jgt
.327 Meteor
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Post by jgt on Apr 14, 2013 10:50:37 GMT -5
Mountaineer, A lot of non-FFL vendors have tables at gun shows. Not as many as were there before FFL holders were allowed to set up at gun shows but they are there.
The decline in gun show quality can be traced to two things. One is FFL holders being allowed to come to gun shows and sell and the other is Professional Show promoters who promote several shows a month. When shows were sponsored by clubs and associations a table had to have an average of 75% guns or gun related items in order to qualify. Today you have flea markets that sell guns.
In the days before all this government intervention we decided who we sold to or not. Most did not sell to someone they suspected would use the gun to hold them up in the parking lot that night nor did they buy a gun of dubious origin. Money was not our priority, it was about meeting other gun people and finding ventage good quality hard to find items to buy or trade for. We sold guns that didn't fit our battery or to raise money for guns wanted for our collections. It was a lot more interesting and fun then.
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Post by tek4260 on Apr 14, 2013 11:03:07 GMT -5
Mountaineer, A lot of non-FFL vendors have tables at gun shows. Not as many as were there before FFL holders were allowed to set up at gun shows but they are there. The decline in gun show quality can be traced to two things. One is FFL holders being allowed to come to gun shows and sell and the other is Professional Show promoters who promote several shows a month. When shows were sponsored by clubs and associations a table had to have an average of 75% guns or gun related items in order to qualify. Today you have flea markets that sell guns. In the days before all this government intervention we decided who we sold to or not. Most did not sell to someone they suspected would use the gun to hold them up in the parking lot that night nor did they buy a gun of dubious origin. Money was not our priority, it was about meeting other gun people and finding ventage good quality hard to find items to buy or trade for. We sold guns that didn't fit our battery or to raise money for guns wanted for our collections. It was a lot more interesting and fun then. +1000 The arrogance of the FFL holders at these shows now is sickening. Used to, we traded just for the joy of having something new and different to play with. Now, it's mostly dealers who will allow you $300 in trade value for your firearm, even when they are asking $850 for the same firearm at the other end of their table. Nothing personal against dealers, but the current crop of them are jerks. I suppose I am spoiled to Bobbie. Would let you look at the item on the wholesalers website to make sure that is what you wanted, then add 20% to his cost for your out the door price. Hell, he would buy your firearm even if he could only mark it up enough to cover the sales tax that he included in his marked price. His thinking is that by doing so, you'd be a return customer.... And he was right.
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jgt
.327 Meteor
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Posts: 782
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Post by jgt on Apr 14, 2013 11:51:49 GMT -5
To the question of how do you tell who you are selling to without a background check..............most buyers I have dealt with reveal a lot about themselves if you are observant. When a potential buyer has spider webs on his neck and elbows and a teardrop under his eye they are not a good candidate. Groups of five or six Spanish speaking folks who pool their money and chose one English spokesperson are not good candidates. Folks from out of state or those who are standing next to the person looking at the gun for themselves but have them to do the purchase are not good candidates. People in gang garb be it wanta bees or bikers in colors are not good candidates. After a while you become pretty good at give away signs and I never had one protest my refusal to sell to them. My attitude was if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. No sale sorry. There are also those who come there trying to sell guns but don't claim to know about the gun or what it is worth "just make me an offer". These people were not engaged either.
There are some "wheeler-dealer" type who think they can come there to buy and sell without a license and will buy any gun that is offered at a good price and sell to anyone with the price. They are not the majority of non-ffl vendor and usually are the ones that get on the six o'clock news. Most don't care about guns except as ego trips and love to brag about who they bested in some deal. They would sell anything and be the same, they come and go. The promoters do nothing to weed them out. It only takes one but these are the ones that get the attention that they use to paint us all with a broad stroke.
Most non-ffl vendor with principles sell only guns they have owned and shot. They can tell you the history of the gun and how it shoots.
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