First time at a firearms auction

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A little backstory, I just got paid out on some rather grueling contract work I did roughly 5 years ago, and since it was so gruelling and I honestly wasn't expecting to get this money ever, the wife and I decided that using half of it for fun money would be a good idea. I've never been to an auction before but I've rather enjoyed watching things like storage wars on tv so I decided that I'd go to an auction and have the paddle raising experience.

I'm going this Sunday. About 1200 dollars of fun to spend. I'm looking for a shooter or two mostly for the range but if it can be used in home defense that is preferred. Collectablity is a detriment to me because I am not a gentle person by nature and like I said I'm looking to shoot not store and I plan on owning till either the guns break or I do. Either way not looking to flip/profit.

Here are a few of the listings I'm looking at:

Russian – Mod. SKS – 7.62x39 Cal. Semi-Auto Rifle – w/20” Barrel w/Sights – Blued Finish – w/Pistol Grip Wood Stocks – w/Folding Blade Bayonet

Winchester – Mod. 94 – Bicentennial ’76 Commemorative – 30-30 Win. Cal. Lever Action Rifle – w/20” Barrel w/Rifle Sights – Blued Finish – w/Straight Grip Checkered Highly Figured Wood Stock – NIB w/Hang Tag, Manuals, Etc.

Savage – Mod. 170 – 30-30 Cal. Pump Action Rifle – w/22” Barrel w/Rifle Sights – Blued Finish – w/Pistol Grip Checkered Wood Stock – w/Sling – w/Original Manual

Remington – Mod. 700 ADL – 7mm-08 Cal. Bolt Action Rifle – w/20” Barrel w/Sights – Matte Blued Finish – w/Checkered Pistol Grip Black Synthetic Stock – As New w/Box & Accessories

Marlin – Mod. 336 RC – 30-30 Win. Cal. Lever Action Rifle – w/20” Barrel w/Sights – Blued Finish – w/Straight Grip Wood Stocks – w/Full Length Tubular Magazine

Spanish – Mod. 1916 Mauser – 7x57mm Cal. Bolt Action Rifle – w/21 ½” Barrel w/Sights – Black Finish – w/Straight Grip Wood Stock – w/Sling Swivels

Any tips on how to win one or more of these?

Given the market any thoughts on what kind of 2021 mark up I should expect?

For instance based on my research the sks ranges from 350 to 650 normally, should I be expecting more like 500 to 1000?

Think it will matter with the bolt guns? I think I'd really enjoy the spanish mauser but I dont want to pay a ridiculous price. And if you have any general auction wisdom to share I'm all ears.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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I buy lots of rifles at auction (though online auctions, sitting in a building all day watching endless lots I don't care about sounds horrible). The price is always going to depend on who is there (or who is online) and what they want to spend on the things they want. Usually the prices in a real auction are better than the prices you'd see on places like gunbroker or in a gun shop, do remember the house fee though, it can be anywhere from 5-25% of the hammer price, and keep that in mind with what you think your max is for each item.

I bid online so I tend to try not to actually watch the items unless I'm highly interested. I like to figure out how much I'd actually like to spend on a couple things max and put that in (and usually hope I lose most of them), if there are things I'm just meh about I tend to not prebid and wait to see if I manage to catch them the day of, its not a huge loss if I miss them and I don't end up winning 10 things I didn't need and end up spending more than I wanted to that way. This shouldn't be a huge deal in a live auction since you won't be prebidding. The biggest thing is to research the item before hand (you should have plenty time since you'll be sitting forever between items) and figure out how much its worth to you. I use a copy of the Blue Book of Guns for researching price, as well as gunbroker completed listings, once you have a limit (keeping in mind the fees) just don't get emotional and go past that. If you can look at the items in person so much the better, get a good idea of condition and take that into consideration.

As for the guns I think they should all be in your budget. Lever actions aren't really my forte so I don't know much about the prices but the more modern they are the less they tend to shoot past the $1k mark. The two milsurps I'd guess to be in the $500-$700 range, with the mauser probably going for less than the Ruskie SKS.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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In-person auctions are almost the same as on-line auctions. KNOW YOUR LIMIT AND DO NOT GO BEYOND IT!
There are good auctioneers and shitty ones. A good one can start a low price and run it up. A shitty will start by saying say "I've got this SKS. Who'll give me a $1500 for it?" Then he wastes time backing down the opening to, say, $300 and THEN people start bidding! (I pulling numbers out of my butt, of course, but I've seen them start at too high a number. It's a shitty technique.) I've never been to a gun auction but I've been to estate auctions, police auctions, art auctions, farm auctions, etc, enough times. Just know your limit and don't get SO determined to "win" that you spend 'way too much, much more than you can afford or are comfortable with.
Remember: Losing an auction on an item costs you NOTHING!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Thank you for the advice, I had not even considered the auctioneer starting high and working backwards. Based on the website the mark up is around 10%(13% if I use a card) plus additional fees if I need to have items shipped (which will depend on if the background check system is efficient that day so probably another 75 bucks for a transfer fee)

My limit is the 1200 mentioned above but I guess a per item limit makes sense. I figured I'd bring cash and just have cash on hand as my limit. Normally, having the Bill's in hand makes me hyper aware of how much I am spending and how much I will have left.

I've been debating a blue book of guns, prices this year always seem alot higher than what people say are "normal" when I look at the online stuff (gunbroker).

The range on the milsurps is very helpful! I was thinking the mauser would be closer to 250 since from what I've seen online the spanish masters as a small ring mauser that did not play a part in any of the world wars are less desirable.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:30 pm I've been debating a blue book of guns, prices this year always seem alot higher than what people say are "normal" when I look at the online stuff (gunbroker).
I find it useful to define a 'sane' price for the piece I'm looking at. This is where I'm happy that I'm bidding from home and I don't feel like my day has been wasted if I don't come home with anything. Generally I'd say that I haven't seen the pandemic/election pricing striking milsurps or lever actions much. Nobody's that afraid that they're going to get banned.
The range on the milsurps is very helpful! I was thinking the mauser would be closer to 250 since from what I've seen online the spanish masters as a small ring mauser that did not play a part in any of the world wars are less desirable.
Yeah, as long as you don't have that one guy who is looking for a spanish mauser it should go for a reasonable amount. This is where that blue book would come in handy.

Another thing to make sure to watch out for (not really for anything you have listed though) is mags. Always be careful to check if the gun you're bidding on has a mag and if not how much a replacement mag costs. I bought an Ljungman earlier this year without a mag, it went for $300 less than the one with a mag because there are barely any out there (they weren't meant to be removed from the rifle except for cleaning). Luckily you can tweak reproduction Hakim mags so I ended up saving $300 on the rifle.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:30 pm Thank you for the advice, I had not even considered the auctioneer starting high and working backwards.
Those assholes are generally ineffective and annoying as hell. For the seller, these idiots cost them money, for the bidders, they waste time and slow the auction down as you wait, and wait, and wait for the REAL bidding to start.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Just looked up my Blue Book, the SKS entry wasn't that valuable, it felt out of date pricing all the Russian, Yugos and Romanian SKS at the same point and maxing them (100% condition) at ~$500, I'd expect that much for a fairly worn Russian one, and a 100% Yugo to be right around there.

The 1916 Spanish Mauser felt more correct with a 100% example being around $600 and going down from there.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:54 pm
Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:30 pm Thank you for the advice, I had not even considered the auctioneer starting high and working backwards.
Those assholes are generally ineffective and annoying as hell. For the seller, these idiots cost them money, for the bidders, they waste time and slow the auction down as you wait, and wait, and wait for the REAL bidding to start.
For what its worth the reviews for the auction house seem positive so hopefully that wont be an issue.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:24 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:54 pm
Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:30 pm Thank you for the advice, I had not even considered the auctioneer starting high and working backwards.
Those assholes are generally ineffective and annoying as hell. For the seller, these idiots cost them money, for the bidders, they waste time and slow the auction down as you wait, and wait, and wait for the REAL bidding to start.
For what its worth the reviews for the auction house seem positive so hopefully that wont be an issue.
I've only seen a few of those assholes. Most are better than that. I've never seen a tobacco auction in person but they'd show it on the news when I lived in North Carolina in the late 70's and early 80's and they were AMAZING! They'd walk past each lot, not even stopping and selling with a patter that only the bidders, professionals, could understand and sell ALL the lots. Regardless of what you think of tobacco, it was an art form.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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onebohemian wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:39 pm I do not think live gun auctions are good for buyers. Too many fees on top of crazy bidders caught up in the moment. Better to buy via an online auction, from an online retailer, or at a local gun shop with a decent reputation. Will get more bang doe your buck. Good luck.
I had considered that. And you may be right it may end up being more expensive but part of this is really having never experienced an auction I'd like to participate with the crazy bidders and see what is like personally.

If I was really going to be sensible and practical I could just invest the money towards retirement. This is so I can enjoy myself, and to be honest I haven't had a good local gun store experience to date so trying an auction where I dont have to deal with an alt right owner or salesman directly might be more enjoyable than spending an afternoon in a LGS. Online might be a route to go if I don't win anything at the live auction but I've bought things on ebay and such before so it wouldn't really be a new experience.

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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Like others have said, if you know what buyers premium(s) you have to pay, just factor that into your calculations for your what your high bid limit on an item is; and don't let the desire to WIN overtake common sense, an auction can work for you. But the need to be the winner, causes many people to pay more for things than they would down different circumstances.
The best deals at an auction are the ones where nobody else wants something you need. I remember buying four gallons of Ice cream from a local dairy, for five dollars at a 4H auction once, the only thing I could think is no one else in the crowd had room in their freezer.
"it's a goddamn impossible way of life"
"And so it goes"

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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geno wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:20 pm Like others have said, if you know what buyers premium(s) you have to pay, just factor that into your calculations for your what your high bid limit on an item is; and don't let the desire to WIN overtake common sense, an auction can work for you. But the need to be the winner, causes many people to pay more for things than they would down different circumstances.
The best deals at an auction are the ones where nobody else wants something you need. I remember buying four gallons of Ice cream from a local dairy, for five dollars at a 4H auction once, the only thing I could think is no one else in the crowd had room in their freezer.
Four gallons of icecream for $5? I'd MAKE room in my freezer and eat the rest! :yahoo: :D :mrgreen: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:54 pm
Rossifan1782 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 9:30 pm Thank you for the advice, I had not even considered the auctioneer starting high and working backwards.
Those assholes are generally ineffective and annoying as hell. For the seller, these idiots cost them money, for the bidders, they waste time and slow the auction down as you wait, and wait, and wait for the REAL bidding to start.
around here that is called a Dutch Auction. Start High and go down till somebody bids. Sometimes that is the only bid, because everybody else was waiting to go lower and the person that bid couldn't wait for a lower price.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:24 pm
Four gallons of icecream for $5? I'd MAKE room in my freezer and eat the rest! :yahoo: :D :mrgreen: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:
It was in one of those four gallon paper buckets, like you'd see at Baskin-Robbins, I actual had to pick it up at the dairy the next day; but we were at the beginning of the summer and our 27 cu.ft. chest freezer was easily half empty. I think I had Ice Cream every day that summer.
"it's a goddamn impossible way of life"
"And so it goes"

Re: First time at a firearms auction

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geno wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:59 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 4:24 pm
Four gallons of icecream for $5? I'd MAKE room in my freezer and eat the rest! :yahoo: :D :mrgreen: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:
It was in one of those four gallon paper buckets, like you'd see at Baskin-Robbins, I actual had to pick it up at the dairy the next day; but we were at the beginning of the summer and our 27 cu.ft. chest freezer was easily half empty. I think I had Ice Cream every day that summer.
And your point is...? :P :yahoo: :tongue: :clap2: :icecream:
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

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