jamesinalaska
Member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2015
- Messages
- 256
I was at a local pawn shop looking through the pistol cabinet, when a fellow walks in and tells the clerk that he wants to sell his .22 rifle. The clerk says they are overstocked on firearms and were not taking anymore for awhile. Overhearing, and seeing it was a pump action, I asked the clerk and the fellow (young, starving artist type) if I could look at the rifle. They said "o.k." and sure enough it was a 62A. I asked the clerk if he would run the serial number through the database to see if it was stolen. It didn't report as stolen and the fellow didn't jump, flinch or fidget at all as the rifle was checked . . . .so, "let's go outside." I said.
"How much do you want for it?" I asked.
"Well these things are going for $600 online."
"Some of them, yes. But not this one. Gallery guns certainly. But this isn't a gallery gun."
"What's a gallery gun?" He asked, and I explained about 'back in the day when America was wholesome.....'
"It was my grandfather's gun." He said. "Me and my brother shot it a lot. Shoots real good."
"You know if you sell this you will never get it back." I cautioned. "Those memories are the greatest value of this rifle. Even though this is an older Winchester, it is in rough shape. The blueing is gone and there is pitting on the barrel. I can't tell you what the rifling may look like. The physical value of this particular rifle is not so high, but for you and your brother the sentimental value IS very, very high. Memories of you and your brother shooting tin cans together will return to you every time you pick up this gun. Are you certain you want to sell?"
"I need money for my car." He said.
I fetched my wallet from my truck and opened it in front of him already knowing what I had inside, a single, $100 federal reserve note. "This is what I have." I said. "If you are patient and wait for the right buyer you could probably get $200 or $250."
"I really need the money." He said, and we made the exchange. Then, like he just remembered something important, he said "Oh, and here's the ammo." and he pulled 200 rounds of federal ammo out of his backpack and handed four cartons to me.
I really didn't know what to think. The fellow shook my hand and seemed happy and left. I haven't seen him again. I'm going to have the gun cerakoted and I am going to take my boys out to the range and we are going to shoot a bunch of tin cans.
"How much do you want for it?" I asked.
"Well these things are going for $600 online."
"Some of them, yes. But not this one. Gallery guns certainly. But this isn't a gallery gun."
"What's a gallery gun?" He asked, and I explained about 'back in the day when America was wholesome.....'
"It was my grandfather's gun." He said. "Me and my brother shot it a lot. Shoots real good."
"You know if you sell this you will never get it back." I cautioned. "Those memories are the greatest value of this rifle. Even though this is an older Winchester, it is in rough shape. The blueing is gone and there is pitting on the barrel. I can't tell you what the rifling may look like. The physical value of this particular rifle is not so high, but for you and your brother the sentimental value IS very, very high. Memories of you and your brother shooting tin cans together will return to you every time you pick up this gun. Are you certain you want to sell?"
"I need money for my car." He said.
I fetched my wallet from my truck and opened it in front of him already knowing what I had inside, a single, $100 federal reserve note. "This is what I have." I said. "If you are patient and wait for the right buyer you could probably get $200 or $250."
"I really need the money." He said, and we made the exchange. Then, like he just remembered something important, he said "Oh, and here's the ammo." and he pulled 200 rounds of federal ammo out of his backpack and handed four cartons to me.
I really didn't know what to think. The fellow shook my hand and seemed happy and left. I haven't seen him again. I'm going to have the gun cerakoted and I am going to take my boys out to the range and we are going to shoot a bunch of tin cans.
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. I think that for the good times you and your boys will have $100 was a nice enough price and maybe if you're lucky, your grandkids will someday pull that puppy outta the safe and tell their kids stories about it too. Thank you for sharing this!
