That makes you BI-YOURSELF.

Zebulon said
Ian, eBay has a lot of junk but it offers a far broader marketplace for gun parts than anybody else. In particular, there are artisan machinists who offer good reproductions of hard-to-get Winchester screws, bushings, etc - some are not so good but others are and you can find them by their reputations. 
I don't cruise eBay for entertainment but I've used it repeatedly over the years to buy out-of-print micrometer sights by Lyman and Redfield. When I needed a Redfield 70F for my Model 71 I couldn't find it but did find an as new, steel 80F-T. Had to beat several other bidders but these sights are rarely available in condition.
When I wanted a Lyman 48F for my 52 Sporting, it was Clarence Anderson who schooled me on how to use Snipe for last micro-second bidding. I got a nice one for ruinous cost. The alternative was do without. 
You have to take a lesson from the street people and "Know Your Dealer."  But eBay has let me buy the seldom and/or weird parts for old guns I can't get elsewhere.
Our own Swap Meet section has been a blessing and our Members who deal parts are a great option. Ben is honest and extremely helpful.  I'd rather buy from him and get one of his stories in the bargain.
But, sometimes you just have to descend into the lower bowel of the market and pay the price. EBay is the portal. 
  

eBay is an excellent source for finding the obscure and esoteric, and when you need a routine gun part like a screw or other mundane component, perhaps it is better to “Buy It Now” for $3.99 as opposed to having to wait a week for an auction to end and find that you lost out on that component by 25 cents and have to seek out another auction and wait another week.  But it’s stuff like a Marbles Tang Sight, probably worth $150, would be nice to get at auction for $100 but it’s listed again and again for $299, and “Make an Offer” means you are lucky if they budge 5%.

I don't cruise eBay for entertainment but I've used it repeatedly over the years to buy out-of-print micrometer sights by Lyman and Redfield. When I needed a Redfield 70F for my Model 71 I couldn't find it but did find an as new, steel 80F-T. Had to beat several other bidders but these sights are rarely available in condition.

When I wanted a Lyman 48F for my 52 Sporting, it was Clarence Anderson who schooled me on how to use Snipe for last micro-second bidding. I got a nice one for ruinous cost. The alternative was do without. 

You have to take a lesson from the street people and "Know Your Dealer."  But eBay has let me buy the seldom and/or weird parts for old guns I can't get elsewhere.

Our own Swap Meet section has been a blessing and our Members who deal parts are a great option. Ben is honest and extremely helpful.  I'd rather buy from him and get one of his stories in the bargain.

But, sometimes you just have to descend into the lower bowel of the market and pay the price. EBay is the portal. 

Buck94 said

Let’s hope if Game Stop can pull off acquiring eBay the new ownership will allow firearm sales again 😀 

Now, do you honestly expect that to happen?  What makes Game Stop any less rabidly anti 2A than most everything else out there?

I recall seeing firearms on eBay years ago, I don’t think I had even bought anything on eBay yet and then one day it suddenly stopped.  eBay isn’t much better than anything else out there any more, however.  My huge gripe is it used to actually be an auction site, penny start, bid what you want to pay.  Now, it’s an overpriced marketplace with stale items listed again and again for what the seller wants, waiting for the right sucker to come along.  Not that GunBroker doesn’t do that, either, but they have more true auctions than just about anything out there anymore.

Zebulon said
For what it's worth,  I think most of the changes Gunbroker has made over the last several years were set in motion by the multi-agency directive contained in one or more Executive Orders by the Biden Admiistration, to "reduce gun crime." Each of several federal agencies were expected to use all available powers in the campaign.   
One notable effect was the refusal of Federal Express and UPS to accept firearms for shipment by anyone except 01 Class federal firearms dealers with an individual shipping contract. That policy has since been modified by UPS to permit 03 licensees to negotiate a contract but all instances require a pickup by the carrier and a number of extra fees. 
Gunbroker is seemingly obsessed with demonstrating to its political enemies that it doesn't tolerate the least non-compliance by its members and is continually trying to bulletproof the closing process so that it can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt it is not fostering an illegal gun bazaar where terrorists and coke-snorting, convicted child molesters illegally in the Country can buy an "unregistered" buzz gun. Or worse, whatever that is at the moment. 
I will grant you that the politics of the State of Georgia are not what they were when Gunbroker was established. And Gunbroker has every reason to believe it has powerful enemies who would destroy its business if it were possible to do.  In those circumstances, a prudent outside director, if the corporation has any, would counsel caution and try to protect the company from economic disaster. Insurers - not noted for strength of spine -- probably fear the company being sued because a buyer committed mayhem with an auctioned item. Its risk assessors and rate-setters probably hold certain views. 
I expect it is a hard needle to thread. They do provide a national market for collectors and enthusiasts at a  still reasonable cost , whereas consigning for fees of 15% to 25% for sales within a limited market, or through in-person auction houses, are usually not good alternatives for small collectors. There are other online houses, to be sure. But I would hate to lose Gunbroker. 
  

Great post Zeb and I would hate to lose them as well! I can’t speak to the fees they charge but I don’t see anyone else in their league as I think GB has 4 times the traffic as its closest competitor. I’m no rocket scientist but if you are selling I imagine 4 times the buyers is a good thing. As a buyer I like GB and Guns International both. The other sites I’ve found just don’t have the inventory to compete except maybe guns.com whose prices I find to consistently be the worst. Let’s hope if Game Stop can pull off aquiring eBay the new ownership will allow firearm sales again 😀 

One notable effect was the refusal of Federal Express and UPS to accept firearms for shipment by anyone except 01 Class federal firearms dealers with an individual shipping contract. That policy has since been modified by UPS to permit 03 licensees to negotiate a contract but all instances require a pickup by the carrier and a number of extra fees. 

Gunbroker is seemingly obsessed with demonstrating to its political enemies that it doesn't tolerate the least non-compliance by its members and is continually trying to bulletproof the closing process so that it can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt it is not fostering an illegal gun bazaar where terrorists and coke-snorting, convicted child molesters illegally in the Country can buy an "unregistered" buzz gun. Or worse, whatever that is at the moment. 

I will grant you that the politics of the State of Georgia are not what they were when Gunbroker was established. And Gunbroker has every reason to believe it has powerful enemies who would destroy its business if it were possible to do.  In those circumstances, a prudent outside director, if the corporation has any, would counsel caution and try to protect the company from economic disaster. Insurers - not noted for strength of spine -- probably fear the company being sued because a buyer committed mayhem with an auctioned item. Its risk assessors and rate-setters probably hold certain views. 

I expect it is a hard needle to thread. They do provide a national market for collectors and enthusiasts at a  still reasonable cost , whereas consigning for fees of 15% to 25% for sales within a limited market, or through in-person auction houses, are usually not good alternatives for small collectors. There are other online houses, to be sure. But I would hate to lose Gunbroker. 

As always we are planning on a first-class show, if I can help make your experience better please let me know! Hotel reservations need to be made soon, table reservations can be completed at the below link. 

Please PM or post any questions I may be able to answer for you. 

Fall 2026 - Texas Gun Collectors Association

Mike

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

TR said
   That style of sight was called a musket rear sight, that does not mean it only went on muskets. It was found on rifles and carbines. What is disturbing to me is the cut in the receiver for the spring, would that not weaken the area that the barrel is threaded in. I have never seen that before and would doubt that's factory work. T/R
  

I have not seen that style of sight or the receiver being cut in such a manner either. I have seen more than one rear sight that was dovetailed on the actual receiver of early Henry, above the side plates. I'm doubtful its factory work as well.

Maverick

Al