There is a current thread about a member buying a handgun from an individual who walked it into a gun shop. I have no idea what happened in this transaction, but I recall the one time about 35 years ago when I offered to buy a gun from a person who took it to a gun shop to sell.
I was hanging around, perusing the guns on display when a middle aged man walked in with what was obviously a pistol wrapped up in a towel. I overheard him tell the shop owner that his brother had passed on and he wound up with the gun and he had no interest in it. Would the shop owner want to buy it?
He unwrapped a very nice Browning Hi-Power P35. I casually eyed the interaction from the side as the dealer gave the pistol the once over and offered the man $65 for it. At that time I think the gun would likely have a $300 price in a shop so I thought $65 was a very low offer. The owner agreed with me as he shook his head and declined to sell.
The gun was wrapped up again and as the man started for the door I said "I'll give you $200 for it."
At that point the shop owner began screaming...I mean screaming at me...about stealing his business. Between curses and vile insults he ordered me out of his shop and demanded that I never return. The man with the Browning was visibly shaken by the incident and scurried back to his car and left.
I figured the dealer made his offer and didn't make the purchase. I really wasn't trying to take the gun away from the shop owner. I didn't think I was stepping on his toes by making an offer after it was clear the gun's owner wouldn't sell at the dealer's offered price. But I was obviously wrong. Maybe I should have followed the man outside and spoke to him after leaving the shop. Don't know if the dealer would have seen that as any better.
Anyway, every once in a while I read on a forum about somebody buying a gun brought into a shop and I am reminded of my experience in trying to do that. Maybe others have better luck.
I was hanging around, perusing the guns on display when a middle aged man walked in with what was obviously a pistol wrapped up in a towel. I overheard him tell the shop owner that his brother had passed on and he wound up with the gun and he had no interest in it. Would the shop owner want to buy it?
He unwrapped a very nice Browning Hi-Power P35. I casually eyed the interaction from the side as the dealer gave the pistol the once over and offered the man $65 for it. At that time I think the gun would likely have a $300 price in a shop so I thought $65 was a very low offer. The owner agreed with me as he shook his head and declined to sell.
The gun was wrapped up again and as the man started for the door I said "I'll give you $200 for it."
At that point the shop owner began screaming...I mean screaming at me...about stealing his business. Between curses and vile insults he ordered me out of his shop and demanded that I never return. The man with the Browning was visibly shaken by the incident and scurried back to his car and left.
I figured the dealer made his offer and didn't make the purchase. I really wasn't trying to take the gun away from the shop owner. I didn't think I was stepping on his toes by making an offer after it was clear the gun's owner wouldn't sell at the dealer's offered price. But I was obviously wrong. Maybe I should have followed the man outside and spoke to him after leaving the shop. Don't know if the dealer would have seen that as any better.
Anyway, every once in a while I read on a forum about somebody buying a gun brought into a shop and I am reminded of my experience in trying to do that. Maybe others have better luck.