Do you have a collection and want to sell it and not get scalped?
Outlined below is a comparison of methods to sell.
The first thing you need to determine is whether or not your items need to be transferred through an FFL holder. That is determined by the manufacture date. If manufactured 1898 or before, most guns are considered “Antique” and do not need to be transferred through an FFL holder. Those Firearms manufactured 1899 and after must be transferred though an FFL holder. This fact will greatly affect how you decide to liquidate your collection.
Sell by yourself on the internet
Sell your collection to Antiqueguns.com
Sell through one of the large auction houses
Sell through print gun publications
Advantages:
- A worldwide buyer pool, the largest exposure over the shortest period of time.
- Proven effective, look at the decline in gun show sales and print magazine sales to verify this.
- Detailed descriptions and multiple detailed photos make it the next best thing to handling the item.
- You can be selling immediately, post an item and it is available to the world, in minutes.
- Because of effectiveness, the medium is growing incredibly fast.
- The cost is 10-15% of the sales price. Considerably less than you would pay to an auction house.
- The best way to get the highest net, if you do not want to handle the sales yourself.
- Each item will get an estimate of value based on the latest price guides.
- Since Antiqueguns.com is an auction format, some guns obtain very high values.
- Antiqueguns.com advertises in all the major antique firearm catalogues.
- This is a very effective means, many dealers consign items to Antiqueguns.com.
- The more money Antiqueguns.com can get you, the more they make, so there is no motivation to get you less than the market value.
Disadvantages:
- The money will not be available to you as quickly as if you sell the whole batch to Antiqueguns.com.
Sell by yourself through the Internet.
Advantages:
- Many of the same advantages as mentioned above. In addition, inexpensive, for $2-$3 per item you can get worldwide exposure. Thousands of qualified buyers view, your item every day.
- Detailed descriptions and multiple detailed photos make it the next best thing to a buyer handling the item.
- You can be selling immediately, post an item and it is available in minutes to the world.
Disadvantages:
- You must be somewhat knowledgeable to be effective, you must be able to answer questions.
- You must be able to take excellent quality photos and load them onto a server, to make them available on the web. If you cannot do this, you will not be effective in selling on the web.
- You must have the time to spend typing detailed descriptions and posting them to a web site.
- A private party will still not achieve the same kind of values that a known dealer can.
- But if you have the time, some knowledge, and can post quality photos, you can do well. If you don’t have the ability for that, you should seriously consider consigning the item.
Sell Your Entire Collection to Antiqueguns.com
Advantages:
- You can sell all your items quickly, sometimes in a matter of a few days. We can make quick decisions.
- No sales commissions or buyers premiums.
- As a known dealer, Antiqueguns.com can usually obtain better retail values than most individuals.
- You will be given an estimate of value from recent price guides, based upon an agreement to sell.
- Antiqueguns.com pays 75% of what we feel we can obtain for the items. That is very fair, most dealers pay less.
Disadvantages:
- You will make more money if Antiqueguns.com sells the items for you on consignment.
Sell through one of the large auction houses.
Advantages:
- Least amount of work for seller.
- Some high quality items get over market prices.
- They get widely advertised and qualified buyers do attend.
- Most auction houses will provide you with a free appraisal with consignment of items.
- Most auction houses are FFL holders, so you will not face additional charge for FFL Transfers.
Disadvantages:
- High cost, 20% sales commission to Seller, 15% Buyer premium and sales tax to all attendees. This is 35% of the gross price reduced from your net.
- Long wait, you must normally turn over items 3-6 months before auction.
- 80% of items sell to dealers, so you can pay high costs and the sales price is the same you could have arranged by yourself with a dealer.
Sell on your own at a Gun Show
Advantages:
- It gives you a reason to spend a weekend away from your family.
Disadvantages:
- Every possible one you can think of it takes a lot of time, shows are one of the least effective ways to sell unless you are a dealer. 80% of the Buyers at shows are dealers. You will probably sell the best items and get stuck with the hardest to move.
Sell through printed gun publications
- With the rise of the Internet, this method is totally ineffective. A waste of time and money.