Overpriced sellers

When I had my gunshop I did 23 gun shows a year. My tactic was Simple ..Be Honest. ASK RESONABLE prices. I was always busy. and had repeat customers from Year to Year..If some one said " I'd love to have it but can't afford it " I'd ask him what he had to trade. I'd ask if he had the guns he trained his kids on before they bought their own. Most times they would say " I got a closet full of beaters we don't use. I'd say go get them let's see how close We can come. Them I would Price them HONESTLY . the guys would be amazed..And be the proud new owner. I'd have several new peices to clean up for the next show... As far as Pawn Shops I don't buy if they don't come to a reasonable price...Just knowing that they RAPED the guy they got it from does'nt set well. If ANYONE has another option they wouldn't be at a Pawn Shop to be TAKEN ATVANTAGE of....BE Safe>>>>>>>>>Wally

I don't really blame the dealers too much (not totally anyway). They want to buy low too.It's the "pretending"that irks me.Alot of them there have no intention of selling. Some are using the gun shows to buy cheap. And you must admit there are some greedy people out there.

flintlock75 said:

Reminds me of a shop I went to in seaside, great looking items from the window, could see a harpers ferry rifle for sale, plus other cool stuff. Went in when it opened. Was looking at the rifle, owner said it was original wanted $2800 for it. When I looked at it close up, it was a Japanese reproduction. I told him it was not original, he acted surprised, then said most would not notice. I left the shop.

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In other words, He was blatantly admitting that he knew he was lying to the public, and was just amazed that YOU caught it..NICE!!! Good place to stay away from!! I tend to only buy things like that from buddies and folks I know I can trust!
God bless:
Two Feathers

Rifleman1776 said:

Antique shop owners seldom are knowledgeable when it comes to firearms. They might innocently purchase a repro believing it to be an original. I've been in the antique business. It is a tough go as tastes change with times and buying is a manure shoot. Don't blame them, you might not understand the value of a piece of antique glassware.

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OK...so you're saying the acceptable thought process is, I got screwed, so I may as well pass the buck and screw you?
God bless:
Two Feathers

Before the shortages began I attended a gun show here locally and found primers on "Special" for $4 more than what we could buy them uptown at our local gun shops. Never take for granted that a seller at a gun show is the lowest price.

$100.00 a 1000 Ain't my idea of special......Be Safe>>>>>>>Wally

thomasgunn said:

Now that I'm older and much more jaded, ahem, "experienced", I look at antique shops and gun shows as more like comic entertainment venues. "What manner of Baron Munchausenesque tales will be spun for my benefit today?", I ask myself, upon entering said domains. Unless the item is a toothed hen rarity, there's probably dozens of the identical "gotta have" item gathering dust in dozens of other places just waiting for you to give it a new home.....at a much better price. Just because they want to sell it, doesn't mean you have to buy it.

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I know a guy who, whenever he bought some historic item, would claim it had some specific connection to a person, location, or battle. Guys like this attract dealers who look for "marks" in order to peddle things with thin or no real attribution.

Its been my experience Antique Stores and really, Pawn Shops even, they know very little about firearms. What ever they pay for something, be it a tea cup or some old wall hanger is usually very little. Then they go to the Internet........see the first eye popping number......

Well,
I haven't been to a gunshow since the mid 90's or so.
However, I have gotten a few deals on un-mentionables:

1954 No.4 MkII .303 new in the paper/cosmoline and twine $200
Colt Huntsman with a bit of honest holster wear at the muzzle ~$300
Colt '91A1 ~$400 including tax; however it took a bit more to have Clark's add decent sights and trigger; no regrets on any.
Mule
p.s. a guy I knew sold reloading supplies-high quality cast lubed bullets for 45ACP were about $15 for a box of 500 IIRC.

I have moved out of a non gun friendly state to a very gun friendly state. I witnessed a lot of total garbage back in WA. There is still a certain gun show (whose name will be kept unknown for policy reasons.) who the owner of overprices his firearms $300-$400 above MSRP. I have had multiple customers agree with me when they visited Cabela's and I talked to them. This particular gun show owner was kicked out of every other gun show in the state and you can ask the other shows and they will tell you why. So he decided to open his own show and say hes the only "gun store" allowed in it. I'm glad the prices here in MO are reasonable at most places I go to and it is quite the culture shock with how much more into firearms people are around here.

Snydly said:

Before the shortages began I attended a gun show here locally and found primers on "Special" for $4 more than what we could buy them uptown at our local gun shops. Never take for granted that a seller at a gun show is the lowest price.

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I stopped going to gun shows years ago because of the stupid prices they want. I recently went to a huge show here in Orlando looking for BP items and just to compare pricing. One guy was selling a 500 round brick of .22LR for $100! About a week prior I got two 500 round bricks for $38 each with free shipping online. The regular price was $49. It pays to shop and compare. How about $980 for a SW Mod 60?

blushingmule said:

Well,
I haven't been to a gunshow since the mid 90's or so.
However, I have gotten a few deals on un-mentionables:

1954 No.4 MkII .303 new in the paper/cosmoline and twine $200
Colt Huntsman with a bit of honest holster wear at the muzzle ~$300
Colt '91A1 ~$400 including tax; however it took a bit more to have Clark's add decent sights and trigger; no regrets on any.
Mule
p.s. a guy I knew sold reloading supplies-high quality cast lubed bullets for 45ACP were about $15 for a box of 500 IIRC.

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Those are fantastic prices specially the Lee Enfield.

Last gun show I went to, there was a guy there with two 1lb cans of Goex for the low, low price of $90 each.

Eutycus said:

And you must admit there are some greedy people out there.

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???? Say it isn't so.
LOTS of folks will jump to Amazon. I have found the "SAME THING" at a cheaper price on Ebay.
Look before you leap.

I was totally surprised at last show. I thought crazy shipping and the plethora/plague of net scams would bring folks in. Nope. Poor attendance, crazy prices. non gun junk and very poor selection. Walkins with items walked out with them probably never to return. And then there's other factors like current fuel cost to even get there. Now a serious consideration and going get worse after the election.

brownac1983 said:

Last gun show I went to, there was a guy there with two 1lb cans of Goex for the low, low price of $90 each.

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WOW that is a bargain!

I stopped gun shows years ago. I watched a guy in a LGS offer a woman $300 for her late husbands model 12 Trap with factory English stock that was easily worth $1200- $1500 dollars. She had no clue what she had. I could not help myself, I spoke up and told her I would buy it for more! The gun shop owner got mad and told me I shouldn't butt in. I told him he should not try and steal from people. He said, she didn't have to take his price. If i had a dollar for every time I have heard, "it's only business, my price is my price, you don't have to buy it , no one is forcing Her/him to buy/sell, etc etc from every scumbag, unethical, selfish, greedy thief of a seller, I would be a rich man today. These are excuses for cheating and being a low life. YOU know it ,I know it. If you are part of that ,stop trying to convince the world it is OK, it isn't. Just because you can do something, does not mean that you should. its very simple, would you want to be treated that way, taken advantage of, cheated, because you weren't knowledgeable or versed in the item? Here in endeth the lesson. Just one "honest" mans opinion.

sheriff john said:

People confuse sticker prices at gunshows with what you can actually buy the item for. Found out long ago if you don't put a price tag on things, you don't get as many sales. Simple sign on my tables .."Make me an offer" gets the ball rolling. Tag prices are a way to start a deal and haggling's a "given" for many sellers/buyers.

Pawnshops, LGS's, etc. are not Wal-Mart. That said, every gunshow will have guys with the same guns at every show (over priced), They're there to buy/trade. If someone actually pays their high prices, it's rare but does happen. If I want something, it's perfectly acceptable to ask or make an offer.

Yesterday, I sold a Dixie Flint SMR. Started with a tag of $550, offer was $400. Sold for $500. That's how it works.

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I used to help a Gun dealer mate of mine when he was in my neighborhood for Gun shows years ago, we set up tables late afternoon before opening the following morning and thats when the real buying, selling and trading began between dealers; most of the good stuff was already gone before doors opened the next day.

Mustang65 said:

In my experience, everyone wants something for nothing.

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I bred Australian Stock Horses for years and its the same sorry situation, people make ridiculous offers for trained prime quality stock then get offensive when you refuse their pitiful offers.
I gave it all up in 2013 and was happy I did.

vintovka said:

I was totally surprised at last show. I thought crazy shipping and the plethora/plague of net scams would bring folks in. Nope. Poor attendance, crazy prices. non gun junk and very poor selection. Walkins with items walked out with them probably never to return. And then there's other factors like current fuel cost to even get there. Now a serious consideration and going get worse after the election.

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Most Gun shows here in Australia have transformed into assorted Junk shows, Militaria and Bric a Brac Flea shop merchandise, Badges; spare parts; and second hand Books, with a limited amount of Guns overpriced to the kazoo.
Hardly worth the effort walking through the door unless youre looking for some obscure spare part for a Gun you already have.