In thinking about where these guns will go after I'm gone, I know my only two heirs, my nephews, will eventually sell or trade them for something else as they are gun users, not collectors...So this summer I made the painful decision to start testing the market on guns I love, but will never shoot again...The one that caused me the most angst was the S&W M37 (3" barrel, polished blue, square butt) in the original box with all papers, that I had given to my Dad for Christmas in the 80's...It was the only handgun he ever owned, even though when he served in the Army in WWII, he qualified as expert with both rifle and pistol...Given its pristine condition, and the rising market among panic-stricken buyers, I knew I could get a good price for it...
I had been attending gun shows again this year after several years of inactivity, so I started carrying this one around just to see what offers I might get...Everyone oohed and ahhed over it, and I got many offers from dealers who naturally offered far less than I knew it was worth...But at the third show to which I took it, a small out of town show, I talked to an individual who wanted a small revolver for personal protection...I showed him what I had and told him my price (about 3X the original retail price I paid) and after getting approval from his knowledgeable friend, he started counting out $100 bills...Since he met my price without quibbling, I gave him a leather holster I had bought for it, and sold him a full box of ammo at a bargain price compared to what I saw elsewhere...I know the law, and I made sure he had a valid Texas ID before the transaction...
It pained me to have it leave my possession, but it was the icebreaker I needed, and I do not regret it...Since then I started carrying a few guns to other shows, and found I enjoyed the dealings with others as much as seeing the guns and watching the people, many of whom I've known and dealt with for decades...I even bought another revolver, a Colt Detective Special 3rd model, which I found at a reasonable price...I started carrying my unfired S&W M686-3 (round butt, 2 1/2" barrel, Goncalo Alves grips), and my IMI Timberwolf rifle (.357 Mag, hard chrome finish) which I had owned for 25 years, but hadn't shot in 15...I didn't really care whether either sold so I decided on prices which more than tripled my money on the Smith, and would bring me about 8X what I paid for the rifle...Apparently I should have been a little bolder in pricing because as soon as I entered the local Conroe show, the very first dealer I passed wanted to see the revolver...I told him my price, and I was surprised that he counter-offered at $50 less than I quoted...I told him no to which he said, "OK, I'll pay it," and started counting out $100 bills...So we were both happy, although I could have held out for a little more happiness on my end, but I never renege on a deal...
The Timberwolf was a different story...I already knew how rare the rifle is on the market, since they shoot so well, and those who were lucky enough to buy one when they were still available new don't want to sell it...I found only older sales on the various internet auctions, and no current offerings...I also knew that the factory hard chrome finish plus the low 4 digit serial number and it being an original Action Arms import made it even more scarce...What surprised me was how few people knew what it was, even among dealers...Since it is a pump action, most assumed it was a .410 shotgun instead of a heavy barreled rifle...Some thought it was a .22, others that it might be a cheaper Rossi or Taurus import...Almost all were shocked at the price I quoted, thinking I was way overpricing it...I did get an offer last week of $1000 cash from a buyer in the gun show parking lot as I was leaving...I gently turned him down and left...I went to another out-of-town show yesterday talking to plenty of lookers, even selling another of my S&W handguns at my asking price...I finally talked to a dealer who had never heard of the Timberwolf, but he had a love for the unusual, and made me a cash offer which was considerably above what others wanted to pay...
I told him I'd think about it and maybe come back...I knew that gleam in his eye having seen it many times in others, and truth be known even in my own reflection...On my way out the door I stopped again to talk to him letting him handle the rifle and work the action while I told him the story of what I knew of both the manufacturer and the importer...As I made ready to leave and reached for the gun, he made another offer which was very close to my asking price...Having been a dealer myself, I knew he couldn't stand having to pay asking price unless it was too good to turn down, so I nodded my head and let him have a small victory as he counted out a stack of $100's...We parted with a handshake, both of us happy...
The upshot of all this is that I find myself enjoying another aspect of life again, dealing with firearms for and from my collection, and interacting with other people of the same mind...Having left the business side of the firearms industry I can once again buy, sell and trade with my own collection already knowing the laws that govern me, and the unwritten laws which some understand, and others don't...I don't intentionally insult anyone's intelligence, I don't cheat others and I won't let others cheat me...Life is fun again even if it saddens me somewhat to think of parting with a few treasures, some of of which even carry memories of my childhood...But at the same time I know I'm creating new memories not only for myself, but others as well...
This morning I dug into the back of my safe and pulled out the Remington M514 which my Dad bought in the mid 1950's to teach my brother and I how to safely handle guns and shoot...To my knowledge, it's the only firearm he ever bought...I had thoroughly cleaned it years ago when it went into my safe...It's in pristine condition along with the Remington cleaning kit Dad bought at the same time...It hasn't been shot in probably 60 years, and I know I'll never shoot it again, so I don't really mind finding another father soon who wants his kids to know the safe way to shoot and handle firearms...I know I'll never lose the memory of a WWII veteran teaching his hard-learned expert marksmanship lessons to two wide-eyed young lads in an open field with a dirt backstop many decades ago...
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