Posted: 1/7/2013 8:43:32 AM EDT
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Seriously, what is it with people?
I've got a firearm listed on armslist. An individual with a female name contacts me through a very male-named email address. English isn't the best. She wants me to come down to Racine in order to show her the gun and so she can test fire it.  Ok, first of all, it's completely too far away. Secondly, it's not a damn car, you don't get a test drive.
I politely decline. A day later, I get another email from the same address, this time from someone claiming they're a guy (still with no relation to the email name). He wants to come up to where I am to buy the gun, and that's a LONG drive by my calculations. 
I called him/her/it out on the shenanigans, and told them I would not be selling to them under any conditions now. What the hell was that? Straw purchase? Trying to set me up to rob me? |
I have no experience with armslist, but if it's anything like craigslist, I'll never try to sell anything there again. I've bought some good stuff on craigslist (boat, outboard, decoys) and been very happy with the deals & sellers... but all the assholes come out of the woodwork when selling something. 
I had some treestands on there back in September. I had a like new aluminum climber listed for $75 FIRM. I'm near Eagle River, and my add said so. One asshole offered me $50 but only if I'd meet him halfway to Wisconsin Rapids. WTF? Like I'm gonna cut my price by 1/3, then use up the other 2/3rds in gas, to save him the drive? I'd sell it for scrap aluminum first.
I've looked at ads on armslist, and for buying, I've seen some 'fair' deals, but all were too far away... and some rediculous asking prices too. The problem for me as a buyer, is by the time you make the drive unless it's local to me, even a 'fair' price becomes too high.
As for selling, no thanks, I'd never sell there. Especially when it's a firearm, and either you must drive to the seller, or (maybe worse) some stranger comes to where you live. |
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Where did you calculate him to be driving from?... Nigeria?
Type the email address into google once and see if something interesting comes up. Email addresses are free and plentiful so it's odd they are using the same one. I take it they are using hotmail, gmail, yahoo or something like that? If they sound shady and are looking to meet up in person, they they are either looking to rob you or are ATF agents. 
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Quoted:
Where did you calculate him to be driving from?... Nigeria? Type the email address into google once and see if something interesting comes up. Email addresses are free and plentiful so it's odd they are using the same one. I take it they are using hotmail, gmail, yahoo or something like that? If they sound shady and are looking to meet up in person, they they are either looking to rob you or are ATF agents. I would say more the grammar skills were lacking, not the english. I'm about a good 2 hours from Racine, not worth the drive for me. |
| I've bought, sold, and traded a few firearms on Armslist. I've had one or two replies that sounded pretty dubious but mostly I will get offers from lowballers or people wanting to trade their ATV, Bow, TV, etc. Eventually though the right person will reply to my ad and it all works out. |
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I have had great luck on Armslist with people in NY buying Preban stuff. I think I set things up in a way that helped me weed out less than serious buyers. The ones who bought quickly in turn bought more items I had that were not listed once I mentioned them to them.
My first goofy deal is also my last one, that figures. Sounds very similar to the OP's but not as shady, I just do not like where it went today so I am going to let it fizzle out. I see no benefit to dealing with people in Illinois, even the nice ones. Even at 400% markup, I am in no rush! To the OP I am in Racine, if my guy comes up from Chicago to buy from me here, maybe he will buy yours too? (that is a joke) |
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As for selling, no thanks, I'd never sell there. Especially when it's a firearm, and either you must drive to the seller, or (maybe worse) some stranger comes to where you live. I agree with that when it comes to guns and especially the last part no matter what kind of item you are selling. Big time. And as for Racine, it was made clear to me when I moved here it is Rah-cine, not Raycine. But yes from Milwaukee to Gary Indiana it is all Chit-cah-go. Can not move out of here fast enough. |
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Quoted:
I have had great luck on Armslist with people in NY buying Preban stuff. I think I set things up in a way that helped me weed out less than serious buyers. The ones who bought quickly in turn bought more items I had that were not listed once I mentioned them to them. My first goofy deal is also my last one, that figures. Sounds very similar to the OP's but not as shady, I just do not like where it went today so I am going to let it fizzle out. I see no benefit to dealing with people in Illinois, even the nice ones. Even at 400% markup, I am in no rush! To the OP I am in Racine, if my guy comes up from Chicago to buy from me here, maybe he will buy yours too? (that is a joke) Nah, I don't need Ram Emanuel thinking he's Bloomberg suddenly, and send CPD up my way in order to try to arrest me. 
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| I traded one gun (plus some cash) and sold one gun on Armslist. I also listed a couple other guns that didn't sell. On everyone I got some extreme low ball offers even after saying I didn't need to sell them and would not accept any low offers. I just ignored the low ball offers and the went away. The gun I sold outright the guy sent me an Email everyday starting at $200 less than I was asking. Everyday he upped his offer by $25 when he was $25 below what I was asking I agreed because I figured he worked hard enough at it. He met me at my house with the cash and as we talked we realized we had a mutual friend so he opened up to me that he low balls all kinds of stuff on Armslist and CL and can't believe how many people actually accpet these dirt cheap offers. |
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Quoted:
The gun I sold outright the guy sent me an Email everyday starting at $200 less than I was asking. Everyday he upped his offer by $25 That was kind of like a private one man auction, it took 7 days and you got your price. I admit I only did this for the money. Everything is selling for 3 to 4x what I have in it and I am only selling stuff I don't use or have way more than I need. I am not even buying anything BUT after I sell this saiga I may treat myslef to a Roni carbine conversion for a Glock. |
| I've only sold 1 rifle on armslist. Lots of lowball offer, that I can expect. IT's teh shitheads who say "I'll take it", then as you're working out a meet, they ask questions about the rifle that they should have asked before commiting to a deal. Then there are assholes who will agree to buy, set up a meet, and just before teh meet occurs, tell you that they want to wait on the buy, since they saw more rifles listed for sale. Then they have the nerve to call back and ask if you'll sell tehm your rifle now becasue their deal with that other guy fell through. |