Anyone use Gunbroker?

[USAF Ret]

Anyone who has used Gunbroker, could you share your experience?

[zukiphile]

I have a couple of times.

One was a sale in my state, so I drove to buy it face to face. The price was fair and it was an opportunity for gun networking.

Another was an out of state shop. It showed up short one magazine, so I contacted the seller. The shop was certain it had shipped with two magazines, then later contacted me to say that staff had sold the spare magazine separately and they'd send out another.

There is certainly an opportunity for deception and theft.

If you are looking for something out of production, it seems more efficient than strolling around the local show. I've also used it as an approximate measure of value when selling.

[MarkCO]

Sold 4, bought 5 firearms. Bought some factory shotgun ammo, sold a lot of .22RF and Revolver ammo.

Never had a problem. But I checked out every seller and buyer pretty carefully.

[ballardw]

My limited experiences with Gunbroker, buying a couple firearms, some ammunition and multiple magazines and parts have all gone well.

Dealing with the shippers used by the sellers, not so much in some cases.

I never bought anything from sellers with fewer than a hundred deals though.

[ligonierbill]

I have a fair amount of experience buying and selling, over 150 transactions. Very few problems. Most sellers are diligent with accurate descriptions, but while few outright lie, they may not include all they know. Or they really don't know. Ask questions! Checking prices, go the the Completed Auctions search to get actual sales prices. Asking prices are often fantasies. Check the shipping costs. They vary quite a bit. And since you are paying shipping, sales tax, and a transfer fee on your end, it's pretty hard to find an actual bargain. I have purchased some unique pieces, though. Good luck to you.

[doofus47]

I've bought and sold a half dozen in each direction.
I usually surf similar items that I want to sell to see what peope emphasize and how they handle shipping before I post mine for sale. The Devil is in the details.

[USAF Ret]

Thanks everyone. I am eyeballing a pretty expensive rifle that seems to be hard to find. Not out of production, but limited supply. New demo being sold as used and never shot.

It has a starting bid, but no reserve and no bids. Still 4 days on the auction. Y'all ever contact the seller and just make an offer vs playing the bid game?

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by USAF Ret

It has a starting bid, but no reserve and no bids. Still 4 days on the auction. Y'all ever contact the seller and just make an offer vs playing the bid game?

I don't think that's allowed under Gunbroker's terms of service (unless the seller lists a "Buy it now" price).

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

I don't think that's allowed under Gunbroker's terms of service (unless the seller lists a "Buy it now" price).

Thank you sir.

[USAF Ret]

Well, I threw my bid out there. Feedback much appreciated. Vendor had an A+ rating.

[zukiphile]

It has a starting bid, but no reserve and no bids. Still 4 days on the auction. Y'all ever contact the seller and just make an offer vs playing the bid game?

The pattern I saw was that a 10 day or so auction would post. I'd put in a first bid of one dollar and there's be a bid for two then three, then nothing for nine days. A few hours before the end of the auction the real bidding would start, and I'd find out that someone really wanted it a lot more than I did.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by zukiphile

The pattern I saw was that a 10 day or so auction would post. I'd put in a first bid of one dollar and there's be a bid for two then three, then nothing for nine days. A few hours before the end of the auction the real bidding would start, and I'd find out that someone really wanted it a lot more than I did.

Good to know. If this one goes up over a couple hundred, I can just wait for a new one to come available sometime in the future. We shall see.

[ballardw]

FWIW there are "bidding bots" out there that a number of folks use that will wait until a specified time to start bidding.

If you are interested I suggest picking how much you are willing to pay at most, include the shipping, FFL transfer(s) and such. Place that as a max bid. If that is below the "start" posted by the seller, don't bid and see if the start comes down. The website will only actually "bid" the lowest amount of your max to win. It will increment your actual bid when someone else bids.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by ballardw

FWIW there are "bidding bots" out there that a number of folks use that will wait until a specified time to start bidding.

If you are interested I suggest picking how much you are willing to pay at most, include the shipping, FFL transfer(s) and such. Place that as a max bid. If that is below the "start" posted by the seller, don't bid and see if the start comes down. The website will only actually "bid" the lowest amount of your max to win. It will increment your actual bid when someone else bids.

Good information to have. Thank you!

[veprdude]

Every bid in the last 15 minutes extends the auction by 15 minutes to prevent "bid sniping", which bidding at the last second to get a lower price. Most auctions come alive in the last hour or so. A $1000 rifle "going for $150" with 4 days left is zero indication of what it will end at.

I've had only good experiences with Gunbroker. But always check feedback and possibly avoid high dollar items on new accounts.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by veprdude

Every bid in the last 15 minutes extends the auction by 15 minutes to prevent "bid sniping", which bidding at the last second to get a lower price. Most auctions come alive in the last hour or so. A $1000 rifle "going for $150" with 4 days left is zero indication of what it will end at.

I've had only good experiences with Gunbroker. But always check feedback and possibly avoid high dollar items on new accounts.

Thank you! The starting bid on it was a few hundred less than market price. But I also know folks out there who way overpay for the adrenaline rush of "winning" and auction. It is not a must have, so not too awfully worried about it. If it gets above market price, I will stop bidding.

[44caliberkid]

I have used GB many times, usually to buy out of production, antique, or hard to find guns or vintage ammo. Current production, common firearms can be found at dealer or wholesale prices. Negatives are Gunbroker started collecting state sales tax, so figure that into your price. They also originally charged the seller a small fee, but now charge the buyer a fee too, about 2% of the purchase price. You send this total to the seller, so I assume GB takes it from their account. I’m really skeptical whether the money collected ever makes it to the state.
I have, when the seller uses their shop name, looked them up and called to make an offer to deal with me personally. Usually for a gun that’s been up a long time, or multiple listings with no bids. They still have to ship to my FFL, but if selling out of state they don’t need to collect sales tax. So you can save money that way. You just can’t go through GB’s messaging system to make a side deal.

[tlm225]

I've bought a few through GB, two this year. All transactions went well with the item meeting or exceeding the descriptions and shipping was prompt. I check the sellers ratings, total transactions and shipping fees before I place a bid. I then submit the max I'm willing to pay then wait for the end of the auction. I don't always get the item I bid on but I never feel that I overpay for something by doing this.

[oldbear1950]

I have used gunbroker over a period of 16 years, from 2007 thru 2022.
As long as I do my part, ask questions, observe the rules, I have had no problem. I currently have two black powder rifles, an Ithaca model 37 shotgun, that I purchased on gunbroker.
The only problem over the years is finding a local dealer to do the paperwork.
Some will, some will not.
There is one here locally now, that charges a FLAT 10 DOLLAR FEE. He gets a lot from gunbroker and Buds gunshop.

[harleyman1974]

Sold 2 bought several. Selling them was not great. The shipping was STUPID expensive. Ended up cancelling a couple sales, because the cost to ship it was so much $.

[mk70ss]

Use it all the time. Have not had a bad experience yet with over 20+ guns bought there.

[Nathan]

You will need to consider 2 things. 1) bidding is a game. There are real strategies to getting it for the price you want.

2) there is always someone, generally from a coastal state, that an extra $100 or so on a 1000 primers is no big deal. You have to know the maximum reasonable price in your mind before laying down your bid.

[McShooty]

Over the last few years I have bought at least a dozen guns on GunBroker. I have always been satisfied except for one purchase that went sour because of a clerical error by the seller, not because of dishonesty. The thing I like is that the majority of the dozen I have bought are guns I had not seen in a lifetime of shopping at gun shops and shows, and they fit my various collecting themes. The latest one, because I got interested in old, boys' rifles, is a Savage Model 1905, a little bolt action, heavy barreled .22 with a Swiss butt plate. Very good condition and a good shooter. There were no bids at six days left. I waited until there was less than a day left then jumped in. I won it and I was the only bidder, and I don't know why. I got it for the starting bid amount. This is not the only time that this has happened to me. But, I must also confess there are several that I paid too much for. Maybe it evens out.

[2wheelwander]

All but one great experiences for me as well. Last purchase was a Colt 6520. Read the description, did my due diligence. watched the auction ending, quit looking a few hours before auctions end. Got a deal, gun came in, no BCG. I was livid.

Went back to the listing and it had been modified showing no BCG sometime since I looked at it and the end of the auction. I'm more than certain the listing was modified at the last minute. I had no proof, and what would filing a complaint do. Seller had a good rating. Its possible I'm wrong, but . . ... Ended up getting a Colt branded BCG for $199, I'm still ahead.

On the other hand I scored a like new Super Match, McMillan stocked, chrome lined barrel M1A1 for $2k a few years ago.

Like others have said know your limit and stick to it. I got burned on a 1969 3 screw .44 mag several years ago. LNIB, they were worth about $750 at the time. I'd set my high bid at $900 being an idiot. That's what I ended up paying as I watched the auction get extended by 2 hours 15 minutes at a time. Nothing I could no.

But, I recently saw an identical one to mine sell for $1750. All's well that ends well!

[Rob228]

I got an 1100 that looked great in pictures but when I received it I got the impression that it had spent some time under water. Still functional but it looks rough. Paid about 1500 for a Citori trap gun that again showed up looking a lot rougher than in the pictures, sold it for a little less than I paid.

Most recently bought some 870 parts and a Remington 521, no real complaints except for shipping costs, I want to say on the 521 shipping was close to $80.

I browse GB about once a week, but it seems like anything that I am searching for (older 870s, Ithaca 37 etc) seem to be fetching quite a bit more than I'm willing to spend these days.