Gun Value

[the jeff]

I have a Like new Smith and Wesson 4566 TSW, with box, papers and 3 mags. I used it twice since last summer. Id like to trade it in for another 1911.What’s it worth? Four seasons has one listed for 799.95. Can I expect the same amount if I try to trade it in

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I have a Like new Smith and Wesson 4566 TSW, with box, papers and 3 mags. I used it twice since last summer. Id like to trade it in for another 1911.What’s it worth? Four seasons has one listed for 799.95. Can I expect the same amount if I try to trade it in

for anything used, you will not get what a store is selling them for. A store is trying to do one thing only: make money. they will make no money if they give you what they want to sell it for.

 

[FalArAk]

You will get more for it if you sell it FTF,a lot more than a dealer will give you.

 

[In_God_We_Trust]

for anything used, you will not get what a store is selling them for. A store is trying to do one thing only: make money. they will make no money if they give you what they want to sell it for.

Even more importantly: I overheard a conversation where a person brought in a 1911, never fired and only a year or two old, stated that they would not give the person "As New" cost.

The reason was that the gun was technically "used" and if someone wanted to buy a "new" gun, they would pay for one at cost since they would not pay the same price through consignment.

 

[packingungal]

Like vehicle...once you take it off the showroom floor...

 

[Shepherd]

Four seasons has one listed for 799.95. Can I expect the same amount if I try to trade it in

Tho one at FS is a consignment and it has been there for a long time. The owner of the gun is out of his mind and he will not get 800 for it.
I think 600 is a fair price for the gun.

 

[highlander]

My experience has been unless it rare or unusual 50-60% of retail if traded towards a new firearm.

 

[TY43215]

Half of retail is the norm for a gun that would be easy to sell. Less if it will sit.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

You can get the most value selling it yourself. Consignment at a high traffic shop like Four Seasons is #2, followed by trading it in at a shop. Selling to a shop for cash is even worse.

Four Seasons gets an 18% cut on consignment guns. Now, you're down to 82% of the consignment price. If the shop gives you credit for the gun, they are buying it an hoping to sell it, so they'll need an extra edge on top of the 18%. Then, consider that the owner sets the consignment price which may not be realistic for a timely sale, and could very well be higher than what Carl would set as the use gun price if it was in the used case as a shop owned gun. It's easy to see that original number shrinking fairly rapidly.

Or, looking at a hypothetical example:

Assume a gun in "Mint" condition that went for $1000 new is priced at $800 in the used consignment case. (Think 20% is too big a spread? Ask yourself if you take a used one over new for a 10% discount?) Take Carl's 18% cut, and it's down to $656 to the owner. Since outright credit would be expected to be lower than the consignment revenue, even a 10% spread here puts the credit value of a new but pre-owned gun down below 60% of original selling price, and quite possible less than 50% of the MSRP that nobody pays for the mass market/big name guns. As bad as it sounds, if you get 50% of new selling price as credit for a mint condition trade-in, you're really not getting ripped off - just paying the shop for the convenience factor.