I just took my LaRue Stealth over to NFA to see what they would give me for it. It has a UBR stock, troy sights, Geissele hi-speed trigger, LaRue lower, ambi CH, a battle comp 2.0, etc... Not one scratch on it, and they offered me 525.00 for it...Holy Yoda. I knew going in I wouldn't get even close to full value for it, but the trigger and stock is worth that...I was completely insulted at their low ball offer.

I've never tried to sell a gun there but they've always been more than fair to me. Put it on GB. That's whT I do when I want to move something. I always get a good price there and the fees are reasonable.

I don't blame them.

Don't be insulted. They are in the business of making money and they would only pay you what they thought was good for them to be able to make a profit on... They have overhead, employees, etc...

Taking a gun to a gun store to sell is like trading in a car. You won't get anything near what it is worth. You're better off selling on your own on backpage.com. If you're hard up for cash, you should be able to sell it quickly if you list it at a low price and still get more than selling to a gun store or pawn shop.

Selling a gun at a gun store is like selling sports cards at a sports card store. You are not going to get anything near what it would retail for. You shouldn't take it personal. They probably offered you way more than a pawn shop would have.

What did you consider a fair offer?? What did you expect them to sell it for?? High end AR's are a tough sell on the secondary market.

Sell it private party. Probably the only way you will get anything close to what you want. You could also see if someone will sell it on consignment for you.

Yep, I echo what everyone else has said. I called them once about trading in a gun on a new glock le model, guy was totally honest with me and said "we won't be able to offer you much, honestly, your best bet to get the most out of it is to sell it yourself". When it comes to high end gear, the guy who is willing to drop lmt/dd/larue money is probably gonna have no problem dropping a few hundred more for brand new. Is what it is.

believe me guys, I was not expecting close to retail value for it, but that is a 2700.00 rifle(retail). I thought maybe,
1200 but not 525.00. I will just piece it out


original purchase prices
1200 upper
  250 lower
  279 trigger
  250 stock
  170 brake
  250 sights
    25 ergo grip
    25 bad lever
    30 enhanced pins
    44 Magpul rail covers
    45 WOA LPK
    40 UBR strike plate
    20 UBR enhanced shoulder pad
    79 ambi charging handle
2707 total

Yeah I think you'll have to part it out. Like I asked what do you expect them to sell it for in their store?? I think they would probably have trouble getting even 1500 but maybe I am way off base. It also loses a bit since you put it together vs a factory Larue Rifle.

It's pretty hard to sell something like that used unless someone who is knowledgeable comes in and really wants it. That would probably sit for quite a while.

just my $.02

you have to figure based on your math, their cost on it would be around $1200 and cut that by 50% gets you pretty damn close to the offer.

Its NEVER a good idea to outright sell to any store.  They will NEVER give you what you want.  Its just good business on their part.  Its not NFA, its anyone in the business generally speaking.

Again, just my $.02

How many rounds through it?
ETA: Barrel length? Pics, no not here on EE.

You went to a dealer and expected to get retail for a used gun. Lol.

If your looking for retail on used try backpage.
NFA has bought several used firearms off me for very fair price. Key word is used. Even never fired is used once it leaves the sellers shop fyi.

Go to a pawn shop and see what they offer.
I stand by the guys at NFA. They atually look up prices and give you what they can on all firearms they take in.

Also, are you aware of how soft the AR market is right now? Used AR's are not moving, unless they are dirt cheap in a brick and mortar retail store. A place here had a Bushmaster M4gery for $450 for over two weeks. It ended up selling for $400. Lots of these places are sitting on piles of AR's that they purchased for $600-$800, and have had them collecting dust priced between $900-$1200.

Once you start getting into higher end boutique AR's, they are even harder to move. Most consumers are not aware of Larue. They all know the lower end brands, but you have to realize that 95% of shooters are just dirt shooters, and don't want the Gucci gear.

I also missed the fact that it is a home build (Read stealth and brain said obr). Someone with premium money is not likely to spend it on a used home build. The shop I worked at wouldn't even buy home builds. Part it out, only real shot at even half your money back.

Done correctly a restored classic car can bring good money , but you have to take it to the right market, like Barrett Jackson or similar.
Even then , unless it is a very high end restoration ( not a resto-mod) you are lucky to break even.

However for a store to offer 25% , that is pretty lowball, but everyone knows that one should expect a lowball offer from a gun store. I am sure it wasn't personal, just business.

We all look for the lowest prices when shopping , so with that in mind , you can't expect to find the lowest selling price, and the highest buying price in the same place , that shop wouldn't stay in business long !

Sad but true. But if you keep it, its exactly what you wanted and that's the price.

You have a frankenbuild rifle and are expecting top dollar from a gunshop?  Lol.

Back in the mid-90's when I was a salesman at a Toyota dealership here in Las Vegas, NV. I noticed sellers would bring in a basic Ford or Chevy truck with big tires, a lift kit, roll bar, lights on the roof and other off road items. The dealership
would buy the truck at what ever the basic truck price was, and nothing for the added off road upgrades. Then, when they put the truck on the lot to resell, they included all the upgrades in the selling price and make a killing.

When you buy a basic AR-15 and add $2000 worth up upgrades, the same thing is going to happen when you try to pawn it or sell it to a local gun store. Best to part it out as you will get more for it in the long run.

Just my $.02 worth.

I also was a salesman at a Toyota dealership here in the 90's.

Which one did you work at?

Retail vs. Real World:

$1200 upper -- $400
$250 lower -- $50
$279 trigger -- $75
$250 stock -- $40
$170 brake -- $25
$250 sights -- Keep them
$25 ergo grip -- $0
$25 bad lever -- $0
$30 enhanced pins -- $0
$44 Magpul rail covers -- $0
$45 WOA LPK -- $0
$40 UBR strike plate -- $0
$20 UBR enhanced shoulder pad -- $0
$79 ambi charging handle -- $15

Sum:  $605, and the difference between my estimate and NFA is that they're a real FFL with a storefront that has to keep the lights on and pay/insure employees.

The enormous retail markup on individual AR components explains why there's hundreds of manufacturers in the game:  Costs dollars, potentially sells for thousands.

Likewise, the markup on pizza explains why there's dozens and dozens of little pizza joints in every single town all across the USA:  Costs pennies, potentially sells for dollars.

Now, if this was an Hk MR556 you owned instead of a componentized AR, it would have held much higher esteem.  You're also at the dead bottom of the market right now, as others have noted.

Best wishes to you, sir.  Sell something else.

I've never walked in to NFA looking for someone elses franken gun with some larue parts on it. Their offer reflects the customers like me they get walking in there.
I go in there to get brand new NFA parts because they are local and not priced like larue stuff.

The ar market is so soft right now joe fudd that doesn't know how to build an ar is going to go pick up an mp sport for $500 not a used tricked out thing they don't understand the value of. Anyone that wants a mostly larue gun is probably going to order it direct from larue or maybe pick up some parts from the ee here or maybe gunbroker.

I don't know wait till hilliary is president and you can probably get what you paid out of it but i can bet you the lgs who actually manufacturers ar parts would still give you that same lowball offer even in the great panic of 2016

If you think it is worth 2100 bucks I am sure the OP will make you a hell of a deal.

I'm sorry you felt "insulted" by the offer my staff gave you on your used homebuild AR you brought in.

I hope after reading all the pretty "spot on" replies in this thread, you have a better understanding of why you got that offer.  I also hope you know we're some of the friendliest guys around and we obviously did not mean to offend or upset you.


After reading all the replies, I really don't have anything to add.  They were all pretty accurate and I stand by the quote my staff provided.


Sorry again that you weren't happy with your experience, and hope there are no hard feelings.

perhaps you read something into what I posted that wasn't there. Perhaps read my last line again SLOWLY...twice

You said they offered 25% 525x4=2100

I'm glad Guido jumped in and posted. I also hope the OP realizes most of us are just trying to explain the market and not dogpile the OP.

Nope. I was here for the dogpile. Lol.

I want to add that on the subject of high end boutique ARs, those can be negatively 'unhanced' too:   I saw a guy at a show trying to sell an Hk MR762A1 with an alleged $500 Ceracote camo job 'done by the best guy in the business, who is also an Army special forces armorer', he claimed.

I suppose it was a good camo job, done with tape stripes and leaf stencils and what looked like a cheese grater in green and FDE/Coyote hues.  Dreadful 'Punisher' comic book character logo on the stock and everything. All I saw was a messed up high end Hk rifle.  

He was proudly asking $4000.   I thought it was worth about $1200 after he unimproved it with his own camo design.  Very disappointing, but at least he didn't look like he was starving.  

People do goofy things like take a new FNX-45 Tactical and put a homemade stippling job on the frame using thousands of tiny pinpoint soldering iron stabs, then they expect people not to treat their personalized F'ed the Hell up firearm like they're trying to sell/trade a half-eaten ham sandwich.   What you have there, sir, is now a $400 gun but I'm gonna offer you $350.

OP. Your rifle is obviously worth more then that. And if it's a factory built upper I don't get half these comments about being a frankin gun. To me a frankin gun is a complete build where joe bob bought a stripped upper and attached the barrel and every other part himself. Which is something I would personally only buy if it was like stupid cheap. With that being said, and nothing against NFA, why would you even consider offering it to them, or any other gun store or pawn shop?

It's common sense that all businesses like that equal low ball offers. I always laugh at the people that go on Pawn Stars then get offended by their lowball offers and walk. "The expert said it was worth $XXX and they would only offer me $X".

I hit a rough patch after college and was forced to sell 5 guns and a lot of gear online to keep afloat. And even in those hard times I was never tempted to even get a quote from a local gun shop or pawn shop. I threw everything up online, backpage, gunbroker, eBay, arms list, etc. As for the 5 guns, my biggest drop from what I paid for it to what I sold it for was $50.  And this was when Bush was still President. Pre any type of panic prices.

Can this thread die already.

I have a Colt, M4 made out of Unobtanium with obsolete coated parts that was given to me by a Navy SEAL, Ranger, Green Beret, Marine, Spec Ops guy and it is rare as FUCK.

I has been appraised for over a million bucks.

What can I get for it at NFA?

Guido?

Now that is hilarious .

I'll take it !

I'll go $526

Before I consider any offers I'm waiting to hear from Guido to see what type of offer he'll make me. I'm sure he knows how valuable rifles are that are made  out of Unobtanium.

I've seen rifles like mine go for such high-end prices on GunBroker.

If Guido can't give me what I want I'll never deal with him again and I'll just bring my rifle down to Rick Harrison at the pawn shop. At least there I know I'll get a fair price.

Also, Rick has a friend of his that he can call that knows EVERYTHING about Unobtanium.

Guido, it's your move, Bro.

You are correct , since he had $2700 in it , I should have put "offered him LESS than 25% " ...my math was off a tad. ($2700/4= $675)

Sorry, you're out of luck with Rick.  He doesn't have an FFL and your gun isn't old enough to be classified as an antique.  But I like you so I'm willing to make a deal.  I've also got a buddy that knows everything about Unobtanium.  Maybe you've seen his commercials for Nevada Gold and Coin.  He's got some awesome new gizmo for analyzing metals.  He'll be able to tell us exactly what your rifle is worth in scrap and I'll give you two cents on the dollar over that.  Come on, tell me you've had a better offer than that.

Joe, I'd pay extra to you just to listen to your bullshit and I could use a good laugh!  ;-)

 

There's a science to what we quote,,,,,,,,, for the record.  I'm an up front and honest business man and that's why I'm not scared to post this here.  99.9% of people that have dealt with me or my staff know me and I'm not out to screw anyone or try to get over on anyone.


1)  Go on GB and see what the exact or closest similar make, model, condition ACTUALLY SOLD FOR IN THE LAST 30 DAYS -- NOT what people have them listed for.  This is the largest firearms marketplace and the best judge of what people will pay.  If there's a hundred sold in the last 30 days, we take an average of that.  That will be the price we sell it for in our store.  We know we can move it at that price.  Its a better estimate than any book, price guide, list of that you have in it, etc.


2) We take that average number that we will sell the gun for retail and we deduct 30% and thats the number you'll get for trade/store credit.  We take that original number and deduct 60% and thats what you would get paid in cash.


Why the huge difference for cash you ask?  Remember, we are a business, we're not gun collectors out looking to stockpile firearms.


-- If we wanted that particular gun in stock you're trying to sell us, we would have went to a distro or mfg and bought that gun, or built it here in our shop.  We don't want it.  But if we are asked to buy it we will if it helps you out, but it will leave room for us to make money to pay our bills, and yes....that evil word "PROFIT" that I work my ass off 80 hour weeks to earn.



We always tell everyone, sell it online, you'll get more.  I can't pay retail for guns, or anywhere close to be honest.


In this particular case, again, I know that a lot were spent on accessories and add ons, but to be honest, I don't care.  Thats not my fault.  You built that rifle the way YOU wanted it.  Not the way I want, and maybe not the way my customers want it, so when they look at it, they may not associate any value to the accessories that are on it that they don't want, and I'll look at it the same way.


Hope this helps clear things up a bit.  And remember, as buyers in my store, the reason we have great prices on used guns all the time is because we don't pay too much for them when we buy them.

Guido,

I'm sure you know that I was merely jesting.

I owned my own car business for several years so I know what you are talking about and what you need to do to stay in business. Some people don't get that and they think that business owners are just trying to rip them off.

It's like building a custom car or a one-off motorcycle. You will never recoup your original investment or more often than not come close to breaking even.

I'm glad that you gave a detailed response so that not only the OP, but anyone else that reads this thread will understand your position as a businessman.

Please don't hold my sense of humor against me.

Your bud,

-Joe

Appreciate the candor. Not sure it is needed though. Your reputation as THE gun store in the Vegas Valley has been well earned. I'm a customer for life. The same could probably be said of the vast majority of us in the south. There are many other gun stores much closer to my house than you guys...