For several years, Armslist filled an essential niche for gun owners across America. If you had a gun (or a gun-related item) that you no longer needed, and wanted to find someone local who would buy it, or perhaps trade it for something you’d like better — or if you were looking to save a little money by purchasing something used instead of new — Armslist was the place to go.
At one time, this need was addressed by GunsAmerica and GunBroker, but those gradually became dominated by dealers, to the point where they are more like online retail sites than a classified ad site. If you were looking to buy something at dealer prices, to be shipped (expensively) to an FFL near you (who would charge a transfer fee) from anywhere in the country, without being able to inspect it before buying, you could go to those sites. But if you just wanted to deal with local people, there was Armslist.
Until now. Unfortunately, Armslist has joined GunsAmerica and GunBroker as sites that are primarily useful to dealers, but with a baffling twist. In order to list an item for sale, you have to subscribe to the site (at a cost of about $100 per year). That’s somewhat understandable, even if it means that there’s no point in casual sellers creating listings (or in casual buyers looking for bargains offered by casual sellers).
The baffling part is what while you can still browse listings for free, if you see something you’re interested in, you have to subscribe to the site in order to contact the seller. Not even to buy the item. Just to ask a question, or express interest.
Seriously?
So now Armslist is a site where dealers can sell to people who want to pay dealer prices, with a fraction of the technical sophistication of its competitors, and a business model that seems designed to drive away the bulk of its existing user community. It’s effectively committed suicide, although the people who operate the site don’t seem to realize that yet.
I’m reminded of a sign I saw at Walmart in Claremont a year or two ago, which said something like ‘In order to better serve you, we’re reducing our hours’.
Anyway, it was great while it lasted, and with any luck another site will arise to fill the void that it left behind. RIP, Armslist.
