I recently saw on an ebay ad for a Leupold scope. The ad said that the scope was a first run scope. I emailed the seller to ask what he meant by first run and he replied saying that his optics are brand new in box, unopened, not display models or factory returns or 2nds. He also said that lots of Ebay optics are second run's.

What is this first run/second run thing? I have never heard anyone talk about it before. Is it just BS from a seller or is it legit? Any experience or explanation appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
I recently saw on an ebay ad for a Leupold scope. The ad said that the scope was a first run scope. I emailed the seller to ask what he meant by first run and he replied saying that his optics are brand new in box, unopened, not display models or factory returns or 2nds. He also said that lots of Ebay optics are second run's.

What is this first run/second run thing? I have never heard anyone talk about it before. Is it just BS from a seller or is it legit? Any experience or explanation appreciated.

If the guy is selling Leupold scopes on Ebay for discount prices chances are he is not a Leupold dealer...so where did he get these brand new never been out of the box Leupold scopes that he is choosing to call “first runs?â€

Insofar as I am aware, Leupold sells no refurbished scopes and no "factory seconds".

The ebay seller's reference to "first run" is his way of saying that the scopes are new and unused. Whether he is being truthful and his source of the merchandise is another matter. The seller's reference to "second run" is his way of attempting to diminish the value of other seller's offerings.

Many people sell used scopes on ebay, some of which have been returned to the factory for service by the owner. Sometimes Leupold owners simply take advantage of Leupold's free service policy to have their scopes "checked out" (silly practice, why would you send a scope in for service unless it exhibited some problem?). They will then advertise the scope as "just returned from factory servicing by Leupold" as if that makes the scope somehow better than one which has not been shipped around the country at the tender mercies of our wonderful parcel services.

At any rate, there is no such thing as a "second run" Leupold. A Leupold is either new or it is used. That is unless it is "as new", "as new in the box", "same as new", or "mounted but never used" or some other such merchandising description made up by its owner in an attempt to get YOU to become its owner, and at a higher, rather than lower, price .

Most people regard used Leupolds as excellent values in that Leupold stands behind them and is reputed to have excellent factory servicing. I wouldn't know. I own about two dozen Leupolds, most of them acquired second-hand, and have never needed any of them serviced.