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Dealers are Collectors too, they just have “Mobile Travelling Collections”.
The guns travel from show to show and are on display for us to enjoy – I don’t criticize this because otherwise we would not get to see them.
It would be impossible to remember how many interesting Winchesters I have seen and handled at the Gun-shows over the years.
Some are for sale but many are not. The prices indicate which is which.
David McNab said
Dealers are Collectors too, they just have “Mobile Travelling Collections”.The guns travel from show to show and are on display for us to enjoy – I don’t criticize this because otherwise we would not get to see them.
It would be impossible to remember how many interesting Winchesters I have seen and handled at the Gun-shows over the years.
Some are for sale but many are not. The prices indicate which is which.
I took my 1886 ELW Deluxe .45-70 to a couple shows years ago. I actually had a price on it that I thought was pretty reasonable, but not expecting anyone to tear their pocket off getting their wallet out to come up with the amount I was asking. BUT, there were so many baffoons grabbing it off the table and mauling it without asking, that I never took it again. I even had a sign in front of it stating to ask before handling. Every goon with crab hands ignored the sign.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
Old Logger said
I took my 1886 ELW Deluxe .45-70 to a couple shows years ago. I actually had a price on it that I thought was pretty reasonable, but not expecting anyone to tear their pocket off getting their wallet out to come up with the amount I was asking. BUT, there were so many baffoons grabbing it off the table and mauling it without asking, that I never took it again. I even had a sign in front of it stating to ask before handling. Every goon with crab hands ignored the sign.
You’re right – the Idiots can read, they just don’t care. I’ve had a few over the years that I’ve told off directly for their bad manners and I wasn’t afraid to do it.
When I was a boy my Father taught me “Never to touch anyone’s guns without permission”.
In reference to my earlier comments I’ve always asked in advance, this always gets a “yes” and has lead to many wonderful conversations and many deals.
And, new friends along the way.
David McNab said
Old Logger said
I took my 1886 ELW Deluxe .45-70 to a couple shows years ago. I actually had a price on it that I thought was pretty reasonable, but not expecting anyone to tear their pocket off getting their wallet out to come up with the amount I was asking. BUT, there were so many baffoons grabbing it off the table and mauling it without asking, that I never took it again. I even had a sign in front of it stating to ask before handling. Every goon with crab hands ignored the sign.
When I was a boy my Father told me “Never to touch anyone’s guns without permission”.
…..or tools, chainsaw, hunting dog, 4×4……..
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
Old Logger said
BUT, there were so many baffoons grabbing it off the table and mauling it without asking, that I never took it again. I even had a sign in front of it stating to ask before handling. Every goon with crab hands ignored the sign.
Asking for trouble any time you bring something to a show you aren’t serious about selling, because accidents can happen even when permission is requested–maybe the gun is heavier than the person thought, or he’s just a butterfingers. But at least you did put a price on it–nothing aggravates me more than to begin looking at something of interest to me, then hear the dealer say “not for sale.” Wait, there’s one thing that does aggravate me more: un-priced guns that are for sale; that’s an unmistakable clue that the seller’s intention is to size up potential customers before quoting a price.
I hate seeing guns for display only. I am not talking about guns that are part of a display. I always was the one guarding the table when someone would come up and want the gun that was not marked with the price. I had a friend that used to take guns out of his collection and mark them up so they wouldn’t sell. Well one time he took an “engraved like a 1 of 1000” and it sold for $90,000. He was really upset when it happened and I’m not kidding about him being mad even for that price.
November 7, 2015
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I’ll admit I once took a dozen nice old Winchester .22’s to a show for display purposes, they were clearly marked as such. Had several nice conversations about them. They were all in one of those turntable display stands. I’ll also be sure to have some “eye candy” on my table and in most cases it is for sale.
Mike
I used to hate the POR tag, until one day I asked this guy with a POR tag on a 36″ 86, I was pleasantly surprised and bought it. Several of my fellow collectors never asked and were shocked, I still own it. I used to not ask if the gun was not priced until one day I asked an old gun dealer how much he wanted for his exhvy deluxe 86, he said more money than your willing to spend, boy was he wrong. No one asked, if they would have, I wouldn’t own it today. Granted you have to open a lot of oysters to find a pearl, but it’s worth it. T/R
I guess everyone has a different method of buying/selling. I usually ask if the piece is for sale and if so what’s the price. I particularily like the walk in carrying a gun; this conversation usually takes place “what have You got there or are You selling that piece” if yes “what are You asking for it” He responds “what’s it worth” to which I usually say “My friend it would not be fair to You or Me to appraise Your gun then try to buy it from You, now if Your interested in taking $xxxx.xx for it I’d be interested”. I always price anything I have for sale, sometimes apparently to high though. I made a huge mistake one time, kind of funny though, I had a deluxe’76 for sale for $18,000.00 A fella stopped, asked to look at it and asked Me what’s Your best price. I said eighteen, to which He said He had to track down the wife as She had the money. About 15 minutes later He’s back smiling, and so am I, thinking I have a nice clean sale. He hands me a hand full of money, $ 1,800.00. Oh damn a huge miscommunication and a let down for both. He didn’t look at the back of the tag I had on the gun with the price on it. Now I always say hundred or thousand. I missed a case colored ’94 one time at the Lakeland Florida show being a smart ass and trying to buy on the cheap. Some of You have probably seen that gun in Rob Kassab’s collection, He was smart enough to buy it, I’ve kicked Myself several times over that one.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
November 7, 2015
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The guy I can’t figure out is the one who looks at the gun, looks at the price and won’t make any offer at all even though he’s clearly interested. I feel the price on the tag is a reasonable starting place; if he’s interested it’s his turn to come up with a number. Mine is on the tag. Maybe I’m wrong?
Mike
TXGunNut said
I’ll admit I once took a dozen nice old Winchester .22’s to a show for display purposes, they were clearly marked as such. Had several nice conversations about them. They were all in one of those turntable display stands. I’ll also be sure to have some “eye candy” on my table and in most cases it is for sale.
Mike
Mike, that is different. I mean the guy that only has guns not for sale. You can still have some conversation. There used to be a guy that would show up at the Great Western Show with about a dozen Winchesters for show only. He may have been the only guy there do this. For those who had never attended this show, it was bigger than Tulsa. Depending on the time of year some shows had up to 8,000 tables inside and out. Smaller shows were about 5,000 to 6,000.
November 7, 2015
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Chuck said
Mike, that is different. I mean the guy that only has guns not for sale. You can still have some conversation. There used to be a guy that would show up at the Great Western Show with about a dozen Winchesters for show only. He may have been the only guy there do this. For those who had never attended this show, it was bigger than Tulsa. Depending on the time of year some shows had up to 8,000 tables inside and out. Smaller shows were about 5,000 to 6,000.
I guess that was my point, Chuck. I was at the show hoping to sell the other guns on my tables but it was fun letting some folks remember their favorite .22’s. Maybe I overdid the “eye candy” thing at that show but I firmly believe in the concept.
I can’t imagine a show with 5,000 tables, not my idea of a good time. I don’t know why someone would rent a table with no intention of selling but I do enjoy display tables at the smaller collector shows.
To each his own, I suppose. We all have different tastes and objectives in our collection activities…and that’s probably a good thing. Some shows I attend with no intention of buying, only there to study the old guns and maybe learn a bit from the people I meet there. I fondly remember the shows in the 1980’s; tables full of interesting items and exhibitors who enjoyed interacting with visitors.
Mike
TXGunNut said
I can’t imagine a show with 5,000 tables, not my idea of a good time. I don’t know why someone would rent a table with no intention of selling but I do enjoy display tables at the smaller collector shows.
Not mine either–especially when you know it’s GOT to be a titanic junk-fest. I suspect the folks who do this on a regular basis may just enjoy talking about their favorite stuff, along with hoping someone may bring in similar stuff to sell them; which is all well & good, if you don’t mind being tied down to your table (not to mention the labor of lugging them in & out), but I’d find the boredom unbearable. I also enjoy talking with someone who’s displaying really interesting & unusual guns, even if I have no personal interest in them
I don’t know if Dave remembers this or not, but one time I displayed a complete set of Winchester Commemoratives,76 guns, plus some of the later commemoratives, a total of around 100 guns, at our local Woodstock show. I took up 14 tables at the 150 table show. It was one of the best shows I’d ever done because most people, collectors included, had no idea that there were so many different commemoratives and that some of them were so rare, 10 pieces, 17 pieces 32 pieces, etc. With all the cased sets and the gold and the glitter it was a pretty impressive and educational display for a little Ontario show, Thanks to Tom Trollards book. And You know what, even with all the “please do not touch” signs , there was still a couple of wahoo’s insisting they should pick one up, and were usually told in no uncertain terms, by My Wife, about proper etiquette at a gun show, She was a saint that could lay a cussin’ on You like a drunken sailor. I love displaying these old guns and the conversations that pop up to go along with them,from the “old Timers” that used them.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
Henry Mero said
I don’t know if Dave remembers this or not, but one time I displayed a complete set of Winchester Commemoratives,76 guns, plus some of the later commemoratives, a total of around 100 guns, at our local Woodstock show. I took up 14 tables at the 150 table show. It was one of the best shows I’d ever done because most people, collectors included, had no idea that there were so many different commemoratives and that some of them were so rare, 10 pieces, 17 pieces 32 pieces, etc. With all the cased sets and the gold and the glitter it was a pretty impressive and educational display for a little Ontario show, Thanks to Tom Trollards book. And You know what, even with all the “please do not touch” signs , there was still a couple of wahoo’s insisting they should pick one up, and were usually told in no uncertain terms, by My Wife, about proper etiquette at a gun show, She was a saint that could lay a cussin’ on You like a drunken sailor. I love displaying these old guns and the conversations that pop up to go along with them,from the “old Timers” that used them.
Yes I think I do remember that show – It’s high time for another multi-table knockout display.
Of course your set up last fall at Woodstock with all the 92 & 94 Trappers, The Worlds Most Interesting Rifle and the 94 that’s on the WACA Homepage will be hard to out-do.
The contents of the entire show would hardly have added up to what you had displayed.
I think you should get free tables. D.
Have any of you ever laid your eyes on Captain Bligh’s display with the take down deluxe 94 5 barrel set? He had all 5 calibers. It was a thing to behold.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
Old Logger said
Have any of you ever laid your eyes on Captain Bligh’s display with the take down deluxe 94 5 barrel set? He had all 5 calibers. It was a thing to behold.
Is that the one pictured in Renneberg’s model 94 book? If so, I heard that it was discovered awhile back that that 5-barrel set was not an original factory produced set, but was actually the product of a very talented gunsmith. I heard that Winchester never produced an 1894 5-barrel takedown set. Others more knowledgeable on this subject might chime in.
Don
I haven’t seen the one in the book, but got to eyeball the one Bligh (not his real name) had. I don’t know if it would be the same set. He lived near me here in Alaska and passed away a few years ago.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
There is a good article in the Winter 1996 Collector on multiple barrel Winchesters. If you are a member, you can read it on this site. There were no verifiable 4 or 5 barrel sets made by Winchester for the Model 1894. The take-down barrels of all Model 1894 calibers would interchange. However, it is my understanding they would not function properly between the smaller/larger calibers because of cartridge feed issues.
The 5-barrel set that Clint (Captain Bligh) had was not authentic. I first saw it a the Cody show about ten years ago, and initially thought is was real. As it turned out, it was a talented gunmaker that assembled the set.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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