The old days
 

How was this game played before the internet? Somewhat disenchanted with the internet gun bazaar, we are all looking for the same crumbs.
Did you write letters to other collectors? Call and visit random gun stores? Have the local gun store on retainer?
Actually advertise in parker pages? I am just curious, there have been some interesting stories posted of late.

Gun shows and gun shops!

Well, thirty years ago you subscribed to the "Gun List"...

RD

Shotgun News and the want ads in American Rifleman.

Kevin is right. Gun List is a modern day item. There was plenty of gun collecting before Gun List. My collection of American Rifleman from the late twenties to WW2 shows rare collector Parkers in the classifieds that have not shown up on the radar again in the 63 years I have been collecting. Before Peter Johnson's book in 1960, there was virtually nothing in print to help a Parker collector. Before 1960, collectors worked off the seats of their pants, using their checkbooks to further their knowledge.

Local newspaper classified ads were also valuable source back in the days before the internet. The classified sections in most newspapers would have large, dedicated sections just for gun sales.

This is where you would find the guns that came out of grandpa's closet or from under his bed.

Shotgun News. Back in the early 70's I worked in downtown Rochester. I knew what day and time shotgun news was delivered to Worldwide News so I would pick up a copy hoping could get a jump on other collectors. You could also get the SN delivered by first class mail which was another way to get a jump but at the time I was too cheap to pay the additional charge. LOL

Yep, Gun List. I seem to recall paying up some extra bucks to get mine delivered express.

I used the Gunlist, and I kept some of Chadrick’s ads for reference over time I’m sure that if I can find them, they will have drool stains. :rotf:

Our local AM radio station KAPR had a daily “Trading Post”. If I recall correctly this was a free announcement done at the same time every day. You could have them announce what you had to sell or wanted to buy. Guns were regularly sold. The would state what the gun was, who was selling, the price and the telephone number.

My father in the 60’s and early 70’s had a 2nd hand store. Lots of great guns came through his shop. My dad had a friend Mr Bigalow that collected guns. Because we didn’t have much money to spare Mr Bigalow ( as kids we thought he was rich) had a deal with my father. If guns came in and my father didn’t have the money, he was to make a deal and Bigalow would front the money. Bigalow then would have an opportunity to buy the guns he wanted with a small commission.