This may be a redundant topic but since I'm new here I'm going to bring it up. It's my "rant" topic of choice.

I understand that parting with a gun of any sort can be a traumatic time for most of us. It hurts me to my soul sometimes. But, I hate that when I look at gunbroker or armslist and see someone pricing a gun for hundreds of dollars more than what it costs brand new at a retail store! When I sell a gun, I look at what they are ACTUALLY selling for on gunbroker, then I do a search and see what other people have paid for them, lastly I look at a gun values book. I then determine the condition and price it accordingly.
For example, I recently acquired a colt lawman 2" that is about 95% with original colt box and paperwork. He first told me that 800 seemed fair. Mind you, BNIB is somewhere around 473.00. He looked the gun up on gunbroker and saw people were listing it for 800 to 1000.... Not one of them was selling! The ones for 400 to 550 WERE selling. That is my guideline. I reasoned with him and got it in the neiborhood of 350.
So why do people feel that there guns are some rare exception to the rules? Is it there subconscious saying they don't actually want to sell it? I wish I knew but would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

You know... There will always be someone who will pay a premium, on any gun.... It just takes the right buyer, and it may take a long time.
Sellers that charge a premium, usually have all the time in the world to sell it....
I cant stand it when people want something for nothing... That is more of a beef for me..
Just the other day, a guy on the Pa. gun forum was selling a nice model 66 for $350. I PMd him and told him he could get more for it. He said he needed the money ASAP. So I guess there is a reason for everything.
P.S. I know I have paid a premium, on guns that I really wanted, at one time or another.

I think some of them fellers operate under two assumptions.

A fool and his money are soon parted, and there's a sucker born every minute.

Let's see if we can hook one.

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Eccentric old coot

I've bought and sold a number of guns on Gunbroker and on this forum. In general when I sell I try to set the price to what is fair. I've sold several by penny auctions, so that the market truly sets the price. On the other hand, as a buyer, I've been guilty in the past of getting my heart set on a particular model with certain features and probably overpaid because I lacked patience. If I were to sell those guns, I'd probably want to try to get close to what I paid for them, so in those cases I might over-price them slightly (and unless I was lucky, they would probably sit for quite a while!) Obviously it all comes down to supply and demand, and sometimes luck.

Hey Iggy...I RESEMBLE that remark!! LOL...actually I think I've gotten a bit more disciplined when it comes to waiting for a reasonable deal, but I know I've overpaid at times.

Very valid points everyone. It does bug me when people offer you way less than what a gun could go for. In a sense they are saying your an idiot and don't know any better. That could upset me just as much as someone overcharging. I guess my beef if for the people who live in denial. For example, how many h&r single shot 12 gauges have you seen than can fetch more than 125 on a good day? Yet people list them for upwards of 200! It boggles my mind.

Same thing happens in the car business. Had a guy that wanted to trade in a camper on a new vehicle. I had a nearby camper dealer who sold that brand of camper on speaker phone. He stated that retail value, in excellent shape was $5k. This guy kept insisting that his was worth $10k "because its in good shape".

Or people see cars like theirs "selling" for $x (the price that the dealer has the marked for resale). I have to explain that this is RETAIL price, firstly. Secondly, most people aren't just going to come in a pay that price ("Gee Mr. Customer, you don't want to pay me retail for my brand new one. What makes you think someone will pay retail for your beat up used one"). Lastly, if I did give your retail price for yours, yours isn't worth $x. You see Mr. Customer, retail price is for "excellent shape". We have to deduct the price for a new windsheild (see that big crack running across yours). We also have to deduct the price for the new set of tires that it needs. Then there is the clean up, detail and upholstery work.

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otis

Adding to Iggy's comment: "a fool and his money are soon married"

Ischia

What really irks me is the gun show dealer with the smug look on his face trying to sell me a box of 9mm Federal ammo for $18. The same exact box is $9.97 at my local Walmart. He assumes I am an idiot. I won't consider buying anything on his table. You lost a customer, buddy.

If you want knowledgeable folks with money in their pockets (and are more than willing to make a fair deal with you) to be your customers, treat them with just a little bit of respect. The quality and quantity of your client base says a lot about your business practices.

Why do they do it? Because they believe in the old used car salesman adage......"there's a butt, for every seat, no matter the price..."

Jimmy's method of dealing:
If I am selling, my stuff is common and almost worthless and the buyer is doing me a great favor by taking it off my hands.

If I am buying, what I am buying is rare, valuable, and in most cases, a collector's item. The seller is only selling it to me because he likes me a whole lot.

P.S. I am very popular at Gun Shows.

The beauty of a free market is that it allows us to buy or sell as we please. You are taking this way too personally.

Jimmy J: I have a one of a kind revolver for sale call me!!! LOL I have bought on this forum and bought and sold on GB,AA,GA and it is difficult to understand what a seller/buyer is thinking. Many times people add personal attachment to the price, or they bought it at high retail+ tax and expect to sell for at least what they paid if not more. The area of the country is also important- a ruger p-85 in 9mm is a paperweight!! Have I paid to much of course, but now I have my ( " twin-barreled, 46.8 cal super blaster, with 1K rd mag, trimmed in silver and gold, that never misses). Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

Sodacan has a good point -- it's nothing personal if somebody gives you a lowball offer -- just say "no thank you." I might lowball if I really did not need or want the gun (but it looked nice) -- it's worth only so much under those conditions -- if the seller is happy with my lowball offer, then I am happy to buy a gun for which I have limited use. Actually, in those circumstances I am surprised if I don't get a "no" -- I have a nice Ruger P95 that I absolutely don't need only because the Seller said "OK since it's you." That one was hard to explain to the wife.

The flip side is I might offer a premium to get that 3" inch k-frame magnum -- as would a lot of us.

And in none of this are we taking food out of a child's mouth (I hope) -- we are all big boys selling and trading our toys. Being on the short end of a deal every once in a while is not the end of the world (especially if you need to money now) -- it all evens out over the long haul anyway.

Enough of that....

I'm with soda can and bcd on this one. The only rule I know is "buyer beware." I sure can't expect folks to sell me something based on what my research, or whatever, has turned up. Model 610's, and just about abything with a three inch barrel are good examples of this right now. You can calculate all day long, but if you're gonna buy one, you're gonna probably pay a premium for it; even a holer in the case of the 610. The most someone will pay, weighted against the least the seller will accept, is the definition of market value I like best. Flapjack.

Part of it is a customer problem as well (at least looking at it from the automobile sales standpoint). No matter what you price an item, the buyers first words are "Thats too much! Will you take $x?".

I firmly believe that I could price a $50k pickup at $30k, and 90% of the buyers would say, would you take $20k for it. As a matter of fact, a co-worker priced a new pickup to a buyer at $5k below our COST, just to see if he was serious. This gentleman had been shopping around. Think he jumped on the deal? Nope. His response was "Well, that still sounds a little high. Knock off another $500 and I might think about it". Perhaps too many of the sellers have experienced this kind of customer and have overpriced their merchandise in anticipation of the guy who is looking for something for nothing. As a salesman, I would ask my customer what their budget was. Too often, it was the $10k-$12k range. But they were continually looking at cars in the $18k-$20k range. Often, I was polite but blunt and asked the customer what they were trying to accomplish. My conversation went like this "$10k will buy you a $10k car. We have those available. If you are trying to buy a $20k car for $10k, I won't be able to help you today.". The key to success is realistic expectations on both the part of the buyer AND the seller.

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otis

I agree the free market is beautiful, but when one idiot thinks his colt python is worth 3500, Then everyone else thinks theirs is worth that much. Then it's hard to find a gun that's at fair market value. That's what chaps my rear. It's price gouging IMHO

The way I think about buying an item is that the seller (a) doesn't want that item any longer, (b) the seller needs money so he put the item up for sale. In either case the seller should be open for an offer at slightly below retail if he wants to get rid of that item. So I make offers at 25-30% lower than retail. Then bargain to a mutually agreed upon price. We both walk away happy.

At the gun shows I've attended, I see the same vendors over and over. Every time, they pretty much have the same overpriced items year after year. From what I've witnessed, they can't be having too much success. I don't know how they can afford to do it, or why they would want to. I guess that's why they call them gun SHOWS!

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otis

Excellent points Otis...I think relating to guns this is especially true when selling in person (such as at a gunshow for me). When I try to sell a gun at a gunshow I almost always tack on a little because I EXPECT people to want to haggle and that gives me some room to come down and make them feel better. Obviously that strategy doesn't apply to auction sites, and I don't think it really works on this forum either because here the buyers tend to be more informed, and haggling isn't a big part of it.

There is a lot of that going on right now. Some thing that just because it's got a pin in the barrel automatically its worth $200 more...

Yes I think you nailed it. In a way it reminds me of most of the ****** yard/garage sales that the local folk hold in Cowlitz Co., WA. They have the time, they have the cheapy plastic ****, or rusty bent tools, they aren't really trying to clear it out or clean up their place, and they really aren't interested in moving their "product". It is something to do and at the end of the day, 75% of their garbage remains and they made enough money to buy a coupla cases of beer.

Guns, I know, are different... but...

Maybe it is like fishing for spring chinook salmon in January and February in the Columbia River.... you go and hope for the miracle, but when only 3 salmon have crossed the Bonneville Dam... reallly? What am I doing out there with dozens of other boats at least a month or two ahead of the real migration? What are our chances of connecting with that miracle fish? (Two years ago I caught one on Feb. 7th!).

Ahhh, it's somethin' to do I guess. And you can't catch one if you're sitting at home watching t.v. C.B.

All valid points, but the bottom line is people have an idea in their head what their gun is worth and they won't budge from it. When I list a gun for sale, I check gunbroker to see what they are selling for used. I check Buds to see what new ones are going for and then I price it accordingly. Bottom line is that if I price it too high, it won't sell. I've seen ads posted on the forums I frequent (there are a few) that were way overpriced and sent the buyer a private msg giving them my honest opinion. Some take it well, others not so much. Now I just limit my personal comments to things that are required by that particular forum such as price or state seller lives in. On the flip side I've seen guns listed for sale for less than I think they are worth and if its something I'm interested (even remotely if the deals good enough) I bite and buy it. Also, if the person lists obo after their price I'll consider a lower offer. I expect that when I do that on my ads, I even state it in the ad "shoot me an offer, the worst I'll say is no thanks".

You take the good, you take the bad and there you have the facts of life. LOL sorry but that just popped into my head.

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Tim, USAF Ret.

Hey, are you the guy that always runs around with dollar bills hanging out of your pockets, just begging for a "great deal" meant just for you???? Cause I think I've seen you!!

You read my mind. I think a big reason is our inability to "wait" and shop around some. We feel we need it right now no matter the cost. It is not just SW, have seen Ruger OM 3 screws go for 1000, 2000, 3000+ recently. We all complain about the prices of our beloved sidearms bit we keep shelling out the money! Makes it sweeter when we have the patience to wait and find a diamond in the rough!

I agree. If a gun is listed at a price that seems too high, it's your option to pass on the deal. MANY people (esp on gun forums) seem to want something for nothing. I have been trading in weapons for over 50 years. I NEVER have tried to grind a person down on price. Likewise, I REFUSE to give a gun away. The true market value in a free economy is EXACTLY what someone is willing to pay for a good or service. In time, someone will buy your gun at your price. IMHO, one never pays "too much" for a high quality weapon as it will appreciate in time to much more than you paid for it. I have NEVER lost money on a Colt or a S&W. I DON'T buy junk and I treat my weapons well. (thank you US ARMY for instilling that in me)

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

Buy High and sell Low. Make it up in Volume. That's my Motto

gunrunner1,

It is interesting that you mention the Colt Lawman 2 inch barrel version. I just sold mine at the last gunshow for $750.00. I had it marked at $900.00 and let it go for the mentioned price. It was NIB, all everything included, the rare "mint" gun.

I searched Gunbroker back for 90 days on old sales and noticed Lawman(s) only, no box etc. in excellent condition were selling for anywhere from $550.00 to about $700.00.

I inquired at the Colt forum and from a couple of seemingly knowledgeable collectors they said it was worth $800.00 to $1,000.00 TO SOMEONE WHO WOULD REALLY WANT IT.

I made a $50.00 profit on what I paid for it. So it's obvious I am never going to be a big time gun dealer!!

I'm thinking you made a great buy.

I do not trust the prices in any "book" because the internet has skewed prices as many posters here have mentioned.

However current prices of many firearms are all over the place and its simply a fact of the market conditions. They too are all over the place.

I bought an almost mint M15-4 (gun only) last year for $350.00 including shipping and transfer fees. I think that's a good price for any modern .38 Special especially a M15. But I was lucky and anyone else interested was "out-of-town" evidentally.

The "book" is out of date almost as it is published. But any guide is helpful.

I do not grieve over what other folks want for their treasures. If I want it and we can agree on a price I buy it. If not I walk away.

Another factor in my buying philosphy is that I am 59. How much longer are my eyes going to allow me to shoot open sighted revolvers? And...how much longer will I have good health to do so. As such I might pay a bit more than the average person because I am unwilling to wait a year or more for another chance at another gun.

I do believe, as long as Hollywood continues to make "revolverless" movies that revolvers will not stay in vogue. And, as many of our older revolver shooters and collectors pass on we will see many collections of fine revolvers come up for sale and the market might get flooded. As such the S&W that you or I paid $800.00 for because of this "internet thing" will go down in price.

I hope this happens later instead of sooner because I want to liquidate MY collection before all the other guys do!

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

I buy quite a few guns. I sell very few.
If I see a gun I am interested in, I look it over. If it is priced where I think it is a fair deal, I buy it. If it is too high, I walk.
I am not much of a dickerer.

Wingmaster

I've seen dealers here in louisiana sell used guns for almost the store bought price. Their's is gold and your's is junk. I almost sold a browning takedown 22 to a dealer who was leafing through some used gun values book. Then he told me that the buttstock was not origional to the rest of the rifle. So his purchase price came down about a $100 bucks. At which point I thanked him for his time and me and the rifle went our way. Granted you do find some good buys. I like 44 specials. Have 3 of them. 24-3 3"bbl round grip a lew horton gun I paid $840 for. The 24-3 with 4" bbl (the rare one) paid $750 for. The 624 w/6.5" bbl that one cost $650. I find that the value of handguns to be all over the place. Whereas one revolver will sell here for $600 over in texas it may well sell for $700. And in another state $550. It all depends on the economic situation in the state your in. I spotted the 24-3 w/3" bbl sitting in a glass encased display. I asked if it was a lew horton gun and was told it was. Weak moment on my part as I love 44 specials. 15 minutes later it was mine. And yes sometimes I buy the poor unwanted scratched up, dinged such as my model 15. I wanted a 38 special w/iron sights and I got one. lockup is good, no endshake, and no problems. Plus it came with a target hammer and target trigger.
go fighure???. Since I bought the three 44 specials I have not seen anything like that in a long time. Some days you're the bug and sometimes you're the windsheild. Frank

I find the grossly over prices guns on GunBroker to be laughable. If you do a search fro a specific gun, you can easily see the average selling price and with just a tad more work you can see the average sold price. Then there's the joker that seems to think his gun is worth 3 times more than the remainer. I just say to myself "that gun must be made of gold" and go on to the next. Don't take it personally, thems folks is just ijots. There's a Pawnshop about 100 miles from me that lists on GB. His guns tend to be overpriced by about 25% by GB standards. His auction run the 7 days and he automaticly relists them. Some guns have been relisted 10-20 times. He rarely gets a sale. He doesn't seem to have a clue. Oh well it's his money, he can tie it up for as long as he wants. If I had a pawnshop or gun dealership, I'd prefer to turn my inventory quickly. I'd rather make the money in volume rather than my whole weeks profit on the sales of 1 or 2 overpriced guns.

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NRA Benefactor

Someone older, wiser, and more insightful than I once said, "You can never pay too much for a gun, but you can buy too soon" and that is the adage I go by. If the gun in question is one I 'just have to have' , I'll probably buy it anyway, if I pay too much, so be it. It's only a gun for crying out loud...they keep making and selling 'em everyday.

Boox

We cause the "over priced" problems ourselves. If someone wants a gun bad enough they will pay several hundred dollars more than it is worth. Other sellers see this and feel if this guy got it I can get it. It's a fact that some guys have more disposable income than others. Youv'e just got to hope that he doesn't frequent the same gun shops you do! Gun auction sites make many more buyers availiable and that is very good for the seller and not so good for the buyers. We cannot control what other guys will pay. The part of this that bothers me is that most of my LGS are now looking at what is asked on the auction sites and setting their prices accordingly. My only recoarse is to walk and wait and hope the LGS don't advertise on the aution sites.

I tend to think it's what you're really in to. Are you buying and selling to make a buck or are you just buying because you want the piece? I'm not really into trying to make money on guns. It's not that I wouldn't sell one of mine but that, at this point, in not my real intention. Price wise, they're all overpriced. For me, being 65 years old, there's no way I can look at any gun or anything else and justify 2012 prices. When you're my age there's no way you're not going to recall gasoline for 29.9 a gallon or less. I had a Model 94 Winchester 30-30 which I bought in Nov. 1962 for $83.95. A guy beat me out of it. He knew what I had, I didnt'. I currently have a .357 SA Ruger Blackhawk in absolute pristine condition which I bought in Jan. 1973 for $86.95. But, really, all that is not pertinent to the times we're living in today. Can't help but thinking about it though. Now, and this is from a rank amateur, if I felt like the current Smiths were as good as the old ones I wouldn't come near to paying a new price for a used gun. But, I'm finding out on this forum that the current production is not as good. So, until proven wrong, I'll steer clear of the new ones. I think what it all boils down to is that any item, gun or whatever, is worth exactly what someone is willing to give you for it. No more and no less. If you're willing to pay what someone is asking, then it was worth it to you. Just my 2c.

I could not agree with this more. The free market is self-regulating and always will be.

If you see something you want thats priced too high and you're the kind of guy inclined to dicker, make him an offer.

Otherwise, walk on by.

Why let it get to you? The seller doesn't even know you; he's just fishing. Besides, one never knows what a particular prospect might do, so what's the harm in trying?

I've overpaid for a gun. Several times, in fact. But I wanted it, it isn't being made any longer and before long, the price I paid seemed attractive - a "deal" even.

Model 66s are a good example. Sure, they lack the 686's underlug barrel and ability to digest a steady diet of hot loads but they feel less bulky in the hand and shoot accurately. I own three 66s and five 686s and shoot the 66s a lot more. And there are no more new ones to be bought. I've recently seen Model 66s sell for the same or slightly more than an equivalent 686. But soon I'll probably be able to say that I've seen Model 66s sell for considerably more than an equivalent 686.

I just won an auction for a like-new Remington Model 700 XCR (eXtreme Conditions Rifle; basically a stainless BDL with a weatherproof coating). I paid $651 for it and some will say that's too much. But the stainless XCR has been discontinued and this rifle is chambered for one of my favorite cartridges, the .25-06, which was the least common chambering for that model. So was it worth it? Ask me in about five years.

If you like it, want it and think the price is fair, buy it. If you don't, you're free to move on.

Ed

Some sellers may not know what a gun is worth. Some may price it higher so they have room to haggle. Some might not really want to sell, but if someone is willing to pay an inflated price...well, money talks. I don't usually let a high asking price bother me. I'll either offer what I am willing to pay or I'll just pass it by and keep looking. I figure a person has the right to ask whatever price they want for whatever they are selling, just the same as I do. It just depends on how bad, and how fast, you want to sell it.

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Misty

easy for me to know my guns true value.Divide what I paid by three=real value.

Amen on the above statement,yes there are horses asses on gun broker at gunshows and even on this forum but there are also very nice honest and helpful people at those same places.Relax its not worth worrying about.

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The Lord cometh and right soon

The comments about the same over priced ladden tables over and over at gun shows got me thinking. Those older gents perhaps use a local show as a sort of portable "Man Cave". But hey, they get out of the house and away from the "Ol Blister". They get to jaw on and on about how they got this or that piece for a song(when Nixon was President). All the while fishing for suckers to snap up pieces for sale or moving parts of their "display" to other saps. Relax! Enjoy the show! Get some of those crummy fries from the fat ladies at the food booth. And there is always beef jerky to chew on as you watch all the ducks bent over tables that are TOO LOW.Never could figure that one. For $7 or $8 bucks it's a bargain of a circus.

All the Best,
Ischia

I still dont know how to private message and insert a pic. Heres the lawman that I acquired from a reasonable man.

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Let me see if I can sum this one up. I've been going to gun show nearly forever, or at least it seems so. I enjoy them a lot. I also spend more time doing different things at shows than many if not most people. I take particular pleasure watching the negotiations and final prices paid. Not just guns, but also accessories and ammo. The motives of the players seem to vary from a game to dead serious.

I've seen some tremendous bargains left on the table for $20 or so. There really are people who approach life with a blood thirsty attitude. Every transaction they're party to has to be a win for them. Its as much about beating the other poor guy to a pulp as it is about the item itself. Its even important to recognize that when you get caught up in a deal. I'd prefer not to do business with someone else who has that view of life. Maybe its because I do it for fun.

I once even pointed that out to my old gun show partner. That I do it for fun, he does it for money. That makes me an amateur and him a prostitute. He kind of enjoyed the comparison.

The reality seems to be that there are very few guns floating around that are so unique you can't find another, probably at a better price. The exceptions are the ones you've got to figure out. About once a year I find a gun I really want badly. When I do, I have no qualms about paying what I consider a fair price. I don't get great pleasure out of the banter and trying to work the guy down a little. But I also understand its pretty profitable if you can pull it off.

There are people who won't pay a fair price for a worthy piece. I often think I see them here. They know darn good and well what that gun sold for new, back in the last century. If they look long and hard enough, they can find a speck of fly excrement someplace on any gun. To them, its reason to beat the other guy nearly to death on the price.

Sometimes it becomes so wearisome that I harden my stance and just wish the buyer would move along. They annoy me badly enough that I just wish they would "begone". And when I get a little upset, I've been known to do some pretty awful things. Like when they make a foolish offer of $100 less than I've got marked, I raise the price $100 over it. Try it sometime, it usually causes real confusion on their face. But within a few seconds it tells the other guy the game is over.

Once a while back I was selling down some of my Magnums. I just had too many and they were owning me. But I wasn't willing to sell at fire sale prices. At the time I thought I knew the values about as well as anyone. So along comes a prospective buyer. And his method of bargaining was to run down my stuff. That really annoyed me because I knew darn good and well what the defects in a 70 year old gun were. After all, I'd owned it for maybe 10 years myself. So after the guy had pawed all over my treasure, he came in with a lowball offer. And I predictably just said "no". He was polite and handed me back the gun he'd been playing with for maybe 10 minutes. Good, he was gone. But then an hour later he reappeared with a support group. The routine started all over again, and I'd had enough. The gun couldn't be bought for what he wanted to spend and they seemed to be wearing my gun out just looking at it. He gave me an opening and I pointed out he'd been looking for a good long time, but I'd never even seen the color of his money. Sure was one sided. So I suggested he allow me to handle, turn inside out and flip over his billfold for a while since he'd done the same to my gem. It stunned all of them! Priceless was how you'd describe the looks on their faces. I guess no one had ever said anything like that to them before. But I did get some laughs (mostly from behind our tables.) Then the guy did something totally unexpected, he paid my price! My guess at the time was he realized we were done talking and anything else would have just killed any deal.

Maybe we should all understand people negotiate from different perspectives. I look at guns and even make offers on them for one reason only. Its because I'd like to own the gun. For me, and I don't know how long. Others sometimes want to buy a gun to resell and make a few dollars. I'm not opposed to that, except if its my gun they want and they want to beat me to death on the price. Sometimes I don't have the patience or time for it.

I met my old gun show partner on one of those deals. He had a factory engraved M57. Not only was it beautiful, but it had one of the nicest sets of elephant ivory I'd ever seen. That was back in the mid 1990s. Back then there were 5 big gun shows a year around these parts. I'd noticed the gun at an earlier show, so I started paying attention to it. And he wanted $2400 for it. It was more than factory engraved M29s were selling for. So for a running stretch of maybe 4 or 5 shows, I'd inquire about the gun. Didn't spend a lot of time on it, but he knew he had one on the hook. Then one day near closing time I made my last pass to visit my gun. He saw me coming and called the bet. From maybe 3 or 4 tables away, he kind of yelled "are you serious or just window shopping?"

Too much for me, and I could see everyone in the island of tables was watching the drama (gun shows can have boring moments). So I just responded I'm always serious, and if he'd get reasonable on the price maybe we could do business. Guess it was apparent he'd thrown down the gauntlet and I returned it. Of course he asked what I thought was reasonable. So I reached into my vest and pulled out a nice little packet of $100s, 20 of them in the banks own wrapper. And I tossed it on the glass case. I think that was the only time I ever saw John blush. But I had some help, all the other vendors were almost folding over laughing. So he picked up my money and handed me the case. But before I could walk away, he told me to come in and sit for a spell.

Turns out he really needed the money. Another vendor had a 44-40 M92 he wanted in the worst way. Guess there is pressure from both sides. And a few years later he confided that was the first time he'd ever seen a gun show customer carry that kind of money around. It surprised me because he had a bunch of SAAs and those went for big money, too.

And I still have the M57. Because I wanted it.

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Dick Burg

If the guy you saw was carrying a pink purse, then it was me.

A gun sells for exactly what it is worth - no more, no less.

Ever.

Not a hard concept to understand.

This is simply capitalism in its purest form. If you know of a better system I'm all ears.

Exactly, blujax01. Any item, gun or not, is worth exactly what you pay for it. If the price is too much, and many times it is to me, then it wasn't worth it. If I'm willing to pay what they ask, then, the bottom line is, that it was worth it to ME. I just bought a Model 27-2 6" stainless which looks in immaculate shape from the pictures. Was it too much?? Most probably. But it was the exact thing I wanted. So it must have been worth it to ME. Hope I'm not disappointed.

Guns or just about any other thing, the more I want it, the more I'm willing to pay for it. I try to make sure I don't want anything real bad.

When I don't really want something, I always seem to get good deals. When I want something bad, I always seem to pay a lot for it. And could have always gotten it for less down the road if I hadn't wanted it so bad.

this one worked

http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachm...7&d=1331522504

Attached Images

photo (7).jpg (32.9 KB, 19 views)

Well I blame S&W for making the beautiful 6.5"bbld 624, the 24-3 with 4"bbl, and of course the 24-3 with 3"bbl. All in one year. I always wanted a S&W in 44 special so when the 624 showed up I was a goner,then the 24-3 with 4" bbl and then the 24-3 with 3" bbl. Started out with one 44 special and now have three. Then there was a model 15 with target trigger and target hammer. kinda beatup but had adjustable sights. I got that one for around $300.Never was really interested in revolvers. I had a model 10 and a model 36 and for years that was it. Kinda like going to the beach. When you first get there its not crowded, then the people show up. Then some leave and a new bunch show up. Sorta comes in waves. Well thats me when it comes to revolvers. Don't really care for the magnums anymore. My 357 is an old colt trooper 6" bbl and really likes to shoot.Think I got that one for around $300 also. Frank

My LGS gets irritated with me as he can't "sell" me anything. I like and/or want it and get it or not. If I like the price, done. If not, I walk. I pick what I want and decide on the price I'll pay. My A-5 Belgium Browning 32" full choke (1968-birth year gun), in mint condition took me MANY years to find for $500 OTD. I found it when they were hovering around $1K. I got it from a store also, not an individual. Short of it is if you like the gun and price call it a deal. If not, walk and find your deal. You can ask what you want for yours and so can the other guy. We are still free.......kinda...,and so far......

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