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What are your thoughts regarding selling on Gunbroker IF one has never done so before? I have no track record and only a cell phone to take less than optimal photographs.
Because of this I’m tempted to let it go by means of a brick and mortar auction houses.
Having said that, Gunbroker tends to bring full retail and then some to the right sellers–of which I am not.
But, that’s the reason why I’m never a buyer on Gunbroker. A bargain is an extreme rarity.
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mrcvs said
What are your thoughts regarding selling on Gunbroker IF one has never done so before? I have no track record and only a cell phone to take less than optimal photographs.Because of this I’m tempted to let it go by means of a brick and mortar auction houses.
Having said that, Gunbroker tends to bring full retail and then some to the right sellers–of which I am not.
But, that’s the reason why I’m never a buyer on Gunbroker. A bargain is an extreme rarity.
Try selling it here first. This is a Winchester Forum and lots of Winchester buyers frequent this place. Most willing to pay a fair price. Big Larry
The trouble is, I’m not quite sure where to price it. It’s an earlier Model 1886 and lacks condition but has early features not seen in later examples. I think the auction route is best suited for it, be it Gunbroker or a brick and mortar auction house. Which auction house tends to be best for early Winchesters? I contacted a few already, one major auction house did not even reply to my e-mail message and I received pre-auction estimates of from $1500 to $20,000, the former which is ridiculously low, the latter which is ridiculously high and then some. So definitely suited to the auction route.
The reason for selling it is that I think the future with lever action Winchesters is all about condition, condition, and condition. This one lacks it from being used, and I think as the older crowd fades away this one might prove more difficult to sell over time.
I think this site has a lot of buyers,(I for one), but a fella would have to know what it is Your sellin’ before I would make an offer.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
I’ve bought lots of items through gunbroker and sold a bunch also. I use gunbroker because their % of the sale is miniscule compared to the auction houses. Auctions are auctions, some items you will do very well, others can be disappointing. You can start the item at a penny or you can start it at the minimum price you would let it go for. From my experience, hidden reserve items don’t do well and then there is a 2% fee if the item doesn’t sell. Best of luck with your sale.
Erin
What Henry said. However, auctioning it off on GB would be a good route, even without having a record there, especially should you make note that you are a longtime member of WACA.
James
Okay and thank you. Any ideas how to get good photographs? I seem to get fuzzy ones when the whole rifle with 26″ barrel is photographed.
I will try Gunbroker. I would have thought zero past history would be detrimental.
What’s their commission?
mrcvs said I seem to get fuzzy ones when the whole rifle with 26″ barrel is photographed.
Even if not fuzzy, they show no detail. Don’t try to cover more than 8 or 10 in. per photo, even less for the rcvr.
mrcvs; Although there were many times I didn’t agree with you as far as condition as opposed to rarity was concerned I think you should definitely stay away from MOST brick and mortar auction houses. They will make more on your item than you probably will. One has to take into account 1) commission they charge, 2) shipping and insurance cost they charge you 3) return costs should your item not sell 4) LOW BALL bidders that are sometimes in the employ of the house. 5) The cost of your attourny just to desifer some of the contracts you’ll have to sign just to sell your item. You’ll do much better with GB when it comes to inexpensive guns, and stand much less of a chance of getting ripped off. Six figure plus guns on the other hand presents a much different story.
Good luck, Apache
mrcvs said
Okay and thank you. Any ideas how to get good photographs? I seem to get fuzzy ones when the whole rifle with 26″ barrel is photographed.I will try Gunbroker. I would have thought zero past history would be detrimental.
What’s their commission?
I believe on items over $200 it’s 5% Under that amount is 6%. It wouldn’t hurt to sell a few small items prior to selling your rifle, Extra sight, antique ammo, something to get just a couple of positive ratings.
Digital camera’s that take good pictures can be had for under $100. Really good ones are $300-400 If you plan on doing any further online auctions one of the inexpensive ones will pay for itself. Good clear pictures is what sells your item. On long guns I try and get 4-5 pics of each side and do a close up of any defect. Don’t use a light-white background for your photo’s. It will just make the gun look “dark”. Red or green seems to work well. If you present your item so the buyer has “no Surprises” you will seldom have any issues.
Erin
Just a suggestion; why don’t You post a few pictures here , You may get some idea of where You should be at price wise, auction or not , You should have an idea where the value of Your item lies, who knows ,You may even find a potential “buyer”. Personally I don’t do business with gunbroker as I don’t care for the auction atmosphere, I do however have bought and sold guns using Guns International as the initial contact and doing the actual transaction by phone.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
I agree with Henry. GI only for me!!
RickC
Henry Mero said
Just a suggestion; why don’t You post a few pictures here , You may get some idea of where You should be at price wise, auction or not , You should have an idea where the value of Your item lies, who knows ,You may even find a potential “buyer”. Personally I don’t do business with gunbroker as I don’t care for the auction atmosphere, I do however have bought and sold guns using Guns International as the initial contact and doing the actual transaction by phone.
RickC(AG)
So for Guns International, it’s a preset price and it sells or it doesn’t? Having said that, I think that might be my best option, set a moderately high price and work downwards???
I’m not even selling because I need the money nor am I in a hurry to sell. I just see a tremendous downside to anything lacking condition. Correct me if I’m wrong.
November 7, 2015
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Good thread, excellent responses. I’m thinking many of us want to thin the herd, refine the focus of our collecting efforts, raise capital for acquisitions or cull duplicates. I’ve never sold online but I’m certainly giving it some serious thought and the responses here are very helpful. I had a good experience selling a very unusual gun on Morphy’s recently, they were able to reach many more prospective buyers than I probably could have and they sold it for much more than I felt it would bring. Of course, the commission was substantial but my net was still more than I think I would have gotten otherwise. I think most of my collection is too boring for the big auction houses, thinking very seriously about GB or GI.
Maybe some helpful member could start a tutorial thread on digital firearm photography. My only digital camera probably has less resolution than my smart phone so I’m guessing a new camera would be the first step.
I’m thinking the actual ad copy with an accurate description and terms of sale is important too. No sense getting off on the wrong foot with poor communication.
Mike
I listed a couple of ’73’s on Guns International the other day and one of the directors actually called Me to provide a few helpful hints on how to advertise on their site. I thought to my self how professional is that. I still say I would like to see a few pictures of Your gun here.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
Taking pictures with your cell phone is perfect. Take the gun outside and shoot in the brightest shade and avoid shadows. Remember not to get too close. Most cameras will not focus at less than 2 feet. When saving or sending the photos make sure you send/save the largest file (most MB). Take a quick look at each picture and if they don’t turn out take another one. Most cell phones will let you zoom and focus a certain area. Touch that area and a box might appear around the area you touch.
Confession: I DO own Winchester 1886 serial number 72. However, despite preferring condition firearms, I have elected not to sell it at this time.
I spotted Delaware License plate No 4 today and after googling that, surely serial No 72 is worth a MINT, LOL!
https://www.aaroads.com/delaware/license-plates/
For insurance purposes, what would you value this rifle at today? Also, what do you think the future holds for this where collectors of antique Winchesters are increasingly uncommon and anything without condition might be of little interest.
When You ask for an app. value, You really do need to provide a few photos in order to answer that question with some semblance of accuracy. It is like Me asking You how much is My 2009 Lincoln MKX worth that’s in good shape. Do Yourself a favor , post a few pics on the forum and You will get a reasonable estimate of value from the guys here
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
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