For Ed and Mike, I will tell the short version of my .410 Skeet on a new thread. The long version tells the stories of the many Parker .410s I haven't bought over the past fifty years.

Don't worry about it. Happens on the Smith & Wesson boards too. Although it's usually "You stupid sap. You paid way too much for that gun. Why I know where I can buy them all day long for half that, and they'll throw in a pizza and beer to make the deal." I stopped posting how much I paid for that reason.

Funny thing is they never offer to sell me one for half what I paid. Imagine that.

If the seller is happy, and you're happy, everybody got a good deal.

When I read your post I thought the gun was better off being with you

Alan: I for one really enjoyed your garage sale 410 story and will be repeating it for years to come because it is true. I just think like Calvin said you have some jealous people and there are a few in every group.Congradulations and can't wait for pictures. Thomas

I'm just waiting for Allen to PM me. I have a heavy checkbook and plenty of Parkers.

I'm just waiting for Alan to PM me. I have a heavy checkbook and plenty of Parkers. I enjoyed his story too.

I'm sorry to hear that you are catching grief from some unfortunately jealous people. I, for one, thought it was a great story, and enjoyed reading it.
Someone offers something for sale, you pay him what he asks, where's the harm?

I went to a garage sale this morning, my big purchases were a Zippo pocket knife and a vintage bicycle seat. Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. Alan you ate the bear this week for sure. Hell make that two bears! You are officially my hero for this entire garage sale season.

The only story I ever heard that was close to this was a picker guy around here locally buying a Model 21 20 gauge in a LOM case at a garage sale for $10. He told them there was a gun in the case and they said they didn't care just take it. I've made some real money out garage sale picking over the years but I've never hit a lick like that one or the one discussed here that's for sure. My day is coming, hope springs eternal.......

Destry


P.S. Screw the naysayers, they're just jealous.

P.S.S. When a man makes you a price on something and you pay what he asks, you have done no wrong.

Once got a Fox 16 Sterlingworth Deluxe with original hang tags for $225. They had it priced as if it were a Fox B.

Buy low sell high! Good job!

Very happy for you Allan and it keeps the fires of hope burning that there are still treasures to be found. I am sorry you have been the target of some nasty, jealous emails which to my mind have no place on a site like this. Andy

I just went through all the posts in response to Alan's 410 yard sale 'find' and except for one post that I would consider 'negative', the rest were outright complimentary of Alan's finding this Parker 410 or were about how others have experienced various yard sale finds. Unless Alan received some pm's that were not complimentary, the vast majority of posters I think were in the main congradulatory. Anyone would hope to have a find like this, it's not jealousy, it's wishful thinking.

Alan, congrats on a great 'find' and keep posting no matter what. This is a great story and a dream come true.

just point them out:knowbetter: GREAT BUY AND GOOD FOR YOU, scott

Allen Newell, my comments were directed toward the emails not the posts which were very positive . Andy

That's what I figured Andy after having gone back and read all the posts. thanks for stating it in the clear though.

Alan, sorry for misspelling your name. I'm still waiting for the PM.

Alan, I will offer $1 more than Mr. Murphy's best offer. Whatever I pay, it will be worth it.

Greg,

I was thinking the same thing. Heavy check books are a bad Idea at .01 percent lol.:rotf:

If I knowingly advised a widow that the gun she was selling was worth 10% of its wholesale value and then bought that gun from her at that price I would be ashamed.

If I came upon a gun for sale at 10% of its wholesale value and then bought that gun at the asking price I would sleep with a clear conscience that night

Nice buy Mr. Kirchner.

First off very nice find on the .410! I can't wait to see pictures! We are attending a dog trial in Connecticut this weekend so we left early to go to Cabalas in East Hartford. I brought along a very nice Remington 1100 "D" Grade Skeet 12 gauge for a possible trade. The gun is 95% their offer on it was $350.00! I also brought a Fox Sterlingworth 12 gauge it has 60% colors 80% blue and refinished wood. Their offer $175.00! I can't imagine how many widows brought guns into Cabalas and took offers like this!

Cabela's, what a joke. The stories of them screwing people, coming and going are many and truly frightening.

FYI, from my experience KTP pays very fair wholesale prices . I know it's a long way from Hartford but for some here it may be worth the trip.

Dean,
Thank you, I have delt with KTP in the past and they are very good to deal with.
I was half interested in an AYA .410 at Cabalas and thought if they gave me a fair offer for my guns we could come to terms. They list an 1100 D grade on the website site $2600.00!
They had a Fox Sterlingworth on the rack that looked like someone dragged it there behind their car for $575.00! It was a lesson for my wife even she could not believe it!

Wow, I love this site!

Everyone selling something has the opportunity to do their due diligence and if they don't then they get what they get.

The best I ever did was an ad in the newspaper for a Parker 20 gauge.
I checked the newspaper every morning as soon as it hit the step and finally found something to get excited about. I shot out of the house, headed 40 miles south to a small farm town, driving well in excess of the speed limit and sweating all the way there. Got there just before 7:00am and the nice fella that answered the door invited me in. There on the table was a 30" VHE in about 60% condition. He said, my wife doesn't want it in the house anymore because our son is getting to the age that he wants to start using it. I gave him the $800 bucks and on the way back home I felt bad for a young man that wouldn't have the pleasure of growing up shooting anything; much less a Parker. But that's the society we live in.

They told me they got their price from the local gunshop, so I don't feel one bit bad, that was their due diligence and they were happy with it.

One of my buddies called me about 10:30 that morning to tell me about the ad and I told him that it was already sold……to me.

Great BUY Alan!

Good for you Alan. Sure most of us wish we were the one who went to the yard sale first, but we should all be glad it didn't get turned in for a $50 walmart gift card!! The way I look at it is, you got a great deal and your happy, you saved another Parker.

I too am sorry that you received negative posts.
I am very excited for you.
Congratulations
Gerald

I have a friend that was given a Parker by an old family friend. He gave it to my friend because he could no longer hunt and was afraid that his son was going to sell it to feed his drug addiction. The gun ??-just an AHE 20, that he does carry grouse hunting each year in memory of the man that gave it to him.
Rich, I can introduce you to him and his AHE in Michigan this fall. He generally carries his BHE repro w/ 16/20 barrel sets.

I want to see pics of the Yard Sale Parker!!

There's nothing wrong with making a great buy, and I'm happy for Alan.

I find there to be a difference in buying a $20K gun for $500 from a 45 year old 'man' who's ascared of guns and too lazy to use the internet to do some due diligence, and the old "I screwed some 88 year old widow out her husband's Parker 'cuz she was too blind to read a book and hadn't even heard of the internet." That's just me, though.

[QUOTE=Mike Shepherd;103918]If I knowingly advised a widow that the gun she was selling was worth 10% of its wholesale value and then bought that gun from her at that price I would be ashamed.]


Mike unfortunately its happened to me by a member here of all places. I was asked to look at some guns by a friend and there was a well known maker that I was unfamiliar with. Another member who is well versed in these told me it was worth x and sold it to a dealer mind you for 3x. I hope he sleeps well cheating a widow:nono:

Harold I'll look forward to meeting your friend. We can compare grades :) Only about 5mos to the opener but they still have snow measured in feet on the ground in Channing.

I'll second that:bowdown:

Pictures... we need pictures!!

Garage sales
 

I picked up a Model 12 at a garage sale. I am sure I saved it from being made into a lamp or worse. It wasn't free but it was cheap. It had never been given the respect it was due.

There really should be a rule that no one is allowed to make any post like this without photos.

I have left this post alone because of several messages that I recieved that at the least not very nice. I have not posted pictures because it will just bring more messages.Maybe pictures can be sent to a trusted member and you can share them with each other. I am done with this post and it can be locked

Alan, there's no room in this Forum whether it be in form of pm's or out in the open for any forum member to be mistreated in any way. My suggestion to you is that if you feel you have received innappropriate messages whether in the public or private forum, you should forward them to the President of the PGCA and let the Leadership of the PGCA review them, make a determination and take appropriate action.

I would post pictures just to rub it in :).

Maybe you could get pictures to someone and they could write an article in the Parker Pages the name of the owner could be left anonymous. I am sorry to hear people are giving you crap.

It is highly unfair that the behavior of a very small minority can de-rail the enjoyment of the vast majority here in following this thread.
I'll bet there isn't a participant on this board that wouldn't have jumped on the deal that you got. Hopefully speaking for the majority here, we have really enjoyed this thread, up to this point.
We are all here because of our interest in Parker guns, and your story is definitely one of the most interesting I have read lately.
I vote for posting pics, and continuing on with this discussion.

[QUOTE=alan kirchner have left this post alone because of several messages that I recieved that at the least not very nice. I have not posted pictures because it will just bring more messages.]

What a shame one of OUR members gets flack like this for makeing a buy that from the sounds of things anyone of us would have jumped at. The negativity he's received prevents him from sharing such a wonderfull find with the rest of the membership:shock: At this moment I'm ashamed to be a PGCA member:nono: