Using Gunbroker to Purchase a Firearm

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  • kaliroger

    Active Member
    Jul 20, 2018
    473
    Frederick County, MD
    Never purchased a firearm using gunbroker, not sure what to watchout for other than the old "If it looks too good to be true..."
    any suggestions would be welcomed, thanks!)
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    I dont know if they still have the 15 minute rule to prevent last minute bids and sniping. That was an annoying feature at least to me
     

    Jimbob2.0

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 20, 2008
    16,600
    Ive bought a lot. Its pretty simple:

    1. Never spend more than you can lose if a transaction turns out unsatisfactory. I have never had it happen.

    2. Make sure you watch for vendor surcharges for credit cards. Sometimes it actually can work in your favor as it keeps the price down, sometimes not.

    3. Shop around on price.

    4. Avoid impulse buying.

    5. If you are buying a modern item try searching by the model number. A lot of the bigger retailers will list by model number with buy it now at really good prices.

    6. If you have any doubt ask for more pictures well in advance, be aware that a smart vendor posts these which may draw in more buyers. Again risk vs. reward.

    7. If you are planning on C&R make sure you know the sellers will take it. Some will only ship to a 01. Same with Antiques. Watch for fine print on unscrupulous sellers who will not ship legal items to ban states on principle

    8. Never bid while drinking (oh boy...…….I have some stories of stuff I shouldn't have bought, nothing terrible or horribly priced but a lot of stuff I didn't need)

    9. Beware of the "Gray Blanket" on C&R and be skeptical of anything he offers.

    10. Feedback affects price. You may see some stuff lowball with sellers with low feedback but sometimes you can get a deal. Risk/reward.

    11. Unless its something unusual most of the time you can do better elsewhere but not always.

    12. Try to search by odd terms usually deals are found by leveraging stupid sellers who don't set things up to search well. Mislabeled items can be a goldmine for savy shoppers.

    Bottom line I have never had a really bad experience though some have been better than others. Yes, that 15 minute rule is annoying.
     

    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,687
    I hate the 15 minute rule, but it does offer the seller the guarantee that he's getting the best price to be had on that day, for that firearm.

    Poor pics means I'm not bidding on your gun. If you want several hundred bucks, make sure I can see the thing.

    Sellers who refuse C&R annoy me. I've passed on a few items that I'd gladly have overbid the winner, but I'm not interested in paying a local FFL on top of the bid price. In another thread, someone noted that sending the MO with your C&R license almost always results in a sale, so I've given up asking the seller beforehand. If they state in advance, I just don't bid.

    All that said, I've never been burned on GB. Picked up some nice items, and got a few really good deals.
     

    bkuether

    Judge not this race .....
    Jan 18, 2012
    6,212
    Marriottsville, MD
    Sign up, get an account. Deal only with people who have good ratings and tons of feedback.

    Be sure to check for form of payment. I only do USPS Money orders, and a lot of people will take those.

    I like the security.

    They will hold them until they clear, but that isn't a problem, I would do the same.

    Pay promptly and the seller will identify you as a "good purchaser". They sometimes state that they will not sell to people who were previously identified as "slow or non payers".
     

    XCheckR

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 20, 2013
    4,197
    HdG
    Also. Check with the vendors here too. Some have reached out and can get you a good price on what you're looking for.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    Much good advice given, I have purchased on GB and had good experience. My purchases there have all been items not available locally.
     

    Cal68

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 4, 2014
    1,975
    Montgomery County
    I've purchased several times on GB without any problems. As one of the earlier posters said, you need to do some homework to make sure that you are getting a good deal because some of them will add 3% if you use a CC as well as shipping costs. Tack on FFL fees and it can quickly mount up. But at least when I bought on GB last year, they were not charging sales tax if the seller was in a different state. I do not know what the policy is now.

    Cal68
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    I dont know if they still have the 15 minute rule to prevent last minute bids and sniping. That was an annoying feature at least to me

    Yes they still do that...

    I hate the 15 minute rule, but it does offer the seller the guarantee that he's getting the best price to be had on that day, for that firearm.

    I actually like the rule, it's more like a real live auction (Auction Arms/gunauction also has a similar 10 minute rule).
    I do find it very annoying when people that don't understand the process wait until 10 seconds to go and put in a minimum bid, and keep repeating.

    I HATE eBay because of the sniping (typically folks using auto-sniping tools) and rarely participate in the auctions anymore, just the BuyNows.

    Poor pics means I'm not bidding on your gun. If you want several hundred thousand bucks, make sure I can see the thing.

    Sellers who refuse C&R annoy me. I've passed on a few items that I'd gladly have overbid the winner, but I'm not interested in paying a local FFL on top of the bid price. In another thread, someone noted that sending the MO with your C&R license almost always results in a sale, so I've given up asking the seller beforehand. If they state in advance, I just don't bid.

    Ditto on both counts !!

    Crappy and/or too few pics + crappy description always amazes me, especially on high-dollar items.
    Why even bother with a listing? And it's not always newbies, even some "power sellers" have poopy pics.
    On the other hand I've gotten some excellent bargains by taking a leap of faith on a crappy listing, and only fell on my face a couple of times.
    But I digress...
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    I've had good experiences, BUT I'm very picky about who I buy from, and what I buy. A seller with 1000+ rep isn't going to be a problem. People posting lots of pictures and not trying to hide stuff are usually not going to be problems. If they're not either of those, well... now you're in the danger zone.

    Too good to be true is not a bad rule of thumb, but sometimes you'll find genuinely excellent deals.
     

    Fox123

    Ultimate Member
    May 21, 2012
    3,926
    Rosedale, MD
    What I don’t like is the seller that put “no reserve” but then put the opening bid close if not at their sale price.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    4. Avoid impulse buying.

    .....

    8. Never bid while drinking (oh boy...…….I have some stories of stuff I shouldn't have bought, nothing terrible or horribly priced but a lot of stuff I didn't need)


    :lol:

    Yeah, i can testify, dont do this.

    On the other hand... a purchase I thought about and researched and then bought in store i ended up hating. While not one of my shiny vintage revolvers off Gunbroker I regret. You have to really hunt around for good stuff though.
     

    hdatontodo

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2012
    4,073
    So. Central Balto Co
    THANKS APPRECIATE IT!!!
    I registered, now I need to remember yet another username & password!(
    Hope resetting a passwords are easy and fast.
    After I save a shortcut in my browser, I rename it and add the username and part of the password ( blah.com blahuser AB...11...!)

    Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
     

    Qbeam

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 16, 2008
    6,074
    Georgia
    If there are not a lot of photos, ask questions and/or request additional photos. Asking questions helps get information and provides proof if things don't work out. As folks said, shipping and FFL costs should be factored in (~ $75-$100 total) to the final price.




    My biggest peeves with the ads are:


    - sellers listing other firearm models in the title that are not even close to the actual model being sold. They do it to get their product in front of you.


    - the .01 starting bid with a high reserve. Set a starting bid near the reserve so as not to waste everyone's time.




    Q
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,287
    Arkham
    Like avoid bidding while drinking rule, avoid playing around with the bidding. I ended up with 2 firearms that I didn't REALLY want just by bidding out of curiosity. That means is I was board and saw a firearm I kinda liked, so I would bid. Some else had auto bid enabled and I would bid to see how high they would go. Well, long story short, I won them by a dollar.

    On the flip side, keep a close eye on something you are bidding on IF you really want that item. I have lost many items by, you guessed it, a dollar.
     

    machman1967

    Active Member
    Aug 30, 2009
    147
    Frederick
    Always had good experiences on gb. Just make sure it's MD legal and that seller will ship to MD as some sellers don't ship to the commie states.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,002
    Harford County
    Don't be afraid to educate a seller on how C&R works either. I saw an ad a couple years ago for a Savage Model 99 that was C&R eligible. The ad said ship to FFL only. I contacted him before I bid and sent him a link to the ATF website showing the serial number range was eligible and he agreed to sell it to me. Not all sellers can be convinced but some can.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    What I don’t like is the seller that put “no reserve” but then put the opening bid close if not at their sale price.

    On the other hand, sellers who make the potential buyer guess at what their reserve is are also annoying. At least the ones who have no reserve with a start price guarantees a sale if the buyer is willing to pay the price.

    OP, I look for feedback. Absolutely will not even attempt to try to communicate with a seller that refuses to sell a lawful item to those of us who live in places like Maryland. All they are accomplishing is helping our enemies!

    Good clear pics are a must for anything I bid on.

    It is a good idea to search recent completed sales to determine value. I see lots of stuff that is continually relisted because the seller is looking for that one idiot who doesn't know enough to not be taken for a ride.

    If I am interested, I will put the item on my watch list. Even if I don't buy the item, I can quickly check to see what the item sold for, so that I have future reference as to value & condition.

    Ask any questions before bidding if you have any. Good sellers will respond quickly. Those who do not respond lose my interest and I move on.

    It is a good idea to contact your dealer prior to bidding so that you know their policies as well.

    Be sure to CAREFULLY READ ALL of the sellers requirements! You would be surprised at what some of our so called friends want to tack on to the final price!
     

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