Full Disclosure!

[kings6]

I wanted you guys to know that you may well be seeing some guns, scopes, etc posted for sale here over the next couple of months and I wanted to let you know what the story was before I posted these items.

After seeing the costs to put three kids through college my wife recently decided we better start saving for a wedding fund for my daughter sometime in the future. She will be 23 in a week and while there are no definite wedding plans right now, we don't want to get caught by surpise someday and suddenly start looking at $10,000-25,000 wedding bills. As such, my wife started a wedding savings account this last year and has been stowing money away as she can. Recently she got her account statement and commented on only earning $3 interest for the month. I told her I thought I could do a little better than that by carefully buying guns and either reselling them or selling components off them and she said go ahead.

Because of that you may see some stuff show up here for sale. If so I will say if it is a personal gun or if is a "wedding" gun. If it is a wedding gun, my goal is to make a little off each gun and pass on a gun that is still a good deal for someone else. It also gives me the option of offering items for sale on extended terms with no finance charge which might help someone get into somethng they normally wouldn't be able to swing. All the money from these wedding guns goes back into the wedding account until we reach the wifes determined "comfort level". By the way, this comfort level is what she is willing to budget for a wedding, NOT what I'm sure my daughter would want it to be!

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what you may be seeing and why it may look like I'm "flipping" guns. It is not to finance my habit but to plan ahead for that dreded day when I have to hand my girl over to another guy!

[Mark Terry]

Gee, you got me on that one. I have three daughters, one of whom is now married (and no, he isn't good enough but none of them are). It is outrageously expensive to marry one off. I even offered to make a down payment on a house if we could scale it back to something reasonable. You can probably guess the answer to that one.

I can empathize with you and I'd hope to be able to help but, as I said, I have two more daughters who will probably make that decision to get married.

My bride and I have been extraordinarily blessed to have three wonderful daughters, all of whom would be welcome to live at home until it's time for us to make our way to the boneyard. For what it's worth, no amount of gold or riches could replace that smile and the happiness of her wedding day.

[kings6]

I had no idea how much weddings cost these days until my daughter started having friends get married. It doesn't help that all of her college roommates didn't qualify for ANY financial aid due to parents income. Shoot, one girl's dad is CEO of Toyota for South America. Money just doesn't seem to be an issue.

It was a wrestling point several times during her college years when she had to come to grips with the fact her dad pumps septic tanks and her mom teaches 8th grade science in a public school.

[461tim]

My daughter just completed her first semester of college and while I'm thrilled to be paying for every dime, it is indeed expensive. A wedding would kill me right now so I sincerely hope the degree is complete before a wedding becomes an issue.

Good luck on your plan, I hope it works and I hope to help you out if I'm able.

[akray]

You dads have it all wrong. If your daughter( I guess your wife is behind it a little too)wants a fancy wedding, tell her to go pay for it herself. The proof of a marriage is in the pudding anyway, and not a ceremony or expensive and elaborate celebration. Almost 20 years ago, my future father in law offered my wife and me $500.00 if we'd just go stand in front of a justice o' the peace somewhere and not run up a bunch of wedding expenses. We didn't take him up on it, but we did arrange everything and pay for most of it ourselves.

My dad was so pleased with my bride to be that he went out and bought himself a brand new suit, and our wedding day was the first time my mother had ever seen him in one. My wife was happy with our wedding celebration, we have a photo album and a video and I thought it was great too.

[boxhead]

I am fortunate with the wedding thing as I have three sons. That said, two of them are in college now. The day they graduate I will see the biggest raise I have ever received. Look forward to the toys you offer for sale.

[blkhawk73]

I'm with akray. Kids want independance and such yet then expect Mom and Dad to pay the overpriced wedding costs. For what? To feed the self indulgance of making themselves, well usually the bride, look better than the next bride. It's nothing more than a show. I'd say save all that money on the wedding and wait and see if the union lasts. WAY too many fail too quickly so dumping $10000, $20000 or more is just flushed down the toilet. Do they pay you back wen the divorce goes through? People get married all the time at the drop of a hat, nothing too special about that now really, it's fashionable. Now if the marriage lasts 10 or 20 years, THEN make a showcase out of it. At least that's something to celebrate as an accomplishment.
Yes, I am married - 9 years now - and we paid for it ourselves and it was very nice ceremony and event.

[bfrshooter]

Been married to the best woman ever for 52 years. We were married by a judge for a few bucks and only needed a witness.
Keep your guns!

[mark]

Dec 23, 2009 17:17:47 GMT -5 akray said:

If your daughter( I guess your wife is behind it a little too)wants a fancy wedding, tell her to go pay for it herself.

When I got married 10 years ago, that is what I wanted to do. I told my wife we could have a great wedding day with 100 of our friends and family. We pay for it. No debt to anybody. Then my now mother-in-law got involved and said no way (yes, to our wedding plans!). She invited well over 100 people of her own! I closed the check book and said she can pay for it. She did and put a second mortgage on her house. Yes, I have heard about but I feel no guilt. My wife and I could have paid for what we wanted. My wife best not expect me to agree to a second mortgage when it comes time for our daughter to marry.
Boy is this off topic,
Mark

[cj3a]

Good luck with the sale. I have three daughters myself and I am not looking forward to the costs.

[jeffquinn]

Unless you are very wealthy, it is stupid to put yourself in a financial burden for a one-hour ceremony. Thirty years ago yesterday, I got married. I paid for it. Neither my bride nor me wanted to even ask her parents or anyone else to pay for our wedding. We bought a big cake for about 60 bucks, paid the preacher and the piano player, bought some flowers, and the whole works cost about $120. It has lasted 30 years so far.

Any kid that would ask her Dad to spend thousands on a wedding is a spoiled, selfish brat, and as such, the marriage most likely will not last. Now again, if you are Bill Gate's daughter, go ahead and ask Daddy to shell out the bucks. However, it makes a lot more sense to use the money to help build the kids a house, instead of spending about $500 to $1000 per minute on a wedding.

Yes, I have a daughter. She has been married about six years now. I asked her if she wanted a fancy wedding or a washer and dryer. She opted for the appliances. Practical kid.

[kings6]

Yep, there all sorts of takes on wedding costs, value, importance etc. I sure could appreciate the more practical approach but I don't mind footing a bill if it is within reason and the wife's and my budget. For the most part KT does a pretty good job. We helped with the $30K+ per year at the school of her choice but she did the loans, work study, outside jobs, scholarships and grants on her own. We didn't sign for a single student loan so she is footing the balance herself.

I just posted the original post so you guys would know what was going on if you see some neat guns move through my hands when the opportunity allows.

[warhawk]

Thank goodness Remington went to USAFA huh?

And lucky me, I had two sons!

[kings6]

Right you are Warhawk but as we've just learned even boys can play with you. Rem recently got engaged to a graduate who is in chopper pilot training and they have to get "married" in a civil ceremony before they graduate from pilots training to ensure they get stationed together. Since her folks can't make it fo the civil seremoney they thought it only right that we not come as well.

[44special]

Dec 24, 2009 1:07:00 GMT -5 kings6 said:

Since her folks can't make it fo the civil seremoney they thought it only right that we not come as well.

That's messed up. I hope your son doesn't feel that way too.

I agree with akray's post 100%. I'm ten years into a wonderful marriage that we paid for ourselves. With proper planning and some good guerilla tactics shopping and budgeting, we had a very nice wedding and were able to put $25K down on our first house instead of two hour ceremony.