Heres my take:
I am a dealer. So I buy and sell to and from dealers and retail customers.

When selling I try to price my guns fairly with enough room so I can give a decent value on a trade in which means that if someone offers cash, I can knock something off. Most customers will look a gun over and ask if its my best price. I will usually tell them I have some room. Unless it’s a consignment gun where I usually don’t. Sometimes they ask if I will entertain an offer. I tell them sure, as long as its reasonable but offer away and the worst I can do is say no. Some guys low ball and that’s okay but offering half the value of a gun is a bit over the top. Then there’s the guy who asks “ what’s your best price, the bottom line”. I give him a price ( my bottom line ) and he then offers me 10-20% below that. I bite my tongue.

When buying from other dealers I look over a gun and if usually they know me and tell me they have room and tell me what they will take for it. I usually don’t dicker unless its one I can either take or leave and then I tell them it’s a bit too much for me to make anything. They usually will say either make an offer or “that’s my bottom line:. I either buy or say thanks and there is no more haggling. I am not going to insult them by offering less than what they said was their bottom line.

Then there is the retail customer who is selling. He approaches carrying a gun. I ask if its for sale. He says yes. I ask to look at it and he hands it over. I ask what he wants for it. He says “make an offer”. Usually means he has no clue. I tell him he must have an idea what he wants? He says make an offer. I then say my guns are all priced. I don’t expect people to make blind offers. I do this diplomatically. He may say okay I want XXX dollars. Its usually at least the price of a 95% Blue Book priced or retail +10%. The gun is 60%. Condition with a cut stock, etc. I tell him I cant go that high. He says hey, you can make 25-30 dollars on it at that price. Yeah okay. Riiiiight!!!

Or he sets a price and I say Okay Ill take it. The he says “well I really don’t know if I want to sell it. I want to walk around. We are not talking about a Parker A1 Special for 2K. we are talking run of the mill good solid shooter 70’s, Sterlingworths etc. I agree to his price and he balks. He wants to go to the next guy and say he was offered XXX dollars, what will you give me?

Then there’s the guy who asks for an offer on one he is selling, after he gives an unrealistic price and he says I just got offered XXX dollars. I tell him to take it to that guy and sell it. Usually an hour or so later he is back asking if I am still interested. He never had an offer and he shopped it around and I was the best offer.
Then there’s the guy who says

Then there’s the guy who goes to a show to buy a good double. He looks and agrees on a cash price. Then of course he looks in his wallet and suddenly realizes he only has 500 in cash and says “will you take a check”? on a 4000.00 double, form a guy I don’t know? Who goes to a gun show without taking cash? Of course he says plastic and the deal was cash. He got a discount on the gun and now wants me to eat another 2.5-3% on a credit card sale.


I could go on.

Bottom line is; play fair and you sell/buy and make friends. Jerk people around as a buyer or a seller and you get a rep. you cant shake.

Brian
LTC, USA Ret.
NRA Patron Member
AHFGCA Life Member
USPSA Life Member