Looking back more years than I care to remember the only mistake I could admit to was buying too many 12 ga. and not enough smallbores especially in AH Fox. Of course that means 20 ga guns as I don't consider 16 ga a smallbore but I have a few of them also.

I regret letting a few guns that I have owned go. But, you cannot keep them all. You just hope that another one just as memorable is around the corner.

My neck is killing me from looking around corners.

Of the many I've made, my biggest regret, was not a regret at the time I sold my dad's 28" BHE20 to pay for my daughter's Master's degree. It became a regret, when she quit meteorology and got her captains license and now runs a boat in the Gulf. When she was home at Christmas, she said she wishes she had done it sooner. So do I.

I passed on a BHE 16 gauge skeet gun with vent rib back in the 60s in near mint condition and 0 frame for $1750!!! If it had been a 20 or smaller gauge it would have been mine. Bobby

Not buying Clark Gables Parker back in the '80's I believe. Often while watching Turner Classic Movies my wife will say "I wish you would have bought Clark Gable's Parker". I would had to have taken out a loan at the time but should have. It would be worth more today and the idea of it is neat.

Was it Carol Lombard who inherited Gable's or did she have one of her own?





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"paralysis by analysis" is been an issue with me for years, hence losing multiple fine firearms to other shooters and collectors.

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;327091]Was it Carol Lombard who inherited Gable's or did she have one of her own?
Lombard predeceased Gable. She died in airplane crash returning from war bond drive. Supposedly she was the one who purchased it for him though. The way I remember it Dave Riffle in Florida had it advertised, CHE 20 about $10-12K.

When was it advertised at that price? A bit too cheaply by today’s evaluation standards, don’t ya think?





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Was in Clark Gable's home town this morning, Cadiz, Ohio.

Dave Riffle! That's a name from the past. Just looked at his website. Appears to not have been updated since 2019. His business was only 15 minutes away from our rental in FL. Years ago, tried to contact him about coming over to see his wares, and he couldn't have been more rude

Gun dealers baffle me. I contacted two dealers this week about guns they have listed on their website. One was using their "for more information form". No response. No "we will get back to you". Nothing. The other dealer I communicated with via email several times about a particular Parker and actually made an offer. Nothing. No further responses. No "thanks but no thanks". Nothing. I really don't know how half of them stay in business.

Oh God, I have had the perpetual ignoration (is that a word?) of my requests. Two highly touted dealers that have been recommended on this forum. But I keep looking at their websites and salivating...

Oh, yes he could. You just have to engage him more than once......

PML

Could be more rude? Scary

Old Johnny Mustard and I were were walking by one of Dave's tables at a Denver show and there was a real strong odor coming from one of the tables. I went closer to investigate. His display exhibited some "New in the box" Winchester Model 70's. I casually told Dave that he really should let the ink dry on those "Winchester" boxes before he sells them. He came unglued and told us to "Move along" and more.

I don't get this at all and who that is : ( But I'm sure with time I will. I emailed one dealer more than a half dozen times off their website and no response. Called, no return call. Finally got a semi humanoid to pick up on a 16g I was really interested in. Total asshole. Sorry, he just was. I have a feeling I'll end up buying most stuff off folks from this site. Just a gut feeling and that's OK.

My mistakes have mostly been buying low condition guns needing work, having the work done, and getting upside down on the cost. My best deals have been buying nice guns from dealers that were seriously underpriced, which happens once every so often but not a lot. Its usually the other way around and I run like a scalded cat. Best advice I ever heard was "You make money on a gun when you buy, not when you sell," and "Cash is King." But I'm a shooter not a collector.

The word I got on Riffle a number of years ago was that the ATF guys got him for something and in later years his FFL as he may have called it was in actuality in his wife’s name . Bottom line the word from my friends that were or are Winchester collectors was to stay away from him .

There’s another dealer I’ve been watching for about two years that has a shotgun I’d like to have . Their initial pictures did nothing to show even the problems they chose to disclose . So I called them and mentioned the pictures or rather lack of any showing detail . They were quite nice about taking more and posting them after a few days . Then I called back and discussed the gun , in the discussion I mentioned I’d had my eye on the gun for awhile and based on that wanted to make an offer , I was informed that the gun was a consignment and they did not entertain offers on anything PERIOD .

We sell a bunch of stuff on the net and from storefront of which a LARGE percentage are consignment pieces . If someone makes an offer I consider fair or if the consignor is motivated I’ll make them the offer . If however the sellers set in stone or the offer is stupid low I don’t bother plain and simple . Until you’ve done this for awhile you have no idea the amount of stupid offers or questions you’re asked .

My biggest mistake so far was getting into a bidding war over a Parker during an online auction. I seriously regret winning that war.

I've been giving this some more thought and the mistakes I've made include but are not limited to:

1) Paid way too much.
2) Sold for way too little.
3) Sold guns I should never have parted with.
4) Bought guns I should have run away from.
5) Poured way more money into restorations than any reasonable person would dream of.

I have only paid twice to have guns restored. One, a Browning Gr III Citori that I doubled my money on as I got it CHEAP. Another a Browning A5 given to me by a cousin that for personal reasons I wanted done. Arts Gun Shop charged me $800 and even though it's not worth much more than that, there's a family history and it won't be sold so that makes it worth it. I have vowed going into Parkers I will NEVER pay to have one restored. Wish me luck on that one.

The only Parker that I.ve had any real work done to is gunner's gun. I took a VH 20 and had it fully customized with his portrait engraved on the floorplate. Made it into a straight stock. To much money but the sentiment is priceless to me. We hunt together through his gun every fall. He was my little buddy and the best companion I could have hoped for.

I have to believe that if everyone of us gave it much thought, our list would be pretty darn close to this one.

I don't think I've paid way way to much for any as a couple of my friends say I'm way to cheap for that :rotf::rotf::rotf:

Not a Parker, and not sure if it is the best or worst deal I've made. I really like my CSMC RBL, so when CSMC came out with a round body O/U I bought the Inverness for about $2800. After about 200 shells thru it, I realized that the gun didn't speak to me, so I got ready to send it down the road. In the mean time, Tony decided that it wasn't a $3800 gun, but was about an $8,000 gun. Sold mine for about $5,000. Thanks Tony

Wish all my mistakes turned out like that.

The first edition CSMC is about the best over under my lovely wife ever bought. She will never part with it. What a great gun it is.

My biggest Parker mistake was buying the first one. I've also got an RBL 28 and an Inverness 20. The Inverness is extremely well made. I think Tony lost money on the early sales. He did engrave "Valedictorian" on the top of the barrels as the gun was a graduation present for my Pretty Daughter.

The Lovely Linda's CSMC over under is an Inverness. Again, the best over under she ever owned.

Ed Muderlak
 

Bought a gun from Ed. What fun.

I have been reading this thread and ..... Well, I have made a few (yea right) mistakes. The earliest one was back in 1968 when I did not buy a Model 42 Skeet gun with all the bells and whistles for $500.00. Go figure. Still in college and money was to say the least tight.

Since then there have been others including buying a graded LC with 32" barrels that I guess were honed to damn near hitting air.... Finally got it sold to a guy that had extra barrels but lost my shirt and under ware on the deal.

Now, all I want are shooters but nice ones. I am careful to the 10th degree. If an add seems to be hiding something I call and ask all the questions. If the folks on the other end seem even a bit sketchy I am gone. Sure I guess I could lose some but what the hell... My money.

As to selling dealers on line. I have had good luck with phone calls and asking questions from several of them. Just today I questioned a gun and wanted MWT and weight on a gun. The gentlemen on the other end said he would call me back within the hour and he did. I will likely buy this gun. I will dicker with him but the gun is exactly what I am looking for so there will be some give and take I suspect.

Some are good and know their stuff while there are still a few not so good. What gripes me the most is on GI where some will make their picture just a bit out of focus or subdued light. That always makes me think they are trying to hide something.

JMHO

Bruce I loved your response. I just bought a Browning 20g Citori Skeet 28". Just enough "fuzz" in the photos to make it tough, but I wanted the gun. I paid $1400. I may have over paid by a few hundred but who knows. The gun was DIRTY and chambers corroded. I asked LOP, drops, and if the chokes could be removed with a key. His response was NOTHING to measurements and "I can't take the gun apart and touch the chokes, it's consignment, sold as is...I'm not allowed to even touch it." I won it, it will be fine when I'm done with it with new Carlson choke tubes and Timberluxe, but I gave him a mediocre review and also mentioned the repaired fore end crack repair he apparently "missed". He emailed me appalled that I posted that review and I told him why. He responded "I usually don't deal in shotguns.." To which I replied, "Then F*!^&^# don't deal in shotguns from now on...." I'm not the most knowledgeable but this was yet another lesson for me. BTW it's awesome to shoot : )

I have followed this thread for a few weeks now wondering if there were others like me and waiting for their stories. I have now come to the conclusion that I am alone. So here is my story.

30 years ago I started buying Parkers as my father had let me shoot his Parkers in my youth. As I found the financial means later in life I wanted some Parkers of my own and started looking for my own guns. Looking back on it, I now realize that my first 10 years of Parker buying mistakes was that I followed the “William Murphy school of Parker acquisition”. This method proved fruitful and gave me varying degrees of gun volume, fun and satisfaction along with some later deep regret. After my first decade of following the “Murphy principle” I had 30 parkers in various states disrepair and 5 or 6 fully working guns that I could shoot when I was not pursuing more orphans or parts to fix the parts guns and pigs that I had already purchased knowing I could fix them with parts found later. This life long trek of buying, searching, and re-uniting actions, barrels, stocks, and forends with their missing parts to make a gun complete is THE MURPHY MISSION and I had subscribed hook, line, and Sinker. I figured that If Murphy could do then so could I.

Halfway through my second decade of gun buying joy I realized that I was being duped(It only took 10+ years). While my functioning guns had increased, I WAS STILL LOOKING AT THE WRONG GUNS TO COLLECT AND SHOOT. I finally discovered that the “Murphy school” was just a sham to get new gun buyers to dig the world for bottom feeders, parts, and parts guns and report to “father Bill” what they found (hopefully with a scan of the factory letter and some good clear photos so that he might use their parts to complete his own 900+ project guns.

That was my #1 mistake in gun buying. I still have the 30 project guns from the decade of my youth following the “Murphy rules”. I am confident that “Father Murphy” has the other half of each of these guns that I own so I refrain from posting any photos or serial # information until he can produce a photo of the other half.…….:)

PML

P.S. Some parts of this story are VERY accurate and some are just busting on Bill Murphy for NOT posting pictures of his guns (project or otherwise). All, are meant in jest! So, if you take offence at my funning on Murphy…… TFB ��:bigbye:
CHEERS

Great story PML!!

But I fear you haven’t succeeded in shaming Bro Murphy into posting any of it.





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The biggest Parker Mistake I ever made was not figuring out how to afford one and then not taking the sellers name and contact info. ! I was walking the aisles at the Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Gun Show years ago when it was still in Monroeville Pa. when I glance a few aisles across and see a Fellow carrying a Parker as if he's trying to peddle it ! So ,I yelled across to him and we met at the end of the aisle and to my shock he had a CHE 28 Gauge with 32" barrels !!!!!!!:eek: The first thing out of his mouth was something like this if you don't have 25 Grand , a 67 Corvette or an acre of property in the mountains don't even bother looking at it ! At that time ,I couldn't have come up with 25 G's without a second mortage on my Place , the 67 Vette was totally out but I did have some property but after listening to this guys BS for an hour I decided I didn't want him living anywhere near me :rotf: ! Today , it would be quietly resting in my Safe !

Russ, this is assuming you didn't use it to shoot your neighbor, yes?:rotf:

Sometimes it's a big mistake just to start talking to a guy like you describe.

The biggest mistake I made is not buying all the smallbore (20 & 28) Parkers I ran into back in the 70's and 80's when I had the chance. :banghead: