I have sold a few guns to Cabela's in Hazelwood Missouri. When I decided to "focus" on L.C. Smiths, to finance some higher grade and higher condition guns I decided to sell off my "off" brands. I took a complete set of Fox Model B shotguns there, I had one of every gauge. I told myself I had to make a little or I would not do the deal.
The guy in the gun room looked them all over, took them apart, did the barrel ring test on them. On one of the guns, there was a little bit of noise and he said out loud that there was big problems with this gun. I told him the noise he heard was an ejector and that if he turned the barrels over and hung them by the lug, it wouldn't make that noise. He was holding with two fingers the barrels at the muzzle end. His two fingers were pinching the rib area...I almost laughed to be honest.
At any rate, after this "in depth" inspection, he broke down the offers on the guns. Some were higher than what I had in them, some lower, but as a whole, I made a few bucks. He flat out told me they mark up 15%. They have a policy that on guns they buy, if the amount is higher than $2000.00 they have to write a check, lower than that, they will give you cash right there in the store. So he had to write out a check to me. I was in there a few days later and took a special trip over to see the rack where these guns would be at. I was curious about their new price. The 15% mark up statment was a lie...the lowest percent mark up was 30% and the worst was the .410 Model B I sold them. I sold it to them for $850 and the price tag on it was $1400.00, that is just over a 60% mark up. This gun was not in high condition, a WELL used Model B at best. I DID laugh out loud this time.
Only other gun I sold them was a very nice Winchester Model 24 16g. This thing was in super condition. The guy who looked it over (different than the MOdel B inspector) said the gun was very nice and that it had been restored correctly. I told him the gun was original as I had bought it from someone I knew, and they never did anything to the gun. He went on to "school" me on how he could tell it had been worked on. His main reason for thinking it was restored was it's high state of condition! He said you just don't find Model 24's like that. I just waited for the offer. He paid me $200 more than what I had in it, so I didn't much care what he thought about the gun.
Last point, this Cabela's is new this year. One of the gun guys there I have spoke with on several ocassions. He told me prior to this stores opening, he was in training at one of the stores in Texas to learn the "gun" business. He spent his time there learning the art of fine guns. I would guess that most of these "fine gun" rooms don't have guys running them that are very educated in fine guns, but I am sure there are some. Best advice is the seller should know what he has and what its worth, and for sure if your buying...know what your doing.
