What is A GUN Worth?

Many requests are received for values of guns. The primary reference used is the Blue Book of Gun Values, which we used to sell.

But do you want to purchase one? The "Blue Book of Gun Values" is published yearly even though many of the values do not change if at all. Guns are not like automobiles where the values change every year. If you have one about every 3rd year, you are most likely close enough to the Blue Book Value. (The Book does not take into account the differences in the values that vary depending on what part of the country you are in.) Another thought as to obtaining this information is to subscribe to the online version of the Blue Book that is updated quarterly. There are advantages and disadvantages to this also. If you do most or all of you business from one loaction, then having online access is easier to use than carrying the book around and thumbing through pages to find your information. If you are attending gunshows where your computer is not available or if you don't have online access, then there is a definite advantage to having a copy of the book.

But what does the value number mean? Selling firearms is much like selling a house or other piece of real estate. You have to have a buyer who is willing to pay the asking price for the item in the existing condition, regardless of what the item is appraised at. Houses are many times appraised at a higher value than they sell for, even though the appraisal is done by a professional. The economy may enter into the availablilty of a buyer as well as whether the item being sold is a fad("in item to have"). Values from the Blue Book or Gunlist are only representative of what an item may be worth. Collectables may be even more difficult to move since there are fewer buyers who can afford or be interested in those types of firearms.

• Over 1500 Pages of Gun related information
• Grading guidelines for Gun condition with photos to show details
• Firearms associations addresses and phone numbers
• Gun Auction information. What they are, how the game is played
• Many Pages of Gun values and manufacturer info
• Trademark index Addresses and contacts
• Serialization for a number of manufacturers
• How to contact the Blue Book Staff
• Store Brand to manufacturer index

This is a must have publication if you are going to deal in firearms. I will try to order the book for you if desired, but am recommending that you go to the Blue Book website www.bluebookinc.com and order directly from them. If you wish to have me order, send me an email and I can check on availability and provide a price quote.

Many people who are not into the firearms business as a profession do not want to spend the roughly $40 or more to get a price quote on one or a few firearms.

One way to get a guns value is to go to a local gun dealer or gunsmith. If they can't help you, then ask for a referral to someone who can. Be sure to ask what the charge is for an appraisal before having the value established.

The other option is to call Blue Book at 1-800-877-4867 and have them do the research for you. You can expect there to be a charge. If you have several guns that you are inquiring about, then it might be cheaper to either purchase either the book itself or get an online subscription. One advantage of getting a copy fo the Blue Book is that you might be able to resell the book after you have finished using it. If you are attempting to get values for insurance purposed, then it would be advisable to copy the pages that contain the information that you are interested in and save them in a safe place.

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