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What happened to the secondary market?

pokadex_

It seems like the secondary/used market has really dipped lately. Good deals being left up for months with countless bumps or abandoned transactions. I made some purchases over the last couple of years to test the waters with things thinking I could resell them later and now I'm just collecting guns/accessories that I no longer want lol

My question for you, do you think this is a new trend that's sticking around or simply a temporary lull, and why?
 
pokadex_ said:
It seems like the secondary/used market has really dipped lately. Good deals being left up for months with countless bumps or abandoned transactions. I made some purchases over the last couple of years to test the waters with things thinking I could resell them later and now I'm just collecting guns/accessories that I no longer want lol

My question for you, do you think this is a new trend that's sticking around or simply a temporary lull, and why?
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Classified Sales Very Slow - Why Do You Think

For some time now sales have been very slow. I am sure it is the same on all forums, Gunbroker, EBay, etc. I assume that inflation has put the average person where it takes all their income for essentials and very little left over for pleasure and hobby spending. Reportedly consumer confidence...
forum.accurateshooter.com
 
Simple for me....just not shooting as much...mostly due to components. Either not available or just higher priced than I'm willing to spend....I love to shoot..but I'm not winning competitions or sponsored or bringing home checks. I got plenty of hobbies.


Same thing though...I'm sitting on stuff I'd love to sell but I know it'll sit or I'll have to take a big hit...I'm not hurting for cash so I'll sit on it.
 
The gun market was pretty hot a few years ago but has been slowly declining since the government has moved right.

I recently picked up a rifle at a steep discount but really have too many already :)
 
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I've noticed that the used gun market in the local gun and pawn shops has really dried up. When I ask I'm told that people are holding on to what they have. Good inventories on new firearms though. And I have observed that the "younger" crowd is more into semi-auto's (AR's, SKS, etc.) and have no interest whatsoever in anything with a wood stock and bolt rifles only if they come in a chassis.

I've just about quit going to the local gun shows since 90% of the vendors are selling AR or AR accessories.
 
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Yeah gun shows have parted ways with me. I'll go if I'm looking for
some type of equipment. Found an RCBS-JR3 (77) for $15 bucks.
Lately though, even the gun shows have dried up. Gun shows make
their money on the table or space rentals. Nobody is renting ??
 
ISS said:
Agreed.
It is funny/not funny how many people voted for Trump with his promise to trim government. And now, that he has started, everybody is howling that their tit on the welfare sow is drying up.
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That’s part of it. But, something to think about on a deeper level is that money is circular.

When a worker is removed from a job, their day to day expenses (day care, lunch, gas, clothing, snacks, vehicles, etc.) are removed from circulation. Disposable income is removed from circulation. The income that was spent that created taxes on goods and services is removed from (government coffers) circulation. Suppliers and vendors feel that pinch, workers feel that pinch, pretty soon the flow of money slows; and the more people notice it, the more likely they are to join in. Regardless of whether they experienced a layoff or firing themselves.

The less money circulating in an economy, the harder it is on everyone in the circle. People learn patience pretty quickly and sit tight.

That’s my take, anyway.
 
Fuj said:
Yeah gun shows have parted ways with me. I'll go if I'm looking for
some type of equipment. Found an RCBS-JR3 (77) for $15 bucks.
Lately though, even the gun shows have dried up. Gun shows make
their money on the table or space rentals. Nobody is renting ??
Click to expand...
A friend of mine that sets up told me that the table cost went up, and that anything above 5-600 bucks didn’t generate any interest or sales. This was a week ago.
 
Of course it is! I'm 71 and have way too many. I love em all but, starting to part ways. I've got one listed now and nothing! I'm not going to give it away, it's not costing me anything to keep it. I haven't bought powder or primers in 7 years. But, if I was just starting out, those costs would certainly be a consideration. When I'm dead, my collection will be the like the Mausers of days gone by.
 
ISS said:
Agreed.
It is funny/not funny how many people voted for Trump with his promise to trim government. And now, that he has started, everybody is howling that their tit on the welfare sow is drying up.
Click to expand...
Now you are hitting the nail on the head!!
 
If you take the same used Rem 700 that was sitting on the table in 2020 and was (not selling) at $750 and then say in 2025 it's worth $1200, then I would say that's the problem.

It was only worth $450 in 2020. It's still only worth $450 in 2025.

People are not making 150 percent more money in five years.
 
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Out of curiosity, I looked through the first five pages of the action and barrel classifieds and mostly what I saw was page after page of oddball stuff and crazy priced "collectables". It seems to me you have a lot of people clearing out their old gunsafe odds and ends. Probably looking for cash. It's not selling because no one wants that stuff.
 
Everybody but me I guess. I just traded into a Sedgeley Springfield action. Earlier this year I bought 200 new primed 35 Whelen cases here. I was going to do it on a 98 Commercial action I had listed here, but there was just something "wrong" about not using an American action for the build.
 
I think, like myself, a lot of the guys that were buyers and traders are getting a little older and starting to cut back and not buying as much unless needed.
As stated already, a lot of the younger crowd is not interested in a anything that is not "space aged looking" or the newest marketing ploy by Hornady.
Everything goes in cycles, things may turn around.
 
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