Just wanted to thank everyone for the insight last year.
I sold all the guns last weekend in less than 3 hours at a gun show. We weren't trying to bleed every last dollar of out of each gun so this was by far the best way to sell the guns - and it was fun!
Last Friday morning I heard a radio ad for "Crossroads of the West Gunshow at the....". I've heard these ads for years, but this show started at 9AM the next morning. I called the company expecting to attend their September show. However, they had a couple tables available for tomorrow's event so I rented one ($120). They could not have been more helpful and provided great insight, like running a security cable through all the gun triggers and holsters (cable - Home Depot $6). I spent the rest of the day and night making signs, price sheets, and polishing all the guns again (it's been 10+ months).
The next morning at the coliseum my table was in a poor location, as expected with last minute booking. The staff let me inspect the only other 2 open tables they had, and allowed me to move to a better location. I was set up by 8AM (see above pic), show opened at 9AM, so I got a chance to mingle and meet some people. I had one buyer (vendor) before the show started, but passed. It didn't make sense to discount a gun before the show even started. The show doors opened at 9AM, I was packing up to head home at 11:40AM, when the last gun was sold.
PRICING:
The price sheets I created and put next to each gun were very helpful to people. They included as much details as possible. About half of the people were unaware there was a "Blue Book" for guns prices. Most didn't know what the percentages were about, which opened up conversations. The book pricing gave them a benchmark if a gun was a good value.
This is what each gun sold for:
($395) Ruger - .357 Magnum Security Six (People said I priced this to low for condition)
($220) Ruger - .22 Mark Standard
($825) Colt- .45 ACP Combat Commander
($430) Smith & Wesson - .38 Special (Model 15-2)
($1,000) Smith & Wesson - .44 Magnum, Model 29-2
($445) Ruger - .270 M77R Mark II Rifle (intense discussion on .270 round, thank you Google on cell phone)
($115) IMC - .22LR M69 Romanian Training Rifle (Packaged with Colt Commander, this rifle had zero interest all morning)
($20) Shanghai Pellet Gun
There's a chance I could have got more money for the guns had I wanted to spend a full 2 days at the show. I just wasn't willing to let a legitimate buyer leave unless we could reach a reasonable price - so yes, I dropped $150 on Colt Commander as one guy walked away...who then turned around and eventually bought the last 2 guns.
I had about 20-25 people stop and really look at the guns, engage in conversation. About a third of the people were "looky lews", many fascinated with the shiny gun in a wood box (44 Mag revolver), another third were in the market and legitimate buyers but I just didn't have exactly what they wanted. The last third, those 7 people bought the 8 guns.
SIGNAGE:
The posterboard sign explained everything upfront for people. However, after a sale I wrote in large marker "SOLD" on the price sheets and taped the sheets to the chairs behind the table. People could easily see that I was selling stuff - something was happening at this table they needed to check out.
THE PEOPLE: THE NICEST I'VE EVER MET!!!
The people I met were some of the nicest on the planet. Some of the vendors provided great insight. Some of the customers passed on great knowledge about specific guns in order to help me sell them. I wish I had $20 for each person who told me the "missing wood handles on the Clint Eastwood gun" was gonna cost $2-300 in value.
One gentleman with his son were with their wives. They bought the .38 Special and now have a few of these same make & model gun so no matter what gun their wives grab, it will be familiar to them (smart thinking). One gentleman runs a non profit for children from broken homes. His location was overrun with cop cars & Black Live Matter protesters last week when that group tried to access and block the Phx freeway. He said the children were terrified as they moved them to a secure part of the building. He bought the Ruger .357 Magnum Security Six, a very nice guy.
The table to my right was a group of veterans who provide homes and apartments to struggling homeless veterans. They take no salary, everything on donations, including furniture. We had some great conversations. It was an honor for me to be the first to donate in the jar.
It was my first gun show. I found a lot of the vendors travel from show to show to make a 2nd income selling various things from hats, stickers, knives, dog training, damn near anything you can think of around the gun culture. Everyone was good people just trying to make an honest living. Since they're a dying breed, I feel guilty in that I should have spent more time at the event to meet more "Real Americans".
THE SECRET SAUCE:
Many people were curious how and why 30-40 year old guns looked so nice, even the .270 Ruger rifle. I used Mothers Billet Metal Polish, a product I've been using for over a decade. It's an amazing product (not the Mag Polish). After you wipe it off you need to wait an hour. Any product not removed turns to a bright white powder. Using a modified paint brush just remove it from any cracks and such. One guy who collects the "Clint Eastwood" 44 Magnums couldn't believe there were no swirl or rotation marks on the cylinder of that nickel gun. He pulled his friend off to the side and made him buy the gun because it was the 6.5" barrel and a rare condition.
I sold all the guns last weekend in less than 3 hours at a gun show. We weren't trying to bleed every last dollar of out of each gun so this was by far the best way to sell the guns - and it was fun!
Last Friday morning I heard a radio ad for "Crossroads of the West Gunshow at the....". I've heard these ads for years, but this show started at 9AM the next morning. I called the company expecting to attend their September show. However, they had a couple tables available for tomorrow's event so I rented one ($120). They could not have been more helpful and provided great insight, like running a security cable through all the gun triggers and holsters (cable - Home Depot $6). I spent the rest of the day and night making signs, price sheets, and polishing all the guns again (it's been 10+ months).
The next morning at the coliseum my table was in a poor location, as expected with last minute booking. The staff let me inspect the only other 2 open tables they had, and allowed me to move to a better location. I was set up by 8AM (see above pic), show opened at 9AM, so I got a chance to mingle and meet some people. I had one buyer (vendor) before the show started, but passed. It didn't make sense to discount a gun before the show even started. The show doors opened at 9AM, I was packing up to head home at 11:40AM, when the last gun was sold.
PRICING:
The price sheets I created and put next to each gun were very helpful to people. They included as much details as possible. About half of the people were unaware there was a "Blue Book" for guns prices. Most didn't know what the percentages were about, which opened up conversations. The book pricing gave them a benchmark if a gun was a good value.
This is what each gun sold for:
($395) Ruger - .357 Magnum Security Six (People said I priced this to low for condition)
($220) Ruger - .22 Mark Standard
($825) Colt- .45 ACP Combat Commander
($430) Smith & Wesson - .38 Special (Model 15-2)
($1,000) Smith & Wesson - .44 Magnum, Model 29-2
($445) Ruger - .270 M77R Mark II Rifle (intense discussion on .270 round, thank you Google on cell phone)
($115) IMC - .22LR M69 Romanian Training Rifle (Packaged with Colt Commander, this rifle had zero interest all morning)
($20) Shanghai Pellet Gun
There's a chance I could have got more money for the guns had I wanted to spend a full 2 days at the show. I just wasn't willing to let a legitimate buyer leave unless we could reach a reasonable price - so yes, I dropped $150 on Colt Commander as one guy walked away...who then turned around and eventually bought the last 2 guns.
I had about 20-25 people stop and really look at the guns, engage in conversation. About a third of the people were "looky lews", many fascinated with the shiny gun in a wood box (44 Mag revolver), another third were in the market and legitimate buyers but I just didn't have exactly what they wanted. The last third, those 7 people bought the 8 guns.
SIGNAGE:
The posterboard sign explained everything upfront for people. However, after a sale I wrote in large marker "SOLD" on the price sheets and taped the sheets to the chairs behind the table. People could easily see that I was selling stuff - something was happening at this table they needed to check out.
THE PEOPLE: THE NICEST I'VE EVER MET!!!
The people I met were some of the nicest on the planet. Some of the vendors provided great insight. Some of the customers passed on great knowledge about specific guns in order to help me sell them. I wish I had $20 for each person who told me the "missing wood handles on the Clint Eastwood gun" was gonna cost $2-300 in value.
One gentleman with his son were with their wives. They bought the .38 Special and now have a few of these same make & model gun so no matter what gun their wives grab, it will be familiar to them (smart thinking). One gentleman runs a non profit for children from broken homes. His location was overrun with cop cars & Black Live Matter protesters last week when that group tried to access and block the Phx freeway. He said the children were terrified as they moved them to a secure part of the building. He bought the Ruger .357 Magnum Security Six, a very nice guy.
The table to my right was a group of veterans who provide homes and apartments to struggling homeless veterans. They take no salary, everything on donations, including furniture. We had some great conversations. It was an honor for me to be the first to donate in the jar.
It was my first gun show. I found a lot of the vendors travel from show to show to make a 2nd income selling various things from hats, stickers, knives, dog training, damn near anything you can think of around the gun culture. Everyone was good people just trying to make an honest living. Since they're a dying breed, I feel guilty in that I should have spent more time at the event to meet more "Real Americans".
THE SECRET SAUCE:
Many people were curious how and why 30-40 year old guns looked so nice, even the .270 Ruger rifle. I used Mothers Billet Metal Polish, a product I've been using for over a decade. It's an amazing product (not the Mag Polish). After you wipe it off you need to wait an hour. Any product not removed turns to a bright white powder. Using a modified paint brush just remove it from any cracks and such. One guy who collects the "Clint Eastwood" 44 Magnums couldn't believe there were no swirl or rotation marks on the cylinder of that nickel gun. He pulled his friend off to the side and made him buy the gun because it was the 6.5" barrel and a rare condition.
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