Gun show humor

[pharmseller]

I was at the same show as Marlinman but I saw something completely different. A young man was looking for a buyer for his Winchester model 71. I overheard the conversation he had with one of the vendors at a table.
"So what are you asking for that model 71?"
"I'm looking for $1600." (A fair price for the right buyer, I thought. Not a great deal, but not overpriced, either. A decent shooter, original, with no extra holes.)
The vendor examined the rifle, commenting on every weakness. He handed it back to the young man and told him that he probably wouldn't get more than $800. He himself wouldn't be asking for more than that.

At that point I ceased being an observer.

"Do you have an 71s for sale for $800?" I asked the vendor. "Because if you do, I'll buy every one of them, right now. Cash."
The vendor looked a little embarrassed. "No, I don't have any at the moment."
I didn't let him off the hook. "If I leave you my card will you call me when you get some?"
"I, uh, don't get them very often."
"No problem. Here's my card, call me when you do."

The young man walked off with a smile on his face. He knew what his 71 was worth.
Now, I understand a guy trying to make a buck. Buyer and seller beware and all that. Just don't be ridiculous.
And yes, if I had $1500 burning a hole in my pocket I would have made the guy an offer. But I don't.

Pharmseller

[dgslyr]

I think I may use this the next time I take something to a gun show to sell.

[Rusty]

I was in a gun shop one time when an old man walked in with a Win. M12 he wanted to get rid of since he wasn't up nawth any more and had stopped duck hunting. IIRC it was a 3" Mag, but I do remember it had a VERY long barrel. The shop owner offer him $75 for it. I was embarrassed. I didn't say anything since I was in uniform at the time but my eyes sure did. I was staring daggers at the shop owner. I kept staring until he said maybe you could do better somewhere else. When the man left I did tell him he could do much better until he waited for a gun show to come to town and I left as well. I never went to that shop again.

[Mike D.]

It's sad to say that "gun dealers" are some of the lowest forms of human life that I have met. Most are simpletons who prey on the ignorant and unwary. I deal in many kinds of antiques and collectible things and can honestly say that most folks in other categories haven't sunk to the low of gun sellers. Maybe it's the chance for a fast buck that breds these slugs. I certainly have no use for any of them that slink about these parts, either.

[Doc Hudson]

Good for you!

I love it when crooks get taken down a few pegs and their intended victims get to watch.

[Pathfinder09]

Buy low sell high that is their motto. Not bad if you are in business, but be fair. I never buy guns at gunshows because the dealers are mighty proud of what their selling, and turn their noses down if your selling.

I was at a gun show in Portland which I effectionately call the "Rose City JUNK SHOW". A dealer who is always there was selling a used Marlin 1895 for $499. This was well used mind you. I went two tables down and there was another Marlin 1895 NIB for $498. I went back to the first guy and asked if there was any wiggle room on the price as it was well used and I could get a NIB for a $1.00 less. His reply was "well go buy the other one then!" My response to him was..."Oh I'm sorry, my mistake, I thought you wanted to sell the gun" And I walked away.

Even though I go to gun shows a lot, I just have to shake my head overhearing some of the conversations these gun dealers have. Just pure unadulterated BS! Some guys are serious collectors and some are just there to put it to the partrons.

Just my $.02.

[Doc Hudson]

It's sad to say that "gun dealers" are some of the lowest forms of human life that I have met. Most are simpletons who prey on the ignorant and unwary. I deal in many kinds of antiques and collectible things and can honestly say that most folks in other categories haven't sunk to the low of gun sellers. Maybe it's the chance for a fast buck that breds these slugs. I certainly have no use for any of them that slink about these parts, either.

I have a buddy that wheels and deals in guns. Some of the deals he has come across are mine boggling. He always buys as low as he can go and sells for as much as he can get, but he doesn't cheat anyone. Generally, he won't make a first offer, he lets the seller tell him what he wants for a gun, dog, camper, whatever, then he will either take the trade or make a counter offer. I've seen him make a few deals and afterward told him that he should wear a mask. He would honestly reply "I gave the man what he asked to get and I have no responsibility to educate anyone. As long as the customer walks away happy, and leaves me happy, it is a good deal for everyone." He has a point.

One more thing about Moose, if someone has a collection that they need help evaluating, he gives honest prices. There are plenty of widows in this area that made a tidy sum thanks to him. And when the collection sells, he will pay an honest price for the guns and still manage to make a profit.

[Mike D.]

All I have to say, Doc, is that guys like 'Moose" are FEW and FAR between. That's just my observation after some 40 yrs of fooling with old guns. Most so called "gun dealers" are S*IT!! That especially concerns the local CA "experts". I do know one not far from here who is a good guy, and he falls into that very rare category of "Honest Gun Dealer". Most I have utter disdain for, and I believe that it shows.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

It's sad to say that "gun dealers" are some of the lowest forms of human life that I have met. Most are simpletons who prey on the ignorant and unwary. I deal in many kinds of antiques and collectible things and can honestly say that most folks in other categories haven't sunk to the low of gun sellers. Maybe it's the chance for a fast buck that breds these slugs. I certainly have no use for any of them that slink about these parts, either.

Most of the so called dealers at gun shows are part time folks. They either have a day job or a retirement income very few are full time dealer. They go to the show to sell some and buy some for their hobby.
I am a full timer, I don't do anything else and I don't have a supplemental income to fall back on. I can do other work to make a living and could make a lot more money, but I really enjoy what I do. For me it truly is a labor of love. I see post like this quite often, and it saddens me. This is one reasons why I don't do gun shows.
But I do buy, sell and trade guns. Not like that, though. When folks ask me to take trades or buy a gun from them I offer them two options. I will look the gun up in the the gun value books and sold auctions on the web. Once we have established the going price for the gun I offer to take it for 60% of that book value and I tell him just that. It's 60% of what it's worth. Just like a trade-in car I have to do that in order to make a profit. Buying them and selling them for what they are worth is Aggie truck farming. A bigger truck aint gonna help.
Next option is I will sell the gun for him as a consignment sale. I charge 12.5% to do this. If it's a gun i might consider for myself, I'll bid on it like everyone else. This link will take you to guns that I have up for auction. http://www.auctionarms.com/search/aucti ... wa%20Jones



Most of these are consignment sale. The two WWII guns are a good example. I could have easily bought those guns from this feller for a fraction of what they are worth but I just don't think that is an honorable way to do business.


BTW, when I did do gun shows I always had some guns on the table that I just didn't care if I sold them or not so I priced them high. If they sold I didn't feel so bad about losing them.

[Ysabel Kid]

Good for you Quinn!

[Doc Hudson]

All I have to say, Doc, is that guys like 'Moose" are FEW and FAR between. That's just my observation after some 40 yrs of fooling with old guns. Most so called "gun dealers" are S*IT!! That especially concerns the local CA "experts". I do know one not far from here who is a good guy, and he falls into that very rare category of "Honest Gun Dealer". Most I have utter disdain for, and I believe that it shows.

I'd love to argue the point with you but I don't disagree enough. I've seen more than my share of crooks dealing guns, and more than a few total ignoramouses.

I'll go so far as to say that about half the dealers who are not S*IT are dumber than a box of rocks. Between the two, it makes decent, honest gun dealers have a hard time building their reputations. It's kind of like 98% of the lawyers giving the rest a bad name.

[JReed]

Good on ya. I hope that young man was able to find a buyer for that 71.

[marlinman93]

I don't mind a dealer that doesn't pay full price for a gun, but is honest about it. If a guy tells a seller his gun is worth $1500, but he's only willing to pay $800 for it, then he's honest. If he tells the guy he'll give $800, because that's all he can sell them for, then he's full of it. Who in their right mind would just trade dollars, without a penny's profit?
When we buy a gun from a seller, we should be able to run into them years later, and still have the seller feel good about the transaction. Same thing goes when we sell a gun. It's a small world, and the number of times I've crossed paths with someone I've traded or sold/bought guns from has always surprised me. It's nice when they still smile and shake your hand later on.

[Lastmohecken]

Well, a dealer can't pay full price for a gun, not if he wants to make a profit, but some of them sure try to make a much larger profit then I think is often fair to both partys.

What agravates me, is when a dealer plays dumb, and hopes or treats me like I am dumb too, with the motive of making a huge profit on a substandard gun with problems.

And the other thing that gets on my nerves is how grumpy many dealers are at gunshows, and often they act like you're bothering them, just by asking to see a gun or know the price, etc. It's just plain to see that many are not having a very good time, and ought to be doing something else.

Once in a while, I will get a table at a gunshow, and I always make it a point to be friendly to everyone, let people handle anything I have for sale, etc. And I will always have lots of people that come back several times, and finally buy something. The last show I got a table at, many of the dealers were not really selling much, but I sold every gun I brought, before I left, plus a lot of other stuff, but my prices were resonable, and I told them the straight stuff on every item, including it's complete history as far as I knew it. I had one guy that came back three times trying to buy a gun I was selling for a friend, and while most dealers would have given up on him, I was patient, the guy finally bought it from me, and also told me that I had the most interesting table in the show. Granted it was a small show, but it made me feel good at the time, and he left content with his purchase.

Standing on the other side of the table, I almost purchased a Browning 71 a couple of years ago, from a dealer but he was a little high for the condition of the gun, but I had the money in my pocket, and he could have sold it to me for pretty darned close to the asking price, if he hadn't been such a jerk. He could have sold it, but he ended up taking it back home with him, instead.

[Old Time Hunter]

A good portion of the ideology that alot on this thread have dissed, is the very practice that builds the economic bubbles such as the one that just collapsed. It is called greed and is one of the seven deadly sins. The act of attaining a windfall profit is more satisfying than the profit itself to these people, and that my friends is what makes it so vile to us. Now, I am not in the gun selling business, but I did own a business for quite some time and always felt that a 67% cost to resale was a good starting point to establish your asking price. Unfortunately it seems as though alot of people are in the 50% range.