your reading the for sales in the newspaper. you spot a simple ad "rifle for sale $100 " you call the number a make an appointment to see it.
you go and find the seller is an 80 year old widow, she hated parting with the gun her late husbands favorite hunting rifle, but she needs money badly. upon seeing the rifle you realize that its a rare and valuble collectors piece. do you:
A. give her the $100, and chuckle over your good fortune.
B. tell her its true worth and give her a fair price; or if too much for your finances offer to help her sell it to a collector that can afford it.
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MOE! LARRY! THE CHEESE!
Life Member the Elmer Fudd Hunt Club
B. It's the only proper thing to do! I have been able to help a co-worker identify and price her elderly father's guns - mostly lower grade guns (J. C. Higgins and such), but the old boy does have one very nice old collectible Winchester pump .22 from the very early 20th century. I showed her and her sister how to properly clean and care for the old man's guns. Mainly, they wanted them unloaded and stored for safety - all but one were still loaded!
She did promise me first refusal if they decide to sell them eventually.
Tough Call. How 'bout somewhere between? If it's one or the other B.
My Dad once got a first chance at a rummage sale where a widow was going to sell her husband's old fishing lures and baits for five bucks. He priced it for her, taking some as commision, and she still got over a $100 for it if I remember rightly.
Isn't the whole point of a garage sale/rummage sale, what ever you'd like to call it, to get more than the most bang for your buck? I know if I wanna go to one of those, I'd like to make sure I get more than what my money's worth, otherwise I'd buy new.
I'd probably find some sort of middle ground there, giving more than the asking price but still something good on my end. Receiving a good deal doesn't mean screwing someone, but taking advantage of a person in need is another matter.
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Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
Didn't know we could choose middle ground......I wa so loyal to my side A, that defecting to B was not a choice....
Yeah well realistically, BattleRifleG3 probably has it right on. I'd probably try and help her sell it at its true value and then maybe split the EXTRA money she made with her. But middle-of-the-road aside, I'd take the gun for $100....
Things aren't always black or white, meaning that it all depends upon the situation I observed after arriving at her residence. Now an 80 year old widow might be living in a mansion...or in a run down shack. She might be alert or slow minded, etc.
If she seemed sound of mind, rational in her thinking and said she simply wanted to get it moved out of the house regardless of how little she got for it...and appeared to be a person with plenty of wealth...I'd probably buy it for her asking price.
But...if she appeared to be senile or something in that order, obviously was in need of income to support herself, and had no idea as to the real value of the guns...I'd most likely offer her advice on the real value she should be trying to get for her guns.
Now if she was a jerk, hateful, and otherwise unfriendly but just wanted to sell the guns...I'd probably pay what she's asking for after I was comfortable they were actually hers to sell...and not stolen merchandise, etc.
I saw a deal that was made by my neighbor, that was good hearted on his part, but he didn't go far enough in the deal, to understand everything involved. What he did, was buy the property, house, and outbuildings, and gave the old lady the right to live there until she passed on.
There was an old Diamond "T" pickup truck that would run, and a couple of old plough shares outside the building, and all of that was his. He didn't know what was inside the buildings, but assumed it was a part of the deal. NOT SO!
Inside the buildings was a 1930's power machine machine shop, complete, and in very good condition, and he did negotiate that for another price. What he didn't get was a 1912 Cadillac in near perfect condition. Of course the rubber parts needed replacement, as did the battery etc., and it was estimated to have a value of nearly $100,000.00 at the time. Another individual had known about the car and had agreed to buy the old car for $500.00, and she had gone along with the deal. She had stuck it to my neighbor, but her "friend" had stuck it to her, big time!
I was in a similar spot-- older ladie (friend of my mom) selling off whole antique biz. found out she had some guns. I was hopin for an old winchester but NOT!
She did have a pretty cool .22 wmr made by Arminus, a .32 derringer an old mod 17 Marlin shot gun and a winchester mod 57 .22
I got no money .....so I tried to set a deal with one of my buddys. he lowballed her and lost.
I gave them both copies of the same information from a current Standard values book, getting over on an old ladie don't buy points in heaven!
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America began at the muzzle of a gun, I hope we don't have to do it again!
I would have to say (B) and that is the way I also voted. Life is short, try and be a kind and good person especially to a widow who needs money....LOLLLLL
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IF IT DOESN'T GET HOT..IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH FIREPOWER....DBL TAPP IS NOT DANCING..
I would pay the asking price of $100.00. I don't believe that it is taking advantage of anyone who wants to sell something at a price and that I am willing to pay that price. Why would you offer her more? Would you offer a gun store more for a low price gun? I bet you would not. I also bet there is someone relying on that sale of that gun in that store to put food on some family's table. Is there a difference between the old lady and a gun store?
Location: Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.
Posts: 3,788
I voted B. But I would probably look for a middle ground. Let her know that the weapon is worth much more than $100.00, but that I could only afford to pay X amount and hope she takes it.
Option B. Option A is not an option for me. I will and have taken advantage of someone's ignorance before but none of them were old ladies. What they didn't know didn't hurt them any. I've been taken advantage of before. That's life. But I couldn't in good conscience screw over an old lady. It just ain't right.
What Would You Do??? 
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