The Internet Effect

[rick983]

I am 66 years old and have collected WW2 firearms and militaria for 45 years plus. I consider myself a student of these items and I always buy the books before I buy the item. Myself and a couple of friends set up at a local show and have for many years. I put things out to sell but really like to buy things for me. Up until just a few years ago, people would come up to me and ask about their guns and I was happy to tell them. And of course they want an appraisal. I am very honest with them and offer a fair price. However, recently I'm seeing people show up who have been on the internet and without understanding what they have, see prices that are totally unrealistic. When I tell them the truth, they look at me like I'm a crook. As an example, a man brought in a common WW2 Luger pistol someone in his family had brought back. It was decent, not great and I told him retail was around $1300 and I could give him $1000 cash. He said he had seen them selling for $3000 and more on the internet and that's what he wanted. I tried to explain that theirs was probably a scarce variation that was worth more. Also, remember that what you ask and what you get for guns can be quite different. To sum it up, I'm buying a lot less guns from the public and I'm seeing the same guys hauling the same guns around every show trying to get their fantasy price. So I say it again, a little knowledge can be dangerous.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.