For Sale.

[Hissing_Sid]

Just wondering what you folks think about buying and selling 2nd hand airsoft guns.

 

I'm not having a pop at anybody here, honestly.

I was just wondering what everybody else thinks is a decent price for a used gun?

 

I always think that people who try to sell a used gun for £20 less than the price of a new one and then justify it by saying it comes with a battery or a spare hicap or whatever are being a bit optimistic.

I always figure you should expect to lose roughly 50% of the cost of the gun when you sell it.

I can't help noticing, as well, that often when somebody advertises, for example, an M16 with a RIS, an ACOG, 3 hicaps, 2 batteries and a charger for £400, they usually end up flogging the gun and, maybe one mag, for about £180 and then the thread drags on for months and nobody ever seems to purchase the dregs of the gear.

 

I know it must be tough for a seller to have spent a lot of cash on a gun and hope to get a lot of it back but most people want a "bargain" when they buy 2nd hand and a gun which might be more than a new one isn't a "bargain", even if it comes with extra stuff. People don't consider that 2 mags and 2 batteries puts another £100 on the price. A buyer (IMO) just sees that stuff as fluff. They want a gun and they want it cheaper than a new one. My opinion would seem to be borne out since, as I say, it's very rare for a gun and accesories to ALL be sold together.

 

I'm not saying this is fair, BTW, but it does seem to be the way things are.

 

Another one is that I don't like "traders".

I am fully aware that people like Snowman buy and sell guns, only owning them long enough to find out how they work and satisfy their desire to own one.

If you check the classifieds, however, you will find a breed of poster who hardly ever seems to post anything on the forums but, instead, always seems to be selling SAAVs, webbing or odd guns.

I don't have any objection to people making a few quid from airsoft but classified ad's AREN'T supposed to be for traders. They're for people who want to flog their personal gear. Also, I've noticed some classified ad's getting to be as cliches as eBay ad's.

The w****r who recently posted a pic of a boys M4 under the heading "This great gun could be yours for £200" springs to mind as an example of a con artist making use of a private forum.

 

Another one is poor descriptions. Reading through classified ad's I've often seen people selling something which I'd guess is, I dunno, something cheap.

A potential buyer will ask who makes the item and the seller will wriggle and, eventually, post something like "I'm not too sure who makes it but I saw one exactly like it which was...." and I just KNOW that they're hoping to unload something dodgy.

 

Anyway, feel free to post anything you want about buying airsoft stuff 2nd-hand.

Is there anything you would or wouldn't buy/sell?

Do you think airsofters are generally trustworthy?

Have you found the quality of maintenance of pre-owned guns to be ok?

Have you ever found that supposedly upgraded guns actually aren't?

Have you ever bought something from a forum know-it-all and found it looked like it'd been used by an ape?

 

Anything really. Just thought I'd strike up some discussion about peoples experiences and views.

[doc_newstead]

I know what you mean. I guess depreciation is hard for some people to swallow. I don't meant to sound ageist, but the younger members of the board are particularly guilty of this.

 

If I bought a gun for £200, and wanted to sell a month or so later, I'd ask for £150, but fully expect to get knocked down.

 

In fact, I get annoyed when people don't knock me down. I've tried to sell things on here with no response, and I can't help but think it's because of my starting price. I'm selling because I need the cash; if I ask for £55, don't think 'rip-off', think 'Will he take £35?'. Don't be afraid to ask. The worst I can say is 'Try again'.

 

I'm trying to sell some Web-tex gear on here, and I didn't get 1 offer. What people don't realise is that if they'd posted 'I'll give you a tenner for it,' I could well have said yes. I provided photos, full descriptions, the works. I'm an honest seller, and I pride myself on it. You can comne round my house for a cup of tea and a biscuit before the sale if you want; whatever it takes to make you happy

 

I bought my first GBB 2nd hand, and though I might have paid more than I liked, I wasn't ripped off, and the gun was in good nick. Don't be afraid to haggle. When you buy a house or a car, you NEVER pay the asking price; same with AEG's I think

[Crandall]

Hissing Sid, I agree with you in a lot of ways like when people, come on private forums like this, but don't activealy partiscipate in anything but the classified area. In some way it bugs me, and makes me think that thats what e bay is for, but doesn't bother me in someways as well. I also think that I can trust a lot of airsofters, until a bad apple *cough, badboyz, cough* comes along and puts everyone on there tows for a bit. If a person I want to buy something from, and they PM me a lot I like that kinda communication, and getting to be something maybe even a little then just "business partners", I also like it when a buyer/ seller will kinda joke around with me, and that makes me think its probably legit, where as a scammer would be so overwhelemed by greed that they seem a little to tense when they talk to me, if they even do talk to me. Just my opinion!

[R22Master]

I agree with a lot of that Sid.

 

Posters who use poor descriptions don't help anyone out, as potential customers have to drag information from the seller. It makes you wonder what they are trying to hide. If they're not happy to tell you the brand of the gun, there's NO WAY they're going to tell you about the bumps/scrapes/malfunctions it has suffered / is suffering from.

 

Traders looking to make profit are also not allowed in the For Sale sections here. Arnie's Airsoft is a "Non-Profit Making" site, and that includes the forums. Commercial posts, as well as EBay sales (EBay is a profit making organization) are not allowed. I don't have a problem with people like "snowman" (sorry mate, but you're a good example ) who just buy and sell regularly. After all, they are not trying to make profit, they're not trying to scam anyone, they just really like variety and the For Sale forums give them the ability to refresh their inventory as regularly as they want.

 

All of the above are against For Sale forum rules, and I'd like to ask any member here to use the "Report" button (bottom left of each post) if you see anyone breaking these rules. It alerts the mods very quickly - even when we're not logged in. One of us will storm in and stamp all over these posts because they do annoy everyone.

 

 

As for those asking silly prices for their gear, well, they are shooting themselves in the foot really. Of course if a seller REALLY wants a good price for their gun they are perfectly entitled to try, but as you mentioned Sid, these sales drag on for months, attract spam along the lines of "You'll never get that mate" and "I'll buy it for £x less" - Not what the seller wants. If you actually want to sell your kit, be reasonable in the amount you want and it will sell quickly. 50% of retail for a gun in good condition will sell it pretty much every time, and chances are you'll get better feedback from people who were really happy about the deal they got.

[doc_newstead]

Am I being too informal then R22? If I sold something in the paper, I'd put one price, get a phone call for a lower price, haggle, then accept. This is how I sell in classifieds/car boot/privately.

 

Am I misjudging the forum here? I dont want eBay style bidding, but I don't expect "£50", "Ok then", "Sold!" style selling either.

[Alex4Yu]

i bought a used WA GBB from this one seller on another forum once and the seller said he was the only owner of the gun and had used nothing but 134 gas on it, but when it did get to me, it had this strong gas smell coming from the mag which i'm guessing was green gas. I cant be sure of this since i've never used green gas before but i'm guessing this because the 134 gas i have doesnt have that smell.

 

Its also very nerve racking to send money to a guy based only on sole faith that the guy you're buying from is honest and you'd have to wait for days to see if you'll actually get the gun.

[Hissing_Sid]

@Doc:

 

Must admit, I don't like it when I see the opposite.

 

Sometimes you see a seller asking for £80, for example.

Somebody offers £40 and the seller will say "Thanks for the offer. I'll see if anybody offers more."

 

I dunno. I suppose people have a right to get as much as possible but I'd rather see somebody either say "sorry, mate. That's too low" or "Ok. Sold!".

 

Buying or selling, I'd rather not bugger about getting involved in an impromptu auction.

[doc_newstead]

Sometimes you see a seller asking for £80, for example.

Somebody offers £40 and the seller will say "Thanks for the offer. I'll see if anybody offers more."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd never do that. If somebody want to buy, then I take them seriously. My beef is with 80 views and no posts. That's what I'm getting at

[Spedz]

I'm buying the tac vest from havoc £55 now personally its a good deal. The one thing i personally hate is users with a 1-2 post count selling there stuff because i worry are they sammers? With users like Havoc, hissing sid, doc newstaed,snowman,arnie, me (if i was selling something tho) we have high post counts on that .soo basically what i'm trying to say is i think sellers should have some credability by particpating in the forum sorry bout that ^^'

[R22Master]

Am I being too informal then R22? If I sold something in the paper, I'd put one price, get a phone call for a lower price, haggle, then accept. This is how I sell in classifieds/car boot/privately.

 

Am I misjudging the forum here? I dont want eBay style bidding, but I don't expect "£50", "Ok then", "Sold!" style selling either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Basically, the ideal form of selling/haggling here follows this format:

• Seller: I have x for sale and I want £100 - Details...
  Buyer: I'm interested, but only for £70
  Seller: I'd go to £85, but no lower
  Buyer: Hmmmm, Call it £80 and you've got a deal
  Seller: Okay, £80 it is. Sold!
  

Basically, exactly the same as if you were selling in the local paper.

 

We don't want people treating these forums like they were EBay - example:

• Seller: I have x for sale - Details... - make me an offer
  Buyer: I'd go for that for about £70
  Seller: Any advance on £70?
  

These forums aren't an auction and such threads have and will get locked.

 

Equally, this is a forum and this technology allows you more than the customary 20 words or less that you get with the local rag. Sellers who say "Got a Glock 19 for sale - offers" with no descriptions, details as to age, use, wear, failures, etc... will find their posts under scrutiny. It's all in the For Sale Forum Rules.

 

Anyone making these mistakes in the For Sale section simply demonstrates that they haven't read the rules, so their posts will be modified / locked / scrubbed until they do. It's just common courtesy to the other members of this forum.

[R22Master]

I'd never do that. If somebody want to buy, then I take them seriously. My beef is with 80 views and no posts. That's what I'm getting at

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The people with sales threads at 80 views and no posts really need to stop and think. Why is everyone looking, but no-one wanting to buy?

 

Well, if someone looks at your post, it means they saw the title and were interested (at least semi-interested) in acquiring your product. If they don't post, then something in your post put them off even asking about it.

 

Either the seller didn't describe the product well, was asking a rediculously high price, or otherwise put their potential buyers off. Usually a quick look at the post can shed light on why it isn't selling (I've noticed it's most often down to asking for too much (i.e. TM MP5 + 2 mags and battery for £200). A brand new setup matching this layout costs only about £230, and that comes with a 12 month warranty!

 

As Sid mentioned in the first post here, people browsing the For Sale section looking to buy, are after a Bargain. They don't want a minor discount - Shops will give discounts on display models, and they STILL come with a 12 month guarantee. Buyers browsing the For Sale forum are also dealing with sellers who could disappear a lot easier than an established Airsoft shop, so there is an added risk factor as well. To me, this means that the deal had better be good, or I just won't bother.

[Longhairedhippy]

The only time I feel comfortable charging a high price is if the gun is rather rare, such as my USP. But, I do agree about the high prices. Another thing that irks me is when you state specifically in your post that yuo don't wish to trade, yet someone sends you an email asking if you want their M4. Also annoying are people that offer to trade the worst stuff. There's a guy in America trying to trade some video games, a PS2, and a game boy for an AEG. get a clue, kid.

That said, every 2nd hand buying experience i've ever had has been pleasant. I actually talk to most of these people, as they post here or I see them at my site.

[Vektor]

I always think that people who try to sell a used gun for £20 less than the price of a new one and then justify it by saying it comes with a battery or a spare hicap or whatever are being a bit optimistic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Don´t forget, that if the seller has been careful and smart enough to keep the original box with original accessories (like loading rod, etc.) intact, the product value increases at least by 150%...

 

In my country, 2nd hand airsoft guns also have ridiculously high prices, most of the times. The situation was terrible about three, four years ago, when prices were closer to total lunacy, but now they have come down a little bit, honest to write.

 

The biggest reason, I believe, is the largest Finnish retailer, which has awfully high prices for their guns & accessories. With the price of one Marui Beretta GBB, you could easily order two from Hongkong retailers and cover the shipping and all other expenses. It is understandable, that a (younger) seller, who has bought the gun with high price, expects to get some of that back, but seriously enough is enough. The buyer shouldn´t have to pay for seller´s mistake on spending his/hers money on the most expensive choice. Of course, the comparison between domestic and HK retailers is not fair, but still the gun´s value is what it is. I also would understand if this domestic retailer were the only domestic choice, but since there are cheaper alternatives as well,...

 

Also, considering the price the seller is asking, the guns are quite often in questionable condition. Many of the items in our domestic "classified" websites seem to have some sort of probelm, which is then again not affecting the price. Lots of guns have parts broken or missing (or replaced with duct tape) and lots of guns have trouble firing semi/auto/whichever, but no significant drop in the price. "Hey, the xxxxx part is missing, but the gun works allright!", they say.

 

The situation is the worst for beginning hobbyists, who are looking for fair priced deal to get started. They´re not looking for tons of accessories, which usually causes the price to climb high, but they´re looking for decent (and working) package to get started.

 

Edit: Couple of typos, once again...

[Hissing_Sid]

I must admit, my experiences with 2nd-hand stuff has been rather limited. Since I was a teenager most of my hobbies have been related to cars or bikes. With engine-stuff you either buy new or, every so often, you find the item in a scrap-yard and get it for peanuts.

 

With car parts, though, you were always lucky to get back 50% of what you paid. That was just the way it is. It was always the same with PC or Playstation games. Some PS games were £50 or £60. 2nd hand you'd be selling them for £5-£10 each.

 

Funny thing is, when I see, for example, an ICS M4 with a RIS attached, a ready-mag, an ACOG, 4 midcaps and 3 batteries for sale for £400 my brain is telling me that it IS a good deal but I'm just thinking that there's no way I'm gonna pay £400 for a 2nd hand gun!

[Hvy gear]

i find that spaming can be a problem when somebody comes along and says that they got it for less than your price or however much and they start posting useless information in the thread, sometimes this can be a help but at other times it can just be annoying.

[snowman]

I must admit, my experiences with 2nd-hand stuff has been rather limited. Since I was a teenager most of my hobbies have been related to cars or bikes. With engine-stuff you either buy new or, every so often, you find the item in a scrap-yard and get it for peanuts.

 

With car parts, though, you were always lucky to get back 50% of what you paid. That was just the way it is. It was always the same with PC or Playstation games. Some PS games were £50 or £60. 2nd hand you'd be selling them for £5-£10 each.

 

Funny thing is, when I see, for example, an ICS M4 with a RIS attached, a ready-mag, an ACOG, 4 midcaps and 3 batteries for sale for £400 my brain is telling me that it IS a good deal but I'm just thinking that there's no way I'm gonna pay £400 for a 2nd hand gun!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

AEGs, especially, seem to attract silly prices second hand, but, remember, you can very quickly rack up quite a high cost in extras.

 

Also, USED can mean many different things. I have an ex-rental FAMAS (one of the £65 jobs from Firefight, a year or two ago). It's been quite heavily used, but works fine - For the money it was a bargain.

 

Now, if I'd paid £150 for it (with a battery), I might have been a bit annoyed, but if the gun was USED like my P90 is (basically sits in the box gathering dust...), I'd happily pay near the new price for it (as it has some extras, which would quickly add up to £50 at UK prices).

 

I can't honestly say I've ever bought a gun which was radically different to the way it was described (in terms of conditions), but then I can usually spot the people using Cybergun pricing to sell a KWC GBB...

 

Cheers.