Moral question

[oldman45]

In 1999, an elderly friend wanted to sell a unfired Marlin 336 in 30/30 caliber. For whatever reason, he was asking $200 for it and I paid what he was asking.

Now the man is close to death's door due to age and declining health. He has a grandson that is in his late 20's that called me today asking me to sell him the rifle for what I paid his grandfather for the gun.

The rifle still remains unfired.

My situation is I do not often sell a gun and while I do not use the gun, I do not care to sell this one, especially for $200.

What would you guys do? Sell the grandson the gun? Not sell the gun to him? Raise the price and sell it to him?

I understand wanting a certain gun that may have memories but I also know the value of the gun is more than $200 but that is what the man wanted for it and what I paid for it.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Since the gun is unfired, I seriously doubt that there were memories made with it.

Unless you made an agreement with the grandfather to sell the gun back to him for the same price- you have no obligation to sell it at all.

Ancient gun trader's trick- "Sell it back to me for what I sold it to you if you ever need the money."

I think the grandson sees a way to make some money, or get a cheap rifle.

Tell him you have fond memories of the old feller, and the rifle told you it doesn't want to leave. That will end it.
Don't raise the price- keep it.

How did the grandson find out you had it- that is the question.

 

[venomballistics]

if I knew the players well enough to know the intent of the grandson, I may consider giving him the rifle and calling the $200 a favor ... provided my heart tells me its a family history preservation thing.
on the other hand if the punk just wants to liquidate it ... allow him $20 profit margin against retail.

 

[keith44spl]

The Real Reason

I'd tell the young man that I would give the matter some consideration…Ask the grandson why he wants the rifle now.

Then in a few months I'd ask him again why he wants the rifle…You see what I'm getting' at.

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[michael thornton]

tell him to buy you one just like it and you will trade

 

[Rule3]

I'd tell the young man that I would give the matter some consideration…Ask the grandson why he wants the rifle now.

Then in a few months I'd ask him again why he wants the rifle…You see what I'm getting' at.

Su Amigo,
Dave

I like it. Really, ask why the grandson wants it? Especially since so much time has passed. It's not like what was mentioned, that there is fond memories of hunting with grand Dad and bagging his first deer with the rifle.

Not knowing any more about the family dynamics, I do not see where there is any obligation on your part to sell it to him. Did grand Dad promise the gun to him when he got older??

 

[bamabiker]

tell him to buy you one just like it and you will trade

I like this answer. If he really wants Grand Dad's gun he should not have a problem doing this.

 

[Joe Kent]

Tell him politely that you have no desire to sell it at this time. However, tell him that if you decide to sell at some time in the future, you will most certainly give him the right of first refusal at a price to be determined by you.

 

[Gary]

I like this answer. If he really wants Grand Dad's gun he should not have a problem doing this.

This approach sounds good to me.

 

[Skeeziks]

First things first! What is the year of mfr.?
Is this a NIB from the 70's, or does it only date back to the late 90's?
Post the ser.# if you don't know....

 

[pinduck]

First and foremost you are under no moral obligation to sell him the rifle at any price. You paid what was asked, so if you wish to sell the rifle to him he can pay what you ask and I would ask current market value.

 

[diamonback68]

You have no moral obligation to sell it back to him. You are the owner.
I question why the grandson seems to be more concerned about getting this rifle back, at a steal price, than the condition, death and loss of his grandfather. Sounds very materialistic to me.

 

[M29since14]

tell him to buy you one just like it and you will trade

Probably the best answer. Since I believe from your writing the kid specified the $200 price (rather than "I will pay you whatever you gave Grandpa for it"), his intentions seem pretty obvious. I don't see any moral obligation. Probably just someone thinking he can lay a guilt trip on you.

 

[Hunt200]

I agree with the guys above, if the guy never shot it there can't be any sentimental attachment, and if the grandson wants it bad enough he should get you an exact replacement. I would if it was me and I wanted it. Then again if it was me you would never have gotten it in the first place!

 

[bk43]

The kid's grandfather isn't even dead yet and he's going after things? Non-starter around here...not happening.

Bob

 

[gunlovingirl]

You answered your own question...."I do not care to sell this one..."
The gun was/is unfired, so I don't see how it could have any sentimental value to grandson. Keep the gun, and don't feel guilty about it.

 

[oldfella]

A trade for an identical rifle, unfired, will get you the answer you are seeking.

Pete

 

[ia1727]

By the title of your thread we can see this is bothering you. I personally don't think it's so much a moral question as a relationship question. If you and the original owner were very , very close friends that's one thing. If however it was merely a gun transaction then their really is no moral dilemma involved.

I think the best way to opt out of any further problems with either is to simply state it's not for sale and it will eventually be willed to your offspring. JMHO

Steve

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

What does gramps have to say about this? Since he is your "friend" and he's dying, I'd grant his wish whatever that might be.

By the way, how does the grandson know of this transaction back in the 90's?

 

[watchmanjimg]

I'd say the grandfather expressed his wishes in 1999. Had he intended to save the rifle for his grandson, he would not have offered it for sale. I can imagine situations where one might feel morally obliged to return family heirlooms, etc. but this isn't one of them. If you don't want to sell the rifle, keep it.

 

[Bullzaye]

I'd say the grandfather expressed his wishes in 1999. Had he intended to save the rifle for his grandson, he would not have offered it for sale. I can imagine situations where one might feel morally obliged to return family heirlooms, etc. but this isn't one of them. If you don't want to sell the rifle, keep it.

My thoughts exactly!

Tim

 

[Skeeziks]

This might be how it came about:

The kid see's his grandpa near deaths door and does not see the "Old Marlin" anywhere around. The kid says "Hey grandpa...what happened to the Marlin?" Grandpa says "Oh, I sold it to "So-and-so" for $200." The kid says "Grandpa...it was worth waay more than that! What's his phone number...?"

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

This might be how it came about:

The kid see's his grandpa near deaths door and does not see the "Old Marlin" anywhere around. The kid says "Hey grandpa...what happened to the Marlin?" Grandpa says "Oh, I sold it to "So-and-so" for $200." The kid says "Grandpa...it was worth waay more than that! What's his phone number...?"

Could be, in which case

tell him to buy you one just like it and you will trade

would be the perfect answer. Of course, that's a near-perfect answer anyway, unless YOU have an attachment to that particular gun. Even then, it's a great answer, because if he really cares about it, he'll do it, and then maybe it would be a nice thing to do, to swap even since he's the grandson.

I don't think he'll go for it - he's looking for a freebie. Tell him to write the White House.

 

[oldman45]

First things first! What is the year of mfr.?
Is this a NIB from the 70's, or does it only date back to the late 90's?
Post the ser.# if you don't know....

I do not know the yr of manufacture
but the SN is 2400XXXX

 

[oldman45]

By the title of your thread we can see this is bothering you. I personally don't think it's so much a moral question as a relationship question. If you and the original owner were very , very close friends that's one thing. If however it was merely a gun transaction then their really is no moral dilemma involved.

I think the best way to opt out of any further problems with either is to simply state it's not for sale and it will eventually be willed to your offspring. JMHO

Steve

We were not close. I brokered a couple of deals with the guy over the years and he is just a really nice gentleman. Never broke bread with the guy, never went out for drinks and he never rode in my car or me in his.

I let him grow a garden on a couple acres I owned for a few years, I gave him a fair price for a house he needed to sell and he and I had a lot of common friends. Past that, he and I would talk about once a month for 10-14 years. When he had a gun for sale, he would call to see if I wanted to buy it. He always had a never fired gun to sell, often still in the box. He is about 90+ yrs old now and I have not spoken to him in over a year due to his health.

 

[oldman45]

What does gramps have to say about this? Since he is your "friend" and he's dying, I'd grant his wish whatever that might be.

By the way, how does the grandson know of this transaction back in the 90's?

Grandpa kept telling his grandson that he sure wished he never had sold his Marlin rifle. I have never met the grandson but I know the grandson's sister.

 

[Onomea]

I agree with the view that if the kid really wanted the gun because it was his grandfather's, he'd ask politely if he might buy it from you because it was his grandfather's. He would not say "at the price you bought it from him in 1999." He might well try to negotiate, as is normal, but that's it. I don't think you need to feel this is a moral question.

The response suggested of "buy me one just like it, same condition" is good, too. As is Keith44's.

I don't think this is a moral question, frankly. (Though you are obviously a good guy to think it is!)

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Tell ya what -I'll give you $250.00 for it and it ain't your problem anymore. Tell the grandkid that you gave it to a lawyer in payment for legal fees for representing you in that "misunderstanding" a while back involving the pygmy and the the crate of grapefruits.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Grandpa kept telling his grandson that he sure wished he never had sold his Marlin rifle. I have never met the grandson but I know the grandson's sister.

That answers both questions.

If this is in fact his regret so close to death, the only remaining question is what is going to make you feel best about yourself-- Repairing a regret for a dying old man, or telling him a deal is a deal? Ultimately, this isn't about gramps, grandson or the rifle. It's about you.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

You have no obligation here. If the kid wants it get his number and tell him he gets first chance 'if' you ever decide to sell it and it will be at a price to be determined by you.