How to Sell Your Gun

Guns hold very interesting investment properties. The value of a gun has the ability to go up over time, and unlike cars the value of the gun does not decrease very much after being used. Also, guns often act as currency: They are constantly being used in trades, barters, or even as payment. Because of these properties, the market for buying and selling firearms is constant.

There are three invaluable resources when selling a gun:

#1: The Blue Book of Gun Values: Not only does it tell you how much the gun is worth in a variety of conditions; it helps to determine exactly what model your gun is. The Blue Book will point out the small features on a classic gun that can make a difference of hundreds, or even thousands, of Dollars.

#2: GunBroker.com*: For those of you not familiar with GunBroker, it is like Ebay for Guns. It is an easy, fast, and efficient way to get your firearm in front of a large audience and let them bid on it, with minimal fees. Also, Gunbroker works as a great cross reference to the Blue Book, and will help you determine what your firearm can actually sell for on the open market. Simply search for open auctions for similar guns, and voila, you have a pretty good idea of what your gun might sell for. If you do use GunBroker to sell your gun, make sure you take some good photographs; they will make a big difference when it comes time for someone to bid on your firearm.

#3: Your Friendly Neighborhood Gunsmith: If you plan on selling your gun, it is a really good idea to have a gunsmith headspace and function test it, and provide you with a written report. Selling a gun that has an unknown function problem is a good way to make your customer mad -- and spoil your reputation online. Additionally, there is the possibility of a lawsuit if an injury is involved due to a function problem.

If you find that selling your gun yourself is just too much trouble, many gun/gunsmith shops will sell your gun on consignment--or make you an immediate cash offer. The going rate for consignment sales is between 20% - 35% of what the gun sells for. Immediate Cash offers are generally about 50% to 60% of what the gun would sell for at retail.

Merlyn Rifleworks offers the service of selling your gun on consignment. We have a professional photographer on staff to make the gun look its very best. Our English Ph.D (seriously) writes the description, and we take care of all the shipping and handling--all you need to worry about is when to collect your check! Consignment fees are 20% of the final sale price, plus an additional 2% for Gunbroker if the gun sells on the internet. Our shop does not offer consignment services for guns worth less than $500, but we will be happy to make you a cash offer.

Good luck with your sales!

*There are other auction sites available, such as GunsAmerica.com - GunBroker is simply the site I am most comfortable with.