doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Gunshow Etiquette:

I've got no problem with those guys. I don't do it, but I don't close my eyes either.

With dealers selling 99% crap at over inflated prices, the parasites as you call them, are making a smart move and I don't blame them. I'd get bored instantly myself, but more power to the guys with the patience - all of whom probably already cruised the tables to see all the non-bargains and tawdry junk anyway. With a ticket to enter being rather ridiculously high, they have good sense to use it wisely.

When I bought a cherry 25x Lyman STS off a guy in the isle for $250, he had covered 3/4s of the floor and the dealers had blown their chances many times over. I have no sympathy, at all.

I certainly agree that when negotiating a price for a firearm, that "knocking a seller's wares" is neither professional nor a polite course of conduct for a potential buyer. It is also almost never productive. That being said, I am perplexed how one would bargain for a lower price without politely explainly why the buyer feels [e.g. excessive bore wear] his lower counteroffer is in order and fair. Unless you could intelligently discuss the merits of a firearm [as you both see them] your only argument for a lower price would be "I just don't want to pay your price! or Would you accept $xxxx?" After having grown up in a gun store and seen my father buy and sell thousands of guns I can tell you from experience, that the next response from the potential seller or my father would be "Why?" So to start off with a counteroffer without explanation, is in MY OPINION more offputting to dealers than a polite explanation of what you are basing your counteroffer on, and that while the firearm is nice and you are interested, this is what YOU can pay. I believe in most negotiations, it is more important HOW YOU SAY SOMETHING, THAN THE SOMETHING YOU SAY. JMHO

Just to be a bit contrary, let me say that I have never had a seller engage in an intelligent conversation about "why I am not buying the gun at his price". But then I've only been at this for fifty years.

First, The smart money always canvases the parking lot and the door and corners. What irks the dealers about this operation is that a private buyer is willing to give the seller more than their 50% of a 20 year old book price offer. I was at a local show and the guy behind the table was a two bit shyster. A man walked up with an old saddle scabbard and pulled out a 2nd year production take down pistol grip 38-55 1894 Winchester. He went on yarn spinning, about how he never buys guns without taking them all the way apart first. Then went on to tell the guy the top money is always 1000.00 dollars on these guns and he would give him 500.00. Feel free to insult the wares of jerks like this! He made the owner of that gun so mad that nobody was even allowed to look at it again. He just left the show!

Now here is a scary bunch,

I remember when the winter Vegas show was held at the Sahara and I was headed down the escalator to the restroom. I saw a man coming up the other side with what appeared to be break-open single barrel shotgun. I thought that was strange thing for that show and as he passed i saw the sight base on the heel of the stock. I ran up the down and we meet at the top.

Can you tell me what this is?

Excellent advise by all. Having been on both sides of the table, my pet peeve is the children whose parents haven't taught them any manners. LOOK, DON'T TOUCH, and you may ask questions, just don't interrupt. I started attending shows when I was 11 and those rules were clearly defined for me. I found many table owners who were more than willing to answer a young mans questions and started some life long friendships.

I have a secondary question concerning shop etiquette. In the late 70's I was in a shop in Brunswick, Maine where I did considerable business. An elderly couple came in with a 22 rifle an a Marlin model 90 O/U (218 Bee & .410 or 20 IIRC). I wanted the Marlin. I stood patiently by as the owner made his deal with the couple and after they had left, asked the owner what would he take for the Marlin. His response was that he gave someone in Mass. first dibs on those. Now I was prepared to give him a reasonable instant profit, but it irked me that he wouldn't even offer it for a price. As a result, for the next three years I was there, I never did business there again nor recommended him to friends. I could have just as easily started a bidding war (not that I would have) but let him buy it at a very cheap price. If you were buying and selling, would you take his position or would you name a reasonable price and offer it up?

You are a right as the mail, Suh. The very few long guns (non-military) I have ever bought (my main area is used gun parts, etc)at a gun show were from gentlemen who would be open if I asked "Do you have any room on the pricing for an outright non-trades cash money buy"? I keep the flaws I may have noticed to myself, if the dealer knows his stuff and has been in the game for some time, he will know them as well. If he says "No- sorry, but that's a firm price today" I say' OK, thanks anyway" and spend some more time looking at his other items, to "settle the foam on the beer" so to speak. Once I came back an hour later and the dealer waved to me- I went over and he still had the Model 70 .300 H&H Magnum- a 1950 std grade with a replaced red pad (a brown Pachmyer- but a good installation job indeed and a Lyman Alaskan scope with a damaged ocular and out of alignment cross-hairs-- He would consider my offer on the rifle without the scope-- I passed it up, but Alvin, my friend, your points raised in your reply are 100% "right on the money" Be polite, and wait and see what might happen. Still looking for that Masuer stock for your for the .257R you are creating for your Missus- nothing yet-however--

I watched a guy get mobbed at the Cedar Rapids,Iowa show several years ago. He had a Ballard factory target rifle in pretty good shape and the police had to tell them to take it inside as they were blocking the entrance.The guy looked like he was in shock and I don't think he ever did sell it at the show.I was at the NFLCC national years ago and a guy walks in with a tackle box and was met at the door and made an offer of $150 for his box of tackle. By the time he had got around the perimeter of the show the bid was up to $1500 and he left without selling it as he had no idea his stuff had any value.

Saw three kids with their father at the Dallas Safari show. They were age 5-8 and all busy swinging the newest $2400 Zeiss scopes around, almost colliding them with each other. The father finally said, hey, take it easy with those, they cost a lot. "How much?" one said. Hundreds of dollars, said dad, so they clunked them back down in the little racks. It seemed to make me more nervous than the vendor.