Every wonder why prices go up on firearms? Having worked in gun shops for a long time, I have a pretty good understanding of the manufacturers supply/distribution chain and how that all shapes prices with new firearms. But as a collector it has always amazed me to watch the prices on collector items go up just because. In the old days, i.e. before the internet, there was no reason for an increase other than inflation or some guy sold one just like this one to another fellow, so.... this one must be worth at least that much. Now there is a relatively new wrinkle in the process -- "the flipper". Maybe its all the tv shows that show people buying something and then "flippin' " it, usually making a huge profit in the process. I realize that in the good old days there were guys out there who tried to make money buy and selling guns. Somebody once said it was probably the second or third oldest profession. In any event, the internet has made it into something of a sport, although I view it more like extortion or maybe highway robbery. For example, there was a guy at a show about a year ago that had three tables packed with relativeley nice 19th century items. There were just a couple of issues: 1. Up until two weeks before the show he wasn't a member of the club, but somebody made a "special allowance" not only to let this guy in but rent him tables too; 2. he really didn't know anything at all about what he was selling other than what he found in the latest bluebook; 3. he clearly ripped of an heir or an estate giving all collectors a black eye. In a more recent example, just today, I discovered there is a dealer in Texas who bought an item on GB just a month ago. He drove up the price to the point that he paid more than twice what a similar one sold for just a month before that. Now, a little more than an month later, he has it listed for sale on GunsInt. at a price 1/6th more than he paid for it. Now, before anybody gets bent out of shape at me, it's clear that he can do whatever he wants, but my question is to what extent are actions such as his damaging the collecting community. With the recent problems at the NRA, it's already pretty cut-throat out there; guys like this only seem to be making it worse. In short, his greed is driving up the price way beyond the mechanism of supply and demand. So, I either pay the price or walk away, but if I pay the price, it's only encouraging other "flippers". At the same time, if this guy's price is now the benchmark, I have to raise my insurance, so he's costing me money even if I don't do anything! And then the next person through the door at the local gun shop with a similar item for sale will expect the "on-line" price he/she saw. So it becomes a vicious cycle. It's reached the point that in some speciality areas of collecting, the "flippers" are pushing up prices almost 50% a year! Can that really be good for anyone other than the "flippers."