The One That Got Away Before You Knew What You Were Doing

[Fishinfool]

About 1980 or so, traded a Remington 870 for a model 29, 4 inch, 4 screw with "those magnum grips with the extra checkering" (cokes). I do not remember the dash #. About like new.

I took off the cokes, put on rubbers. Later put the cokes on a model 28 I was selling. Used the gun about a year, then traded it off as I liked the trigger better on my 4 inch 29-2 (which I still have). Back then I was on the gun a week plan..

If I had known back then what I know now about the future collectability and rarity of certain models, that gun, and a few others would have never gotten away....

Larry

 

[shovelhead]

And another one, a real Remington 1858 converted to use metallic cartridges, supposed to have been a factory conversion around the turn of the century, 1899-1900 or so. Would have cost me $125 as the owner wanted to trade for my S&W Model 15.

Working at a LGS a couple years ago he took in a Remington 1100 Sporting Clays in 20 ga. that I debated about. Decided "what the heck" went to work and asked the owner " where's the 1100?" Answer, "sold it!"

And a gentleman came in one afternoon with a heavy Eastern European accent to buy a Glock 19. As he's waiting for his 4473 check he picked up a SKS and started handling it like he knew it. Yep, he told us that he handled those a lot being in the Romanian military in the early 1970's. He was going to come back later to consider buying it.

About three months later the shop owner hands me a Colt Trooper in .357 from 1968 and Glock 19, I recognized it as the one we sold as the plastic box had a small gouge in it.

Turns out the gentleman had suddenly passed away,shortly after he bought the Glock,and his daughter sold his guns to us. While the Glock did nothing for me the Colt spoke to me. I kept fondling it for a few days and procrastinated as usual. The day I was going to buy it I didn't pull it from the showcase figuring that it had been so slow and everybody wanted automatics nobody would want that wheel gun. Wrong, first customer that day wanted it, took that over the Ruger SP101 sitting next to it.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I've made several stupid sales, which is why I don't sell much anymore.

As far as failures to buy, I recall only one. When I was just starting out, I went looking at my LGS for a .22 autoloading pistol. I recall having a choice between a new Ruger Mk1 6.375" barrel for probably $68.95 or something like that, and a used Ruger Mk1 Bull Barrel, with some Clark modifications, for $60 IIRC. I knew what the Bull Barrel was, but I was leery of buying a used gun, so I got the new one.

A few years later, I was stationed on a carrier with the helicopter pilot who had sold that gun to the LGS. It was what I thought it was, and nothing wrong with it!

Oops.

 

[505Gibbs]

I passed on a Browning Olympian grade in 300 H&H at $600!! I rue the day!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rare grade and even rarer caliber.

 

[Golddollar]

More than I care to detail, but here's a few.


Now most of those I had to sell during a year of unemployment. Some things had to be sacraficed.

I hear you. The same thing happened to me back in 2009.

 

[Buick]

I once traded a remington 700 varmint special in .222 with a Unertl scope for a Soviet sks. I also passed a very worn Browning Hi Power for 300.00....serial number 36.

 

[WR Moore]

I'm not going to admit to my own few mistakes, but I did see one that was a jaw dropper.

I stopped in a LGS where I was known and the owner just had to show me a 1911. Looked typical of the things you'd see back in the 1970's. It'd been refinished after target type sights had been installed, the front strap stippled, etc. Slide & frame did appear to be matching original. Then the owner said, turn it over. serial number was 7. (scream!)

 

[TheHobbyist]

Not my intention to make a depressing post, more of educating the younger collectors. You win some, you lose some. It happens.

Either way, the memories are worth sharing and having experienced.

Still kicking myself over that old Colt! Not for value as much as trying to reflect how my younger self didn't see the historical value. Oh well...

 

[pawngal]

Little hole in the wall gun shop, I bought a M66 no dash 2 1/2 inch for $425. Passed on its bigger brother 4 inch at $400. This was about 8 years ago.

 

[Inusuit]

I don't like to think about this. Too depressing.

 

[Octagun]

I once owned a Lew Horton 27-8 5". Sold it because of the lock. I still regret that one.

 

[Rpg]

In the mid '70s, I traded (straight across) a Ruger Blackhawk 357 for a Colt Python.

Although I liked the Python better than the Ruger, I didn't love it so I traded it for a Colt Gold Cup. I loved the GoldCup.

Fast forward to 2020: I'd acquired several other Colt 1911's through the 1980's and had them customized with the features I prefer. Of course I used the Gold Cup much less.

In 2020 an acquaintance wanted to get into 1911s, and I sold the Gold Cup to him. About a month later I encountered the acquaintance and asked him how he liked the Gold Cup. He said he'd sold it and made $300 on the deal.

Of course, I suspected he'd misrepresented his interest in 1911's and he had hustled me to get it at a low price.

 

[Bald1]

In the 90's I was displaying at gunshows all over NE, NY and PA.
In Springfield, MA a dealer had a 6 1/2" Reg. Mag. with correct box.
He was asking $5500. which I didn't have in my pocket, but it was only Saturday. Sat down behind my table and tried to figure where to get the cash to bring in tomorrow and then walked over to the RM table and, of course, it was long gone. Oh well.......

That seems like a lot in the 90s. But I'm no RM aficionado.

 

[DWalt]

A Volcanic pistol. Ian Fleming's .22 Ruger pistol..

 

[gfors]

A 5-Screw, 4" Highway Patrolman, with a bit of honest wear, for sale at LGS, about 5 years ago, for $500.
I had no idea what I was holding in my hand and thought I wanted something newer and more polished; so I passed...

 

[Llance]

it got away but it was worth the loss

Had given my first wife a S&W model 61. She took it with her when she bugged out. It was worth the loss. I still have the Ladysmith model 36 .38 spl I gave the second wife. I still have the second wife too.

 

[CajunBass]

One more I forgot about yesterday. I bought an AYA double 20 gauge SXS from Sears about 1979 or so. Sears sold them for only a couple of years. Beautiful little gun, nice checkering, some minor engraving. Still a really "fancy" gun for me. Thing just jumped to my shoulder like it was made for me. 28" barrels, 3" chambers, Mod/full chokes. I paid $199.00 IIRC.

Kept it a few years, used it mostly for dove hunting, then got bit by the tournament bass fishing bug and sold it finance something or other for my new bass boat. No idea even what I got for it, but I do seriously kick my butt for that one.

 

[max503]

When I was 9 or 10 years old, I found a dusty wooden foot locker sort of trunk in my grandmother's basement. Upon opening I discovered, in wonderment, my late grandfather's complete kit from his stateside training and 18 months overseas with the AEF in France during WW1 - steel dishpan helmet, gas mask, medals and ribbons, his beat up and bent bugle, blouse with all his patches, pants, overseas cap, a massive trench coat that felt like it weighed about 20 lbs., smokey bear hat from stateside training, canvas belt, leggings, socks, hobnail boots with leg wraps and leggings, pack, entrenching tool, a loooong bayonet with scabbard, canteen & case, first aid pouch, cartridge belt, trench lighter, some kind of haversack, and 2 different types of trench knives with scabbards, and a 15" long bundle of letters he wrote to his mother tied up in string.
There was also stuff he took off German prisoners - 3 pickelhaubes, a coal scuttle helmet, some Iron Crosses, a deactivated potato masher grenade, and: a Luger pistol in its holster with a spare magazine, with a Gott Mit Uns buckle and belt.
Well, my grandmother found me one day wearing and carrying most of that stuff and was afraid of the worst; she called the police and had them take away the Luger and the bayonet.
Maybe if I had waited until I was older, she might have let me have them.
I lucked out on the trench knives, as they were stashed in the haversack and not discovered by the intruders, and I got them later along with some of the letters, all his patches and medals, his bugle, an Iron Cross, the Gottt Mit Uns buckle and his trench lighter. My grandmom threw the rest out, claiming it had all gotten all wet. The letters were all written in pencil, and could have been saved.
I read them all at the time, but I would really, really like to have them today.

I know a guy who still has his father's Hitler Youth uniform.

 

[Grayfox]

I was at a gun show in the 1980s. I was just starting to get the S&W bug and really didn't know much yet. I was in the market for a N-frame .357.
I stumbled across a NIB NYSP 520. Don't remember the exact price, but it was reasonable. I looked long and hard at that gun. I was just a hair's breath from buying it. But then decided I'd rather have adjustable sights and passed.
It wasn't until some years later that I realized what a mistake that had been. It still haunts me to this day.

 

[CBH44]

Declined a 6 inch Colt Anaconda .44mag. Perfect shape, $400.00. Around 1998. Still a deal even then.