Having bought some high end items from the Gun Library at my local one, what I can observe is this: Unlike Mom & Pop retailers, Cabelas can afford the cash flow to actually purchase collections, not just place them on consignment. 60% is pretty good, actually, and is what many consignment sellers pay. With their generally competent managers, and the cash to back up the deal, it's not a terrible place to dispose of a large collection if selling it personally is not an option.
When buying, bear in mind that you can almost calculate to the dollar what they have paid for an item. If you wait for something to sit for a year, you can generally get them to sell it at a fairly good discount. I grabbed a very nice Sauer prewar drilling that way a few months back. Got nearly a $ grand off the asking price. I watched it sit in the window outside the Gun Library for literally a year before I got the manager to open up the case for me. He was delighted to see it gone.
Willie
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