Better to Sell VS Trade?

[SaltyNC]

Guys,

I have never sold a firearm. I guess I like to hold onto things too much. However, I am thinking about selling/trading a pistol. Is it generally better to sell a firearm yourself or better to trade for another pistol with a LGS?

The details are below--not a marketplace post, but just to give some info on the gun.

I have one of the original Springfield Armory XD 40. It is model XD9102 and came with two magazines, a cleaning brush, and two magazines in a hard plastic case. When it was new, the large magazine ban was in place. One magazine is the original 10 rnd and the other I replaced with a 12 rnd. Somewhere along the line, I misplaced the other original 10 rnd. This model has a 4" barrel. I wore it for about 3 months in a Kydex holster, and it has very faint marks on the slide from the Kydex, but otherwise looks like a new one. From the beginning, I cleaned and treated it with Eezox, and it is spotless. It has about 250-300 rounds through it. Never a malfunction. I will also throw in the Comp-Tac holster.

Do any you in the industry have any idea what price range I'd be able to get for it?

Thanks. If I should have posted this in Marketplace, my apologies.

SaltyNC

[Bawanna]

It's just like a car. If you trade it in at a shop they will offer the least they possibly can. They have to make money on it to pay their bills. Some shops are better than others.
But that's business. You gotta pay the light bill and employees etc.

If you sell it yourself you can get all of the fair market value and go from there.

Sometimes it's worth the loss just simplify things but your not going to do nearly as well on the money end.

[ESAFO]

trading at a LGS is like trading in a car, your going to take a hit.
the dealer may give you a few more bucks than normal for trade if your buying a higher end piece, thus just like trading a vehicle in at a car dealership.
it does'nt hurt to try working out a deal with your LGS you might be surprised.
it's a personal preference if the shop has exactly what your looking for & you don't want to lose it then your between a rock & a hard place, most dealers have layaway you can go that route until you sell your item then go pay it off & bring it home.

[SaltyNC]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I'll read up on selling myself. I guess if it crosses state lines, I need to ship it to an FFL, or perhaps need to ship it to an FFL regardless?

SaltyNC

[Bawanna]

Pretty much if it ships, its an FFL deal. You need to kind of shop for that as well. Some dealers really overcharge. 15 to 30 bucks seems in the range, anything more, go someplace else.

A dealer can actually ship cheaper than you can to another dealer.

An the best of course is to find a local buyer and do a face to face. No shipping, no paper, although I always get a bill of sale with date and time so if it ever needs to be traced and it comes back to you your covered.

I include the buyers name and address etc. You aren't required to do that, it's kind of a cover your backside deal.

[ESAFO]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I'll read up on selling myself. I guess if it crosses state lines, I need to ship it to an FFL, or perhaps need to ship it to an FFL regardless?

SaltyNC
if doing a FTF remember to check there ID this is a must.
the best place to get a going rate on your piece is check out gunbrokers.com or armslist & type in your state then it will pop up for sale ads.

[JohnR]

If a particular model of used gun sells for $500, they generally offer you $250 for it, isn't that about right?

[ESAFO]

If a particular model of used gun sells for $500, they generally offer you $250 for it, isn't that about right?

if a used sells retail for $500 you'll get $350, LGS will put it out @ $450 get talked down a bit & sell it.
make $50-75 on a used gun & only have it sit around for a few days, then move on to the next 1 that walks in the door.

[GLOCKROCKER]

Hey SaltyNC, I don't know what part of NC you live in but there is a Gun Show in Greensboro this weekend. It's usually a big show - lots of dealers and private buyers. It gives you a good opportunity to check trade in values with lots of different dealers in one place or possibly find a private buyer.

[getsome]

You will always lose money trading in a gun to a LGS on something else....Expect to get 50-60% of what a used gun is worth unless it's something really special like a pristine antique....

What you have sounds like a prety nice pistol and a gun show would be a good place to sell it if you don't mind working it a little....I see people all the time at shows with a sign on their jacket saying bla bla for sale at such and such price.....

Gun show parking lot sales are a good way to sell as the buyers are there to look at guns anyway and probably have the cash if they are really interested just be sure to get good ID and a signed bill of sale from the buyer.....

As for price I would think 5 hundred but negotiable would be a fair starting place....Do call a few shops and see if they have a similar gun and get their price...phone calls and internet looking is free and will help you if you have some comp prices and print outs to show a buyer looking at your gun....Good luck to you!

[Bawanna]

No parking lot sales allowed in our neck of the woods. Get caught and you'll be out of the club forever.
They actually have security patrolling the parking lot watching for it.

I don't have an issue with it, take it inside away from any possible media camera's.

[dkmatthews]

NC is fortunate that we have no restrictions on sales between two NC residents for long guns. For hand guns, the law states the purchaser must present a Pistol Purchase Permit or a Concealed Carry Permit. I think NC statute 14-402 applies.

[Bawanna]

We have no restrictions at all transferring anything handgun or rifle to another resident except knowingly selling to a non qualified person but your not required to ask.
We just can't do it in a parking lot of a gun show. It's a gun show rule, not state.

The gun show is pretty sharp. No cameras, no pictures, media on the rare occasions they show up are kept on a tight leash.

We have to be a club member to buy or sell any firearm. Non members can't even bring a gun into the show tied or otherwise.

All members are background checked thru the club prior to membership acceptance. No badge, no gun sales.

No loop holes like the anti's want to shout from the roof tops neither.

[getsome]

Wow it's really different in Georgia....There are two main shows that make the rounds 2-3 times a year, Eastman's and another smaller one and if you want to make a sale inside the show you have to rent a booth but there are many private sales done in the parking lot....The people with the booths are LGS dealers from around the area and private sellers of leaher goods, ammo, knives, reloading and survival gear....I guess it's different depending what part of the country you live in and to be honest I think they should tighten it up a little in our area....Not a show goes by that I don't see some tattooed up yahoo with an AR on a sling walking around muzzle sweeping the crowd....Even though it's zip tied it still bothers me some....

[Bawanna]

Even at our show you see a lot of people with no etiquette at all. There's tons of security guys walking around.

I hate guys that just pick up everything like it's lettuce at the grocery store. I touch nothing, not even a holster until the table holder tells me I can.

Usually it's the same folks every month one here in town and one about an hour south, same group the down south one is much bigger.

The ones that grab everything are usually the same ones that want to whine about a little flaw caused by some lettuce shopper picking it up and not being careful.

Don't enjoy young kids and baby strollers clogging the aisles much either. I love kids just don't get them between me and guns. Also guys who just always look, whine about the price and never buy, ok all kinds of things piss me off, maybe I'm a hater.

[jocko]

there is a big difference in Washington people. They must smoke sumpin 24/7. We have a sign outside our gun shows here in Indiana.

NO WASHINGTON STATE PEOPLE ALLOWED.

nice thatu had a nice day cjolonel. read ur entire post, not a sunshine comment made. ow u know why u people are just not loved..

[AJBert]

if doing a FTF remember to check there ID this is a must.
the best place to get a going rate on your piece is check out gunbrokers.com or armslist & type in your state then it will pop up for sale ads.
I have to disagree with checking out online auction sites. You will see "asking" prices rather than what a particular firearm actually sold for.


To the OP, keep in mind when selling/trading in a firearm at any kind of dealer they will pay you whole sale price, as they need to make a profit when they turn around and sell it. This had already been mentioned.


However, one benefit of trading a firearm is that you get a break on sales tax on the new firearm. For instance, if you get $100 for your trade in towards a $200 firearm, you only pay taxes on $100.


Depending on the sales taxes in your area and the difference between whole sale and retail prices, either could benefit you.

[BigDinFL]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I'll read up on selling myself. I guess if it crosses state lines, I need to ship it to an FFL, or perhaps need to ship it to an FFL regardless?

SaltyNC

Depends on if it is an INTERstate or INTRAstate shipment. If you do not have a FFL, you cannot use the USPS, which is the cheapest method of shipping. It might be less to have a FFL ship using that method, even if he charge you for the service than to pay for UPS/FEDEX overnight.

[b4uqzme]

some FFLs will not accept shipments from private individuals. FFL to FFL may be your only option if shipping between states.

There's a level of protection when trading in to a dealer that might be of value. You know that the eventual buyer will pass a NICS check. As a responsible gun owner, I find that important. So either trade it in, or require a CCW ID if you sell face to face, or ship it to an FFL who will run a background check. And get a bill of sale or trade in receipt. I personally don't want to end up in court over a weapon that was sold/registered to me. It's not just who you sell it to...but who they may sell it to.

Of course as many have said --- the math works to your advantage if you retail it yourself. But the advantage might not be as much as you expect when you factor in FFL and shipping fees.

jm2cents

[340pd]

Safest way is for you and the buyer both go to a LGS and have the background check done. Pay the LGS what they want for the transfer, usually $25 or less, but that removes you from any responsibility of what may happen with that gun down the line.

[berettabone]

I have made a few trades................I look at their CCL license, and drivers license, jot down all pertinent info, get a bill of sale. I think you usually come out best when trading privately, or selling privately. Your local LGS can only do so much. If they have a CCL, the backround check has already been done for me.

[Cubby]

I will only sell to people that I know and are either a friend or a friend of a friend. Barring that I have sold through my LGS. They charge 15%....