Anyone with expereince with Morphy and or Rock Island auctions?

[ScottinTexas]

Thinking about auctioning a FA and wondering if anyone has had first-hand experience using either Morphy or Rock Island.

Good? Bad? Logistics of getting NFA items in their paws?

I'll probably call both next week but any recommendations are appreciated.

 

[rybread]

Pretty much the same for both. You send them info and pics, they’ll send a preliminary estimate and auction agreement documents / shipping info. If you have something in very good shape and/ or rare, you can do pretty well.

 

[root]

Rock Island has better advertising and more widely known they have been featured on the HISTORY channels reality shows a few times too.
IE: RIA has a ton more exposure.
They also do a auction every 3 months or so.

Morphy ????

I only ever see the end realized prices someone lists here.
Never been a bidder with them.

Can't say that about RIA as I have won a few things over the years but never sold.

 

[sniperdoc]

No personal experience, but Ian McCollum (Forgotten Weapons) has featured guns from both.

 

[Strangeranger]

Check into their seller's premiums. Morphy charges a higher buyer's premium than does RIA. The same may be true for the seller. Both have gotten stupidly high prices for Class 3 stuff in the last couple of auctions.

 

[ScottinTexas]

Check into their seller's premiums. Morphy charges a higher buyer's premium than does RIA. The same may be true for the seller. Both have gotten stupidly high prices for Class 3 stuff in the last couple of auctions.

So the seller pays a premium too?

Can't find any discussion of that on either website.

 

[nklf]

RIA does not charge seller premium. I’ve bought from both of them but never sold. You transfer NFA stuff to them before auction so takes some lead time for paperwork. RIA seems to get the best prices. Between their buyers premium, shipping costs and sales tax I think I am done buying from them but if I was selling I think they would net me the most NFA items and collector guns.

 

[ScottinTexas]

RIA does not charge seller premium. I’ve bought from both of them but never sold. You transfer NFA stuff to them before auction so takes some lead time for paperwork. RIA seems to get the best prices. Between their buyers premium, shipping costs and sales tax I think I am done buying from them but if I was selling I think they would net me the most NFA items and collector guns.

So...I heard back from Rock Island. Looks like they take both a Buyer AND Seller commission. Sheesh.

Consignment Fees

Our consignment fee will be based on which auction the item is placed in. For each auction, we keep our contract simple. Our sales commission includes everything; there are no charges for advertising, photography, insurance, cataloging, or auction hall rental, etc. We pledge to utilize the sales commission in the promotion of your items through our catalogs and multiple advertising venues. The fees are as follows:

Premier Auction
17.5% for antique firearms
20% for modern firearms (post-1898) and non-gun items

Sporting and Collector Firearms & Online Only Auction
25% for any item

 

[Roaster72]

I have experience as a buyer and seller with RIA. Yes the premiums are high but you are paying for the convenience of not dealing with morons.

Generally I would say, sell at the Premier auctions and buy at the Regional auctions. I have gotten some good deals at regional sales and I have seen some idiotic prices paid at Premiers. Of course RIA determines which auction you will be in so I'd make certain you have an agreement as to which auction your item will appear in.

RIA has all their past realized prices listed. Check them before listing anything. I will probably have about five items at the spring Premier. I have a feeling it will be a tremendous sale.

 

[b_saan]

Morphys > RIA, I'd highly recommend working with John Keene to auction an NFA collection.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

I looked into selling my ruger with them. After looking at some that they had sold recently and deducting their premiums I wouldn’t do that well. Now sometimes guns sell at off the charts prices If you have a rare ww2 gun. Rarely do they sell for less than you’d expect. I think your trying to sell your fnc correct? It’s a common gun so you can average out their past auctions and figure out what you’d get down to $1000 I’ll bet. My ruger set a record on GB and I came out $2000-3000 ahead of what I most likely would have gotten at Morphys. The key is 40-50 good pics and I include a video of it shooting. Some guns I think your way ahead at Morphys. Some average guns not

 

[b_saan]

Ask Haris how well he did in November...