Gun Show Ethics - What Would You Do?

[Tinman204]

Well I guess I'm just an a## backwards prairie boy with obselete values. Some of the comments here are astonishing but at least they let me add people to my "will not buy from or help list".

I pull people out of ditches, have changed a tire or 2 for strangers and I don't rip people off. I feel good by helping others and do so cause I guess I'm just a nice person. I realize that doesn't fit in very well with the new age "me me me " big city mentality but that's fine as I live by a town of 500 people.

I buy and sell milsurps, have for several years. Im honest to a fault i guess and HATE watching swindlers at guns shows rip people off. Im that guy who will call BS on a swindler every time, guess I dont subscribe to the MYOFB mentality but thats alright cause theres not may folks who will say that to my face.

My brother and I just vended at the CarBarry gun show and it's amazing but being honest and having fair prices pretty much lead to 60% of what we brought being sold. Guess we should of jacked up the prices and conjured up some fancy stories so that we could sell nothing and drag all that junk back home.

Oh well, great thread and it's good that most of you guys don't like people especially newer shooters getting ripped off. I want new shooters to get excited about our hobby and continue to enjoy it. I want them to come to gun shows and bring their friends along cause its fun and a great place to buy guns.

Oh well guess I'm old fashioned.

 

[bigjohndatsun]

I would say that if you want a rare numbers matching bla bla bla gun you would do your homework and know your shiz. If you didn't well then don't be mad when you get sold junk. That being said. There will always be that shady guy looking to make an extra dollar

 

[buffdog]

Well I guess I'm just an a## backwards prairie boy with obselete values. Some of the comments here are astonishing but at least they let me add people to my "will not buy from or help list".

I pull people out of ditches, have changed a tire or 2 for strangers and I don't rip people off. I feel good by helping others and do so cause I guess I'm just a nice person. I realize that doesn't fit in very well with the new age "me me me " big city mentality but that's fine as I live by a town of 500 people.

I buy and sell milsurps, have for several years. Im honest to a fault i guess and HATE watching swindlers at guns shows rip people off. Im that guy who will call BS on a swindler every time, guess I dont subscribe to the MYOFB mentality but thats alright cause theres not may folks who will say that to my face.

My brother and I just vended at the CarBarry gun show and it's amazing but being honest and having fair prices pretty much lead to 60% of what we brought being sold. Guess we should of jacked up the prices and conjured up some fancy stories so that we could sell nothing and drag all that junk back home.

Oh well, great thread and it's good that most of you guys don't like people especially newer shooters getting ripped off. I want new shooters to get excited about our hobby and continue to enjoy it. I want them to come to gun shows and bring their friends along cause its fun and a great place to buy guns.

Oh well guess I'm old fashioned.

You are not Old Fashioned. You just got to associate with a couple of Old Farts who knew a thing or two about guns, had 50 years plus of experience, and who had certain ethical moral values. Looks like it rubbed off a bit on you ----to the better.

I would have, (and I have had several times,) stepped up and commented on the B.S. the seller was spouting. What we do not realize is that a sour incident on a novice can tar every one of us BLACK with the same brush. Inventing stories or history of an item is dishonest and fraudulent when you represent an item for sale to someone.

The guy is an example of the worst type of seller.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

Well I guess I'm just an a## backwards prairie boy with obselete values. Some of the comments here are astonishing but at least they let me add people to my "will not buy from or help list".

I pull people out of ditches, have changed a tire or 2 for strangers and I don't rip people off. I feel good by helping others and do so cause I guess I'm just a nice person. I realize that doesn't fit in very well with the new age "me me me " big city mentality but that's fine as I live by a town of 500 people.

I buy and sell milsurps, have for several years. Im honest to a fault i guess and HATE watching swindlers at guns shows rip people off. Im that guy who will call BS on a swindler every time, guess I dont subscribe to the MYOFB mentality but thats alright cause theres not may folks who will say that to my face.

My brother and I just vended at the CarBarry gun show and it's amazing but being honest and having fair prices pretty much lead to 60% of what we brought being sold. Guess we should of jacked up the prices and conjured up some fancy stories so that we could sell nothing and drag all that junk back home.

Oh well, great thread and it's good that most of you guys don't like people especially newer shooters getting ripped off. I want new shooters to get excited about our hobby and continue to enjoy it. I want them to come to gun shows and bring their friends along cause its fun and a great place to buy guns.

Oh well guess I'm old fashioned.

I'll be @ss backwards with you......doing silly things like pulling people out of ditches, and plowing their roads for them in winter, and lending them my geni in a power outage because they have a newborn in the house......

 

[Tinman204]

I'll be @ss backwards with you......doing silly things like pulling people out of ditches, and plowing their roads for them in winter, and lending them my geni in a power outage because they have a newborn in the house......

I think that's how us western country folk are. I think nothing of firing up my tractor and plowing the road in a snow storm just because I know it makes my neighbors up the road (most of which I've never met) trip a little easier.

I know it's silly.

 

[Tinman204]

You are not Old Fashioned. You just got to associate with a couple of Old Farts who knew a thing or two about guns, had 50 years plus of experience, and who had certain ethical moral values. Looks like it rubbed off a bit on you ----to the better.

I would have, (and I have had several times,) stepped up and commented on the B.S. the seller was spouting. What we do not realize is that a sour incident on a novice can tar every one of us BLACK with the same brush. Inventing stories or history of an item is dishonest and fraudulent when you represent an item for sale to someone.

The guy is an example of the worst type of seller.

Old Farts you guys may be but I'd still hate to shoot against you in a match!! Also unlike many people you guys actually know what the hell you're talking about because you have been at this a long time!!

I feel the same about one bad vendor ruining it for the rest. I treat people how I expect to be treated both in my personal and professional lives. It's gotten me this far so why would I stop now.

I remember when I didn't know as much as I do now .There was a couple of times I almost got taken at gun shows by the local guys (which I will not name). Now I simply skip their tables at a show and if they want something from me it's full price plus 10% ☺!!

Then there's the guys who have treated me well over the years. I always go and have a look over their table and I'm quick to pull out cash if they have something I want. We will often barter and make a deal.

If someone new wants a gun from me often I will give them a very good price as I want them to get hooked and become a serious collector like many of us are and the hobby will then grow.

I know, me and my silly old fashioned ways!!

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

No, it's not silly. It's called being part of the church if being a good person, as opposed to those who stab others in the back all week (or stand by and watch it) but feel OK about it 'cause the go to a building on Sunday.

GGG

 

[mr.e moose]

It all boils down to, do you have morals? I was brought up to never lie, never steal. always help a neighbor up that is down and treat people how you would like to be treated. I have always pointed out questionable guns or prices at the shows I attend,and I attend as a seller.
I never have had a complaint about what I sell and I have had many repeat customers. Quite a few fellow sellers might hate my guts but I tell the truth when a dealer is stating pure BS within earshot of me.

 

[plinker 777]

Hello plinker 777

Thank you for your well thought out response to my question. So far it has been one of the best replies posted..

This was not my first rodeo, but for some reason witnessing this particular 'transaction' really bothered me. I know suckers get what suckers pay for, but the vendor was really piling it on to this young couple (looked like mid to late 20's) and they were enthusiastically soaking it up. They did not look like 'gun show people' at all, just a young couple who decided to go to the event and see what it was all about, but she was just as hooked by the story as he was, and he had his PAL and wallet out ready to go.

I've seen bad deals go down before and minded my own business, I've also been on the receiving end a time or two, but this one was different - he was flat out lying to them just to make a dollar and they were naively hanging on every word, taking it as gospel.

I hope they walked away, but honestly I felt bad after seeing this and left the show so I'll never know. What bugs me is that I witnessed something dishonest taking place that I knew was wrong, but due to the show environment and not wanting to make a scene in something I was not involved with, I walked away.

Thanks to your and most everyone else's advice, I know what to do if it happens again.

Brookwood

Classy,

 

[Coyote Ugly]

As a Buyer, I would want Superhero Captain Stampede Burger to fall from the sky and land beside the dealer with a parachute and drop a real wet fart that waffles and resonates across the whole Roundup Center when I'm in a fleecy situation! Maybe Car dealers will be the next to be invaded by our Superhero!

If you were the buyer, would you want someone to step in to prevent you from being fleeced?

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

As a Buyer, I would want Superhero Captain Stampede Burger to fall from the sky and land beside the dealer with a parachute and drop a real wet fart that waffles and resonates across the whole Roundup Center when I'm in a fleecy situation! Maybe Car dealers will be the next to be invaded by our Superhero!

I eat waffles EVERYDAY!!!

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

Ok, I don't, but I have at least one wet fart most days and I'd be happy to drop one on the rip off artist, and MYOFB guy.

 

[TedNugent]

I have a couple stories to share. I am a member on a car enthusiast website. I was in to fixing cars and flipping them for a few bucks. Got pretty good at it too. I mean maybe one car a year or something like that. One day, I saw a guy who had a head for sale, in running condition, or so it said in the ad. The price was right, so I bought it, arranged for the guy to drop it off at my place.
That day, I came down with appendicitis. Was my son's 1st birthday, we had a bunch of people over, and I was BBQ'ing all my favourite food groups. Not hungry one bit. By 6 pm, I was about done, and sure enough this young guy comes and drops off the head in a box. I didn't even look at it, I had him set it in the garage and I went up to bed. That night I was on call at the hospital, got called at 11:30. Drive in, and as soon as I saw the Dr, I asked him to have a look at me, something just wasn't right, and I felt like crap. So after xraying 3 patients, they take my blood, and inform me I have more x-rays to take, which i did with an iv in my arm. Blood work came back and I had a high white blood cell count.
Next morning, they sent me for a catscan In Milton. Sure enough, large appendix. Took it out that day, and I had a few weeks off to recover.
Couple weeks later, I came across the box with the head, and take a look. Noticed some rather large punch marks next to a cam follower, and there was a decent gap between the follower and the journal wall. Head was ####ed. So I text this young guy and ask him wtf is going on, and the head I bought is garbage.
He texts me back, I had asked him to take it back. He says, "All sales are final". I said to him, are you sure you want to go down this road with me?? I warned him that I was going to go all out on him on the forum, and that he'd be way better off manning up and giving me the $150 back, told him it wasn't worth his reputation. Well, that was that, so I start googling. Sure enough his cell number brings up a page with his name, address and that he was running a machine shop business in his basement.
Well well well, I says to myself. I'll just post the pics of this head on the forum, his name, forum handle, cell number and the name of his business, to let people know not to deal with him. The site I'm talking about has half a million members or so, so I was sure it would get noticed. Within 1 day, the thread had 10000 views and about a hundred replies. Got numerous pm's from other members he'd screwed over. I got pm's from guys saying he hoped the guy walked in front of a bus. Amongst the replies on the forum, it was pretty much a land slide in my favour. One member pm'd me that his brother was a diesel mechanic, and named the place he worked at.
I called him out too, as his 'big brother' started texting me and asking me what my problem was with his little brother. I told him, as a mechanic, you, if anyone would have known that head was junk. He didn't threaten me directly, but it was getting ugly.
After the 3rd day, the thread had 100000 views, got lots of coverage.
A week goes by, and I get a text from the big brother saying he'd pay me back if I'd delete his name and number from the thread. Told him ok, and the kid came and got it, all red faced, and still insisting there was nothing wrong with the head..
FIVE YEARS LATER (2 months ago), I get a text from a number I don't know, and sure enough it's the kid. Says his name and phone number are still visible on the forum, as I had put it in the title, which I couldn't alter. He pleaded with me to get the forum to erase it, said he'd learned his lesson. So I asked the forum to delete the thread which they did. Another week goes by, and he texted me again saying that even though the thread is gone, the thread title is still available on a Google search of his phone number..
And it probably still is and always will be.
So, his rep is forever altered over screwing me over for a measly $150. I did warn him before hand, but he figured I was a chump I guess.
So, in a way, that thread is still warning people of the shady deal this guy gave me 5 Years ago.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

Good for you my Social Justice Roentgenography friend!!!

The internet is a great equalizer!!!!

To anyone who says your/my/our opinions don't count, remember this.

"All sales are final".... So are all
Posts....

Huh, Karma IS a #####!!!!

 

[Gatehouse]

I have a couple stories to share. I am a member on a car enthusiast website. I was in to fixing cars and flipping them for a few bucks. Got pretty good at it too. I mean maybe one car a year or something like that. One day, I saw a guy who had a head for sale, in running condition, or so it said in the ad. The price was right, so I bought it, arranged for the guy to drop it off at my place.
That day, I came down with appendicitis. Was my son's 1st birthday, we had a bunch of people over, and I was BBQ'ing all my favourite food groups. Not hungry one bit. By 6 pm, I was about done, and sure enough this young guy comes and drops off the head in a box. I didn't even look at it, I had him set it in the garage and I went up to bed. That night I was on call at the hospital, got called at 11:30. Drive in, and as soon as I saw the Dr, I asked him to have a look at me, something just wasn't right, and I felt like crap. So after xraying 3 patients, they take my blood, and inform me I have more x-rays to take, which i did with an iv in my arm. Blood work came back and I had a high white blood cell count.
Next morning, they sent me for a catscan In Milton. Sure enough, large appendix. Took it out that day, and I had a few weeks off to recover.
Couple weeks later, I came across the box with the head, and take a look. Noticed some rather large punch marks next to a cam follower, and there was a decent gap between the follower and the journal wall. Head was ####ed. So I text this young guy and ask him wtf is going on, and the head I bought is garbage.
He texts me back, I had asked him to take it back. He says, "All sales are final". I said to him, are you sure you want to go down this road with me?? I warned him that I was going to go all out on him on the forum, and that he'd be way better off manning up and giving me the $150 back, told him it wasn't worth his reputation. Well, that was that, so I start googling. Sure enough his cell number brings up a page with his name, address and that he was running a machine shop business in his basement.
Well well well, I says to myself. I'll just post the pics of this head on the forum, his name, forum handle, cell number and the name of his business, to let people know not to deal with him. The site I'm talking about has half a million members or so, so I was sure it would get noticed. Within 1 day, the thread had 10000 views and about a hundred replies. Got numerous pm's from other members he'd screwed over. I got pm's from guys saying he hoped the guy walked in front of a bus. Amongst the replies on the forum, it was pretty much a land slide in my favour. One member pm'd me that his brother was a diesel mechanic, and named the place he worked at.
I called him out too, as his 'big brother' started texting me and asking me what my problem was with his little brother. I told him, as a mechanic, you, if anyone would have known that head was junk. He didn't threaten me directly, but it was getting ugly.
After the 3rd day, the thread had 100000 views, got lots of coverage.
A week goes by, and I get a text from the big brother saying he'd pay me back if I'd delete his name and number from the thread. Told him ok, and the kid came and got it, all red faced, and still insisting there was nothing wrong with the head..
FIVE YEARS LATER (2 months ago), I get a text from a number I don't know, and sure enough it's the kid. Says his name and phone number are still visible on the forum, as I had put it in the title, which I couldn't alter. He pleaded with me to get the forum to erase it, said he'd learned his lesson. So I asked the forum to delete the thread which they did. Another week goes by, and he texted me again saying that even though the thread is gone, the thread title is still available on a Google search of his phone number..
And it probably still is and always will be.
So, his rep is forever altered over screwing me over for a measly $150. I did warn him before hand, but he figured I was a chump I guess.
So, in a way, that thread is still warning people of the shady deal this guy gave me 5 Years ago.

Great story and I think gun show vendors that rip people off should be treated the same way. CGN has LOTS of members and news travels fast.

 

[Gunneegoogoo]

Gun show vendors, or ANYONE selling something.

Be honest. Be a good guy. Help people out.

Basic rules.

 

[Claybuster]

I have a couple stories to share. I am a member on a car enthusiast website. I was in to fixing cars and flipping them for a few bucks. Got pretty good at it too. I mean maybe one car a year or something like that. One day, I saw a guy who had a head for sale, in running condition, or so it said in the ad. The price was right, so I bought it, arranged for the guy to drop it off at my place.
That day, I came down with appendicitis. Was my son's 1st birthday, we had a bunch of people over, and I was BBQ'ing all my favourite food groups. Not hungry one bit. By 6 pm, I was about done, and sure enough this young guy comes and drops off the head in a box. I didn't even look at it, I had him set it in the garage and I went up to bed. That night I was on call at the hospital, got called at 11:30. Drive in, and as soon as I saw the Dr, I asked him to have a look at me, something just wasn't right, and I felt like crap. So after xraying 3 patients, they take my blood, and inform me I have more x-rays to take, which i did with an iv in my arm. Blood work came back and I had a high white blood cell count.
Next morning, they sent me for a catscan In Milton. Sure enough, large appendix. Took it out that day, and I had a few weeks off to recover.
Couple weeks later, I came across the box with the head, and take a look. Noticed some rather large punch marks next to a cam follower, and there was a decent gap between the follower and the journal wall. Head was ####ed. So I text this young guy and ask him wtf is going on, and the head I bought is garbage.
He texts me back, I had asked him to take it back. He says, "All sales are final". I said to him, are you sure you want to go down this road with me?? I warned him that I was going to go all out on him on the forum, and that he'd be way better off manning up and giving me the $150 back, told him it wasn't worth his reputation. Well, that was that, so I start googling. Sure enough his cell number brings up a page with his name, address and that he was running a machine shop business in his basement.
Well well well, I says to myself. I'll just post the pics of this head on the forum, his name, forum handle, cell number and the name of his business, to let people know not to deal with him. The site I'm talking about has half a million members or so, so I was sure it would get noticed. Within 1 day, the thread had 10000 views and about a hundred replies. Got numerous pm's from other members he'd screwed over. I got pm's from guys saying he hoped the guy walked in front of a bus. Amongst the replies on the forum, it was pretty much a land slide in my favour. One member pm'd me that his brother was a diesel mechanic, and named the place he worked at.
I called him out too, as his 'big brother' started texting me and asking me what my problem was with his little brother. I told him, as a mechanic, you, if anyone would have known that head was junk. He didn't threaten me directly, but it was getting ugly.
After the 3rd day, the thread had 100000 views, got lots of coverage.
A week goes by, and I get a text from the big brother saying he'd pay me back if I'd delete his name and number from the thread. Told him ok, and the kid came and got it, all red faced, and still insisting there was nothing wrong with the head..
FIVE YEARS LATER (2 months ago), I get a text from a number I don't know, and sure enough it's the kid. Says his name and phone number are still visible on the forum, as I had put it in the title, which I couldn't alter. He pleaded with me to get the forum to erase it, said he'd learned his lesson. So I asked the forum to delete the thread which they did. Another week goes by, and he texted me again saying that even though the thread is gone, the thread title is still available on a Google search of his phone number..
And it probably still is and always will be.
So, his rep is forever altered over screwing me over for a measly $150. I did warn him before hand, but he figured I was a chump I guess.
So, in a way, that thread is still warning people of the shady deal this guy gave me 5 Years ago.

Great work. But in your case you were the person who was aggrieved not some bystander who wasn't part of the transaction.

What's being discussed here is whether some know-it-all at a gun show who goes around eavesdropping on complete strangers should take it upon himself to intrude if he overhears something that offends his over-active sense of social justice. It isn't a life and death issue, oppression, serfdom or any other matter more serious than someone who doesn't know what he's doing being out a few hundred bucks on a gun.

The holier-than-thou who are still determined to intervene and intrude based on their own set of "values" should also be the very last people to complain when the government does exactly the same thing for the same reasons to gun owners. Interventionism at gun shows and intervention by government share the same basic desire to impose your values and viewpoints on another person whether they want it or not.

 

[redshooter]

What's being discussed here is whether some busybody know-it-all at a gun show who goes around eavesdropping on complete strangers should take it upon himself to intrude if he overhears something that offends his over-active sense of social justice. It isn't a life and death issue, oppression, serfdom or any other matter more serious than someone who doesn't know what he's doing being out a few hundred bucks on a gun.

I'll refrain from sharing how I feel about your comments as it will contravene the boards rules, but I'm happy to comment on what I think of your position. Theft by force, or theft by subterfuge, what's the difference, you're still burning someone.

Just to clarify why I see it the way I do, by the OP's report of the exchange, this guy had gone well beyond embellishing, and was firmly on the side of fraud.

 

[redshooter]

I FIVE YEARS LATER (2 months ago), I get a text from a number I don't know, and sure enough it's the kid. Says his name and phone number are still visible on the forum, as I had put it in the title, which I couldn't alter. He pleaded with me to get the forum to erase it, said he'd learned his lesson. So I asked the forum to delete the thread which they did. Another week goes by, and he texted me again saying that even though the thread is gone, the thread title is still available on a Google search of his phone number..
And it probably still is and always will be.
So, his rep is forever altered over screwing me over for a measly $150. I did warn him before hand, but he figured I was a chump I guess.
So, in a way, that thread is still warning people of the shady deal this guy gave me 5 Years ago.

The Internet never forgets...

 

[Claybuster]

I'll refrain from sharing how I feel about your comments as it will contravene the boards rules, but I'm happy to comment on what I think of your position. Theft by force, or theft by subterfuge, what's the difference.

The guy who said I worked at a gun shop doesn't know what he's talking about. I have not and do not work at a gun shop.

Feel free to PM if you want additional information.