4 ms·

> Paying fair market value for the guns is the solution. Asking for gun donations without paying for them is another. If they do either of these, then the shena

> Paying fair market value for the guns is the solution. Asking for gun donations without paying for them is another. If they do either of these, then the shenanigans stop. But both of those suggestions may undermine the real motivations for these programs, especially the second one.

chomp 4y ago
Yep. You want to pull guns out of the population that people don't care about enough to where they're willing to trade them for a cheap gift card. The people who'd actually participate in this program likely do not covet the weapons enough to protect and keep up with them, which are more likely to be stolen, or mishandled.
MichaelCollins 4y ago
I am more concerned with the people participating in the other side of this exchange. If somebody wants to get a gun out of their house so they can stop worrying about it and want it destroyed, then the money is unnecessary. If the money is their motive for selling their gun to the police, then they should be given fair market value. These programs are calculated to exploit people desperately in need of cash. How would you like it if you and your whole family were poor, and you learned that your grandmother sold a $1000 rifle for $100 of walmart gift cards because she was desperate, didn't know what the gun was worth, and trusted the police to not scam her? BTW, many of these "buyback" programs are funded by people like Doris Buffett. Run by the police but paid for by wealthy donors. They can afford to pay fair market value, they just prefer to scam people.
- tablespoon 4y ago
  > If the money is their motive for selling their gun to the police, then they should be given fair market value. I agree there. I guess the point I was trying to make the program's logic could mean it makes sense for it to pay more than fair market value, even for 3D printed guns. I didn't realize they could be low-balling prices and exploiting desperate people.

chomp 4y ago

Yep. You want to pull guns out of the population that people don't care about enough to where they're willing to trade them for a cheap gift card. The people who'd actually participate in this program likely do not covet the weapons enough to protect and keep up with them, which are more likely to be stolen, or mishandled.

MichaelCollins 4y ago

I am more concerned with the people participating in the other side of this exchange. If somebody wants to get a gun out of their house so they can stop worrying about it and want it destroyed, then the money is unnecessary. If the money is their motive for selling their gun to the police, then they should be given fair market value. These programs are calculated to exploit people desperately in need of cash. How would you like it if you and your whole family were poor, and you learned that your grandmother sold a $1000 rifle for $100 of walmart gift cards because she was desperate, didn't know what the gun was worth, and trusted the police to not scam her? BTW, many of these "buyback" programs are funded by people like Doris Buffett. Run by the police but paid for by wealthy donors. They can afford to pay fair market value, they just prefer to scam people.

tablespoon 4y ago
> If the money is their motive for selling their gun to the police, then they should be given fair market value. I agree there. I guess the point I was trying to make the program's logic could mean it makes sense for it to pay more than fair market value, even for 3D printed guns. I didn't realize they could be low-balling prices and exploiting desperate people.