How much is this gun worth?

OKRattler

Well-known member
I have a parkarized Springfield Armory 1911-A1 mil-spec that's practically brand new. I bought it 7 or 8 years ago and I was told it's worth only $400. It has the feed ramp polished,night sights and comes with a magazine holder,holster,extra grips and an extra magazine. I bought it for $650 so do they depreciate in value that much?
 
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The problem is two fold, one is mil spec, nothing special and two, the market is flooded with cheap but very functionable 1911’s
 
If a gun dealer or pawn shop gave you that price, its so they can resell it at a much higher price. Got to keep the lights on. Selling on the open market should bring more I would think.
 
I see. I thought for some reason that 1911's held their value pretty well but at the same time I suppose that's more or less with Les Baer,Nighthawk Custom,Colt and so on so forth.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogIf a gun dealer or pawn shop gave you that price, its so they can resell it at a much higher price. Got to keep the lights on. Selling on the open market should bring more I would think. It was. I actually went to trade it for another gun but ended up not doing it. I looked on the internet and I could get the same gun for about $600 less.
 
Its hard to get a fair deal from a pawn shop or a dealer. They give you about 60% of actual value.
 
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I actually got an offer from someone for $550 so I might go ahead and sell it for that. I'm saving up for an LWRC in 5.56. I never have sold a gun before but I never shoot that pistol. I'm more of a rifle guy.
 
$100 loss for owning it 7-8 years ain't terrible bad. No good but not terrible. Might try squeezing another $50 out of him.
 
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Yeah it's not real great but it is what it is. I've lost a lot more in my day,plus it's for something I really want. Someone else might as well enjoy it. It's just collecting dust at my house.

I got another guy that's thinking about maybe paying $600. He wants to take it with him in bear country. I'm gonna feel bad if he runs into one and shoots it with that thing and gets eatin.
 
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogIts hard to get a fair deal from a pawn shop or a dealer. They give you about 60% of actual value.

^^ this



there's gotta be enough $$ left for them to turn the profit necessary to mess with it. they're gonna have to show it off god knows how many times before they sell it, and because its used - even if its in immaculate condition - every potential buyer that comes thru the front door is going to try to dicker the price down on them too. especially if it was a pawn shop.

most re-seller businesses (gun and non gun) are going to want at LEAST a 30-40% profit at the end of the day to be even worth it for them to do anything.


the fact that he was offering you $400 on a (approx) $600 retail value gun tells me that he probably had someone looking for something very similar to it and thought he could flip it relatively quick.

often you'll find that the only way to even get closer to a 20 or 25% loss as a private individual to a reseller would be to do a consignment deal. If you want the cash right away, you're probably gonna have to eat more of a loss than that.

you gotta look at it this way - if you were running a business, would you buy an item with a $600 retail value that you could only make $50 on? probably not.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodog$100 loss for owning it 7-8 years ain't terrible bad. No good but not terrible. Might try squeezing another $50 out of him.

thats kind of where my head was too.

make them a counter offer. worst they can say is no. you can always back away and go find a buyer who's willing to spend a bit more if you need to.

tell him you have another offer of $600, and dont worry about what they other guy wants to do with it.


as a seller you're not obligated to keeping people from doing something foolish with an item after the sale. all you're obligated to do is be honest about the condition of the item and not advertise it for purposes outside of its intended usage.
 
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I half expected to lose some value at a pawn shop. I just didn't figure on $250 less than what I paid. But then I saw a Hi-Point carbine for sale in there marked at $395. I didn't say anything but I'm sure I had a look on my face that was something like this.
scared.gif
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI have a motto I seem to live by, "Buy High, Sell Cheap".

Know the feeling, been there done that way too many times
 
I traded the exact same pistol off a year or two back and got 500 trade value but from a guy I do a lot of business with. Cabelas offered 275 for it.
 
Originally Posted By: FairChase93I traded the exact same pistol off a year or two back and got 500 trade value but from a guy I do a lot of business with. Cabelas offered 275 for it.


OUCH!
 
Originally Posted By: FairChase93I traded the exact same pistol off a year or two back and got 500 trade value but from a guy I do a lot of business with. Cabelas offered 275 for it.

They tried to rob ya buddy. That's just crazy.
 
Pawnshops operate on a minimum 100% profit model. They don't cater to normal business but to those that can't pay their bills. Don't expect anything else and dont expect a fair offer.
 
There is a pawn shop in Tulsa that is also a gun shop....so to speak. They are an authorized CZ dealer. One of the only CZ dealers in town. Their prices are decent and whatever is marked on the firearm is "Out the Door" price. You can get fairly decent prices for your trade-ins there. They usually have a little wiggle room too so its not to bad.
 
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