Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Read All The Replies To This Thread. Readers Have Added More Good Tips Beyond What Is Here In The Initial Post. 1. Before you ever list your item(s) do your research. Know what the same item sells for new and used (if possible). Go to the company's website that you bought it from & see what their MSRP is. If it's a gun check the several gun sales websites. That way you'll have a pretty good idea what to ask. Buyers; same thing. Do your research. That way you'll have an idea of what you should pay. Don't insult a seller by low balling him. If you want something and don't have the money, cowboy up & move on instead of trying to get the seller to sell it to you for far less than it's worth or what he has invested in it. 2. Sellers take pics of the items you want to sell and upload them to one of the free photo storage websites such as Photobucket. Then copy and paste the direct link to your listing here in the Classifieds. It's so easy a 3 year old can do it. Just follow the instructions. That way you won't have endless people emailing and asking for pics. They won't have to wait for you to come on line and read the replies to your thread or your PMs and then for you to take & send the pics and you won't have to wait for them to check their email and look at the photos. You just might make a faster sale or a potential customer may decide they don't really want that shirt or hat etc and you won't waste their time and they won't waste yours. 3. Everyone, know the cost of shipping & insurance. Along with everything else, the cost of shipping has gone up. You can mail a shirt or neckerchief or a pair of spurs for around $5 Priority Mail. But a gun is going to be a lot more to ship, especially if going by FedEx or UPS overnight. If the recipient lives aways off the beaten path UPS and FedEx will charge you an expensive fuel surcharge. I sent a package once to a leather maker in a small town in northern CA and UPS hit me with about a $15 surcharge above the regular shipping rate for a package of that size & weight. I shipped two guns today @ a cost of $35ea. Two years ago I could have sent those guns for $20ea. 4. Everyone, answer emails or PMs promptly. Don't leave the other guy hanging. If you have something for sale and can't be @ home or work to answer inquiries don't post it until you can be. IE; You're going to a state or regional shoot and leaving home on Wed. a.m. and won't be back till Sun. p.m. wait till Sunday or Monday morning to post it. Buyers, if you have emailed back and forth with the seller and then decide that you don't want the item, have the common courtesy to tell the seller. Don't leave them wondering. 5. Remember condition is everything whether it's guns, hats, boots, cars or watches. The better the condition the more an item is worth and vice versa. 6. Shoppers, read and reread the listing and then read it one more time. Had a fellow email me countless questions (to the point of exasperation) on an item I had for sale and the answer to every question he asked save one was already in the listing. 7. Shoppers don't email or PM back & forth on an item that you don't have the money to buy. It's a waste of your time and the sellers. If you really want the money but just short of funds for the moment ask about sort of a lay-a-way. Can't hurt and worst the seller can say is no. I sold a wire pard a custom made Bowie knife & scabbard one time with $100 down & balance due in 90 days (his request, not mine) with the understanding that if he didn't finish paying for it on time he lost the knife and whatever money he'd already paid. He paid for it in a month and he and I were both happy. Don't know that I'd have held him to it if he had some legitimate emergency occur that he couldn't pay for it on time. 8. Sellers you don't have to list each item you have for sale in seperate threads. You can put them all in one if you want to. I saw about 6 - 7 items for sale by the same seller and each one was listed in a different thread. Don't know if that's good or bad though. 9. If you're looking for an item that is rare, out of production, or difficult to find, & you see one FS here or elsewhere online at what is a reasonable price you better jump on it as you can bet the ranch that others are looking for one too. If you snooze you lose. 10. This is probably one of the most important. Prior to WWII many deals were contracted by a hand shake. A man's word was as good as his bond. There were far fewer written contracts than today. If he said he was going to do something, nothing would prevent him from keeping his word. This was especially true in the American west. If you tell someone you're going to ship the goods they've purchased from you, or your going to send the funds to pay for an item you've purchased, on a certain day then do it come hell or high water. Be a man of your word. That's the "cowboy way". Nothing's worse than getting the reputation of a liar. Nobody will want to do business with you because you can't be trusted to keep your word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Hand Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Also helps if the seller has his location listed either in his profile or the ad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 One thing I've learnedabout auctions in general: be very explicit about anything that's wrong with what you're selling. It's counter-intuitive in a way, but the more open you are, the easier time you'll have selling it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Check with your CFO ( significant other), Before comitting to purchase...... If your dog may need an operation or your transmission is acting up, best to hold off.....or as I have been guilty of,don't make one deal dependant on another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BONEYARD BILL, SASS #39,030 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Great thread. Sellers - I would like to add a little about PayPal. If you receive funds using PayPal - it costs you 2.9% of the purchase price plus 30 cents per transaction. So - most of the pards here on SASS wire prefer a check (I do, anyway). Sellers - have the items ready to ship the day you receive the funds. I have it all boxed up - taped - and ready to go. I try to ship that day - or the next day at the latest. Let the Buyer know that you received the $ and when you will be shipping it. Do this either by email or PM. Buyers - get the money to the Seller ASAP. We get nervous when 7 - 10 days click by and we haven't seen the $ - or heard from you. To me - COMMUNICATION is very important. If you keep each other informed - you will have a smooth transaction EVERY TIME. - Boneyard Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerpjr Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 How about not hijacking someone else's post by replying to their post and offering your item for sale as an alternative! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Would like to see sellers with multiple items in a ad go to the O.P. and edit it to show sold items after they are spoken for. Or delete the items from the ad. Hate reading down thru a long column of replys to find which things are already sold. Good thread , Col. Riddles. Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 How about not hijacking someone else's post by replying to their post and offering your item for sale as an alternative! Or just posting that the item for sale is c**p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCandless Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If the seller posts 'plus shipping '... ask them how much THEY are going to charge. I bought an item that could fit in a USPS small flat rate box. $6.00 Instead, the seller went to a UPS package store and had them ship it. Cost him $20. I paid him what it cost him, but it taught me to ask first!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Brasse, SASS #3562 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Sellers: Get delivery confirmation for things you're shipping out. Some buyers get real "intense" waiting for their goods to show up. Pack like it is going to the Amazon by mule. No one likes their goods bunged-up. If something is damaged & the shipper thinks you didn't package it properly they will not cover it even if you have insured it. Buyers: If you get a damaged package, keep the packaging, if you do not have the original packaging the shipper will not cover any damages. If you are concerned about how long it may take to get your goods, ask the seller how he is shipping. Parcel post takes longer than Priority Mail. On small items there may not be much difference but a 40lb box going cross-country will have a large spread on the pricing. Communication makes the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 How about not hijacking someone else's post by replying to their post and offering your item for sale as an alternative! Anybody who does something that low down ought to be banned from the Classifieds for a year. That is NOT the cowboy way. Or just posting that the item for sale is c**p. Same reply as above, or keep your comments off wire or to yourself. Good tips. Keep em coming. As I understand it Parcel Post is the cheapest way to mail because it goes space available on the truck. If there's room on the truck for the package after all other mail has been loaded, it goes. If not, it waits for the next truck, or the next, or the next. I've also been told by postal workers that PP can take two weeks or more to reach its' destination. I will never use PP w/o asking the recipient if they mind. It will save them money but it will take longer to get the pkg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavedog Calhound, SASS #21012 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Add "SOLD" or "SPF" to the title of the post. When you go to an add and read through ten replies to find the last reply is an "I'll Take It" or "Sold", it is a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Cherokee, SASS#48332 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 A couple of years ago I sold a fellow a rifle in the classifieds..We agreed he send me the $$ first, then I would have my FFL dealer send the rifle to his FFL guy. I packed the rifle in the original box, and left it with my FFL guy.. Some time passed, and I get an email from the buyer, rather upset..He had not got the rifle, and was understandably beginning to think he had been ripped off..I drove over to my FFL guy, and the dang rifle was still sitting in his store! They explained to me that they couldn't ship it until they could find an "unmarked" box to ship it in..I went down the street and bought a roll of packing tape, went back and covered the box with it, and they sent it on to the buyer's dealer, where it arrived in good shape. So it's probably a good idea to check with the FFL dealer to make sure it's packed proper, and make sure they actually send the thing out..Never assume anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe LaFives #5481 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 If you say "I'll take it" don't leave the seller hanging "pay up". (Only had this happen once on this wire but it was recent.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 If you say "I'll take it" don't leave the seller hanging "pay up". (Only had this happen once on this wire but it was recent.) Don't say "I'll take it," then try to talk the seller into trading or bargaining, or otherwise giving it to you on terms that weren't made clear beforehand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olen Rugged Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Since you are buying/selling on the Internet, use every available convenience of the Internet to speed up your transaction. Buyer/seller: Have your home town and SASS # in your SASS Wire profile. Buyer/seller: Include your home address and all of the phone numbers you use in your communications. Buyer: Get a PDF copy of the FFL you will be using. Include it as an attachment with your email to the seller. Buyer/Seller: Use electronic payments when possible. Check with your bank or credit union about their "Internet banking" options or other transfers. You can use PayPal if you are discrete but don't risk a gun purchase on PayPal. If electronic payments are not an option consider using/accepting cashiers checks or certified funds especially when the transaction is over $1,000 (the largest denomination in Postal MO). Buyer/seller: Use delivery confirmation on all correspondence. Eighty cents is cheap for the peace of mind you get from being able to track that check or package to its destination. As a buyer, be willing to pay for the upgrade to next day air or other express services, especially on high value items. As a seller, be willing to use any requested delivery methods. Olen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Hoss Fly #63711 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 btt When you figger out a way to keep all the ding dam folks just here just makin a buck post that tip too-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 Well Boss I reckon we're always gonna have a few join SASS just so they can sell in the Classifieds but I don't know how we can root em out. Black Harris did put a stop to guests sellin here after a few pards got ripped off by non members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Howdy Col. Fer yer next trick lets see if you can herd a hunnert head of cats.... Best CR ps my best tip is to take the stock offn yer rifle and wrap the stock and barreled action in bubblewrap then box em up in a short box and ship. I had about the prettiest buttstock I ever saw snapped by them dang ups guys. The replacement was plain plain plain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Henry, SASS #20616 Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 When it comes to putting pictures in Photobucket, put them in an album that can be accessed by clicking on a single link. I find it really annoying when someone has 10-12 links in their ad and I have to click on each one to see one picture. Regards, TJH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex M Rugers #6621 Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 When it comes to putting pictures in Photobucket, put them in an album that can be accessed by clicking on a single link. I find it really annoying when someone has 10-12 links in their ad and I have to click on each one to see one picture. Regards, TJH That is a good plan , Jim , but Pesonally I am not sure how to do it. Would if I could. Techno-challenged , Rex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Beady Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 That is a good plan , Jim , but Pesonally I am not sure how to do it. Would if I could. Techno-challenged , Rex It's easy. Just put them all in a single album or sub-album called "Guns for Sale." That way, the buyer gets to see all your pics with a single click, and he also sees all the other guns/stuff you're selling and might get a yen for something he didn't know he wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 How about, if your guns have been worked on, name the smith. If I was gonna sell any of my 92s, I'd mention that Steve Young worked on 'em. If I was wantin' to sell my Bisleys that had been converted to a 4-click action, part of the ad would say "Wes Flowers". "Action job" or "action smoothed" don't tell me nothing. "Prominent gunsmith" don't tell me nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonoma Mike,SASS#1040L Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Check on your end as the buyer and know all the fees your FFL dealer is going to charge you. I recently thought of purchasing a firearm from a guy on the wire. I had not contacted him, but called my gun dealer. He wanted $160.00 + sales tax to do the transfer. The cost would be the same or more than a new one. So my good deal on a used gun became not so good. Glad I checked first. I would have hated to tell someone I was going to buy it and then back out because of the fees on my end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bama Red Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 My biggest pet peeve is low quality photos. Take your item for sale outside on a sunny day and take good photos. Check the photos for clarity and focus before you post them online. A lot of times, your handy dandy cell phone camera is not your best choice if you really want good pictures of your items for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 BR, you don't have to wait for a bright sunny day to take good pictures. I have a Trademark Global 72-0820 Sunlight adjustable Floor Lamp that puts out 150 watts of simulated sunlight. You can place your item on a table or floor and put the lamp over it or if clothing, hang it on the back of a door and aim the head of the lamp at it. I took this photo using the lamp. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v371/sixguncowboy/CimSheriff001.jpg You can buy one here for $33.95 if you can't find one locally. http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Global-72-0820-Sunlight-Floor/dp/B003T5KIL4/ref=sr_1_1?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1336936821&sr=1-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Since you are buying/selling on the Internet, use every available convenience of the Internet to speed up your transaction. Buyer/seller: Have your home town and SASS # in your SASS Wire profile. Buyer/seller: Include your home address and all of the phone numbers you use in your communications. Buyer: Get a PDF copy of the FFL you will be using. Include it as an attachment with your email to the seller. Buyer/Seller: Use electronic payments when possible. Check with your bank or credit union about their "Internet banking" options or other transfers. You can use PayPal if you are discrete but don't risk a gun purchase on PayPal. If electronic payments are not an option consider using/accepting cashiers checks or certified funds especially when the transaction is over $1,000 (the largest denomination in Postal MO). Buyer/seller: Use delivery confirmation on all correspondence. Eighty cents is cheap for the peace of mind you get from being able to track that check or package to its destination. As a buyer, be willing to pay for the upgrade to next day air or other express services, especially on high value items. As a seller, be willing to use any requested delivery methods. Olen My FFL will not provide a copy of his FFL or even his FFL number, but will give out what is necessary to check he has one on the BATFE Website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 My FFL will not provide a copy of his FFL or even his FFL number, but will give out what is necessary to check he has one on the BATFE Website. A few dealers are somewhat overly cautious because they've probably been burned by a trusted customer or so called friend who used a copy he intrusted them with to buy guns from other dealers w/o taking them to him and let him log the gun in his bound book and do the proper paper work. But all he has to do is write "File Copy Only" across the front of his FFL copy in large letters. Then it can only be used for a transfer to him and not for sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Morningwood Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Sellers should calculate shipping and insurance to farthest point from where they live in Lower 48 (Buyers expect to pay more for HI or AK) and include in "Shipped for" price. Buyers should be expected to pay for secure, insured shipping. They should not expect seller to practically give some items away due to excessive shipping. You pay for shipping when you buy other stuff online. Afterall, the Classifieds is for good used, stuff at good prices. It is not a Yard Sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 Sellers should calculate shipping and insurance to farthest point from where they live in Lower 48 (Buyers expect to pay more for HI or AK) and include in "Shipped for" price. Buyers should be expected to pay for secure, insured shipping. They should not expect seller to practically give some items away due to excessive shipping. You pay for shipping when you buy other stuff on line. After all, the Classifieds is for good used, stuff at good prices. It is not a Yard Sale. Amen to that Dusty! I have a gun up for sale that is in excellent shape and priced well below the cost of a new one. I have my dealer take pistols to the PO for me because he can ship them a little cheaper for me. But I still have to pay him a small fee. He has to take time out of his busy day to take them to the PO & he deserves a little for his time & effort. I have been insulted by people low balling me. I'm not in the gun selling business anymore and I'm not in the habit of giving guns away. I take darned good care of anything I own, including my guns & I offer them at a fair price and I pay the shipping. But I'll take a torch and cut them up & throw em in the dumpster before I'll sell em for some ridiculously low price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 8. Sellers you don't have to list each item you have for sale in seperate threads. You can put them all in one if you want to. I saw about 6 - 7 items for sale by the same seller and each one was listed in a different thread. Don't know if that's good or bad though. I've had different experiences with this one. In combo ads I get less response for the individual items. I also get lowballs of all lowballs on the entire lot thinking I'm in need of paying rent or buying my kids their only pair of shoes. (Ie. NOT the cowboy way). Listed separately the buyers don't have to click on the ad and read through it to only find out there's nothing that interests him/her. They know right off because it's in the title so they will click on it and will read your ad and maybe give serious thought to buying. I've had combo ads go for months before selling a good chunk of what I had to sell, whereas the last time when I listed individually I had everything sold in 48 hours. That's a BIG difference. In those ads I did mention that I had several other items listed for sale and if they wanted to buy a few items I could cut the shipping costs a bit. Smithy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sas Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 btt Great posts all! I'm really impressed with the responses and the thought that has gone into each. Being a newbie, I really appreciate the post that requests an honest description of the condition of the item(s) for sale. I encourage the seller to be truthful and not allow the buyer (me) to find out the hard way that screws are stripped or cross threaded and that the bolt marks are really gouges. Now I always ask questions to the seller to verify condition 'on line' in order to have record for all to see. If the seller refuses to answer, I immediately quit dealing. Burned once allows me to not be burned twice. Fair play for one results in fair play for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too Tall Bob Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 If you have a list of items, annotate each as "SOLD" after folks commit to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 If you have a list of items, annotate each as "SOLD" after folks commit to them. I've failed in this area before and recently. Had an ad for a SBH Bisley hunter with ad's on a few sights (not even a nibble). Ended up selling it on GunBroker.com and got my full price. By that time I'd lost the ad here and couldn't for the life of me find it. So I guess it really doesn't matter if it got updated or not. Smithy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coconino Pistolero, SASS # 72432 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 I thought btt meant bacon, tomato, and tobasco, which is an excellent sandwich by the way. Glad to see the shipping suggestions, that is the way I ship the goods. Also, be patient when things do not appear to be going smooth. Unless your in constant telephone communications with the pard at the other end you do not know what may be delaying their shipment/payment. Shinola happens. I have had complete satisfaction with all the pards I have dealt with on the Wire both as buyer and seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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