal saves you at least 20% off what a new store bought (purchase price/tax/TICS) or an online purchase (purchase/shipping/transfer/TICS) on an as new/excellent weapon.

 

Personally, I will and have driven 2+ hrs many times.

 

Reason I ask is that lately, I have made the observation that people are unwilling to drove even an hour to meet halfway between seller and buyer or even expect the seller to basically give door to door delivery. (Note that this does not include folks who for family reasons can't travel or folks that simply don't get time off to travel).

Am I wrong in thinking that if a buyer wants the deal, he at least needs to put forth an effort?

[superduty]

Depends. Time is money.

[nightrunner]

As a seller I may or may not meet halfway. But I won't travel more than half way for someone. Either they meet halfway or they come to me not the other way around.

As a buyer, if I can find it in a store I will buy it there to avoid the hassle. Most stuff I buy private sale is because it isn't made anymore.

[Mike.357]

I'd travel to the point where it stops being worthwhile to me to make the deal.

 

Not hard to decide really.

[jh225]

Depends. Time is money.

OK, so how much is your free time worth? If you see a weapon you have wanted a lot, or even one you have thought about getting if the price is right. Would you not take a couple of hours out of your free time to acquire it?

[hipower]

I'd travel to the point where it stops being worthwhile to me to make the deal.

 

Not hard to decide really.

 

That sums it up for me pretty well. Time lost and cost of travel will quickly make a good price look less attractive.

 

And in your case, even with a halfway meet; for me that's 4 hours travel time and close to 40 in fuel costs. So I, and most others I'm sure, will look at that pretty closely when considering a purchase.

[56FordGuy]

I'd travel to the point where it stops being worthwhile to me to make the deal.

 

Not hard to decide really.

 

This. I can work overtime, pick up a second job, or sell something to find more money. There's nothing I can do to create more time, and none of us know how much of it we'll even have.

 

If I'm going to invest my time in something, it has to be worthwhile. 20% off of a $500 item is $100. Not counting the cost of fuel, if it's a commonly available item I wouldn't drive more than 45 minutes to an hour one way. 

[spurge]

I generally like to meet half way because it shows commitment on both sides. But I can't see driving more than an hour and a half away for a transaction. Even if the deal is sweet. Like jh225's sweet deal for the RO, at least IMO.

[jh225]

That sums it up for me pretty well. Time lost and cost of travel will quickly make a good price look less attractive.

 

And in your case, even with a halfway meet; for me that's 4 hours travel time and close to 40 in fuel costs. So I, and most others I'm sure, will look at that pretty closely when considering a purchase.

 

I understand your point with my particular case and agree. Most times if I make a 2 hr trip, I make a day out of it (with my wife spending even more while shopping) :squint: 

 

I am speaking about buyers who are say 1.5 hrs away. So if said buyer travels half that the distance, total time invested is 1.5 hrs and maybe $20 in fuel. While we would all love to say 1.5 hrs of our time is worth $200, I sincerely doubt many actually can make $133 an hr. :rofl:

[spurge]

If I was 1.5 hours away from you. I would be a little poorer but happy man.

[TNWNGR]

A two hour car drive in order to make a FTF gun transaction is actually a four hour car drive so depending on the vehicle your driving that's a tank of gas or slightly more. Then there's wear and tear on the vehicle, at least one meal and your own time investment. By this point you've at best reached parity on a reputable LGS transaction. In reality though your probably in the red on the deal so your only trying to fool yourself.

But if the purpose of the trip was combining a rode trip for a long recreational drive then you've done so. If it was to purchase a gun w/o a paper trail to you then that's debatable.

[spurge]

It really depends on the deal and what each person feels is worth it. I've only been burned once for driving somewhere. Luckily it was only 30 mins away.

[jh225]

If I was 1.5 hours away from you. I would be a little poorer but happy man.

 

:pleased:

 

A two hour car drive in order to make a FTF gun transaction is actually a four hour car drive so depending on the vehicle your driving that's a tank of gas or slightly more. Then there's wear and tear on the vehicle, at least one meal and your own time investment. By this point you've at best reached parity on a reputable LGS transaction. In reality though your probably in the red on the deal so your only trying to fool yourself.

But if the purpose of the trip was combining a rode trip for a long recreational drive then you've done so. If it was to purchase a gun w/o a paper trail to you then that's debatable.

 

I guess I should have made it a point in the OP to say my travel time usually involved  a day out as I live in the sticks, but I guess the thing I don't get is if a person lives 2 hrs away and the seller meets halfway, it is only a total investment of 2 hrs for the buyer.

 

But in this latest attempt to offer a good deal and in other previous ones, the prospective buyer says "well, driving 45 minutes just isn't going to work for me, why can't you come to me?" And yes, I have had people say that.
 

Now obviously, some people put different values on time, but if someone has something I want at a really good price, and I have to invest a total of an hour and a half, my only question is "when can we meet?"

[musicman]

Meh. I've never desired a gun made of unobtanium yet, not have I had the funds to buy a super expensive gun at a crazy low price (ie: like a $2k gun for $1.5k or something like that) Most of my buys are under $500 so the savings is usually in the $50-100 range for a FTF buy. The furthest I've driven for a buy so far is about 25 miles/30 minutes, and that's good enough for me. If I can make a little day trip or have some other pressing reason to drive to BFE and can work a buy into the journey I guess that might be ok.

I'm spoiled. I live in a quiet neighborhood, less than 2 miles from 3 grocery stores, my doctor, church (3 miles to church), restaurants, movie theater, hardware stores, and Academy. Work is a 15-20 minute drive, and that's about as far as I need to go on a regular basis. I get my panties in a wad if I have to drive any further than that, these days.

[56FordGuy]

Now obviously, some people put different values on time, but if someone has something I want at a really good price, and I have to invest a total of an hour and a half, my only question is "when can we meet?"

 

That's what it all comes down to. If I can buy a Glock (just making up an example) from a local gun shop for $500, or spend an hour and a half driving to meet you and burning $40-50 worth of diesel to get one for $400...eh. I'll support my local shop and spend 20 minutes in the truck. 

 

Now, if you had something I couldn't find just anywhere; a Remington 552, a Winchester .357 lever rifle, etc...I wouldn't balk at spending a few hours driving to make the deal. It all comes down to how available whatever you have is from another source. 

[teecro]

Everything is least an hour away for me but I value my time at least at 40.00 an hour so you can do the math. If I've got nothing better to do (which is never) I'll met you half way if we've made a deal if for no other reason than we've made a deal....

[glowdotGlock]

I drive all over the state every day of the week. I need to start a delivery service on the side here for yall that don't wanna get out and travel far.

[runco]

If we are talking new guns, I am not driving anywhere other than my local FFL.  I stopped buying new guns from stocking dealers years ago, I just surf the net until I find the "best" deal, and have it shipped to my local FFL.

 

If its a non-unicorn used discontinued gun that I must have, I would reasonably drive up to 2 hours maybe more.  The actual deal is not necessarily the driver of the decision.

 

If its a unicorn of a gun, and the seller will not ship it to my FFL guy, then well, road trip.

[shotgunshooter]

Depends how much I am "saving." If it's over a couple hundred dollars I wouldn't have a problem.

[DaveTN]

I haven’t bought a used gun in a long time; prices are too high as compared to new. Unless it’s something special that I can’t find I wouldn’t need to travel. As a seller if you have a good price or something hard too find; you don't need to travel.

When I was trading in used guns a lot I would drive maybe 50 miles as a buyer. As a seller I wouldn’t travel; too many people don’t show up.

[DWARREN123]

Depends on what it is and how bad I want it.

[FUJIMO]

I'd travel to the point where it stops being worthwhile to me to make the deal.

 

Not hard to decide really.

 

As usual Mike sums it up nicely !!!

[gregintenn]

Depends on what it is and how bad I want it.

Same here. I have driven all day for the right deal.

 

I wouldn't walk across the street for a hundred dollar Glock, but I'd drive wherever necessary for the right 1899 Savage, N frame Smith and Wesson, or Colt revolver.

Edited July 3, 2015 by gregintenn

[nightrunner]

Same here. I have driven all day for the right deal.

I wouldn't walk across the street for a hundred dollar Glock, but I'd drive wherever necessary for the right 1899 Savage, N frame Smith and Wesson, or Colt revolver.

Exactly what I was alluding to. I'll drive anywhere in state to buy something like a vintage S&W or a pre64 Winchester maybe even out of state to inspect and have sent to my FFL. But if it's in current production, I'll just have my gun shop order it if they don't have it.

[gregintenn]

Time is money on a common gun. An uncommon gun, however, sometimes requires uncommon effort to retrieve. :up: