| In the world of gun collecting, one of the best ways to acquire new firearms is to visit gun auctions. You can find all sorts of deals, from rare old rifles or shotguns to especially good prices on modern handguns or bulk ammunition crates if you shop at the best gun auctions. The hard part, of course, is finding out where and when these auctions are taking place so that you can visit them and shop for new additions to your own firearm collection.
The simplest way to find out about the best gun auctions in your area is to get to know some of the people who might be involved or interested. If you have any pawn shops or other stores that sell guns and ammunition, talk to the people working the gun counters. They’re hired based on their knowledge of firearms, so it’s a good bet that they know the gun industry. Also, as retailers, they may be specifically alerted of upcoming gun auctions and shows. Ask them; if they know of one coming up, they’ll tell you about it.
Also, if you have any friends that collect guns or who hunt, let them know that you’d be interested in a gun auction should one come up. Much of the publicity for these events travels through word of mouth, so if you let people know you’re interested, you’ll likely hear about a gun auction should one be scheduled near your area.
One option many people don’t immediately think of is the Internet. While firearm dealing online can be legally tricky – eBay, for example, doesn’t deal in firearms for this very reason – the Internet can still be an invaluable tool when finding gun auctions or looking for new firearms to add to your gun collection. Some websites actually serve as auctions themselves, usually working through a third party (like an FFL holder network, for instance) to make sure all of their dealings are completely legal. It’s worth a shot – just type in “gun auction” in your favorite web search engine and browse through the results that come up.
Gun auctions are also useful if you want to sell a firearm. Again, the Internet can be a useful tool here. Most gun auction sites also allow users to sell their firearms, as long as they are already legal gun owners (if you were under 21, for instance, you couldn’t sell a handgun). So if you’re thinking of switching from a rifle collection into the world of handguns but can’t cover the ticket price, you could sell some of your rifles for a good price at an auction and use the proceeds to invest in a few good handguns and some ammunition.
There are few better places to look right up front than your local classified ads. Get a hold of some newspapers from towns within an hour’s drive of your home and look through the classified ads under firearms. Many times the weapons sold in the newspaper are being sold simply to get rid of them and not so much just for a profit. This is a double-edged sword – the guns sold in the papers are often much cheaper than those you might find at a store or at a gun auction, but they also may not be as high quality. Remember, private owners have no real compunction to sell you a good gun and may not accept refunds if you’re not satisfied. Make sure to examine a firearm carefully before paying for it – you may even, if the owner allows, want to test-fire a few rounds. If you do your homework and know your market, though, you should be able to buy and sell quite effectively in the world of gun auctions. |
GUN COLLECTING
