Author Topic: Gunshow Etiquette? (Read 3150 times)

gcrank1 · « **on:** March 01, 2013, 03:52:28 PM »

So Im browsing the gunshow tables, a guy ahead of me inspects a six-gun, lays it down and walks on talking on his cell phone. I pick up the piece and am looking it over and he must have seen me looking too interested (kinda was), comes back and says to the owner,"I'll take it" and the guy says to me "Its sold". Now I still had it in my hand. I dont know if/when things changed, but it used to be (didnt it?) that Iffn you were the guy hangin' onto the piece, you had dibbs until you layed it down.
Well, I could have argued the point, I suppose, but I figured the Good Lord was watchin' out for me and I wasnt supposed to have that one, still........

, its sad what kind of bad behavior we have to put up with now.

bulletstuffer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:24:43 PM »

I agree with you. That was wrong. You lay it down and it's for sale again. Some people have no class.

Just remember, everything comes back in the end!

Bulletstuffer

FPH · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:34:30 PM »

I quit going to gun shows........to much pushing and shoving. I didn't care for the over crowding at the last one I attended.

mechanic · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2013, 04:58:24 PM »

I would have given him the gun, and advised he should take a course in manners and politeness. My mama woulda' slapped his hands for that.

Being from the South, where at least in generations past folks were civil and polite for the most part, I really got an education visiting Philadelphia, the "city of brotherly love". After about ten minutes of shoving and jostling in a line at a deli, I had to give a little speech on politeness. I got a lot of stunned looks before they began shoving again.....

and my wife dragged me away because she knew what was coming next...

Ben

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2013, 05:24:51 PM »

I would have looked at the owner and said no. I am looking at it, he had it and walked away and I am interested in it and if I do not want it, He can have it. Other than that I will pay you for it.

FPH · « **Reply #5 on:** March 01, 2013, 05:30:12 PM »

Quote from: mcwoodduck on March 01, 2013, 05:24:51 PM

I would have looked at the owner and said no. I am looking at it, he had it and walked away and I am interested in it and if I do not want it, He can have it. Other than that I will pay you for it.

I might have done the same and then bought it out of spite.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2013, 05:50:29 PM »

I used to be a bit more 'tightly wound' than I am now, and more than a little prone to 'assertiveness'. I kinda been delivered of much of that and have to say its been better for me and those around me too

; I can let 'er go easy enough, its all just 'stuff'.
I thought it was worth bringing up here so maybe somebody less used to the possibility wouldnt be blindsided by it.
FWIW, some years back I was actually negotiating a price with a guy and another fellow came up and said he would give him his asking price. The owner, to his credit, looked at the 'intruder' and told him he'd had his chance before and we were doing business. He took my offer and told me he hated guys like that and wouldnt be a part of it.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 01, 2013, 05:56:38 PM »

years ago i'd have bought it just cause
if i'd had it in my hands.
my biggest problem now with shows, and
the reason i quit trying to sell there are the
middle-aged men with a buddy that walk
around sucking on the earpiece of their
glasses, stop at your table and put their
glasses on, pick up your merchandise and
turn to their buddy and say " there was one
of these online for 75.00 less than this guy
is asking "
the last time i had a table, i told a guy to
haul @#%$ home and go buy his something
or other online and please put my $%&^
back down and move along.
i've always said they should have different
days at shows. a sincere buyers day where
you have to show this much cash money to get in,
and a lookee-loos day where folks can gawk
and folks can bring their ill-behaved children
and ignore their crying and pouting while they
gab on their cell phones and send text messages,
ignoring their children and blocking the aisles
with a stroller.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2013, 01:01:43 AM »

I look at this two ways. Yes he was a bit rude and would have been more proper if he would have waited till you set it back down but bottom line is if he was the first to say ill take it it should be his. Ive been to enough gun shows to know that a gun is sold for about every 100 guys that pick it up and look at it. No matter whos hands its in it still belongs to the owner and its his call who he sells it to. If you really wanted it the proper thing to do was to offer him 20 bucks more for it and stuck with it till you outbid the other guy.

sharps4590 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2013, 02:30:24 AM »

Sadly, rude behaviour has become the norm and not just at gun shows. I probably would have ignored both, placed the firearm back on the table and left after muttering to myself something, loud enough for both to hear, to the effect that it was not of a high enough quality to suit my standards. None of the three are worth getting my shorts in a wad. I am reminded of something Churchill said but I will have to paraphrase:

"I have lived a good long life but I do not care to repeat it. The standards have been too greatly degraded".

Keith L · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2013, 02:50:47 AM »

It must be about 20 years ago now I thought I had a deal on a gun at a show. We negotiated a price that included cash and a trade. The seller agreed to take my cash and I would be back with the trade item. When I got back (less than ten minutes) the gun was gone and the seller said he sold it to someone else. He didn't want to give me my cash back. I had to get one of the folks that was putting on the show to persuade the seller to refund my payment. I still see that guy at shows once in a while, and I never will do business with him again.

PowPow · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2013, 05:04:13 AM »

Quote from: Keith L on March 02, 2013, 02:50:47 AM

I still see that guy at shows once in a while, and I never will do business with him again.

I think I would probably devote a little of my gun show time warning folks at his table about him.

Luckyducker · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2013, 07:19:44 AM »

I think my late father would have dropped it on the floor, accidentally of course, but I would have considered doing that and then moved on. If you had wanted the gun ( I know you didn't) you should have just spoke up and said "you're right it is sold, to me........". I don't like having someone give me the finger from another car and I don't like being insulted or getting pushed, but that is getting harder and harder to enforce as I get older.

Keith L · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2013, 08:57:35 AM »

The worst breech of etiquette was a couple years ago at a local gun show here when a casual seller decided he didn't want to wait in line to check in the gun he came to sell. It was a small pistol so he put it in his pocket and walked in. As he was showing it to a dealer at a table he managed to fire it and blew a hole in a display box and the table. Fortunately no one was hurt. I was at the other end of the hall at the time. Kinda took the edge off of the show that day.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2013, 08:59:23 AM »

hopefully he was arrested and barred
from future shows. . .

Keith L · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2013, 09:30:44 AM »

He was arrested. I don't recall if he was barred from shows but he should have been.

garbhead · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2013, 12:26:34 PM »

Quote from: gcrank1 on March 01, 2013, 03:52:28 PM

a guy ahead of me inspects a six-gun, lays it down and walks on talking on his cell phone.

Was probably begging his wife on his phone to let him buy it.....

gcrank1 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2013, 01:35:37 PM »

Or askin' a bud if it was a good buy or not!

Frank V · « **Reply #18 on:** March 14, 2013, 02:34:44 PM »

Well there are a good deal of rude people in this world & getting more. Probably best not to push it & let it go.
Never know what kind of altercation would take place if you'd insisted. The owner said it was sold so any remark might have been made to the owner?
Frank

RIF · « **Reply #19 on:** April 10, 2013, 06:08:26 PM »

Sometimes I buy out a table if I can work out a deal with the seller. I was doing such at a gunshow some time back. I asked the seller a price for the entire table. He was thinking...long, and hard. In the interim a man comes and and buys one of the items from him at his sticker price, no problem. I ask the fellow if he has thought about it, and he says he is thinking. So I make an offer, he counters and I accept his counter. I was going for my wallet and a guy walks up and takes an item I was buying, and says I will take it. I said that it was already sold. He says "I have it right here in my hand, it ain't sold when I have it in my hand" and looked on fairly indignantly as if I was the one being rude. I promptly told him that he was the one being rude, that he came and grabbed an item I was buying. He left in a huff. I am sure he thinks I am the one who was the one with bad behavior. Isn't that just like a person?

At the sale a seller sent one into the berm (outdoor show) and that was an icy feeling. I asked him about it, and he said he was seeing of the blanks he had were still good

. At least he could think on his feet.
It may be safer to stay home.

garbhead · « **Reply #20 on:** April 11, 2013, 04:45:38 PM »

From what I see , nobody has any manners anywhere, gunshows, highways, a lot of forums on here. I turned right on a red the other day. As I pulled out, a guy coming from my left(in the hammer lane) decided to switch lanes in the middle of the intersection. So all of a sudden he was right on my tail. When he could he passed me(getting back in his original lane) and then went got in front of me and slammed on his brakes. I had room so I just passed him on the left. He then started honking and giving me the California howdy, which I politely returned to him and his buddy in the passenger seat. He then held up a small chrome revolver so I could see it, not pointing it at me. So I held up my Glock for him to see...he made a quick right and zoomed away. Suddenly they weren't so brazen after all.

Hank in Indiana · « **Reply #21 on:** May 11, 2013, 05:53:56 AM »

I'll probably catch some heat on this one but I think that the first one to say that they will take it, should get it. If you have to wait until the last person who touches it lays it down you may have a long day.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 11, 2013, 07:12:42 AM »

To paraphrase my dad,"if ya think ya are gonna catch some heat for something you probably already know it ain't quite right".

Hank in Indiana · « **Reply #23 on:** May 14, 2013, 12:02:02 AM »

I believe that there's a For Sale forum on GBO that has a rule that the first one to say they will take it, gets it. "Ain't quite right?" maybe not.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 14, 2013, 02:50:20 AM »

Though it is a good point for consideration it is not quite apples to apples in my opinion Hank. A 'blind' internet forum is not a gun show table. Now maybe in your neck o' the woods its been that way for a long time and culturally accepted, and/or you are just the kind of generously natured guy that wouldnt feel his fur rubbed the wrong way by it (and goodonya, if so!). It has been different than that here and maybe I havent kept up with the changes? Its a whole new world, in a lot of ways, and some not so much for the better. Whenever I would be interested in something on a gun show table I'd hate to have to say to the guy right away,'is this sold or can we negotiate on it to the exclusion of others?'.