Blue Book of Gun Values

[Bocephus123]

IMO the BB is good for one thing, information on a gun as to date of manufacture, variations, special options like sights, finishes, and stocks. The values are mostly useless, and if you think you need to look at that book to determine a value, you shouldn't be buying and selling guns, especially at a gun show. IMO again, sold values on gun broker are the most current and accurate, condition and locality is factored in, everyone is buying and selling in the same market, it's online. If you're buying on gunbroker, be patient grasshopper.

gunshows are a grand Ripoff!! and gun broker is ten times worse!! been buying and selling since i was 15 now im 60.. if your paying those prices your throwing money away!

 

[Bocephus123]

The thing most people miss is that the Blue Book is a guidebook, not a rulebook. For the most part, it'll get you in the ballpark on prices for a normal year, but as @OK Corgi Rancher mentioned, it can't take some rather major factors into account. Take 2020, f'rinstance. If you were using Blue Book values in 2020 after March, you were, most likely, lowballing, because that market was white hot. I heard an interview with a gun shop owner who had ordered a lot more guns than normal (IIRC, it was something like triple his normal annual inventory), and they were all gone by April. The Blue Book lost out to basic economics big time that year.

white hot market my foot people just ripping people off . just not worth what people were and are trying to get! JMO

 

[Perplexed]

IMO again, sold values on gun broker are the most current and accurate, condition and locality is factored in, everyone is buying and selling in the same market, it's online. If you're buying on gunbroker, be patient grasshopper.

How do you figure that, given that GB sellers ship nationwide? I could try selling an all-correct WRA Garand on this Oklahoma-based forum - and I have tried - for what I considered to be bottom of the market, and get zero responses. But when I post it for the same price on the nationwide CMP forum, I get half a dozen responses right away from folks on each coast, not in Oklahoma. GB values need to be given due consideration in that regard, since what would pass for a great price in one area might be considered a high price in another area.

 

[red dirt shootist]

How do you figure that, given that GB sellers ship nationwide? I could try selling an all-correct WRA Garand on this Oklahoma-based forum - and I have tried - for what I considered to be bottom of the market, and get zero responses. But when I post it for the same price on the nationwide CMP forum, I get half a dozen responses right away from folks on each coast, not in Oklahoma. GB values need to be given due consideration in that regard, since what would pass for a great price in one area might be considered a high price in another area.

That's what I was trying to say, it doesn't matter where you are, the net puts it in front of eyes across the country.

But in the end I guess it's about perspective, I'm not a gun dealer, so it doesn't matter if I pay a few bucks more than what it might be worth, or sell it for a few bucks less, it's not my business, and it's not my focus. Getting what I want, and selling what I no longer want is what I care about. Price is a distaction, and worrying about it has caused me to pass up guns that I saw 40 years ago, that I wish I had bought.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Prices on this forum are a terrible place to judge gun values!

I found what works best for me when I'm looking for something is to just look at prices from as many sources as I can. Then I go with the one I feel most comfortable with...and that's not necessarily the place with the cheapest price. If I see something I really want I buy it...especially for hard to get stuff. Too many times I've farted around trying to find a cheaper price on a hard to get/high demand item and have missed out because I wanted to save a few dollars.

The market sets the price. It's not simply people ripping people off. If someone asks X amount for an item it will either sell or it won't. If it does, then that's the value the buyer has put on that item. If it doesn't then the seller either lowers the price or sits on it until someone else comes along who wants to buy it at the listed price (or a negotiated price).

That's what I was trying to say, it doesn't matter where you are, the net puts it in front of eyes across the country.

But in the end I guess it's about perspective, I'm not a gun dealer, so it doesn't matter if I pay a few bucks more than what it might be worth, or sell it for a few bucks less, it's not my business, and it's not my focus. Getting what I want, and selling what I no longer want is what I care about. Price is a distaction, and worrying about it has caused me to pass up guns that I saw 40 years ago, that I wish I had bought.

That's a good way to look at it. Price is important but it might not be the most important thing to me when I'm thinking of buying something. Generally, if I see a price on something I want and it's in the ballpark I buy it.

gunshows are a grand Ripoff!! and gun broker is ten times worse!! been buying and selling since i was 15 now im 60.. if your paying those prices your throwing money away!

Gun shows and GunBroker have their place. Maybe not for you but they're obviously doing something right because both are popular with a LOT of people despite what you or I think of them.

 

[Bocephus123]

Prices on this forum are a terrible place to judge gun values!

I found what works best for me when I'm looking for something is to just look at prices from as many sources as I can. Then I go with the one I feel most comfortable with...and that's not necessarily the place with the cheapest price. If I see something I really want I buy it...especially for hard to get stuff. Too many times I've farted around trying to find a cheaper price on a hard to get/high demand item and have missed out because I wanted to save a few dollars.

The market sets the price. It's not simply people ripping people off. If someone asks X amount for an item it will either sell or it won't. If it does, then that's the value the buyer has put on that item. If it doesn't then the seller either lowers the price or sits on it until someone else comes along who wants to buy it at the listed price (or a negotiated price).



That's a good way to look at it. Price is important but it might not be the most important thing to me when I'm thinking of buying something. Generally, if I see a price on something I want and it's in the ballpark I buy it.



Gun shows and GunBroker have their place. Maybe not for you but they're obviously doing something right because both are popular with a LOT of people despite what you or I think of them.

People that don't know pay those over inflated prices and people try to use it to drive up their prices .no thanks keep on spending! i wont even make an offer unless its a real price. online and gunshow prices ain't it!

 

[sherrick13]

If BB said the price for gun XX is $500 and you list it in multiple places for $500 and it doesn't sell.... well guess what... the gun isn't worth $500.

Recent ACTUAL REAL sales prices are the best true estimate of a gun's value and sometimes even that isn't accurate.

 

[Glenee]

The key to all deals is do you like it or not !
Never look back.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

People that don't know pay those over inflated prices and people try to use it to drive up their prices .no thanks keep on spending! i wont even make an offer unless its a real price. online and gunshow prices ain't it!

The other side of that is... If you're looking to sell something you may get a much higher price listing it on GunBroker. It cuts both ways.

If I have something for sale and I list it here I don't mind if someone offers me a reasonable price. If you're one of these lowballing knuckleheads and try getting something for nothing I'll usually let you know what I think of your offer. Buyers who have an unrealistic idea of prices are just as bad as sellers who have an unrealistic idea of prices.

 

[Two Gun Warrior]

People that don't know pay those over inflated prices and people try to use it to drive up their prices .no thanks keep on spending! i wont even make an offer unless its a real price. online and gunshow prices ain't it!

Maybe you need to learn to haggle a little. Nearly all the venders at the gun shows will come down on price if you ask or wave some cash.