I sell a lot of used paintguns over the Internet.  I do it primarily because the used gun market around here is virtually nonexistent and I don't want to wait months for a paintgun to sell.  I'm usually selling so that I can come up with the money for something new, so I don't have the patience for the local market.  But selling paintguns over the Internet can be extremely frustrating.  There have been so many posts about people getting ripped off that buyers tend to be extremely paranoid.  Many buyers take this way too far.  Buying from the Internet is not always a picnic either.  Many sellers think because they put some new barrel on their marker that it is worth twice what they paid for both of them.  Here's some realistic tips for buying and selling paintguns off of the 'Net.

    First, the gun you are buying is used right?  Okay.  Then don't expect it not to have a few scratches and possibly even leaky seals.  Nothing annoys me more than guys who worry and bitch about every little scratch on a paintball gun.  They e-mail you asking if it has any scratches on it and if you say yes they want you to knock $100 off of the price.  Get real.  Real players get their guns scratched up, it's a fact of life.  Only posers worry if there is a scratch on their gun.  This might amount to something if you are paying $$$ for a marker with custom anodizing, but who care's if the marker is only painted to begin with?  Second ask the buyer about the seals.  If they won't give an answer or guarantee that the seals are good, assume that the seals are not good.  Either get them to take around $15 off of the price in advance or accept that you are taking a chance.  Generally you must take a chance.  I have purchased dozens of used guns off of the Internet and I think only a couple of them actually worked on arrival.  And of those, there was usually something wrong that didn't prevent operation.  I don't hold this against the sellers.  Sometimes things happen.  I shipped off my mini-cocker to one buyer knowing full well it worked when it went into the box.  However, upon arrival it was not working.   Apparently when the new owner assembled it he changed the adjustment on the cocking rod.  Because he didn't know how to correct the setting, he assumed I ripped him off and returned the gun to me for a refund.  The whole deal cost me about $30 in shipping charges at a time when I was in dire need of cash just to put groceries on the table and left me without the marker for a month.  I learned a lesson which I will impart to you.

    There is a lesson here for both the buyer and the seller.  For the buyer.  Don't assume that someone tried to rip you off just because the marker you bought is being 'pissy' out of the box.  Things go out of whack, and paintball guns are the finicky things.  Every seen anyone show up at the field, pull their marker out of it's bag, gas it up and go?  Not very often I suspect, yet all too often we just expect to pick up a used paintgun and have it do just that.   Changes in climate can screw things up.  Remember that the marker you just bought has traveled across the Country in everything from trucks and airplanes to dogsled.  Adjustments may have shifted, seals may have cracked do to exposure to temperature extremes or altitude/pressure changes.  It's not unusual.  For the seller there is also a message.  Avoid selling complex markers like Autocockers, Vectors, Shockers, and such to persons who do not seem very knowledgeable.  Odds are you are only setting yourself up for a ton of headaches in the very near future.  If the buyer is not knowledgeable about the methods for correcting the simple adjustments every paintball gun periodically needs, odds are they will accuse you of trying to rip them off by selling them a broken marker.  Even if the marker only needs a minor adjustment.  This accusation stings enough, but what is worse is that they will often post this accusation to every newsgroup and classified list damaging your reputation as well.  Once your name has been marred in this fashion it is very difficult to restore your reputation.  This can make future transactions next to impossible.  If you suspect that your buyer doesn't know jack about paintball guns, don't sell to them.  It isn't worth the grief.

    Another area that can get you into trouble is something I see all of the time.  Exaggerating the number of 'features' on a gun.  You are better off not listing stock features.  Sure, it makes your marker more attractive and may speed the sale.  But here's the downside.  Experienced players know what stock features certain models of paintguns have.  Listing stock features as if they were custom additions just turns them away from your marker.  They see that you are trying to inflate it's worth.  Also, don't list work you did yourself as 'Custom work' unless you are a certified airsmith who does this work for a living.  I have been unpleasantly surprised to discover that the 'custom trigger work' on some markers I have bought was done by the owner with a grinder and a hacksaw.  Buyers, if a marker lists any custom work, ask the seller who did it.   It's far better just not to list every single little thing.  If the buyer opens the package and discovers more than what he or she bargained for, they will be happy.  If they discover that they were mislead, they will not be pleased.  Even if they got a good deal.   What ends up happening is that some bright eyed newbie that doesn't know stock features from aftermarket will buy your gun, then his friends see what he bought and they tell him he got screwed.  They may even do this out of jealousy, meanness, or stupidity.  Either way, you are the one that gets slammed on the 'Net.  Don't set yourself up for this, it ain't worth it.  Just list the truly aftermarket features that are with your marker and nothing more.  Assuming your price is right, the marker will sell.

    That leads me to price.  First.  Buyers.  You MUST be aware of the street value of a particular marker before you buy.  Time and again I see markers for sale that are posted very near to or higher than their new cost.  Often times a seller will throw in some old junk that is laying around.  You know, the kind of stuff that you couldn't otherwise give away.  With the junk included, they ask for a ridiculous sum out of a used paintgun.  Sellers should also be aware of street value.  Just because you paid $500 for your Rainmaker at Wal-Mart doesn't mean it is worth $425 since you only used it once.  Rainmaker's can be had new for $375 elsewhere.  Street value of a stock Rainmaker is not above $350 with $300 being closer to the mark.  If you paid too much for a marker to begin with, you are going to take a bigger loss selling it.   Smart buyers will do well to shop around whether buying new or used.  I recently saw a badly used Sniper II sell on Ebay for over $300.  Simply because the owner had slapped a coat of camouflage spray paint and an illegal home-made silencer on it.  New cost of a Sniper II is $250.  A can of spray paint at Lowe's is under a $1 and the silencer could have been made for under $10.  I looked at the reserve price after the auction had ended and it was only $125.  Yep, that's right, the owner would have sold the whole deal for less than half of what he got out of it.  He knew what it was worth.  I think he was a pretty smart for selling it at auction.  I think I'll auction my Sniper II off on Ebay now as well.  I've still got some O.D. green spray paint laying around here.

    Here's some tips for watching out for scammers.  Number one, ridiculously low price for item.  That should sound a warning in your head.  If something is WAY under priced then there is certainly some reason.  Such as, the buyer doesn't have such an item, he intends to ship you an empty box or a box of rocks.  Don't accept this 'I need cash now. . . ' BS.  Maybe in some rare cases it might happen, but most of the time when you see a low price someone is running some sort of scam.  New, Unused Rainmaker, $200.  Stay Away.  Something is fishy.  Watch out for sellers that have .edu, hotmail, or AOL e-mail address's.  These are easy to obtain and scammers will almost always use a disposable e-mail address.  Unless they are really stupid.  Watch their e-mail name and handle as well.  Persons who self apply bad names to themselves like Satanspawn (Example only- never seen this name used) are either juvenile's or dorks.  Either type of nebbish would be more likely to rip you off than someone whose e-mail or nick was jdoexx@xxx.xxx.  Try to get them to give a voice phone number and address before agreeing to any deal.  If they won't give you voice phone numbers I would be VERY leery of dealing with them.   Always do business C.O.D. or through an escrow service like Doc Nickel's.  Buyers can achieve the maximum protection by paying by check when possible for C.O.D. orders.  Though very few sellers will accept personal checks due to the fact that it often takes weeks for them to clear.  Because a Buyer cannot view the merchandise in a C.O.D. transaction before paying, this gives the Buyer the option of issuing a stop payment on the check if the merchandise is unsatisfactory.  If I have been told correctly however, Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be traced and payment stopped.  I have never attempted to stop payment on a Money Order however so I could be mis-informed.  Accepting checks does offer the Seller a level of protection.  It is easy to prosecute someone across state boundaries, for a stopped payment on a check when they have taken ownership of merchandise.  Other forms of transaction may leave you with no form of recourse should the Buyer prove dishonest.  It is still possible to run into a bogus checking account however.   I am not sure if United Parcel will still accept checks.  They do not accept cash anymore.  A tip for both buyer and seller is to save EVERYTHING.  Every receipt, check stub, mailing receipt, and copies of every e-mail message that both you and the other party have sent and received.  I also recommend to sellers that they photograph everything they ship out in the event there is a claim one must show the value of the lost articles.  This can be extremely difficult.

     I highly recommend using United Parcel, FedEx, or at least registered mail for all shipping.  I have purchased items only to have them lost in the mail.  With U.S. Post you have NO tracking options.  If it is lost, you are screwed.  I ordered a rare and valuable Thompson Sniper stock for the autococker from a guy only to have it get lost in the mail.  It was sent U.S. Post so I was screwed.  Fortunately the seller was honest and my money was refunded.  I have also had United Parcel screw up too.  They once failed to collect on a delivery of a KP-3 I sold C.O.D.  They simply dropped the package off and left.  Once again I lucked out and the buyer was honest enough to mail me the payment.  Still, in both cases I could have gotten screwed and I had very little recourse.   Being able to track your packages, and having full insurance on the contents can be a life saver.  And for your own protection pack anything you ship out with extreme care.  Ask anyone you purchase from to take the same precautions.  None of the above shippers are gentle with your packages.  Don't assume that it won't get rough treatment.  I arrived in the loading dock once just in time to see my newly acquired Autococker fall out of the box muzzle first onto the concrete.  This happened because the seller hadn't packaged it right and it had been roughly handled.  The fall 'belled' the muzzle and necessitated replacing the barrel.  It was the stock barrel so I wasn't too upset but what if it had been a $$$ aftermarket barrel that got bunged?  I would have been out some serious cash.  

    The Internet is a great resource for all of us, but like all power tools you gotta treat it with respect.  If you don't take the proper safety precautions it can bite you on the ass.  But there is a reverse side as well, don't go into every transaction with complete paranoia.  By and large, most sellers are honest.  If you treat them fair, they will treat you fair.