TexasCHLforum.com

OldCannon wrote:

Dr.Wayne wrote:I just basically wanted it to skip the middle man from gunbroker.com and then I thought maybe I could make afew dollars in the process

um, no. Let me explain...there are generally two kinds of guns on gunbroker: Guns that nobody wants, and guns that everybody wants. The first kind are easy to get as a home dealer through the VERY small selection of distributors that will sell to you. Of course, what you discover is that the margins on the guns is about $1 for every $200 in cost. Then you have to remember that you're obligated to "mark up" those guns if you sell locally to the tune of 7-8.5% (sales tax). Then you get to play the "I'm stuck with this inventory" game and you decide to sell the guns on Gunbroker...for less than you paid for them. Cue the sad trombone sound.

Then there's the second kind, which you will discover that, although the few distributors you have DO indeed list them, the inventory always shows zero with an "A" next to it, which means "Allocated," which means "Unless you're buying tens of thousands of dollars of inventory from us every month, don't even ask." If you DO get lucky, then you have a good chance to sell the gun at a decent margin and make some money, but those kind of opportunities as a home dealer are rare.

If you run a home biz, the real money is in transfers. Lots and lots of them. You can also make great money by showing your inventory at gun shows, but making the REAL profit by selling overpriced accessories like MREs, nylon holsters, and old first aid kits. You can tell who the smart gun show guys are, because they stopped selling guns, but still sell MREs, nylon holsters, and old first aid kits

Also, if you can't be home all the time during normal delivery hours, you can expect heartache and angry customers. Probably both.

Dr.Wayne wrote:and get to play with some cool toys along the way.

You don't have to be a gun dealer to do that :)

P.S. - if you want to run a business that has good profit margin, open a women's shoe and accessory bag store. Just sayin.

P.P.S. - Dont get me wrong, you CAN make a profit as a home based FFL, just not really by selling guns.