I'm thinking of selling a like new Darcy Echols 7mm Rifle that I had him build me a few years back.

I've never hunted with this rifle & due to health reasons I won't be able to ever hunt with it.

Thant being the case I'm trying to figure out the best way to sell it ??

The problem I have is, how would I go about selling a rifle like this which is worth 1,000 of dollars based on pictures alone ??

Any helpful suggestions ??

Good pictures and complete information is all you need to sell an Echols rifle. There are plenty of people who frequent AR that can afford it.

A picture is worth a thousand words, or, in your case, dollars. They will help back up your description of the rifle as well.

Another way to do it is to see if Darcy will sell it for you in commission.

really really difficult to get you money back out of a custom

I would describe it well and post lots of pictures on www.gunsinternational.com and be prepared to wait awhile. You could also see if Echols will take it on consignment.
Another option is consign it with a reputable dealer you trust who "understands" high-end customs and collectables and who does not charge an arm and a leg for his services (over 15%).

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
Another way to do it is to see if Darcy will sell it for you in commission.

This would be the first step I'd take.

Just from personal experience, I have sold a number of fine custom rifles in the classified section here on AR, in the very recent past.

A complete description, lots of pictures, and of course, a reasonable price....I don't think any of mine lasted more than a couple days.

Ed

I appreciate all of the tips & info from everyone .
It's much appreciated.

Now, I just have to decide if I can really part with it ?????

quote:

hit-em: Now, I just have to decide if I can really part with it

Since you had it built several years ago, you may be surprised by the current replacement cost and decide to hold on.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
really really difficult to get you money back out of a custom

I would have to say that Echols(and David Miller) rifles often buck this trend. I have heard of several instances where Echols' increase in price for his current rifles has allowed the owner of one of his older rifles to sell their used rifle at a large profit.

Check with a professional photographer familiar with taking detailed photos of rifles.
Many prople try to sell a rifle based on black hole photography that is nothing more than a black outline image of the rifle with no detail. If you have a great rifle the photos will sell it for you. Then see if D'arcy will handle the deal for you.

With all due respect to Mr. Echols why would you not try to sell the rifle privately first? I have found mixed results with consignment sales. The seller has no investment in the rifle and is hardly motivated for a quick transaction. In he case of a custom builder your rifle may represent the loss of a custom rifle build order. Also, the builder is going to ask for top dollar to support the sale price of a new rifle build. I'm curious to hear the opinion of our AR gun sales expert Biebs???

While you are deciding what to do with it why not let us see what it looks like by posting a photo of it here.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
really really difficult to get you money back out of a custom

I would have to say that Echols(and David Miller) rifles often buck this trend. I have heard of several instances where Echols' increase in price for his current rifles has allowed the owner of one of his older rifles to sell their used rifle at a large profit.

Absolutely yes. They are a diffferent breed from custom wooden rifles. They are just too rarely seen on the market.
1. They are exceedingly rare on the auction sites.
2. Of the few that do, they don't last long at all and get snatched up very quickly.
3. They don't lose their value.

You're a lucky guy to have such a fine rifle. Unless you absolutely need the money I wouldn't sell. And certainly do not take a loss, your wait wouldn't be long. Unlike an unfired wooden custom you aren't gonna take it in the shorts even with a well hunted Echols.

I don't know if I am in agreement with "holding their value" as explained. I have bought some high end customs for considerably less than their original cost. A few years ago Craig Boddington had to work to get about $8500 for his custom David Miller rifle. Miller guns go for north of $30K and this had the connection to Boddington documented in his books. Good luck and I hope I am wrong. I see a lot of top name rifles available in the $5K to $10K range that I know cost a great deal more.

quote:

Originally posted by hit-em:
The problem I have is, how would I go about selling a rifle like this which is worth 1,000 of dollars based on pictures alone ??

Any helpful suggestions ??

You dont just have pictures,..You the advantage of owning a superbly built rifle with true pedigree,
that has a checkable history/can be authenticated, via a potential buyers enquiry with Mr.Echols.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
this had the connection to Boddington documented in his books....

Boddington being the owner would in no way effect the price I would be prepared to pay for a used DaveMiller.
I would buy a used Miller rifle at price I thought was appropriate in product value, nothing else.
- I would pay a premium for Bells 7x57 if intending to secure it for display in a museum-

There is definitely a perceived premium to the used price people will pay,
when it has the pedigree-prestige of 'Echols' or 'Miller' attached to it.

for eg:

If Echols built two identical Legend rifles, one with his name on it and documented,
the other without any of the custom makers details and no checkable history of who made it,
...which would fetch the better price on the used market?

Its the same thing with diamonds,
a stone cut in Antwerp and then independently,impartially & comprehensively graded,lazer inscribed & certified - by the GIA,
will command a premium compared to an unserialised stone cut in India and loosely graded by a little virtually unknown jeweller,
who may be inclined to artificially up its grading, to increase his shop profit by selling it to an uneducated-unsuspecting buyer.

Rolex,
have the words 'officially certified' on the dial.
Their movements are independently certified to 'COSC' standards (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres)
You can send your own watch to Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres for testing/certification.
Some of the numerous other highly reputable manufacturers who also use high grade swiss movements, do their own inhouse certification,
some of them to higher standards than that required for a Rolex.
Despite a non-independent certification process, a number of them have an industry reputation for accuracy and quality that surpasses Rolex.

Respected watchmakers, like respected diamond cutters/graders and respected rifle makers, realize their reputation is what greatly contributes
to their enduring success and income, in the long run.
And when someone goes to sell anything from those, there usually is an advantage that rubs off when it comes to market value.

One might say that Echols does 'inhouse certification' of his rifle builds by his process of;

- comprehensive accurising/trueing of parts
- upgrading of components [in design,materials or heat-treatment] to more appropriate & known standard.
- comprehensive feed & function testing/tunning,
- developing accurate hunting loads with charted/chronographed velocities.

...in other words not allowing delivery of the product unless its well tested/proven to meet certain consistent high standards.

Most who would be interested in an Echols or Miller rifle would recognize them from across the room. They don't need to read anything.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
I don't know if I am in agreement with "holding their value" as explained. I have bought some high end customs for considerably less than their original cost. A few years ago Craig Boddington had to work to get about $8500 for his custom David Miller rifle. Miller guns go for north of $30K and this had the connection to Boddington documented in his books. Good luck and I hope I am wrong. I see a lot of top name rifles available in the $5K to $10K range that I know cost a great deal more.

The Boddington rifle was NOT your typical Miller Classic.

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Nelson:
The Boddington rifle was NOT your typical Miller Classic.

I hate to post this as my memory may very well be incorrect, but I seem to recall that the Boddington/Miller was a customized lefty Rem. 700. I seem to recall that some Boddington bashers were saying that CB was asking for a premium over the rifle's true value due to his fame.

Sorry for the delay in posting photos ..I've been sicker then a dog with the flu ...nasty stuff !!

Here are a few photos ...Keep in mind I'm not a professional.

Hope these will give you an idea of what I'm selling ..The caliber is a 7MM Rem Mag.
Thanks.

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...cannot see reason for concern......rifle ought to sell easily.

I wholeheartedly endorse the use of a professional photographer to do justice to your rifle. Here is a photograph I used to sell my Griffin & Howe pre-War Model 70 7X57 some time ago. Such a photo is truly worth a thousands words.

I would get a good set of specs about the gun. I'm sure you have a build sheet that will provide this info, and put a price on it and advertise in the classifieds. I don't think you need the expense of a photographer to sell this gun. Good luck!

It may be obvious to some folks but not so obvious to others, that with any custom gunmaker, there is much variation in quality and features among individual rifles. No matter whether it's Griffin&Howe, Al Biesen, etc., or even Jerry Fisher or Duane Wiebe, not all their rifles were created equal (and they certainly cannot be priced equally).

There is a tendency for individuals and dealers to ignore the above statements and to over-price some lesser quality rifles based solely on the reputation of the gunmaker.

I just got back from the Las Vegas gunshow where I witnessed this first hand with an Al Biesen rifle that (in my opinion) was priced at double what it should have been based on its quality. Of course, there is asking price and selling price. I just hate to see some uninformed guy pay close to asking price after hearing the sales pitch about how all Biesen rifles are top dollar items.

As to custom rifles selling at what the owner paid (or at a premium above cost!!), good luck with that. If and when it occurs, it is with very, very special rifles, maybe 2% or less of all those that come up for sale.

In this particular case, based on the photos, this rifle is not in the same league as Darcy's walnut stocked rifles, and certainly not equivalent to a David Miller top of the line rifle.

I wouldn't expect it to fetch what a Echols Classic would ...particularly when the Classic starts off at twice the cost of the Legend.

quote:

Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:
Another way to do it is to see if Darcy will sell it for you in commission.

Best advice so far! I'd let him know ASAP, as he's in Reno right now talking to lots of perspective buyers.

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:
In this particular case, based on the photos, this rifle is not in the same league as Darcy's walnut stocked rifles, and certainly not equivalent to a David Miller top of the line rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by hit-em:
I wouldn't expect it to fetch what a Echols Classic would ...particularly when the Classic starts off at twice the cost of the Legend.

A Legend has the same impeccably high std. of metalwork and function, as one would find in a Classic.
[including D'Arcys proprietary top notch scope mounts,bottom metal,custom magazine box]
...from there its just a matter of personal choice between wood or syn.


a similar example Legend .http://www.sitemason.com/page/k8VCuI ..

For secondary market in class custom rifles
I'd go to David E Dunn, www.tropgun.com. really knows his makers and potential market

quote:

Originally posted by hit-em:
I'm thinking of selling a like new Darcy Echols 7mm Rifle that I had him build me a few years back.

I've never hunted with this rifle & due to health reasons I won't be able to ever hunt with it.

Thant being the case I'm trying to figure out the best way to sell it ??

?

Since you are selling a rifle that would most likely take many months to complete, this could be to your advantage with respect to demand. AR classified could be a fine place to list this gun with any and all information about the gun as ordered down to the finest details. Let potential buyers know how much you paid and allow them to "make an offer". As the old saying goes, it's worth what someone wants to pay for it". I would guess that your rifle would realize a lot of interest. D'Arcy Echols customs are seldom offered for sale after they are built. All it takes is one or two guys that just have to have it "right now" for your listing to be successful.

I just listed it in the classifies ..
Thanks for all of your help & tips ...much appreciated.