We buy a LOT of use firearms and offer the best prices in NE Ohio! Most gun shops take the price they'll sell it for and subtract 50%.. and that's what they pay. Most pawn shops do the same only they subtract 70%! While we all want to make top retail dollar, you can't unless you find a buyer. If you don't have a private buyer, we're the next best thing!
Just like trading in a car, the lot has to make a profit or they won't buy it. We here at Burtzland are trying our best to earn a living but only dream of making a profit. Our prices are very up front. We take the dollar amount we can sell it for in a timely matter and subtract 30%. You get 70% of the retail value. There is rarely profit in new firearm sales as the markup is anywhere from 0 (or less - selling at a loss) to 20 percent (30% at places like Cabela's, Gander, Bass Pro, Etc). Our average is around 15%. Compared to a jewelry store where the new markup is 75%... it's a tough business to be in! So essentially, we have to make 30% on used firearms or we can't keep the lights on.
Like a new car, once it's signed for and is driven off the lot, it becomes a used car. We often have customers selling their like new, never fired guns. We would love to be able to sell them as new, but can't. Once they've been purchased there's no way to validate their use. Many of the used firearms we sell are lightly used.. but they don't come with an odometer so they all fall into the "USED" category. All guns have been fired at the factory so there are always signs of use. We often have to clean brand new guns as they don't clean them at the factory after testing.
I tell you all this so that you'll know what to expect when selling your firearms. If you choose to sell them on your own, there is little legal criteria you have to follow. You are able to sell to another individual as long as they are 18 for a long gun and 21 for a handgun. If you know they are not legally able to purchase a firearm from a store (they have a record of misdemeanor domestic violence, a felony, or use drugs) then you cannot sell it to them. There is no way for a private individual to know the criminal history of a stranger other than checking to see if they have an Ohio Concealed Carry License. If you do sell it to an individual, be sure to check their ID and record their name, address, and phone number. I would go the extra mile and photograph their ID. Firearms are NOT registered in Ohio, but there's a paper trail leading it to you. If your firearm is used in a crime after you've sold it... it's EXTREMELY important that you're able to pass along the information of the person you sold it to. I would also have them sign a paper stating they bought it. This could save you thousands in legal fees or worse trying to defend that you sold the firearm and did not commit the crime in question.
We appreciate our freedoms in this country and NEVER want to see the private sales of firearms prohibited. We would stand to profit greatly financially, but if this is ever implemented it would require a registry of ALL firearms to be enforceable. Once any government has a national registry, confiscation is never far behind. (they just took away bump stocks with the click of a pen... illegally too).
If you're not comfortable selling to people... not knowing their criminal history or who they might in turn sell to, We're here to help! You can either sell the gun directly to us, or bring in your buyer and we can run the background check on them for a $15 fee. We will take ownership of the firearm, verify their background with the FBI, and make the transfer with all confidence they're legal to take possession.
If you have any questions, we're here to help! Even if you're NOT selling to us!
We're a unique 1880's Western themed gun shop with good ole fashioned respect for our customers! We offer a wide range of Firearms, Ammunition, Holsters, Online CCW Classes, Hunting Supplies, Gunsmithing, Firearm Transfers and much more! Come in and shop, Shoot on our Outdoor Range, or just sit down and enjoy some good ole fashioned conversation.