Fazakerely No4 Mk2(F) 7/52

[gshayd]

I purchased this rifle for $150 in 1994. Took it out of the preservative wrap cleaned it up myself and fired a few shots to make sure it is in working order. I am certain it was never issued or used. The serial numbers match on the magazine and stock. it is probably about 95-98% condition. What would be a fair market value for this rifle? I looked in the 31st Edition Blue Book and I am skeptical of the price they have for it. Serial No. is PF2487**

Thanks for your help!

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[Peter Laidler]

Sceptical, yes, but they've given you a ball-park value, It's been commented on MANY times on this forum. There are only TWO prices for anything. There's the price that you want it to fetch or get for it and there's the price that somebody wants to pay. The best way to achieve the latter price is to put it up for auction. If it doesn't get YOUR price, you're UNhappy so withdraw it. If it gets over your price, you're happy so accept it. And THAT is the price it's worth. That is the basis of all commerce

You could just let it go for a song to someone who'd appreciate it and they'll sell it on later at your expense. You could price it too high and it won't sell

Maybe the question of what's it worth could be the subject of a thread by itself but just as you can't defeat the laws of physics, you can't mess with the laws of commerce........ twice! Just my thoughts while idling along

[bigduke6]

Peter says it all when it comes to TWO prices.

When I,m looking at moving something on myself I tend to look at the top end price, bottom end price and if had to replace the item what would I pay for it.

I am having a bit of cull at present, I,m not desperate for the cash, just trying to make some room and sell off the excess, so I,m not giving anything away, but am still a lot cheaper, than the average shop price.

[Patrick Chadwick]

fair market value

The famous (his opponents might say: notorious) British union leader Frank Cousins, once said with regard to wage negotiations:
"There's no such thing as a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. There is just an - at present - acceptable wage for an - at present - acceptable day's work." There is no question of fairness, it is a matter of acceptability. You find the offer acceptable - take it. If not - reject it.

Psychologists have made studies of evaluation of objects, with consistent results. If the evaluating person is the owner of the object, the valuation is consistently higher than if it belongs to someone else. And what the present owner may have paid for it is irrelevant for the market, although it is, of course, relevant for the owner's judgement of acceptability.

One of the most common self-delusions, noticeable with old firearms, is the "I paid xxx for it in 19yz, so (pause for quick mental calculation) it must be worth at least yyy now." Not so. And the best answer to the pathetic "I paid so much for it, I can't let it go for less" is "So if you got it as a present, does that mean you would give it to me?"

Face up to what others have already pointed out. Stick it in an auction and find out what is an acceptable purchase price for the bidders.

BTW, I advise against an exaggerated reserve price. This can lead to interested parties not bidding at all. You need a wee bit of courage. I just sold a "carbinized" rifle online with no reserve, pointing out that it had been shortened. The bidding started with the usual joke sums, but in the end it went for about 4 times what I had expected and three times what I had hoped for. So at least two people were madly keen on it in that condition. If I had put in my "hoped for" value as a reserve, maybe no-one would have bid at all. I have seen that often enough on other auctions.

And do not put it on an online auction with an excessive time span. Several people will be looking for what you have to offer. But if you let the action run for a month, they are likely to take their eye off the ball and spend their money on something else in the meantime. 5-7 days, including one weekend, is all you need. But the ridiculous tactic I have seen on a certain auction site with which you are probably familiar - of offering the object again and again at an overpriced reserve for only 24 hrs, so that it repeatedly comes up at the top of the list as "new" is presumably intended to panic someone into buying, but I would rather be inclined to tell the seller to place his object in a spot suffering from a lack of solar illumination.

And do not worry that your ideal purchaser is going to miss your offer because he is on holiday or in hospital. Internet access is available round the world, and the person who really wants your rifle is not going to miss it (well I wouldn't).

Patrick

[Peter Laidler]

Wise words there Patrick. Not just wise words, but VERY wise

The worst or most dishonest thing you can do is put it in a what people call 'a Dutch auction'