I have a question.

Art Doc

Art Doc

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The kidney of Dixie.
Why do members post "Should I buy this?" or "Should I sell this?"

I understand asking if an item is worth the asking price, but asking if it's something the writer wants to buy (or keep) makes no sense to me. How would strangers know what you want or like? Don't you know what you want?

Can I pick your next car for you, too?
 
People are looking for advice, just like I did recently with the boat thread couple weeks ago. "Should I buy this?" maybe not be the best description for what the member truly wants to know, a different wording would change it to the better. But I understand where these threads are coming from...
 
Questions

To avoid broker fees , Your correct most questions are not answerable with out getting beat up one way or the other.
 
The one that kind of gets me is how did I do? Its bought and a done deal. I also can see asking what the going price is before I decide to buy. My thing is at my stage in life trying to keep up with the going price of guns I own so I can either sell a few at its going worth or my widow can.
I was lucky. Many years ago when I started out collecting I rented out a room to a very knowledgable gun collector. At the time he knew his smiths as well as anyone here now. Ura "Duke" Duvall" worked where I did. His family lived a 100 miles away and he would go home every two or three weeks and bring back another suitcase full of guns for us to discuss. Duke was a brother in law to Arnold Capone the then owner of King Gun Works in Los Angels. Duke, capone and Dan King all worked for Dan King senior a early well known gunsmith in L.A. back in the 40s and 50s. Capone took the name and later business. I think years ago Duke used to do the polishing for reblues on the side for his gun money. For a working man duke had the best collection of guns of anyone I ever knew. His main intrest was smiths but also liked colts and winchesters the same as me. He would have been about a 100 now. I have several of his guns and got whatever gun knowledge I have mostly from him.
 
35 years ago I was working in a small shop that did plumbing, heating and sheet metal. We lost a heating bid by $500 and were doing some plumbing work on the remodel. The homeowner asked my foreman what he thought of the heating. He told him of the flow restrictions that were there and some of the other visible issues. The homeowner asked if he should call the other shop back. Foreman answered "what for, you got what you paid for". I have mentally referenced that many times as people second guessed situations. I believe many times they are happier not knowing.
 
"How did I do?" is either a polite way to brag about a deal or a genuine concern that the buyer may have been fleeced.

...And since there are those here who are against him asking "Is it worth it?" to keep from being taken, he is left with little choice in the matter.

IMO
 
I've always loved, "Did I pay too much?"

Yes, you did.

If you have to ask, then you THINK you paid too much, and if you think that, it does not matter what the Blue Book says, or what I saw or what Handejector says, or what blujax says. If you think you paid too much, then you will always, in the back of your mind, think you paid too much, and will resent having had to shell out 250 dollars for that Registered Magnum.
 
"How did I do?" is either a polite way to brag about a deal or a genuine concern that the buyer may have been fleeced.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's a polite way to brag. IMO it's childish and silly. If ya got a smoking hot deal just say so, that I can live with.
 
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OP, I think a lot of times the questioner will seek advice from friends he knows and trusts to support or validate something he already has in mind. I've done that myself.

Some people just feel more comfortable with a decision if others agree. It does seem funny because a lot of times it'd be like asking how much salt should I put on my food or what is the best pistol. Some answers are totally subjective and strictly a matter of taste or preference and will vary from one person to another. But some questions can be helped with a little advice one way or another. Just my 2 cents...
 
I like the comment about bragging. One other consideration; The system of leadership, as taught in government schools these days is Consensuses. It is taught as a majority rules thing. They no longer teach leadership by values or character. This is a weak spine way to defer blame. Where would society be if people were taught to "Man UP" and lead by example, and of course take blame for your mistakes. Why, we would have people running for political office that would be worth voting for. So, buy or sell your gun and leave me alone! Sort of rant over. Ivan
 
I wanna know why people ask questions about why other people ask questions......wait, that's a question
Ohh....... nevermind..
c7418ee891c68fbcfda49eeb3d1eeb43_zps48f9af86.jpg
 
Ya got took! Especially if its the one I filed the firing pin down on years ago. There is a story to that one.
 
A10 said:
What should I do?

Put a chicken inside a paper bag, step into the front yard, swing it over your head shouting, "Mekka lekka hi mekka hi nee ho,".....

At least it will amuse the neighbors......:D
Click to expand...


And it will probably rain for forty four days without let up.
Also your mother-in-law will move in with you ! :D :D :D
 
I always try to ask if there is something I should know first. If I'm asking the price is pretty good for what it is. Like the model 28 that I asked about yesterday. It was $325. I slept on it and it was gone today. Oh well, there will be others....there always is. What I don't get is the "should I sell A or B.
 
SaxonPig said:
Why do members post "Should I buy this?" or "Should I sell this?"

I understand asking if an item is worth the asking price, but asking if it's something the writer wants to buy (or keep) makes no sense to me. How would strangers know what you want or like? Don't you know what you want?

Can I pick your next car for you, too?
Click to expand...

Took ya long enough to figure that one out.
I've seen the phenomena since I was in my mid 20s.
Some honestly don't know what they want. They look to the world around them and settle in on a cookie cutter blue print to blend in.
It's easier than giving it serious thought I suppose.

We knew more about it when we were kids.
Pickup truck or Ferrari? Ask any kid and you will find yourself in a 458 Italia. Ask the kids parents, and your in a minivan.
Ask a farmer and your in an f150.
After that realization hit me, I felt a whole lot better about being me.

I know that I want a Chicago typewriter. Not sure what practical use it would serve, but I know I want one.

I'd love to put together a collaborative band on this forum.
I'd like to have a legion of minions.
I want to get through a year without a catastrophic failure of something in this house.
I want to live my life without new and improved regulations screwing up my plans every other day.

Some things are achievable and obtainable, others aren't.
Point being, knowing what I want, I mean really knowing, has offered me far better guidance than anyone else could ever give me.
I wouldn't trade that for the entire production run of Chrysler minivans .... at least not without a bonus wing of B52s loaded out with napalm.
 
G-Mac said:
I also want to know why people post pictures of amazing gun collections while casually claiming, "I'm not a collector". :D
Click to expand...

I will attempt to explain.

I have a Model 14, a 17 and an 18. If I were a COLLECTOR, I would be lusting after a 15 and a 16, to fill the holes in my COLLECTION. Since I have a K38 Target Masterpiece, I NEED a K38 Combat Masterpiece. And since I have both K38 and K22, I NEED a K32 Target Masterpiece. Without them, my COLLECTION is incomplete.

Now, I'll be honest. I'd like to have a K32. Not for my non-existent COLLECTION, though. I like the 32 Long. I have three HEs and four 32 H&Rs I shoot 32 Long in. I like the round.

I have a fair-size firearm accumulation, but it's not a collection.

At various times, over about a fifteen years period, I have picked up a K98, a P08, a P38, a P35 VIS and an MP40. Each and every one of those was bought for the same reason - "Ooooohhh. Preeeettttty. Here's money. Gimme." That, by the way, is the reason most of my guns were bought.

Now, all these Nazi-marked firearms would make a nice little "German WW2 collection". But they're not. Not really. Because I'm not a collector. I'm an "accumulator".

And if you accumulate long enough, you end up with several decent collections.

Looking at my menagerie, I can find German WW2 collection, USGI collection from the 1870s to the 1950s, a pretty good "30s gangster" collection, a decent "cowboy collection" and some others. But none of them are "COLLECTIONS", because none of them were bought to COLLECT.

See the difference.

I am not a gun collector.
 
Rather than.......

Rather than just telling them to 'buy' or 'sell' people can give good reasons for wanting to keep or sell a particular gun, especially if they are looking for something to replace it.
 
How did I do

I think sometimes it's a simple way of starting a conversation; like "did you see Longmire last night?"


For some it may be bragging or insecurity but I think most of us want to bring something to the conversation where guns are concerned.

I do agree however that in principle it's like closing the barn door after the horse is gone.

Jim in Iowa
 
SaxonPig is not the same as pig. SaxonPig is a username, pig is an insult.

IMO a collector seeks the best examples he can find/afford of rare, unusual, exotic guns or he acquires examples of every variation of a model or genre. I have an accumulation of various guns that I bought because I wanted them at the time. They are not rare, nor exotic, and certainly not pristine in most cases.

The collector worships his guns, claims to be a caretaker for them, calls them "she" or otherwise anthropomorphizes them. To me a gun is a tool. I shoot all my guns. They may have monetary value, but no sentimental value. All the guns for which I had an emotional attachment were stolen in 1986. I have since learned not to cry over anything that can't cry over you.
 
SaxonPig said:
Why do members post "Should I buy this?" or "Should I sell this?"

I understand asking if an item is worth the asking price, but asking if it's something the writer wants to buy (or keep) makes no sense to me. How would strangers know what you want or like? Don't you know what you want?

Can I pick your next car for you, too?
Click to expand...

I agree with you on this for sure. All I can figure out is when they ask these questions and including "Did I do good" on some kind of a purchase I compare this type of a post to a phrase that I have always heard about barking dogs. Some say that dogs just bark to hear their head rattle. Might be some truth to it.:)
 
I have had numerous people say "well, make up my mind for me!", and I never do.

Then there are the people whose minds I actually DO have to make up for them...and you know...they never ask. And none of them are on this forum (that I know of.)
 
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