That’s a great deal for the sellers in this day and age.  The higher end guns seem to bring decent money in their auctions.  Commissions are pretty high on the lower priced items though.  They take 30% from the seller for anything that sells $200 and under, then another 15% from the buyer.  I think I’m in the wrong business…

https://www.wardscollectibles.com/how_to_consign.php

Don

Vince said
Desperately trying to get high quality items into their auctions.   

Well, then, lower the rip-off commissions.

clarence said

Well, then, lower the rip-off commissions.  

Gosh are they supposed to work for nothing?  They provide a service.  People use them.  Just figure the commission into what you are willing to pay and what is the big deal?  Or just don’t use them and go to gun shows.

Michael

clarence said

twobit said
Gosh are they supposed to work for nothing?  They provide a service.  People use them.  Just figure the commission into what you are willing to pay and what is the big deal? 

A total commission of 45% is a pretty big deal.  Reducing that to, say, 25% would not be “working for nothing” in the estimation of most folks.   

I agree the 45% total commission is excessive.  If you have the time and energy, you’re much better off selling on your own, Ebay, Gunbroker, etc.  If you’re a buyer, the 15% isn’t too bad since they offer many hard to find items in one place (and often for less money than Ebay or Gunbroker).  Antique ammo for instance.  Just my take.

Don

twobit said

Gosh are they supposed to work for nothing?  They provide a service.  People use them.  Just figure the commission into what you are willing to pay and what is the big deal?  Or just don’t use them and go to gun shows.

Michael  

I look at it the same way, just figure the commission into what your willing to pay.  The commission cuts both ways but if you approach it from this perspective of figuring the commission into what your willing to pay then I dont see how its not fair.  Its the seller that takes the most risk of a hit if the auctioned item sells for under what they anticipated they could make, and also knowing they are going to have to take a deduction for auction commissions whether it sells well or not.  Both sellers and buyers are willing to pony up either way if they want to play.  The ground rules are what they are. 

I would imagine the production costs for inventory of submissions by owners, writing, photographing, printing and assembling catalogs, online catalog development, promoting the auctions, storage, insurance, facilities costs, auction costs, payroll, etc. doesnt come cheap either.   

1892takedown said

twobit said

Gosh are they supposed to work for nothing?  They provide a service.  People use them.  Just figure the commission into what you are willing to pay and what is the big deal?  Or just don’t use them and go to gun shows.

Michael  

I look at it the same way, just figure the commission into what your willing to pay.  The commission cuts both ways but if you approach it from this perspective of figuring the commission into what your willing to pay then I dont see how its not fair.  Its the seller that takes the most risk of a hit if the auctioned item sells for under what they anticipated they could make, and also knowing they are going to have to take a deduction for auction commissions whether it sells well or not.  Both sellers and buyers are willing to pony up either way if they want to play.  The ground rules are what they are. 

I would imagine the production costs for inventory of submissions by owners, writing, photographing, printing and assembling catalogs, online catalog development, promoting the auctions, storage, insurance, facilities costs, auction costs, payroll, etc. doesnt come cheap either.     

Thanks for the voice of reason Chris.  Because if you don’t like buying from auctions then you won’t like buying from the like of Leroy Merz, Winchester Grove or numerous other dealers who attain a large portion of their inventory from buying at auctions and then adding another 30 to 40 % on top of that!!  And I totally agree that we would most likely be VERY surprised what the production cost of travel and accumulating the consigned guns and auction production and salaries really does amount to.  

Michael

Huck Riley said
I like hitting the pawn shops but some time ago, when an owner asked if I was looking for anything in particular, I told him I like old Winchester lever guns and Colt SAAs.  He said something to the effect: “Oh, I have a standing order from a guy back east so those don’t even make it out into inventory.”

At first I thought he probably had some collector.  Then I thought, you know, I bet there are auction houses and wheeler-dealers out there who put in a standing order with every shop in the country.  There are probably even industry trade magazines with ads to that effect.  I don’t know.  So, I thought, what is the advantage to the shop, especially if a guy like me would pay more?

Well, maybe the standing buyers don’t “negotiate” with the shop and just pay.  No hassle.

On this point of negotiation, while I hear a lot of people whining about sellers and their shenanigans, let me offer a personal opinion on buyers:  If you see something you want, find out how much it is, and if you want the price to come down, then simply throw out a lower figure, whatever that might be, as part of the good faith negotiation process.  Nothing wrong with that.  But there is no need to tell the seller a bunch of crap about his product that he probably already knows, or otherwise denigrate it in some offensive effort to get the price down.  Jeesh!  I had an old 86, 40-82, with a barrel cut to 22″, grey, and a Cody letter, etc.  I carried it around a gun show and had a guy come up, finger-f the weapon, as what I was asking (it was on the gun) and then proceed to tell me what a piece of crap it was, and why I should only ask X.  If that’s the kind of crap that pawn shops deal with all the time, then yeah, sell to another seller/auction house, whatever.

I could be wrong about all the above, because I’m not as savvy as most “players” in the industry.  But it’s my lay-perspective.  Your mileage may vary.

     

I used to stumble across collectible Winchesters, Marlins, and Savages in the Anchorage pawn shops. It’s been a lot of years since that happened. The last one that I picked up after a long dry spell was a model 12 with the solid rib. I did o.k. on that one. Previous one was probably 15 years or more ago when I picked up a Marlin model 92 in .22 caliber with globe sights, pistol grip, checkered wood, octagon barrel, etc. It had been around the block but I bought it anyway.