gunbroker

[BigRed]

The thing that really ****** me off about Gunbroker is their "50 post rule".

 

[BugI02]

The thing that really ****** me off about Gunbroker is their "50 post rule".

You should see if they need mods

 

[MrSmitty]

I hate when someone says "well that's what it's going for on gunbroker" It seems to me that the prices on there are artificially high, someone could just keep bidding to bump up the price, causing the "price" to be that high......

 

[jy951]

I hate when someone says "well that's what it's going for on gunbroker" It seems to me that the prices on there are artificially high, someone could just keep bidding to bump up the price, causing the "price" to be that high......

Not sure what you mean here. If your talking about shill bidding, yes that can happen. Not sure how often it does, but it's possible.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I hate when someone says "well that's what it's going for on gunbroker" It seems to me that the prices on there are artificially high, someone could just keep bidding to bump up the price, causing the "price" to be that high......

That's why I only look at completed auctions (ones that actually sold at a given price). It's not perfect, but it's still a good idea of what prices the market will bear.

 

[BGDave]

I hate when someone says "well that's what it's going for on gunbroker" It seems to me that the prices on there are artificially high, someone could just keep bidding to bump up the price, causing the "price" to be that high......

Never underestimate the need to "win".
A visit to a local auction can be informative.

 

[dieselrealtor]

Never underestimate the need to "win".
A visit to a local auction can be informative.

^^^This^^^

happens in all kinds of auctions. I went to the Morgan County seized firearm auction several years ago, beat up 10/22's selling for $300+ when they were in stock locally. I only stayed a few minutes then left.

 

[Ingomike]

That's why I only look at completed auctions (ones that actually sold at a given price). It's not perfect, but it's still a good idea of what prices the market will bear.

Just a question to all. Can Joe put up a gun on GB, and have friends Bob and Jim bid it up hoping to get a bidder to buy high, then if it does not hoppen still have one of the friends win the auction and close it out as a high sale? Then put it up again with the worst being they have another comparable in the system at a high price?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Just a question to all. Can Joe put up a gun on GB, and have friends Bob and Jim bid it up hoping to get a bidder to buy high, then if it does not hoppen still have one of the friends win the auction and close it out as a high sale? Then put it up again with the worst being they have another comparable in the system at a high price?

I think so in theory at least. Don't know how often that actually happens though.

 

[Ingomike]

I think so in theory at least. Don't know how often that actually happens though.

That could certainly could skew the market…

 

[Mgderf]

Just a question to all. Can Joe put up a gun on GB, and have friends Bob and Jim bid it up hoping to get a bidder to buy high, then if it does not hoppen still have one of the friends win the auction and close it out as a high sale? Then put it up again with the worst being they have another comparable in the system at a high price?

Yes, it can happen, and yes it does happen.
GunBroker has provisions for this scenario.
Anyone caught running up auctions with shill bidders receive the ban hammer, and it is permanent.
They can always set up a different account, but they would have to register under an alias, and I don't mean just a new screen name.

 

[223 Gunner]

I suspected a shill bidder once on GB. I did report it, not sure what if anything happened.
The firearm location (Florida) and the person bidding against me also lived in Florida.
I finally quit bidding when it was above retail locally. Yes I realize it could have been legit, just seemed "off", I suspected the other bidder could have been a friend, or the same person with two accts. Who knows. GB never did follow up with me FWIW.

 

[Mgderf]

I suspected a shill bidder once on GB. I did report it, not sure what if anything happened.
The firearm location (Florida) and the person bidding against me also lived in Florida.
I finally quit bidding when it was above retail locally. Yes I realize it could have been legit, just seemed "off", I suspected the other bidder could have been a friend, or the same person with two accts. Who knows. GB never did follow up with me FWIW.

Doesn't surprise me.
I heard on a radio ad recently that GB had something like 6 million registered users.
If only half of them make only one purchase a year you're still looking at 3 million sales a year.
That's a lot to keep track of.

GB also charges for the listing.
As a seller, if you have a shill bidder run up the price, and win the auction, the seller still has to pay a commission on the sale.
The commission is a set fee for the listing, and a graduated fee based on the final sale price.

Too many shill bidders could cost the seller some serious coin in the long run.

 

[MRockwell]

Just a question to all. Can Joe put up a gun on GB, and have friends Bob and Jim bid it up hoping to get a bidder to buy high, then if it does not hoppen still have one of the friends win the auction and close it out as a high sale? Then put it up again with the worst being they have another comparable in the system at a high price?

Not sure if it was a shill bidding situation, but I was watching an xd-45 compact a few weeks ago that sold for $492 with 39 bids. A few days later, the same gun was listed again. This time it sold for $425 with only 13 bids. So the seller lost money if it was a shill situation.

Makes one wonder.

 

[Ingomike]

Not sure if it was a shill bidding situation, but I was watching an xd-45 compact a few weeks ago that sold for $492 with 39 bids. A few days later, the same gun was listed again. This time it sold for $425 with only 13 bids. So the seller lost money if it was a shill situation.

Makes one wonder.

So it seems to me the seller paid himself $492 minus the GB fees, then sold at $425, that could be a run up number, and would only be out the fees on the $492 sale.

 

[MRockwell]

So it seems to me the seller paid himself $492 minus the GB fees, then sold at $425, that could be a run up number, and would only be out the fees on the $492 sale.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the situation was. I just know $425 was as high as I would go, and I didn't ask the seller why it was relisted.

This was the first time I bought on GB, I've bought from online auctions where it is a business liquidation sale, and they are always done when the electronic gavel pounds. Auctions can be interesting to watch, especially land auctions, and knowing your top limit is key in my opinion.

 

[BugI02]

Not sure what you mean here. If your talking about shill bidding, yes that can happen. Not sure how often it does, but it's possible.

I have detected it a time or two in 7 years of using the site

 

[BugI02]

Just a question to all. Can Joe put up a gun on GB, and have friends Bob and Jim bid it up hoping to get a bidder to buy high, then if it does not hoppen still have one of the friends win the auction and close it out as a high sale? Then put it up again with the worst being they have another comparable in the system at a high price?

Yes, they could but somebody has to pay WalletBreaker each time the sale is closed spuriously

 

[BugI02]

Not sure if it was a shill bidding situation, but I was watching an xd-45 compact a few weeks ago that sold for $492 with 39 bids. A few days later, the same gun was listed again. This time it sold for $425 with only 13 bids. So the seller lost money if it was a shill situation.

Makes one wonder.

Seller could have had a non-paying bidder the first time and it would not be apparent to a potential buyer

 

[wingrider1800]

That's why I only look at completed auctions (ones that actually sold at a given price). It's not perfect, but it's still a good idea of what prices the market will bear.