Maybe That's Why You're Going Out Of Business

One of the local pawn shops is going out of business.

In fact, the only reason we darkened their door today was because of the "going out of business" sign.

Previous trips had taught us that they priced their good condition guns as if they were in unfired condition.

So we very rarely checked to see if they had anything worth buying and after a few, widely spaced, trips where the answer was, "no," we stopped going in there.

Today we found that they had come down on price considerably on some of their remaining guns.

Enough that Willard was willing to plunk down on three of them.

Now we hit several snags.

Willard is wanting to buy three different pistols.  A $400 1963 made Colt Detective Special, a $375 Manhurin made .32 PP and a $350 .45 SAA clone.

He made an offer of $1,100 out the door.

"NO!" says the sales lady.  $1,125 plus tax, plus FDLE call.  $1,208.75.

"$1,200 then?" says Willard?

"No, and if you don't want them we've got three other gun shops coming in this afternoon and they're going to pay us what we want.  By Wednesday there won't be any guns left!"

So Willard trims his purchase down to two guns, dropping the SAA from the list.

They get the price settled to asking, plus tax plus call in.

Then she informs Willard, "We don't allow multiple handguns to be sold on the same day."  Owner's policy because of the extra paperwork.

Willard MANFULLY restrained himself from saying what he was thinking, "No wonder you're going out of business!  I have money on the counter and you're telling me you don't want it!"

"Can I buy one of them?" I ask.

"Sure!" she says.  So I did.  I'll see if Willard is still interested in my Detective Special in couple of days.  I'd show you a picture but I forgot it in his car.  I trust him.

Because they were refusing multiple sales because of the paperwork, I was sorely tempted to overload her hamster wheel and produce my C&R papers and have her figure out a dealer to dealer transfer.  (Hint, it's the same as a normal purchase just you have to have a copy of my FFL number and write it on the 4473.)