For What It's Worth

No, not the Buffalo Springfield song rather the "estimated" value of muzzleloaders and/or muzzleloader parts/accessories.

A fairly common question, what's is an item worth, how much should I pay? It would seem good examples of traditional muzzleloaders are getting harder to find. When I read a question like "my local pawn shop, (or whoever), has a minty T/C Hawken, (or whatever make or model), they're asking $500, (or whatever price), is it a good deal?" and the response is something like, "I'd offer them $450", (or whatever), just how solid that advise is coming from someone who's never shopped for or seen the item in question.

Searching for a gun or item, especially those out of production, can be an arduous task. Certainly some folks just luck into stuff, but if you've looked around and find an item someone else, likely a person you don't even know, advises "low ball 'em" on are you getting good advice? You may find the few bucks you think you're saving upfront cost you in the long run.

If you've spent hours, days, weeks or however long trying to find whatever it is you've been looking for in the condition you want or better do you really want to pass to save a few bucks? Then there is the question of rarity. For example, how often does one run across a Green River Rifle Works gun for sale?

Thompson Center traditional muzzleloaders are a, albeit one, good example. Look at the prices good or rarer examples are selling for compared to when traditional muzzleloaders of any kind were readily available.

I wonder how may folks end up with "for what it's worth" regrets because they passed based on someone else's advise.

People can set any value on anything but in the end it's only "worth" is what it sold for.
Sellers choose the lowest they'll go in price and buyer decide how much they'll pay. If people don't want to start at the lowest acceptable bid set by a seller at an auction, guess the item isn't worth that much.
Any value set by experts, real estate, property taxes, gun values is their opinion and subject to it being disputed.

Agree @Urban Coyote. The days of business deals and budget management for me are long gone. If I find something I like and I can afford it, I buy it. I don't waste time splitting hairs anymore.

Well, if you snooze you loose. Many times I have found things I wanted, slept on it only to be “sold out “ once I decided an hour or two later.

On the other hand, when I’ve walked off and come back later and it was gone I write it off as I probably didn’t really need it.

TDM said:

Agree @Urban Coyote. The days of business deals and budget management for me are long gone. If I find something I like and I can afford it, I buy it. I don't waste time splitting hairs anymore.

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I spent a lot of years buying and selling in an aggressively price conscious industry. It has been a joy giving that up. Particularly when buying things which speak to me.

SOLANCO said:

I spent a lot of years buying and selling in an aggressively price conscious industry. It has been a joy giving that up. Particularly when buying things which speak to me.

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I agree. Many things we lust after are one-off items that have to be bought when and where; they will not re-appear at any time. I can still think of things I passed up or sold off decades ago! It's crazy!

An item is only worth what one is willing to pay, I will low ball a pawn shop if I find something I want. If the offer is refused, I walk and come back a few weeks later and start the process over, if the item is gone O.K. also. You have to remember the pawn shop owner more than likely low balled the seller, so it's a two-way street. I have found that the longer an item sits in the pawn shop the easier it is to make a deal. As stated, make sure you know what you're buying as to condition.

appalichian hunter said:

An item is only worth what one is willing to pay, I will low ball a pawn shop if I find something I want. If the offer is refused, I walk and come back a few weeks later and start the process over, if the item is gone O.K. also. You have to remember the pawn shop owner more than likely low balled the seller, so it's a two-way street. I have found that the longer an item sits in the pawn shop the easier it is to make a deal. As stated, make sure you know what you're buying as to condition.

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Pawn shops are known for low-balling! That's their whole business model!

Yep, so low-ball em back, my bet is there still making a nice profit.

Unless it is an essential commodity the buyers in the end set the price.

I always have a few guns that I’d like to have if I find them and have the cash to spend. I’ve researched these guns and know what a good ballpark price range is. That way, if I find them in that price range I’ll go ahead and buy it right there rather than take a chance of losing it. Since I don’t plan on reselling (unless it is a pure lemon) there’s no use in haggling over a dollar or two.

In the end, any item or in this case muzzleloader, is worth whatever you're willing to pay for it. There have been a number of cases where I've paid more than what might be considered by some as "current value", because that item had some characteristics that I specifically wanted. So, I don't have any regrets about paying for what I got. In more cases than I care to admit, I've had regrets about not paying a bit more, and then missing out.

If you want it, get it! Always a little anxiety when you see your $$$ flying away. But looking back I can't remember regretting spending any money on "fun" stuff.