I have been lucky in my 40 years of trading sxs I had 2 great guys helping me,Russ Ruppell and Leo Bradshaw.How do we make a fair offer on a gun.I have been offered a very nice BHE with special engraving 1 frame 12 blue 75% case 25% but a really bad restock. Gun was offered at 6k offered below that.5k wood and restock and no collector value. Guy shutdown on me.I don't need the gun bit the engraving was.special.What do we do guess learn to walk.Your thoughts. Pipeliner

If you do not like it when your first buy it, you will like it less in the future

Words of wisdom from Skeetx.

First I suppose you are talking about a Parker. So what would the gun be worth if everything was correct and in the same condition. Then compare it to his asking price. Is he already discounting the fact that it's been re-stocked? Asking prices are "starting" prices. Everything is negotiable.
Then you must decide if you are willing to pay more and be able to accept it as it is. If it's going to be your shooter and it is a reasonable price then buy it. Evidently it got something to get you this far.

Its really not about me.Buzz and had a good row about a gun he has for sale we worked it out no harm.But when you offer a fair price for a gun and the owner doesn't no the frame size on his high grade Parker that's a issue. Parker owner had a average 12 Sterlingworth which I can buy one every 3 years local in Texas for 650 wanting 2k.Guess I am to soft hearted.

PAlUNC only wanted a best gun after 300 plus sxs 4 wife's Quatros,40 plus years offshore in the oilfield just tired. A EG Higham 2.5 for woodchuck and beater Eagle grade for ducks I am happy.

Walk. By shutting down, I think the seller walked. I really wouldn't worry if the seller has an "issue", I would tend to look out for the buyer by walking with zero regret. I'd be realistic about me, if you hope to convince a seller that you are soft hearted. That probably doesn't even enter their thought process. Many things have gotten away from probably all of us, but likely very few really special things.

This. Lots of fish in the sea.

And, if you take the big sleep before it happens, what would it have mattered anyway?

About the only smart thing I learned from a brother was "there is ALWAYS a better deal waiting". Now that was in regard to collector cars but it holds true for most everything. Don't always apply it but I'm only human.

Paying more than a guns true value just does not work for me. You can not pay “if perfect” prices for a gun which clearly is not perfect. Rare does not fix things. Worse with the premium placed on original condition any work done to fix or restore by definition has to reduce value because the gun is not original, pristine and high condition. If a gun has 10% bluing left, rebluing does not restore it to 100% condition no matter how you do it. A gun needing a new stock has only value as a shooter because any new stock will destroy any real collectible value. Plus it cost will never be recovered at resale. You pay 5K, then restock for 3K and then will be lucky to even get 5K at sale because original condition is gone.

Sellers always think their gun matches up with other guns even when they clearly do not. These days I just tell over enthusiastic sellers that I am downsizing my collection and pass on even making an offer. Don’t want to hurt their feelings, don’t need to make them mad and not looking to educate them or argue with them.

Their guns, it's patina your gun, it's rust. Most people just see Parker and think it's $$$$.

Look, I know a guy who at times calls me to discuss a gun he has found somewhere and wants my opinion on. His strategy is to low ball offer the person. I sometime think he does not even have the money but just wants to screw around with the person.
I get kind of put out with him at these times as I think if you have interest, and you are considering the gun then at least try to offer a air price.
I see Dealers that I know who list guns at ridiculous prices. So I have to wonder who they are selling guns to.
Not to say I have been unable to come to an agreement at times with a seller.

Seller is way under water on the BHE and he’s trying to recoup his investment. Bigger fool theory my guess. If he didn’t know the frame size he didn’t know much

who would allow an Eagle Grade Elsie to deterioate to a "beater" class?? Darn shame-- RWTF

This is very confusing. I read this part of your query several times, and seriously have no idea just what you offered the seller.

Was he asking $6000, and you offered $5000? Were you saying that wood and a restock would cost $5000, and would result in a gun with zero collector value? Were you asking him to include wood and a restock, or were you trying to say you offered less because it would need those things? I'm not sure what you were saying about the engraving. Please translate.

There are all levels of collector value. A well heeled, advanced, and highly selective collector will only want to buy the best guns in the best original condition. Other collectors will buy or consider a lower condition gun that has been repaired or restocked. An excellent restock is likely going to be worth more than a gun with a trashed original stock. The difference is realizing that valuations will be vastly different between a high condition original gun, and anything less.

Without photos and a better description of the gun and your offer, it just isn't possible to know whether either the asking price or the offer was fair. Any opinion of value given without adequate information and good photos is pretty much worthless. Even pics may not reveal major defects. But when a seller shuts down during negotiations, that's generally a good sign that a sale is not going to happen.

I have not paid retail for a gun since I was in college. Actually, it was a below retail dealer price on a new Colt revolver. As Stan says, there are lots of fish in the sea. An intelligent gun buyer has to become educated on evaluating condition factors, scarcity, demand, and market conditions. People who are too lazy to do those things are the guys who tell us that they simply expect to lose money on every gun purchase they make. Gun Dealers absolutely love these guys. They are the same people who have Car Dealers doing High-Fives in the back room after a customer comes in and pays factory sticker price. Actual costs of repairs is another factor. I do most all of my own repairs, but must remember that my time is worth something too. And it helps to own enough guns that you can be the one who walks away from any deal, and never feel compelled to buy out of desperation.