GUNBROKER|General Discussions & Questions|Forum|Winchester Collector

Perhaps the seller does not want to ship to Canada?

Jeremy P said
Henry maybe your wife is the seller and you already own the gun…therefore, instant ban!
  

That would simplify shipping. 

Mike

Zebulon said
I just noticed Henry said he was “banned from the site” — which is different. An individual seller can’t do that. 
  

I haven’t been banned but I’ve been unable to get back on the site. I use an iPad and have a few times where it hits a too many redirects error it will then say I’m blocked and won’t let me login. It can take 30 minutes to clear and I can wait or I can login from my laptop. Thus, mine seems to be limited to some programming issue with how safari is interacting. This tends to happen when bidding and I’m bouncing between my watch list and items I’m bidding on link. No clue if related to Henry’s issue just offering my experience. Another theory is Tom Trolard asked God to ban him for saying commemoratives lose half their value if fired 😀 like I said just a theory 😀

When it comes to communication problems among computers, I’m never inclined to disregard demonic possession. I have had equal luck with technicians and exorcists.

Some web sites wouldn’t let you on if your running an AD blocker program. 

Bob

For what it’s worth,  I think most of the changes Gunbroker has made over the last several years were set in motion by the multi-agency directive contained in one or more Executive Orders by the Biden Admiistration, to “reduce gun crime.” Each of several federal agencies were expected to use all available powers in the campaign.   

One notable effect was the refusal of Federal Express and UPS to accept firearms for shipment by anyone except 01 Class federal firearms dealers with an individual shipping contract. That policy has since been modified by UPS to permit 03 licensees to negotiate a contract but all instances require a pickup by the carrier and a number of extra fees. 

Gunbroker is seemingly obsessed with demonstrating to its political enemies that it doesn’t tolerate the least non-compliance by its members and is continually trying to bulletproof the closing process so that it can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt it is not fostering an illegal gun bazaar where terrorists and coke-snorting, convicted child molesters illegally in the Country can buy an “unregistered” buzz gun. Or worse, whatever that is at the moment. 

I will grant you that the politics of the State of Georgia are not what they were when Gunbroker was established. And Gunbroker has every reason to believe it has powerful enemies who would destroy its business if it were possible to do.  In those circumstances, a prudent outside director, if the corporation has any, would counsel caution and try to protect the company from economic disaster. Insurers – not noted for strength of spine — probably fear the company being sued because a buyer committed mayhem with an auctioned item. Its risk assessors and rate-setters probably hold certain views. 

I expect it is a hard needle to thread. They do provide a national market for collectors and enthusiasts at a  still reasonable cost , whereas consigning for fees of 15% to 25% for sales within a limited market, or through in-person auction houses, are usually not good alternatives for small collectors. There are other online houses, to be sure. But I would hate to lose Gunbroker. 

Buck94 said

Let’s hope if Game Stop can pull off acquiring eBay the new ownership will allow firearm sales again 😀 

  

Now, do you honestly expect that to happen?  What makes Game Stop any less rabidly anti 2A than most everything else out there?

I recall seeing firearms on eBay years ago, I don’t think I had even bought anything on eBay yet and then one day it suddenly stopped.  eBay isn’t much better than anything else out there any more, however.  My huge gripe is it used to actually be an auction site, penny start, bid what you want to pay.  Now, it’s an overpriced marketplace with stale items listed again and again for what the seller wants, waiting for the right sucker to come along.  Not that GunBroker doesn’t do that, either, but they have more true auctions than just about anything out there anymore.

Zebulon said
Ian, eBay has a lot of junk but it offers a far broader marketplace for gun parts than anybody else. In particular, there are artisan machinists who offer good reproductions of hard-to-get Winchester screws, bushings, etc – some are not so good but others are and you can find them by their reputations. 
I don’t cruise eBay for entertainment but I’ve used it repeatedly over the years to buy out-of-print micrometer sights by Lyman and Redfield. When I needed a Redfield 70F for my Model 71 I couldn’t find it but did find an as new, steel 80F-T. Had to beat several other bidders but these sights are rarely available in condition.
When I wanted a Lyman 48F for my 52 Sporting, it was Clarence Anderson who schooled me on how to use Snipe for last micro-second bidding. I got a nice one for ruinous cost. The alternative was do without. 
You have to take a lesson from the street people and “Know Your Dealer.”  But eBay has let me buy the seldom and/or weird parts for old guns I can’t get elsewhere.
Our own Swap Meet section has been a blessing and our Members who deal parts are a great option. Ben is honest and extremely helpful.  I’d rather buy from him and get one of his stories in the bargain.
But, sometimes you just have to descend into the lower bowel of the market and pay the price. EBay is the portal. 
  

eBay is an excellent source for finding the obscure and esoteric, and when you need a routine gun part like a screw or other mundane component, perhaps it is better to “Buy It Now” for $3.99 as opposed to having to wait a week for an auction to end and find that you lost out on that component by 25 cents and have to seek out another auction and wait another week.  But it’s stuff like a Marbles Tang Sight, probably worth $150, would be nice to get at auction for $100 but it’s listed again and again for $299, and “Make an Offer” means you are lucky if they budge 5%.

eBay has recently hiked their fee structure up a lot though too, sellers have to list high because eBay is taking a pretty large chunk of the money….I’ve only sold one thing recently and they got 20-25% of it!