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Thread: Why is the sales section on here so disappointing at present?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Why is the sales section on here so disappointing at present?

    As title. I really want to know. I have been a member on here for a long time and have contributed to many shooting related debates as well as having used the sales and wanted sections to buy and sell items to refine my collection to where I want it to be. Recently I have noticed a real reluctance to buy items on here unless the prices are, frankly, at giveaway levels. There are clearly exceptions to this where a particular highly sought after item is offered but in the general run it is really tricky.
    What prompts this post is my recent offering of 3 Bushnell Legend scopes and 1 -rare-version of a Nikon scope imported from the USA. I believed that all of my asking prices were at or very near the 'right price bearing in mind their condition and recent sales of similar items. They were intentionally priced 'to go-but they didn't 'go' -on here at any rate. In all cases any communication I received from members either on the sales thread or via email have resulted in either nothing or offers that were just too low. And after that experience I found myself able to sell the items elsewhere at or very near my asking price. This genuinely concerns me as having regarded the bbs as the best place to buy and sell shooting gear I am now fearful that this is no longer the case.
    Am I wrong or alone in my views here? I really do try and price everything accurately and rarely stubbornly stick to my asking price if it is unreasonable. Please note that I am not disputing the right of any member to ignore an offering from me but I do have quite a lot of experience in buying and selling on here and feel that I must be getting something badly wrong. To me there is no such thing as a 'silly offer'-there are only two types of offer-acceptable or unacceptable but my recent experiences have led me to think that I have lost my touch.
    How do others feel about this?.
    'It may be that your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others'.

  2. #2
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    Agree 100%
    Unless its something rare, people seem to want things for nothing.

  3. #3
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    Gentlemen s Corner or collectors

    Is also very slow on sales too, for example there is a very genuine Webley Service rifle for sale by a very reputable member for £400

    It would break into spares for more than that!

    One factor might be the relatively new Arms Fair that takes place 4 times a year at Kempton (other fairs are available ). Traders and private sellers alike reported record takings at the July fair, so maybe people are waiting for September....

  4. #4
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    don't think the time of the year helps, most people are on hols or have the kids off and have to entertain or find the cash for child care so cash is thin on the ground for toys.

  5. #5
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    Sales

    I think it's just the present climate. A lot of people don't have the disposable income so look for items as cheaply as possible. Myself I have to sell before I can buy. My rapid bits I had surplus went within a day or two. Had a scope on 3 sites now for over 3 weeks. Priced according to me asking for a fair valuation. Nothing happening. It's a buyers market and there are plenty of options out there. Possibly not the same quality on some items but the market is flooded with used air rifles and scopes. An item is worth what someone is willing to pay. I wouldn't let it put you off.

  6. #6
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    It seems to be the nature of forums- people want stuff for a song. It’s a shame really, as for the most I have found forums to be the safest place to buy and sell, assuming the person you are dealing with has a bit of posting history.

  7. #7
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    It's a mystery to me,I've bought several guns sight unseen from the sales section,and without exception they've all been better than the sellers described them.

    Or maybe my standards are just lower than theirs

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Newport, South Wales
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    It's actually worse than you think.

    I made some triggers that I priced at a low but still 'doable' price for me, they didn't sell.
    I then slashed the price in half, then they sold, but I was losing money!
    Once quite a few were out the door and people knew they were good, I put the price back to the 'doable' price, almost nothing again!
    I'm now giving up and will no longer make them or any other versions for any other guns, it's just not worth it.

    So in summary to the OP question, people want stuff for literally nothing, and if they can't have it for nothing, they will simply leave it there, even if it means the item or product will cease to exist! I really do think some people deeply resent others getting money for anything and will go out their way not to give it, even if it's a bargain. If bargain does not equal give away, it will not sell!

    I've found over the years that forums are the worst place to sell anything relating to the forum, guns on BBS, Trains on RMweb etc etc. BUT list it on Fleabay and BINGO, you get the proper value or close to it (forget the fees, buys don't factor that in!) The big problem here is you can't sell guns on Fleabay. You'd have thought the specialist forums would have been the best and safest place to sell our stuff, but no, they are the worst place to sell!!


  9. #9
    Join Date
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    I don't know about the pricing thing so much.
    What annoys me is folks going direct to pm without showing interest in post first.
    There is nothing worse than answering post and also doing the pm before going to work and coming home and logging on to find a sniedy/stealth buyer took the deal, even though I probably responded 1st.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BRYAN3 View Post
    I don't know about the pricing thing so much.
    What annoys me is folks going direct to pm without showing interest in post first.
    There is nothing worse than answering post and also doing the pm before going to work and coming home and logging on to find a sniedy/stealth buyer took the deal, even though I probably responded 1st.

    Absolutely agree, there should be some sort of PM block when it comes to 'for sale' adds. If you are the first to express an interest publicly, you should be first in line to buy!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BRYAN3 View Post
    I don't know about the pricing thing so much.
    What annoys me is folks going direct to pm without showing interest in post first.
    There is nothing worse than answering post and also doing the pm before going to work and coming home and logging on to find a sniedy/stealth buyer took the deal, even though I probably responded 1st.

    I agree - it has happened to me on more than one occasion.
    I always respond on the thread first and ask for payment details by pm.
    A courteous way to respond I think
    Nowhere to go ........in no hurry to get there; www.rivington-riflemen.uk----- well I suppose it is somewhere to go.... founded by I.J. - let down by the tainted blood scandal

  12. #12
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    Having been made redundent recently I have had to have a long hard look at what I have here and at the moment I am focusing on selling other junk and trying a couple of guns I have not had much interest in and one has sold but the junk is flying out the door so might just keep the guns and clear out some other stuff!

    I have seen the nice airsporter that has been up for ages and it looks really nice but no takers and a few months ago they would be up for a few hours before selling.


    i just hope things dont go down the breaking route if its a perfectly good rifle just to get shut of it.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by guy View Post
    don't think the time of the year helps, most people are on hols or have the kids off and have to entertain or find the cash for child care so cash is thin on the ground for toys.
    That was my thinking also...
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    You can hear an excuse not to buy something at every point in the year, I hear it all the time in my job.
    If somebody wants something, they will buy it no matter what time of the year.
    Those that have to pay for family hols and child care right now are probably not a customer for SH guns anyway.

  15. #15
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    I have a few thoughts about this;

    Most of us that have been on this forum for sometime remember the older bbs sales days where sales threads were on page 3 after 30 mins

    Sales were fast and frequent you had to be quick to say I’ll take it and there used to be loads of items floating around.

    I guess it was a sign of the times as more choice started to appear from the other outlets which started to gather momentum eg freeads, gunstar, guntrader, other shooting forums etc so we started to reach saturation point which in turn obviously predictably slowed the sales on the bbs.

    I don’t do Facebook but have heard there’s also dedicated sales sections on there so as above more choice perhaps.

    Another thought is maybe we are at a point where perhaps new shooters requiring used items just isn’t as popular as it once was

    I come from a motortrade background which is rife with going through sales slumps and seasonal sales etc

    Possibly the gun trade is starting to get more noticeable peaks and troughs perhaps.

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