Echo23TC
October 16, 2003, 11:23 AM
Was over visiting my parents the other day, when my dad walks into the room carrying a holstered pistol. "Here's that gun I traded for" he says, and my mind flashed back to about a month ago. He had told me on the phone that he was trading a $50 fly rod with reel, line and some flies to a guy for an "old $75 .38".
So I'm thinking he ended up with an old 38 S&W breaktop or equivalent, which is cool, since he just wants it to throw in his daypack. He really likes old stuff, anyway and that would fit right in.
He hands it over, and my first impression is, "huh. That's a little big... No. No way."
Yep. He traded an el cheapo Cabela's 3 weight fly rod for a nearly pristine 10-5 with two holsters. This thing has only a very faint line around the cylinder, and some grip wear. Tapered barrel, beautiful bluing. Evidently the guy he got it from paid $75 for it NEW, and only carried it when he was hunting. And to make it worse, he broke the tip off the fly rod the first time he went fishing with it.
I swear, if he wasn't my father, I'd turn him in. But this isn't the first time. About 18 months ago, he calls and after hemming and hawing around, he finally asks, "You think your wife would want a rifle?" Seems an old friend of his is getting too stove up to hunt, and just up and decided to GIVE dad his old '06 Remington 742. Only problem is that it's been shortened to about "youth" dimensions, and the only person in the family who can use it is my wife. "Honey, dad wants to give you an elk rifle, ok?"
And then there's his Browning A-bolt Gold Medallion. Seems one of the doctors at work had just moved to the state and had to go elk hunting. New truck, new rifle, new this, new that... Anyway, he fell and broke his leg. Had to drag himself and his rifle out to the truck, putting a few scratches in the stock along the way. Since it was "used", and with those scratches... $300. One refinished stock later, it's beautiful.
Not all of his trades work out that well, obviously, but Good Lord! Why can't I ever get deals like that?
So I'm thinking he ended up with an old 38 S&W breaktop or equivalent, which is cool, since he just wants it to throw in his daypack. He really likes old stuff, anyway and that would fit right in.
He hands it over, and my first impression is, "huh. That's a little big... No. No way."
Yep. He traded an el cheapo Cabela's 3 weight fly rod for a nearly pristine 10-5 with two holsters. This thing has only a very faint line around the cylinder, and some grip wear. Tapered barrel, beautiful bluing. Evidently the guy he got it from paid $75 for it NEW, and only carried it when he was hunting. And to make it worse, he broke the tip off the fly rod the first time he went fishing with it.
I swear, if he wasn't my father, I'd turn him in. But this isn't the first time. About 18 months ago, he calls and after hemming and hawing around, he finally asks, "You think your wife would want a rifle?" Seems an old friend of his is getting too stove up to hunt, and just up and decided to GIVE dad his old '06 Remington 742. Only problem is that it's been shortened to about "youth" dimensions, and the only person in the family who can use it is my wife. "Honey, dad wants to give you an elk rifle, ok?"
And then there's his Browning A-bolt Gold Medallion. Seems one of the doctors at work had just moved to the state and had to go elk hunting. New truck, new rifle, new this, new that... Anyway, he fell and broke his leg. Had to drag himself and his rifle out to the truck, putting a few scratches in the stock along the way. Since it was "used", and with those scratches... $300. One refinished stock later, it's beautiful.
Not all of his trades work out that well, obviously, but Good Lord! Why can't I ever get deals like that?