Selling guns at a gun show

duster68

I'm planning on attending the gun show this weekend in Las Vegas. It's my first one and I'm planning to sell several rifles that I no longer use. I'm not a dealer. How do I do this? Do I have to sign up for a table, or are those for dealers only? I only have five guns to sell. Should I just walk around with my guns and try to sell them? Should I wear a sign around my neck? At normal gun shows, what percentage of the people selling are non FFLs?

Thanks

ItGoBang

If I were you...... Try to find an FFL (dealer) that will be at the show, Have him sell the guns for you. and then he can do all the FED. checks, and 4473's....[:)]

It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

Life Member... N R A
American Legion, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, BSC, NASDS
Thanks for all the help!

SilverBox

In Nevada you can just walk around and sell them.

ItGoBang

If you have guns that are in YOUR name (4473) Then you should sell them with the help of a dealer. That way, It will get them out of your name, and it's all nice and legal [:)]

It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

Life Member... N R A
American Legion, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, BSC, NASDS
Thanks for all the help!

mark christian

Be sure to find out before hand if the show will allow you to walk around with a sign advertising you have guns for sale. I've been to a few locations where the folks who spent money on tables get very touchy about people wondering around with these signs and making deals right in front of (or on) the tables they've have paid for! Lots of locations won't allow you to make deals out in the parking lot either. Trust me, even without a sign, when the boys see you lugging around 5 rifles everyone will know that you are selling and they'll be asking you about the rifles so try to find a place in a public area inside the show to make your deals. I always suggest that you get a receipt and ID of some kind from the buyer if the guns you are selling were purchased by you through a FFL dealer. It never hurts to CYA in case things go very wrong and the worst happens. Otherwise enjoy yourself and be careful; when you sell your rifles and your wallet is fat with all that cash, you just might come across a firearm at the show that you suddenly discover you can't live without...it happens to everyone at some point in time!

Mark T. Christian

duster68

Thanks gentlemen for the quick replies. I phoned the folks organizing the event and she told me to just walk around with them. She said that people do indeed brings signs advertising what they have for sale. She also suggested that I do transfers through an FFLs. When I sell 'em, I want 'em out of my name.

Thanks

nmyers

It depends.

Are you a Nevada resident? Federal law states that you can sell a firearm to a resident of your state (in compliance with state & local law), or to an FFL in any state. So, if you are a California resident, you may not be able to do this. On the other hand, if you are a Nevada resident, you can sell to a nonlicensee who is also a Nevada resident if legal under state & local law.

Get your own table? Look at it from the perspective of the fellas with the bulge in the cheap suit: You've got a table, you have a bunch of guns for sale, & you don't have an FFL. That's a slam-dunk arrest & prosecution for "dealing without a license".

I no longer sell/trade guns to nonlicensees. I can't do an Insta-check, and I would sure hate to sell a gun to a convicted felon, and be responsible for what he does with it.

Most dealers aren't interested in putting your guns on their table without taking a really big bite, if at all. You'd be better off selling them on GB.

I've seen a couple dealers at shows recently who, for a fee, will run an Insta-check for you. I don't know if that service will be available at the LV show, but that would free you from having to worry about selling to a prohibited person.

Neal

ItGoBang

When you walk around selling guns at a gun show, Thats whats called The Gun Show Loop Hole.. This is the thing that the ANTI GUN people look for. In Minnesota, If a Private party, sells a HANDGUN or an "ASSAULT" type weapon, The person must have a state permit to buy a handgun. If you sell it to him and he does not have that, and comments a crime with the weapon.. You will be charged with a crime. I don't know what Duster68 is selling, could be a few old 410's or AK's... Just better to be safe than sorry [:)]

It will hurt you, More than it will hurt me..

Life Member... N R A
American Legion, MECU, MWCA, SMSC, BSC, NASDS
Thanks for all the help!

mark christian

duster, fast work on calling the promoter and now you have time to get your sign squared away. Tables are not just for dealers but as a private party a table in a bad location (the good spots are now long gone) will cost you several times the entry fee to the show. A table also locks you into your one specific area and you can't see the rest of the show. With a table you also need a partner; at some point during the day you'll have to use the john and someone has to be there to watch your rifles while you answer natures call. The price of the table also means you've paid for that 8 foot piece of wood for every minute that the show is open (including set up when the show is closed to the public). If you sell all five of your rifles on the first day then you've tossed away the money spent on the table for Sunday. You would also have to factor the cost of the table into the prices you'd want for your rifles, there by raising their prices and making them less attractive to potential buyers.

Get a nice sign made up listing what make and model of the rifle AND THE CALIBER. Some guys going to a show will purchase ANYTHING if they are just shopping for caliber and if he's looking for a .30-06 (or whatever you've got) let him know from 30 feet away that you have one for sale. Walk your rifles around the heavy traffic areas (you'll see them) and be sure to have a price in mind...but don't be afraid to bargan. Start out a LITTLE higher than the rifles may actually be worth-- this is almost expected and maybe someone will jump on them without haggling. If not, then let the buyer give you a price and go from there. Only you'll know what you've got invested in these guns and what you need to get out of them. I love gun shows but I HATE gun show "dealers" (I do not mean collectors) who simply use gun shows instead of opening up a store front. If I wanted to shop at a gun store run by a dealer I'd just walk into one. I want to find the private guys (walking around or at tables) who have the good guns and are willing to bargan. I love trying to strike a deal with another guy who knows his guns and really wants to sell-- not the "DISPLAY ONLY" types that you see all too often at shows. If you have five good rifles and your prices are fair then I am sure you'll walk out of the show with some cash in your pocket and nothing hanging from a sling on your shoulder.

Mark T. Christian

gruntled

I've sold quite a few guns at gun shows & almost all of them have been to dealers at the show. You don't usually have to ask as they see what you have & ask you if you are selling.
I always get some record of the sale & I have kept them all. In fact I kind of like to take personal checks for part of the money since they provide so much information. I would hate to have one bounce but that's only money & having a good record of to whom & when you sold could be much more important.

ericthered

I am with Mark on dealers.

I want to weigh in on this. I have had some real bad experiences with the tables at a gun show. Some of those guys will lie, cheat, and steal in order to get you to sell them your gun. It is a real eye opener. They will sell you a gun then laugh at you a month later if you try to sell it at anywhere near what they sold it to you for. SOME of these guys are lowlife dirtbags. It has caused me to wise up fast.

I took a GI carbine to a show. A table with several sellers asked me what I wanted , so I told them my price based on what was reasonable relative to the show.
They sat around and made fun of me and said my carbine was'nt worth anything. They said they could get them all day for 125.oo. So I told them I would like 10 or 12 if they would get them for me. That shut their big mouths up.

My two cents is to not even try to sell it to a table. They will want at least a 100 to 200 dollars break to make money. Your best bet, if you don't have access to a table yourself, is to just carry a sale sign and the rifles, with a friend to help. People will come up to you and you can negotiate. If the weapon is not in your name, you do not have to do paperwork (check laws in your area), and I don't because I hate the system. I don't buy many guns, and I don't use paperwork because I don't want someone like Janet Reno shooting me in the head while I'm asleep one night, just because I have a couple of guns. The lack of paperwork is a selling point. I would pay more to get a gun without paperwork myself. There are many people who just don't trust where the gvmnt. is going as it regards our rights.

Get your sale price from the tables. Look for your own guns and see what they are charging for them. Knock off about 15 to 20 percent to beat the best prices in the gun show.

This will mean that you will have to invest some time, and maybe several gun shows to make the sales.

As far as being concerned about the feelings of the tables, I would be a lot more concerned if I hadn't run into so many lowlifes. I do not use the dirty tactics they do. Since I don't deal in many guns or often, I look for a very specific pistol or rifle and don't try to cheat people. There is one guy who deserves a punch in the mouth for what he has said and done.

You can get a better price in general by online auction. It is a huge market place and you won't have to carry them around for show after show. Your price will probably be at least as good as a gun show price, selling to an individual. Again you need to research to set your minimum price and check your local laws. This is a good way to sell because the buyer pays fees and shipping.

Whatever you do, don't let anybody talk down your gun. You have to know its' worth before you do anything else. You also have to exercise some patience. The faster you try to sell, the lower you will have to sell.

Eric

thats'me

martzkj@msn.com

Most of the gun show I go to, the dealers love guys carrying guns to sell. They look at them as easy targets to get good deals from. So I wouldn't be worried about any dealers giving you a hard time. Second as far as transfer, do what is legal and what you feel comfortable with. Remember if the gun is not in your name than some one probably sold it to you without a transfer. Plus a lot of guy at shows are looking for deal or hard to find guns. Guys looking for deals won't want to pay another $20 bucks for a transfer unless you got a great deal. If you have hard to find guns they will be willing to do the tranfer just to get the gun. I personally would sell them here on the auction. Did you ever try to lug guns around all day trying to sell them, what a pain. Plus if you have a sign you will send a lot of time going in and out to show them. Just one more thing if you are taking people out to your car to show them guns and they don't buy them they may not be in your car when you come back. So I feel the sign is not such a great idea.