- Thread Starter
- #61
There's the rub! When they say it pays to be patient, they're not kidding. So many things in life (firearms being why we're here on this site) can be found in great condition and hardly used or abused for prices far lower than retail, but everyone seems to do things a bit different, to each his own.
It is true Sir, I am indeed the master of purchasing high and selling low- usually very low. Unfortunately.
Well Mr. Ch139 back in 1987 I purchased my Mossberg 500a- the complete package. Then I ordered a complete set of chokes which was another $75. I paid like $239 for the Mossy, so I was into it a bit over $300. Now the same package is going for about $290 on sale, the chokes are still about $75, meanwhile my Mossy has depreciated due to its age. I will never, ever get that money back or even break even. To add insult to injury a friend of mine purchased a brand new Mossy 500a and we put them side by side- there was just enough manufacturing differences that parts are NOT interchangeable. Kinda like the difference between a pre-64 and post 64 Model 70 Winchester. I could break even on the Saiga, maybe the Calico M951, but I would lose on the Mossy, the Win 70, the Savage 24, the OTHER Savage 39 or whatever it is, and the Mosin-Nagant M91/30. The Olympic Arms? Man I lost money on that from the word "GO!" It was on sale for $650- which, at the time I thought was a good price. I get it home only to discover it for sale elsewhere for $599!
Then Obama was elected- and the price soared on the Oly Plinker to $1200- anyone remember that? Then I became (this is a joke people) "schizophrenic" as it were- rule 1 drives me forward to double my money but rule 2 drives me backwards because if they DO ban them I'll never be able to afford another one,,,,,so I went around and around and around in circles trying to figure out what to do. Then Obama's fear eased a bit, the manufacturers caught up to demand and the price of my Oly Plinker has dropped back down to about $650- close to what I paid for mine.
The lesson I have learned is the day my ship comes in down in Fife, I'll be waiting at the train station in Seattle and the parts I needed just left by Greyhound bus from the Tacoma terminal.