How did you buy/sell guns before the internet?

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kidneyboy said:
I am old school. My habits haven't change much since Al Gore invented the internet. All but one of the guns I currently own were bought at local gun shops and/or face to face. I frequent 3 gun shops and occasionally stop at Cabelas. These are all within 50 miles of my house. The 3 gun shops know me, some of my family and some of my friends. Gun searches start and almost always end at one of those shops. All 3 of those shops have a list of things I'm looking for. Most of my selling and trading also happens at these shops. Over the years I have bought and sold guns through the gun clubs I've belonged to and through word of mouth.
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"Old school" here too. I've sold a few gun related items over the internet, and for that matter, I've bought a lot of gun related items over the internet, but I've never sold, much less bought a gun over the internet. As a matter of fact, I've bought very few guns that I didn't actually handle before I bought them.
 
Before the internet, we had the Shotgun News that came out about every 3 weeks. You ordered from that; call, write a check, mail it off, wait for delivery; just like you did with every other sales catalog. If it was a gun after 1968, it came to your local kitchen-table FFL (I was one back then), fill out the 4473 and take it home - no call-in, no BGC, just go shoot.
 
alfsauve said:
And of course some of the Usenet groups still live on. Some like tx.guns and rec.guns are now WWW based forums.
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I had no idea any of those groups lived on. Will have to look them up see if any of the people I remember are still there.
 
Ads in the paper, gunshows, word of mouth, friends, relatives, notice boards at the various ranges and various other shows
 
Yep, you went to stores, pawn shops, the LGS, shows, read the classifieds--lots of FTF; almost always cash in hand, too. Phones had dials; the newfangled ones had push buttons. Gas pumps had all been changed to add a dollar to the price. There were only three news networks, and they only broadcast news for a half hour in the morning, at supper time, and right at bedtime.

Now, were you getting a good deal? You never knew. There was a semi-mythical "Blue Book" that no one ever seemed to have a copy of, but knew the values within, somehow, despite the lack. Now, back in the day, being "gouged" was more like coming up $20 ahead/behind--and that double sawbuck was real money back then.

Much the same way people bought and sold cars before the intertuubs. And, you had to know someone "in the trade" to be able to peak into the NADA Blue Book, so the "going rate" was what it was.
 
kidneyboy said:
The armslist thread has me thinking about this. If the interwebs went away today how would you buy gun stuff? Are you old school enough to manage? Would you just stop buying and selling? Have you cultivated enough relationships locally to get by?
I am old school. My habits haven't change much since Al Gore invented the internet. All but one of the guns I currently own were bought at local gun shops and/or face to face. I frequent 3 gun shops and occasionally stop at Cabelas. These are all within 50 miles of my house. The 3 gun shops know me, some of my family and some of my friends. Gun searches start and almost always end at one of those shops. All 3 of those shops have a list of things I'm looking for. Most of my selling and trading also happens at these shops. Over the years I have bought and sold guns through the gun clubs I've belonged to and through word of mouth.
In other words, I do some leg work and talk to real people face to face just like I have always done.
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I'm not old enough to be pre-internet. But my guns are bought from store, pawn shop, ftf, or a gun show.
 
I do remember in the eighties that high end pistol ammo cost close to $20 a box of fifty. That was real money back then, too.

I remember opening up a box of fifty was like Christmas.

Now, I go through ammo like water. Of course, reloading helps.
 
Ks5shooter said:
Word of mouth and man did I get some deals. Seems the internet made everyone an expert.
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Ain't that the truth.
I can remember about 15 years ago going to a big flea market/swap meet (Kenton Dog Trials)
Went there with 4 guns and a couple hundred bucks, left with 9 or 10 guns and about $1200.

I also worked in a pretty big car dealership, and anytime anyone knew of someone trying to sell a gun, they sent them my way. Conversely, if anyone was looking for something, they were also sent my way.
 
Before I got my FFL I bought most of mine from my friends gun shop. Still do once in a great while, but I also sell some online for him so it is a trade off. I seldom sold one until I got my license. That may be why I had 45 of them. Now I sell online for others on consignment. I let my LGS sell locally and seldom order a new gun for anyone. He has better sales reps and can get a lot of items that I can't get because they are allocated. I can make more on a consignment than I can on a new gun.
 
The few firearms I have ordered on-line, have been listed on the sites of two local gun stores, and one internet dealer, Primary Arms, who accommodates local pick-up. I live near a major city, Houston, Texas, which has made this possible.

I have yet to buy through a site like Gunbroker.

Until 2020, it was very unusual for me to order ammo on-line, for UPS delivery.

I have been ordering parts and tools from Brownells, since the days of paper order forms and postal money orders.
 
A lot of driving and a lot of word of mouth. If there was something rare you wanted...... could take years, could prove to be impossible to find. Same for car parts. The internet was a game changer in restoration.

chicharrones said:
Yeah, the biggest reason I went to gun shows was to go there with friends to burn a Saturday away. We usually went to a local range after that to do some shootin'.
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I never done good at a show. Only went to a few but do have fond memories of browsing with friends.

I have been to many an auction too.
 
Under 5% bought/sold using web.
LGS charges 10% to consign. Much easier to let them deal w people, lots of traffic too.
Of course some risk of handling damage, but majority of my stuff had a few marks when I bought it. Not had a devaluating incident yet
 
My company had a large bullion board in the entrance way, sense it was a public way anyone could post ads. We used to have a free Buy & Sell paper you could pick up anywhere around town. They quit allowing advertising gun sales years ago though . I've bought several guns at yard, garage and thrift sales. hdbiker
 
Gunshows... hit or miss.
Bought a couple, sold a couple, only deal w dealers.
Used to have a dandy shop 45 mins away, bought and traded dozens there.
Gone now.....has really dropped the fun.
New and used stuff, quite the turnover, major dealer.......was pretty sweet.

My LGS does OK, but not like that othrr place.......had 3 or 4 times as much stuff
 
I used to have to drive 25 miles to buy ammo and then only after I had called them to make sure they had what I needed. 2 miles of that 25 was dirt road.That was in the early 70's. I was reloading by then but finding reloading stuff was a real tuff one.
 
The gougers the last few yrs at the shows.....and the dealing w the public......best to just avoid IMHO.

My LGS treats me well. I dont shop for the best deal, am content w a good deal.

Am not rich. Have never been one to enjoy the hassle of the deal. I know what its worth and what Im willing to pay.

Have seen folka burn tons of gas driving from shop to shop, take weeks, to save 20 bucks on a gun......and quite a few, when they finally come back, its already sold.

My time is worth something. So is that of the salespeople. Am not wasteful of either.
 
Sold a couple of guns by way of classified ads, when there use to be a local newspaper that would take them. Did most of my buy/sell/trade business with local gun shops. Did considerable buying at gun shows as they were always pretty decent in size with a good turnout. it also afforded me an opportunity to do some comparison shopping among table holders. Got some great deal that way.
 
The same way I do now. I have purchased magazines, ammunition, and parts on the interwebs but not a complete firearm yet. Like others have said, word of mouth, classifieds, being in the right place at the right time. I was in good with a couple of dealers who would give me a heads up if they had something they thought I'd be interested in. Pawn shops were a favorite. There was one place in town I did fairly regular business with. I'd see a great deal in the Sportsman's Guide (paper catalogue) and go take a loan out on a pistol. I'd take the cash to the Post Office and get a money order for the amount. Then, on my next paycheck, go get my pistol out of hock. I might have come out $10-$20 ahead. Lots of running around but it was fun. I did walk into a gun show and ended up buying a SKS on an impulse back in the early 90s.
 
Ordered many out of Shotgun News. A Curio & Relic license was very useful then. Many boxes were delivered by the BBT. Gun shows, local paper ads, yard sales and private flyers yielded occasional results. I don't remember ever getting a good deal at an auction. Online is helpful but not indispensable.
 
Ks5shooter said:
Gunshows meh...rarely a deal anymore. Years ago it was a go to for powder primers and such to avoid hazmat charges. No more.
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Years ago, there was no hazmat fees.........and when they were first started, they were $2.50
 
Most department stores carried at least rifles and shotguns well into the eighties. I ordered and picked up my first Winchester 1200 pump from the Sears catalog. Long guns at garage sales in NY were very common until only a few years ago. That is where my best deals were made. Gun /sporting good shops, Kmart, hardware stores. The Swap Sheet ( a now gone sales flyer) was a great place to sell and buy guns of all types as legal. It seems there were more small scale FFL holders, and most gun clubs had a few that would order up what you wanted for just enough to cover theier costs and time. My first hand guns came from one.
 
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