Gun Show Etiquitte

[Old TexMex]

When you're in a building full of people carrying guns, it pays to mind your manners. I don't like people inturrupting a conversation, it's rude.


[Woodrow Call:"I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it."]

 

[model70hunter]

I will not interrupt someone else's deal. Period. It is manners. But as the Duke said I expect the same from others. I've told a few to wait their turn.

Did I hurt their feelings? Probably not for long, usually another ear of corn hitting the trough will cause oinkers to start a new feeding frenzy.

 

[HotRoderX]

I am going to go against the grain and say I see nothing wrong with offering more then someone else while there bidding on it. They are willing to meet your acceptable price. Then yes they should have first crack at it.

Its like buying a house or placing a bid on a auction. People can come in at any time and counter offer. Any time people are expected to haggle you should expect competition. It would tick me off if someone did it to me but I also understand I could have just as easily offered what the seller wanted and walked away with it.

 

[fat tom]

If you have to ask the question,I'm pretty sure you already know the answer. Just because a few others here have given you a little moral support,that don't make it any less rude. JMO,FWIW.
f.t.

 

[mrbort]

I am going to go against the grain and say I see nothing wrong with offering more then someone else while there bidding on it. They are willing to meet your acceptable price. Then yes they should have first crack at it.

Its like buying a house or placing a bid on a auction. People can come in at any time and counter offer. Any time people are expected to haggle you should expect competition. It would tick me off if someone did it to me but I also understand I could have just as easily offered what the seller wanted and walked away with it.

But it isn't an auction; it isn't buying a house. It's a personal interaction between buyer and seller. The house thing actually is more applicable I think though I've not been in the habit of buying houses and I semi-forget the process from the one time I went through it. The fact that they're so different of items maybe makes it an invalid comparison.

To me, barging in on a negotiation that albeit in a public space is actually a private sale is not acceptable. Even the inquiry of the asking price could be interpreted as horning in on a negotiations. I think a polite verbiage would be (if the opportunity presented itself in a natural rather than interrupting way) would be to note your interest by asking the asking price in something along these lines: "Excuse me, quick question: what is your asking price on that? I'm certainly not trying to interfere in your sale but I may have an interest if this prospective buyer is not interested"


That's how I would handle it but I suspect that that handling would ever be in the case of a firearm for which I've searched for years.

 

[labworm]

When in line, wait your turn.

I'm sure, if you are negotiating a deal, the last thing you want is third party interference.

 

[Cdog]

Wait your turn. More than one deal has been queered by a third party horning in.

 

[gm272gs]

Steer clear of all possible negotiations; hovering over an interested buyer like a helicopter shill makes you, well, a shill. Show your interest once the gun is put down and the buyer walks away.

While I agree that you should typically wait until the other guy puts the item down and walks away, I do not agree that the term "shill" means what you think it means.

A shill (the way I have always understood it) is in cahoots with the seller. Like the snake oil salesman going from town to town. The guy planted (by the snake oil salesman) in the crowd appearing to be "just one of the crowd" steps up and says enthusiastically; "Sure! I'll buy that for a dollar! That sounds amazing!"

 

[Alnamvet68]

While I agree that you should typically wait until the other guy puts the item down and walks away, I do not agree that the term "shill" means what you think it means.

A shill (the way I have always understood it) is in cahoots with the seller. Like the snake oil salesman going from town to town. The guy planted (by the snake oil salesman) in the crowd appearing to be "just one of the crowd" steps up and says enthusiastically; "Sure! I'll buy that for a dollar! That sounds amazing!"

That's exactly what I was implying. Anyone who interferes with my negotiations with a seller sets off a red flag in my book. I do not trust anyone I don't know personally, and I am not so naive to think that gun show sellers are ethical and above reproach. For what it's worth, I live in a time now that is polar opposite of the America I grew up in, and I'll just leave it at that.

 

[roarindan]

The people that play "3 card monty" on the street,have a shill in the crowd that they let win a few dollars; then they reel you in. When I look at a firearm to purchase, I'd be very suspect of the dealer and the "butt in ski" trying to work me.

 

[wheelgun28]

I dont really like the budinski know it all. You know the guy, when your looking at something. He comes over and enlightens you all with his knowledge during negotiations.

Like hey thats the ultra rare S&W 38 ctg. and it has that really nice aftermarket blue and scarce goodyear grips, that is stealing for the the low price of $800.

Sometimes its that is the 44 magnum owned by President Grant...

Then like a bolt of lightening he disappears...

 

[Old TexMex]

I dont really like the budinski know it all. You know the guy, when your looking at something. He comes over and enlightens you all with his knowledge during negotiations.

Like hey thats the ultra rare S&W 38 ctg. and it has that really nice aftermarket blue and scarce goodyear grips, that is stealing for the the low price of $800.

Sometimes its that is the 44 magnum owned by President Grant...

Then like a bolt of lightening he disappears...

Now THAT is adarn good thing to watch out for... The shill...
....and some of the best deals I ever made were deals I never made!

 

[rburg]

I think most of the posters here are giving the butt in the easy way out. He's at best really rude. If you're the rude one, make sure you can take the punch in the jaw he's entitled to give you. You deserve no consideration at all. If the table next to the event has a loaded gun and it goes off, hitting the butt-in, all is well with the world. Being in too much of a hurry and not waiting your turn tells everyone that you're not to be trusted or given much attention.

If I were the seller, I wouldn't sell a gun to such a person, or even want then to handle it if it were mine. Beyond rude is the way I look at it. And keep in mind the guy with the gun in his had really has no obligation to pass it to you. Probably a very satisfying outcome would be for you to butt in, negotiate for a gun you haven't handled, and then have the gun holder reach in his pocket while still holding it and pay the price you were given.

 

[gm272gs]

...For what it's worth, I live in a time now that is polar opposite of the America I grew up in, and I'll just leave it at that...

I will agree with you, wholeheartedly.
I am becoming a curmudgeon, which is to say that I am becoming my father.

I'm sure that my childhood wasn't nearly as perfect as I recall, but the world was a lot simpler then and I certainly didn't know any kids who were medicated.

 

[Tom K]

I think most of the posters here are giving the butt in the easy way out. He's at best really rude. If you're the rude one, make sure you can take the punch in the jaw he's entitled to give you. You deserve no consideration at all. If the table next to the event has a loaded gun and it goes off, hitting the butt-in, all is well with the world. Being in too much of a hurry and not waiting your turn tells everyone that you're not to be trusted or given much attention.

Don't sugercoat it Dick, tell us what you really think.

For what its worth, I agree with your sentiment. Early in my gun show days I had a guy do just what the original poster described. I had a gun in my hands and was preparing to speak with the owner, and a guy came up and essentially said, "I'll buy it!" Seller took the gun out of my hands and handed it to Mr. Butt-in. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I knew it was somehow rude and wrong, but I didn't have enough experience at the time to tell both of them what Dick said above. It's just low class.

 

[Brian41]

I agree it's best to be quiet and wait your turn as that is what I have always done. I do admit though I've had to bite my tounge at times when I've heard either party laying down a load of nonsense.
I have watched transactions take place and afterwards congratuated the buyer or made other positive comments about the gun. I've had other do the same to me and it makes a person feel good knowing they made a good deal.
I'd never interfer with a transaction and have had it happen to me before. I didn't care for it either and concider it rude.

 

[safearm]

While not at a gunshow, but in a gun shop that I regularly visit, I have asked, politely, if a person is just looking at a particular gun, or is interested in buying that gun. I'll only do this after watching for a time the fruitless efforts of the dealer to make a sale. I have also asked if I could see the gun. More times than not, the person either hands the gun back to the dealer or to me. Once I had a person say rather curtly that he hadn't decided, at which time I apologized, backed away, and let the haggling continue; I ended up taking that gun home with me.

 

[wbraswell]

Don't bring impatience,or rudness, to a gun show. Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, don't bring your babies either.

 

[Arik]

As a buyer i dont care if someone asks while im holding the object. Ive had that happen when a guy just wants to know the price so he knows if its worth it for him to wait till im done or to move on. Shill or not, i have X amount of money and if you can and want to pay more then by all means go ahead. Im at a show full of guns i'll find something else to spend money on. Dont see how its such a big deal

On the other hand some of you guys need to step it up with your haggling if you dont want people to butt in and ask prices. I dont want to stand behind you and listen to a 35 min reminisce about how you first saw this gun at your aunts, cousins birthday party back when you were 4.5 years old in 1934. And you know it was 1934 cause your cousin's dog just had a litter of puppies and one was given to the neighbor who had just bought a new 1934 Studabacker.

I dont need to know this, please get with the program or move along or at the very least tell me the price so i know if i should move along or take a chance and listen to more jiberish

 

[Mule Packer]

Do you fellows see a problem with asking seller his price while someone else is looking at firearm. I had a gentleman get aggravated that I ask selling price while he was looking at pistol.

You bet I see a problem with that!! And I don't blame the guy for getting ticked when you butted in during the middle of his transaction.

Wait your turn!! Talk about being a rude and inconsiderate so-and-so! I don't care if he's trying to haggle the guy down to one-tenth of the asking price!! He's the one who is holding the gun at the moment. When he's finished, then you can have a turn!

I'm surprised you'd even have to ask! Granted, there are some doo-dahs out there who waste everybody's time, trying to get a good gun for nothing, but nevertheless, he was there first!

All I can say is, I sure hope to heck you and I don't meet at some gun show. If we do, I'm liable to get rude.