Originally Posted by
AlongCameJones
The challenge I face is living in SW Oklahoma in a city of about 95K. This is adjacent to Fort Sill, a "bum you-know-what" part of America. I do not want to buy such sought guns online or at any auction. The nearest major cities are Oklahoma City about 100 miles north and Dallas-Fort Worth about 200 miles south. This leaves me gun shows, local pawn/gun shops and Armslist. I'm not in a hurry to find though. I want to inspect each and every gun in person before putting down any money. I don't have the financial resources and time to spend traveling wide in pursuit of the guns. I have all my sought guns listed as Wanted to Buy on Armslist. My Armslist subscription is $6.99 these days. I figure if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, there are going to be many more used guns (and used vehicles and used lawn mowers and used washing machines) in circulation there. If somebody has a primo Colt Lawman or Savage Model 99, it's not apt to be up for sale in the first place. My local gun shop in Lawton is full of present-day plastic/tacticool guns. There was only one wood-stocked long gun in the whole shop. The nearest major gun show is in Tulsa about a 3 hour drive from me. More pre-2000 Mossberg 500 shotguns have been sold than Mothers cookies so there still should be plenty of those in circulation. I would think a Husky Model 3000 Crown Grade rifle to be quite rare these days. Yes, some of the classic guns are getting rare and expensive like 1960's muscle cars and 1950's Chevys and Fords.
well when pen WANTS something, they tend to MAKE the EFFORT to get it
if your NOT willing to make the effort and just hooping on LUCK for someone to see your WANTED add and contact you
you may NEVER get anything your hoping for!
that's a poor way of finding something you want in life! waiting on others to come to you??
if your waiting for a local gun shop to get one in, odds are that is also a low ball deal
as well, dealers tend to pay less for guns than private sales(they have to turn about and sell it)
so most folks that sell guns, DON"T go to gun shops to do so
yes some do, but not very often on guns of value or rare unless , seller doesn't know squat or really needs cash FAST
and gun shops STOCK what sells
they DON"T like to buy inventory that doesn't sell FAST
and due to again, current trends are cheaper plastic low matte finish, or coatings
that's' what sells now and what dealers will continue to stock and sell!
NEXT, your remark of below
I
f somebody has a primo Colt Lawman or Savage Model 99, it's not apt to be up for sale in the first place
This is also NOT true, as there are always guns for sale, and the prices reflect it
there are countless owners of firearms that see profit as more important than collection of guns!
I personally sold some very prime firearms(over 50) this past few yrs, that were both rare, and highly collectible guns, and they all SOLD FAST, heck I had several that had a LINE of folks wanting!
and I sold them for very fair prices(which was also why so many wanted them)
SO< they again do get sold and do get sold at FAIR prices, but its not like you seeing these every day!\
it TAKES a person to be searching for things and OFTEN as well for them to FIND them, and when they DO find they they have to act FACT and be willing to travel many times to acquire things ONE WANTS!
collectors travel far and wide to buy the things they desire, its part of the game
being stubborn and refusing to travel, will rule out your TIME and odds of finding what YOU want
your choice to do so 100%
but just saying, when one's says they WANT something and it IS out there to be had
the only reason YOU don't have them is YOU!
not because there isn;t any to be had!
also, if your ONLY willing to Go to LARGE gun shows, your decreasing your odds a LOT of finding what you want
many times smaller town shows, have better prices on used guns and many times even more older things than the newer larger shows, that again tend to TAKE to the shows, what typically sells, plastic low costs guns!
they leave the harder to sell older stuff behind in there shops!
you an also walk around guns shows with WANT TOP BUY sign on your back
don;t laugh, I seen it work countless times
same as placing adds in local news papers, or at small town churches that have bulletin boards, and VWF"s
cannot tell you HOW many m-1 's1 M-14, m-1 carbines and GI 45's and like guns I bought by placing adds in VFW's in small towns!
and It ]thought nothing of driving many hours to get them!