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08-27-2014, 07:52 AM
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: The Steel City
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My tale of woe
I was at a local gun show this past weekend bumming some table space from a friend. I have a few surplus handguns to sell so I had a turn behind the table for a change. Anyway this senior gentleman walks up and asks if I would like to make an offer on some "really nice" guns. I had to scramble to clear a spot as he was about to plop his hard case down on top of my guns for sale.
It was a black pebble grain case and when he opened it there were two revolvers inside the fitted felt lined compartments. They looked like a .22/32 hand ejector and a .38 M&P target model. He said they were made in 1936 and he bought them off the original family in the mid 90s. Both were 99-100% guns and possibly unfired at first glance. I had loaned out my reading glasses and they weren't back yet so the details weren't clear as to serial numbers etc. I knew they were out of my league and told him so while complimenting him on his guns. So as he closed the case he ask me to write an offer on my business card and the best offer at the end of the show might own the guns. I don't have cards and told him so and thanked him for showing me his guns. Before he picked up the case he says "look at this". There was a brass tag on the front of the case that said "National Rifle Association" and some small print that I couldn't read. Also had a name like Hartman or Chapman or something. Overwhelmed by all this I thought that it was interesting that the NRA sold gun cases back then. At home that evening reflecting on the events I realized that even the NRA probably never offered a case custom fit for two S&W pistols and that this package was probably a shooting award back in the day. Now I realize that I missed the opportunity of a lifetime. I'm usually a pretty quick thinker but I really missed the boat on this one. There's always the next show.
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08-27-2014, 08:03 AM
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Near Birmingham
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You (or at least I) can't buy them all. Better luck next time.
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08-27-2014, 08:18 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2014
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I'm not so certain you missed anything. You should have asked him for a number? He might have wanted far too much.
As I used to say in my single days.....it never hurts to politely ask.
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08-27-2014, 08:49 AM
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I always try to get a price out of people as I have found many have vastly exaggerated ideas of the value of what they have. Saves me wasting my time trying to guesstimate what they'll take for their stuff. Don't care much for the highest bidder deals, if I want that I'll go to an auction. I think he was fishing and didn't feel like doing any real research to figure out the real value of what he had. Probably hoping for someone to make a crazy high offer.
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08-27-2014, 09:54 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: southeast michigan
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series guy;
The N.R.A. did offer cases for two target guns and their accessories. They were offered to life members of the N.R.A. and indeed were made by the Hartmann luggage co. in the 1930's. The plaque says Hartmann luggage co. N.Y. Made for National Rifle Association--Washington D.C. with a serial number. Hartmann is still in business although they deny ever making gun cases. One of the big time collectors on the C*** forum has one and has displayed photos of it.
Bill
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08-27-2014, 11:23 AM
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Tip for future gun shows...Go to the Dollar store and buy a backup pair of reader glasses. Sometimes you have to remember your Boy Scout training!!
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08-27-2014, 11:31 AM
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Join Date: May 2010
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I had two pair of glasses with me. A buddy was not as prepared and the pair I lent him was the close up pair.
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