I Can't Afford My Passion!!! RANT!

[GyMac]

It's ironic that the guns that we cherish and want so much are the ones they are not making.

 

[Old Corp]

Understand. And - the ONLY reason I have accumulated so many fairly neat S&W's was because I played the part of a lowly p/t LGS employee at a couple of shops that handled alot of estate liquidations.

Other than that, I'd have never had a chance, and this site would not even be on my laptop toolbar.
Actually, have most of what I really wanted, albeit most are 'shooter grade' models, which bothers me none.

 

[TTSH]

Just to put it in perspective, those "cheap" S&Ws of the 70s & 80s were generally the equivalent of two or three weeks pay for many of us. Sometimes a whole month or more.

Back in the good old days (35-40 years ago!), I would save up and buy a new (or slightly used) S&W revolver every quarter. It would cost me roughly the equivalent of one week's gross salary on average... and Lord knows I wasn't buying the premium N-frames or specialty guns. That's for sure.

The advantage we had then was that they were regular catalog items and you could take the time to save up or lay-away the gun you wanted. Once you had the money, the gun would be available.

If you want one today, you have to have money in hand and be ready to jump when the one you want just happens to pop up. That's a big difference.

I still use lay-way all the time. It doesn't work for consignment guns or at the shows... but around here some dealers still have decent, workable lay-away programs for shop-owned guns.

As I've said before, if it weren't for credit cards and lay-away programs, I'd have to drop gun collecting and take up bird watching like the good wife keeps suggesting!

 

[jsfricks]

I'm in the same boat, usually have to sell one to buy another. But every once in a while a good one will go unnoticed on GB because it wasn't list right or something. That's about my only hope in getting something at a good deal nowadays.

 

[44wheelman]

Rags, your "Honey Hole" turned into alot of people's honey hole, until, it became more of a molasses hole. There's the increase of licensed dealers at OGCA (like the Fugates); so the truly collectible disappear & end up on Gunbroker for the highest bidder. Cabela's had a table there a year ago or so. Ultimately, skyrocketing internet prices are the real reason, but I like to have a scapegoat.

 

[GF]

" The bids reached $100,000 and did not even meet the reserve!!!"

And you know, when I hit that "BID" icon & sent it I said to myself, " Now that ought to get 'em bought! "

Next time.

GF

 

[heron163]

the last Python I bought was an Ultimate stainless 6"... in unfired condition... the kid inherited it from his gramps but he wanted to sell it so he could buy a "deagle"... I tried to talk him out of it but he wanted nothing to do with some old time gun... so I finally gave in... $700.

the reality is that a lot of these wonderful old guns will be coming on the market in the near future as the collectors pass on and the heirs sell...