Where to buy in Georgia?

[jeffkinser]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to get my first Parker for my collection. Hopefully one of many!

I am near Atlanta, GA and wanted opinions on where is the best place to begin the search? Online, dealers, shows...???

I would love to feel, hold and compare to start my education on what I want as well as what I can afford.

So, if you were in my shoes, where would you go to find that first purchase.

I noticed several mention the Southern in Sanford in April and am considering driving up there (about 6 hours) to walk the show area. I assume this would be a good buying opportunity but would love to get started sooner.

thanks,

Jeff

[B. Dudley]

The Southern would surely be a great place for you to see and handle many Parkers. maybe even purchase one.

[Dick Miller]

Although I'm an L C guy, the Parker guys will at Sanford in force, and I can assure you that they will be happy to help you into their fold. You will see more Parkers there than you will see in a lifetime of flea-market gun shows, as well as tons of other vintage doubles.
I promise you that you won't regret the drive !

[George Lander]

JEFF, And at the Southern in Sanford, NC there will be knowledgable dealers and PGCA Members who will be happy to assist you in selecting your first Parker.

Welcome, George

[wayne goerres]

Jeff I lice in lagrange about an hour away from you.

[Parkerman]

Drive to Sanford, don't even look in Atlanta

[C grade]

The great thing about Sanford are the other Parker collectors/shooters there ,not the dealers. I have purchased almost all of my Parkers from other collectors at fair prices and honest representation. There are always an interesting mix of Parkers for sale.
David

[William Davis]

Drive up to Wagram NC is well worth it. Mid South Guns. Eyeball only Phillip has 60-70 Parker's on the rack. One whole wall two high American Vintage Doubles length of the shop.

No web site no ads just shotguns. He will be at the Southern.

Bill

[OldenHoo]

Originally Posted by jeffkinser

Hey everyone,

I am looking to get my first Parker for my collection. Hopefully one of many!

I am near Atlanta, GA...

You've gotten a lot of good advice here. I can share with you how I went about acquiring mine in December.

I spent three years looking for a gun online and at guns shops for what I thought was a good deal. Hopefully it doesn't take you that long. I would go to gun shops and gun shows where I could hold them and get a feel for their dimension, balance and pricing. Every time I held one or inquired about them, I got a little more knowledge about the guns from just talking to the sellers. The internet will help you with pricing but for me nothing can replace actually holding the gun and knowing where it had been prior. The Southern sounds like the best place to do just that.

I was at Chuck's in Buckhead over Christmas and bought a flat of RST shells from them. I saw several Parker's there and you could handle them before you head up to Sanford. They were very knowledgeable and helpful but I already had my gun at that point. We actually measured the bores while I was there. It is a rewarding feeling to see others handle your gun with the same care and reverence as you do.

You'll learn so much from this discussion board. I've gone through almost all the pages in the Discussion board looking for articles of interest. I wish I knew about this site much sooner than I did. I would have joined before I bought my Parker. It is not obligatory for you to have a Parker to join.

Good luck to you on your search and I hope you enjoy the hours long conversations you will have with other enthusiasts about Parkers. I had so many that my wife considered it an obsession. As I was told, we don't really purchase these guns, we just hold onto them for the next person.