My first Gun Auction

[Mosin-Me-Nagant]

I had the pleasure of heading to my first gun auction yesterday. It was surprising to say the least. I saw everything going for right around retail prices or higher. I thought auctions were where you went for deals? I saw a Mosin Nagant 91/30 hex receiver vanilla rifle go for $220. I saw about 5 more throughout the day go from $120 - $170. It just seems a bit high. The biggest shocker were 2 Henry Golden Boys in .22 that went for almost $600 each. I went to Dick's after to pick some ammo up and we saw the Henry's sitting there for $399 new. What am I missing?

 

[tatic05]

Just a shot in the dark but when were they made? I know some of the old 1866 models go for quite a bit.


Also is it yellow boy or golden boy? I have heard both, but not sure if it matters. Does one identify one model and another a different one?

 

[Rollerman]

Never been a fan of auctions.
In my mind you haggle the price of an item down....not the other way.

 

[dave29]

Every gun auction i have been too has been a joke.

Plain jane 870's selling for $300, Marlin model 60's for $150, and so on. Nothing special about the guns either, just plane jane stuff selling for more than you can go buy new for.

 

[Mosin-Me-Nagant]

Every gun auction i have been too has been a joke.

Plain jane 870's selling for $300, Marlin model 60's for $150, and so on. Nothing special about the guns either, just plane jane stuff selling for more than you can go buy new for.

EXACTLY! That answers the previous questions. The Mosin was a 1935 gun with nothing special. It was a hex izzy regular 91/30 that went for $220 and the Golden boy was NIB vanilla gun that went for 50% more. I was just curious of other peoples auction experience.

 

[vedearduff]

Just a shot in the dark but when were they made? I know some of the old 1866 models go for quite a bit.


Also is it yellow boy or golden boy? I have heard both, but not sure if it matters. Does one identify one model and another a different one?

The rifle in question is a modern made lever action from a company that owns the "Henry" trademark. Neither the company nor the rifle have other connection to the Henry "Yellow Boy" of the 1800's.

 

[gregkl]

Never been a fan of auctions.
In my mind you haggle the price of an item down....not the other way.

That would be a reverse auction and I have done those before, but not with guns. Though I would like to.

 

[daddymikey1975]

That would be a reverse auction and I have done those before, but not with guns. Though I would like to.

this type of auction typically happens w/ interest rates paid on property tax liens

 

[snorko]

Never been a fan of auctions.
In my mind you haggle the price of an item down....not the other way.

Called a Dutch Auction.

Auctions can be erratic. I enjoy them and you can find bargains. In the last few years, though, I think the number of first time buyers drawn has greatly increased. To them, it is a matter of just buying something and they may not have good info. I recently saw a stock standard Walther P22 sell for about $75 more than the local LGS sold it for.

I also went to another auction that was mostly high end shotguns. So the almost unfired S&W 10-5 taper barrel .38 with orig. box and all was a bargain for me well under $300.

 

[WebSnyper]

Also, if the auction had buyers' fees rather than sellers' fees, those folks may have been paying even more than what you saw the items go for in the auction.

Definitely not something I'd be interested in.

 

[onesurveyor]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't find a deal on a gun at a auction. I Like going to buy other stuff just not guns.

 

[octalman]

Suspect I was at the same auction. Prices were generally too high. At any auction, the idea is to get bidders fighting over an item. If you know true values and can avoid the frenzy, deals can sometimes be had. If the same auction, they are cashing in on the overall panic gun buying. Auctions are seldom the place for bargains.

 

[markiemark]

I think ill stick to the gun auctions online........havent been to one in person but after hearing this dont really want to.

 

[sepe]

I've done VERY well at some auctions and others have been total jokes. I like going but I don't like when they're very busy as most of the people in attendance smell worse than the worst gun show attendee. I've seen HiPoint pistols going for double retail but I've also seen L.C. Smith and Parker Bros field grade 12g SxS going for $500-600 (only a few times, usually they go for close to actual rate). My brother and I have done very well on ammo and accessories. You've just got to set limits and pay close attention to whats going on.

 

[cundiff5535]

I have been to 1 firearm auction... 3 weeks ago. In the 4 hours I was there, I saw one single deal (that I sadly wasn't part of). A brand new FHN 5/7 for $800.00... other than that, prices were sky high and people were seriously pretty redic across the board. I couldn't stand even being there any longer once back to back items sold as follows:

Bulk box of Federal .22LR ammo sold for $36.00... really? I can go to the store and get it for $22.00.

A box of 50 CCI Mini Mags $14.00... I almost fell over... and left right after that, along with about 10 others.

I'm not sure what the people were thinking or why the hell people were bidding on .22LR ammo like that but, I didn't think I was going to get the deal I was hoping for on a D.E .50 that was one of the last items up after seeing this so I left.

Waste of time, never again

 

[williamnewman1]

im the same , i have attended auctions , but its a waste of time , seem to always go for too much ............now that random yard sale on the other hand , sometimes deals to be found , but equally bad deals as well

 

[marcum man]

I was at a auction this past weekend and seen a henry golden boy 17 hmr go for $800.00 had to walk away after that.

 

[Gunaria]

The auctions that I steer clear of are ones that have ProxiBid/living internet bidding running concurrent with the live auction.

 

[BE Mike]

I have to jump on the pile. I went to one gun auction after I moved back to Indiana several years ago. Everything went for way too much. Gun shows are getting to be that way as well. I've bought some guns from my local small gun shops the past couple of years and have gotten better deals than either an auction or gun show.

 

[LarryHoosier]

Nothing wrong with auctions, firearms or otherwise. I have gone to many and purchased at a few. I like Cowan's firearms auctions in Cincy and the Rock Island auction in Ill. If a gun goes too high it just means someone wanted it more than you, maybe for reasons that you may not understand. The bottom line is that if you want some item all you have to do is outlast the competition. What I like at firearms auctions is the fact that dealers will only bid 1/2 of a gun's value and then stop, from there it is just you and anyone else who just has to have the item! Auctions are the free enterprise system alive and well. Now, it you go to auctions expecting bargains on everything I fear you will be disappointed. There are always bargains to be had, but maybe not on what you would want. The real jewels in my collection came by way of auction but I wouldn't claim they were bargains except to me.