Brendan and I spent the weekend at my
brother-in-law Hans' place in upstate NY. Got there Friday night for what would
in essence be a party weekend but with a bit of a diversion on Saturday
for me. Enjoyed some Spaten
Lagers on Friday night. Come Saturday
morning at about 9 or 930 I headed over, by myself, to the Empire Plaza
Convention Center in Albany, NY. It is right next to the governor's
offices. The reason for heading that way was the Albany Gun Show; how
could I resist a gun show next to Governor Cuomo's offices - him being such a
rabidly anti-gun guy. I brought along three pistols with me in a green cloth
shopping bag, the kind you get at supermarkets. Once there, I hung a for sale
sign, that I had made on the back of a small target, to the bag and hung the
bag around my neck. It wasn't too heavy at first but at first wore out
quickly at it got heavy fast. I was lugging around a new in the box Taurus
Millennium G2 P140, an excellent condition Smith & Wesson Model 22A-1 and a
very good to maybe excellent condition High Standard M101 Duramatic.
I had a dealer as to look at them and he offered me only $350 for the Taurus and the High Standard. I was asking $225 for the Taurus (including box and papers) and $350 for the High Standard with two barrels. He wasn't interested in the S&W at my asking price of only $125 (which was an excellent buy for anyone with half a brain) as it was in excellent condition with box and papers. Of course, I was not interested in his offer, at least not that early in the show and figured I would complete the rounds of the three tiered room and look at everything while showing off my sign. I had a few folks stop me and ask me about what I had for sale but none were interested enough - as with cash in hand.
After about 45 minutes, I took a short break at the snack bar and had an iced tea. It was crowded and thus hot in the fairly small exhibition hall. My neck was aching so that break was welcomed. Anyway, after the drink, I started my rounds again on the lower level of the hall. Just as I had walked by the first dealers table, I hear the someone calling out to me - hey what have you got for sale. I turned around and saw it was the dealer. I showed him what I had and he was obviously quite interested. He looked them over and asked the price on each. His associate sitting at their table started running checks, I am guessing through something like The Blue Book of Gun Values, on his laptop. After a few minutes he said he would give me $400 for the S&W and the HS. I had been asking $125 for the SW and $350 for the HS. I told him that I'd take $425 for both. He jumped at it, pulled a wad of twenties out of his pocket, counted out $420, found a five and added that to it and handed the cash to me. Then we did the paperwork and I was smiling the whole time. Had I been there longer and it was near the end of the show for the day I would have settled for what the first guy had offered me.
I picked up the Duramatic a few years ago for $220. The S&W cost me $200 brand new. I fired a decent amount of rounds through the High Standard in that time and put a decent number but not as many through the S&W as I did the HS. I liked the High Standard M1-1 Duramatic but did not like the S&W at all. In my estimation the S&W was a piece of unmitigated junk. I could have asked more for it, maybe as much as $50 or even $75 more but just wanted rid of it quick. The High Standard, on the other hand, truly lived up to the high standards that the name implies and I asked for just under what it was worth at retail with two barrels. I did my research on the Duramatic too. I checked both the Blue Book of Gun Values and purchased a sales report from GunBroker that gave the pricing said model sold in GunBroker auctions over the past year. I did alright on that one. In fact, I did better than I had expected especially considering I was selling to a dealer. I am a happy camper and now have some cash maybe for another gun.
The only bummer about this deal was that when I got home today, I went to the local constabulary to have them taken off of my pistol license. When I told the clerk at the PD that I sold them at a gun show she grimaced, went to the back of the office to consult with a police officer and then came back and got the job done. I asked why she had made the face and she told me that their sergeants had told them it was absolutely illegal for any pistol license holder to sell a pistol at a gun show. She also added that whomever she just spoke to about it told her that was balderdash and it had been okay for me to have done so. Then the bummer - Paid $10 for each gun to come off of the license.
Anyway, I now have $405 leftover to add to the fund to buy another gun. I am thinking of getting a Glock 19 or a Ruger MK IV. That Ruger MK IV is singing a Siren's song but the allure of the Glock 19 for an everyday carry is just about the Ruger's equal. If I get lucky and sell one or two more guns, or some other things, before I spend what cash I have then maybe I can get both of them. For instance, here is a link to what I have up for sale right now.
I digress - so back to the weekend. After the gun show I headed back to Hans's place with cash in my pocket. All I had bought at the show was a t-shirt for Brendan and an iced tea (plus parking and admittance fees). Once back at Hans' place - Hans, his brother Alex, a friend Nancy, Brendan and I watched Angel On My Shoulder. Once that was over, Brendan and me headed out to pick up a couple of pizzas from a local restaurant. Surprisingly it was not bad at all. Then I had a few long awaited drinks - maybe three or four Spaten Lagers and a couple or few small glasses of Carolan's Irish Cream Liqueur (both brought along by me). Delicious and well worth the wait.
On Sunday, everything centered around fun and the upcoming football games that evening. We started the day with a hearty breakfast of sausages, ham steaks, eggs, English Muffins coffee and juice for those who wanted it. Soon after that I went with Alex to a local store for some stuff we needed then back to Hans' place. Once back, Hans and I also drove over to the Great Sacandaga Lake to meet Brendan who went there to check out the ice fishing folks. When we got there, I was pretty dismayed to see Brendan about 100 yards or more from shore on the ice that had pools of water here and there. The temps were in the high thirties and I was not happy at the possibilities but he wound up okay, came in to BS with us, then walked back out wanting me to take some pictures despite my objections (a father will worry a bit about stuff like that I suppose). Once back at Hans' place, Brendan and I did some shooting. He checked out his new 870 and I a used but new to me 870 with synthetic stock. Bothe were fine shooters as to be expected of any Remington 870 in good condition and these were in new condition (his) and like new condition (mine). Then, I gave Nancy a quick lesson in firearms safety and she took a shot, only one, with one of the guns I had along. Then I took some shots with my Beretta pistol. After that we all, except Alex, enjoyed a Bloody Mary each. Alex had something else because he is not into hot stuff and the Bloody Mary mix was a five pepper variety. I had picked the mix and all I can say was I have had better but it was still yummy.
After that it was time to start pigging out
pre-game time. Game time came on fast and the drinking and moshing continued
throughout the evening until and even a bit after the second game was over. I
did not drink much - maybe one Weihenstephaner Hefe Weiss Bier (I had brought Hans a case of it) and a
quasi-Margarita made with margarita mix and Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol
(another thing I had brought along). It was delicious - but I was the only one to
drink any of it - maybe two shots in the mixed drink and a half a capful
straight but that was enough considering it is 2.375 times as strong as 80
proof booze. Everyone else drank biers or mixed drinks of
whatever Hans had on hand and I think those four also enjoyed some of
Hans' fine Scotch collection - and I do mean a large collection of finer Scotch
whisky. Of course we also watched the games. As it turned out, Brendan and
Nancy did well in a football pool, they had split a box in each
game, winning one of the quarters in the second game thanks to that missed
extra point.
This morning we ate a hearty breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, English Muffins or toast and coffee and again orange juice for those who wanted it. I already had packed the car before breakfast and just about as soon as we were finished eating, Brendan and I said our goodbyes and hit the road. I am guessing that was about 945. We got hone at about 1110 or 115. Excellent time and we essentially beat the forecast storm. We were close to home when the winds started whipping then even closer to home when it started raining just a bit. It will stay rain down our way but Hans will probably be hit by a nasty winter storm of rain, frozen rain and snow.
In all the weekend was not only fun but also profitable for me as well as for Brendan and Nancy. Not a bad weekend at all, nope - not at all.
All the best,
Glenn B
I had a dealer as to look at them and he offered me only $350 for the Taurus and the High Standard. I was asking $225 for the Taurus (including box and papers) and $350 for the High Standard with two barrels. He wasn't interested in the S&W at my asking price of only $125 (which was an excellent buy for anyone with half a brain) as it was in excellent condition with box and papers. Of course, I was not interested in his offer, at least not that early in the show and figured I would complete the rounds of the three tiered room and look at everything while showing off my sign. I had a few folks stop me and ask me about what I had for sale but none were interested enough - as with cash in hand.
After about 45 minutes, I took a short break at the snack bar and had an iced tea. It was crowded and thus hot in the fairly small exhibition hall. My neck was aching so that break was welcomed. Anyway, after the drink, I started my rounds again on the lower level of the hall. Just as I had walked by the first dealers table, I hear the someone calling out to me - hey what have you got for sale. I turned around and saw it was the dealer. I showed him what I had and he was obviously quite interested. He looked them over and asked the price on each. His associate sitting at their table started running checks, I am guessing through something like The Blue Book of Gun Values, on his laptop. After a few minutes he said he would give me $400 for the S&W and the HS. I had been asking $125 for the SW and $350 for the HS. I told him that I'd take $425 for both. He jumped at it, pulled a wad of twenties out of his pocket, counted out $420, found a five and added that to it and handed the cash to me. Then we did the paperwork and I was smiling the whole time. Had I been there longer and it was near the end of the show for the day I would have settled for what the first guy had offered me.
I picked up the Duramatic a few years ago for $220. The S&W cost me $200 brand new. I fired a decent amount of rounds through the High Standard in that time and put a decent number but not as many through the S&W as I did the HS. I liked the High Standard M1-1 Duramatic but did not like the S&W at all. In my estimation the S&W was a piece of unmitigated junk. I could have asked more for it, maybe as much as $50 or even $75 more but just wanted rid of it quick. The High Standard, on the other hand, truly lived up to the high standards that the name implies and I asked for just under what it was worth at retail with two barrels. I did my research on the Duramatic too. I checked both the Blue Book of Gun Values and purchased a sales report from GunBroker that gave the pricing said model sold in GunBroker auctions over the past year. I did alright on that one. In fact, I did better than I had expected especially considering I was selling to a dealer. I am a happy camper and now have some cash maybe for another gun.
The only bummer about this deal was that when I got home today, I went to the local constabulary to have them taken off of my pistol license. When I told the clerk at the PD that I sold them at a gun show she grimaced, went to the back of the office to consult with a police officer and then came back and got the job done. I asked why she had made the face and she told me that their sergeants had told them it was absolutely illegal for any pistol license holder to sell a pistol at a gun show. She also added that whomever she just spoke to about it told her that was balderdash and it had been okay for me to have done so. Then the bummer - Paid $10 for each gun to come off of the license.
Anyway, I now have $405 leftover to add to the fund to buy another gun. I am thinking of getting a Glock 19 or a Ruger MK IV. That Ruger MK IV is singing a Siren's song but the allure of the Glock 19 for an everyday carry is just about the Ruger's equal. If I get lucky and sell one or two more guns, or some other things, before I spend what cash I have then maybe I can get both of them. For instance, here is a link to what I have up for sale right now.
I digress - so back to the weekend. After the gun show I headed back to Hans's place with cash in my pocket. All I had bought at the show was a t-shirt for Brendan and an iced tea (plus parking and admittance fees). Once back at Hans' place - Hans, his brother Alex, a friend Nancy, Brendan and I watched Angel On My Shoulder. Once that was over, Brendan and me headed out to pick up a couple of pizzas from a local restaurant. Surprisingly it was not bad at all. Then I had a few long awaited drinks - maybe three or four Spaten Lagers and a couple or few small glasses of Carolan's Irish Cream Liqueur (both brought along by me). Delicious and well worth the wait.
On Sunday, everything centered around fun and the upcoming football games that evening. We started the day with a hearty breakfast of sausages, ham steaks, eggs, English Muffins coffee and juice for those who wanted it. Soon after that I went with Alex to a local store for some stuff we needed then back to Hans' place. Once back, Hans and I also drove over to the Great Sacandaga Lake to meet Brendan who went there to check out the ice fishing folks. When we got there, I was pretty dismayed to see Brendan about 100 yards or more from shore on the ice that had pools of water here and there. The temps were in the high thirties and I was not happy at the possibilities but he wound up okay, came in to BS with us, then walked back out wanting me to take some pictures despite my objections (a father will worry a bit about stuff like that I suppose). Once back at Hans' place, Brendan and I did some shooting. He checked out his new 870 and I a used but new to me 870 with synthetic stock. Bothe were fine shooters as to be expected of any Remington 870 in good condition and these were in new condition (his) and like new condition (mine). Then, I gave Nancy a quick lesson in firearms safety and she took a shot, only one, with one of the guns I had along. Then I took some shots with my Beretta pistol. After that we all, except Alex, enjoyed a Bloody Mary each. Alex had something else because he is not into hot stuff and the Bloody Mary mix was a five pepper variety. I had picked the mix and all I can say was I have had better but it was still yummy.
This morning we ate a hearty breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, English Muffins or toast and coffee and again orange juice for those who wanted it. I already had packed the car before breakfast and just about as soon as we were finished eating, Brendan and I said our goodbyes and hit the road. I am guessing that was about 945. We got hone at about 1110 or 115. Excellent time and we essentially beat the forecast storm. We were close to home when the winds started whipping then even closer to home when it started raining just a bit. It will stay rain down our way but Hans will probably be hit by a nasty winter storm of rain, frozen rain and snow.
In all the weekend was not only fun but also profitable for me as well as for Brendan and Nancy. Not a bad weekend at all, nope - not at all.
All the best,
Glenn B
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