Around 30 years ago while attending a small local gun show, I was shooting the breeze with a dealer friend who specialized in Civil War arms. Up walked an elderly gentleman, clearly out of place and nervous, clutching a brown paper bag. He offered the contents of the bag to my friend for his appraisal and stated he wanted to sell it. The pistol was a minty WWI German Luger that his recently departed brother had brought back as a war trophy, from WWI. Since the mere presence of the gun in his house gave him the creeps, he wanted to be shut of it. My friend passed on it and indicated me as being someone who might want it. When asked, the old guy admitted he hadn't a clue of its value- didn't even know what it was, calling it an old 'war gun'. There I am, on the spot and desperately wanting it, but without the means to buy an expensive gun. I allowed as how nice Lugers were fetching several hundred dollars (at the time), and all-matching pristine examples with vibrant colors such as this a lot more. His response was one of gratitude for my honesty, and said if I wanted it for $100 it was mine- he just wanted rid of it. I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough. Luckily I had a hundred and a couple of twenties. It was one instance where honesty was the best policy. (He did let me treat him to a nice lunch next door, where he gave me the back story of his brother and where he supposedly acquired the 'war gun'. It seems the brother was a Marine at Belleau Wood...)
Last edited by Gary D.; 06/23/12 11:37 AM.
