Ever see guns at garage sales or moving sales?

[SteelyDan]

Since we're heading into the garage/moving sale season, I thought I would ask this question, and relate a story that I've always been too embarrassed to mention before.

About 8 years ago, we were on a family vacation at a resort in northern Minnesota. Around mid-week I went out for a drive to explore the surrounding teritory. On some lonely and dusty road, I saw a sign for a "moving sale" and decided to check it out. There was a 30-ish mother and her son running the sale, and one other customer. I gathered from the conversation with the other customer that the father had just died, and the family was forced to move.

Anyway, they had three rifles for sale in the corner of the garage. At that time, I knew almost nothing about rifles, but I remember that they were not traditional wood stocked hunting rifles and they were vaguely military looking. To be honest, I wasn't really interested in rifles at that time, I was pretty broke, and I was uncomfortable even being there. So I bought a $150 metal detector for $20 (they were only asking $10) and left.

Since then, as I've have come to appreciate rifles, I always remember the trio in the corner that I could have picked up for next to nothing, but didn't. Sigh, we live and learn. So I'm curious, has anyone else run into guns at garage or moving sales?

 

[Balog]

I've often wondered if those types of sales would be a good place to find bargains. Subscribing....

 

[Ukraine Train]

I bought a shotgun scope at a garage sale, there weren't any guns, though. Back when I was about 13 my dad and I stopped at a yard sale and they had a .380 Lorcin. I didn't know anything about guns then but could tell this thing was junk lol.

 

[thumbtack]

My wife will trick me into going to a garage sale ever now and then. I will ask "Are you selling any firearms or tools", 97% of the time I hear no and go back to the car.

 

[entropy]

Used to see some, people are getting kinda skittish of selling guns at garage sales, from what I've seen. Two years ago at one of my own, I had some factory ammo and brass up for sale for next to nothing, and none sold. I made a killing on some '40's -'60's vintage fishing lures, though, and now I have a buddy that has a gun in the caliber I was trying to sell off, so I gave him the brass, and we shot the factory stuff up.

 

[Stand_Watie]

A single shot double action only, lever action feed .22 rifle that was (I believe) made by JC Higgins and sold by Sears at a garage sale for 35 dollars in the mid 1980's. My brother still has it. It had a very pretty blonde stock (off to search the web for a picture of it).

Edit, make that sold as JC Higgins by Sears I think, but I can't find anything like it on the web.

 

[Wildalaska]

Oh yeah baby! First words out of me mouthg at any garage sale....any guns?

Seen some good stuff gotten and gotten good stuff meself.

Heard o0f a guy up here that even got a sten gun at a garage sale LOL

WildgreatstuffAlaska

 

[sm]

I have bought guns, reloaders, ammo and such from garage sales in the past. It depends on the area of the country and the attitudes of guns and strangers. Small towns, farming communities, and the like.

Estate Sales and Auctions are other good sources as well. With the winds of change , folks are less prone than in the past in the city, now in the rural, farm, ranch country...be patient and carry cash.

 

[lee n. field]

In many years of haunting garage sales, I've seen a gun once. It was a side-by-side double barrel shotgun, 12 gauge, I think. I didn't have the $75 they wanted for it.

 

[jojosdad]

Got a real nice Hawken at a yard sale for $60.00, and missed a 10-22 for $50.00 by 5 minutes at the same sale.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

I've lived in the rocky mountain west most of my life. It's not at all unusual to see guns & other firearms related gear at a garage or yard sale here. Most folks, quite properly, regard such as no different than buying a chainsaw or funiture.

900F

 

[panzerfuehrer]

I've seen a few at garage sales, but as another poster mentioned, attitudes have changed. I've seen none lately. There is one stall at the local flea market that sells a few firearms along with milsurp items. They are mostly of the Brazilian varieties, although he has a couple of overpriced Ruger autos that seem to have a permanent place.

Funny story about the fleamarket. Up a couple stalls from the guy I mentioned above is another seller that has toy guns. Made of plastic in China, but look like real Berettas, right down to the grip logos. They fire what he described as "6mm plastic pellets". Guy sees me looking at one, then picks it up and swings it in my direction. My 12 year old and I both duck as he does so. Then he said "oh, don't worry, they're not loaded". Then he cleared it (still in my direction) and said "see, the little yellow pellets go right here in this clip".

My daughter and I walked away, shaking heads and trying not to laugh. Daughter looked at me and said "What a dork. He doesn't even know enough to call it a magazine." That's my girl.

 

[Amish_Bill]

Went to one moving sale just because someone found the flyer that included "guns" on it and showed it to me. The guy had a few this's and that's in a locked. We got to talking and pretty soon he sold me a bag of parts for $3. With the exception of a single grip screw, it was a High-Standard (I think, might be another similar brand) .22mag derringer.

 

[Sisco]

Bought a NIB Chicom SKS for $85 at a garage sale once. Most of them that list guns are either sold before I get there, are POS or overpriced (or both).
Have picked up good deals on shooting related odds & ends. Got a MEC Jr. shotshell reloader, several bushings, several hundred wads and some shot for $25 last fall.
Most people selling guns don't have them displayed with the rest of the garage sale stuff, you gotta ask. I've cleaned out the closet and got rid of holsters, and other junk I just had to have but then found no use for.

 

[goste]

I've found some really good deal's, at garage sales, in the past. I don't stop much anymore, when I pass them.

I bought a underwood m1 carbine for $60.00 in 1998. A winchester 95 rifle in 30/40 for $125.00 in about 1990.

My very best, to me, was a nickel plated SW.# 3, in 44 Russian, for the pricely sum of $80.00, in 1995

 

[carp killer]

Seems like I just miss the guns. Talking with my fellow garage salers, a widow sold 3 Winchester 1890's for $10 each 30 minutes before I got there. :banghead: . It is the story of my life.

 

[morganm01]

My Mom, bought 2 circa 1800's muskets at a garage sale in ENGLAND about 15 years ago for 50 Bucks!!! We still have them! Dad says they go to me when he is done ogling over them.

 

[Exposure]

Just last weekend I was at a garage sale and this guy showed me the biggest ugliest gun I had ever seen. It was black and mounted on a tripod and he called it a, "Ma Deuce" I told him $50.00 was way to much money for something that big and gaumy and he could keep it. Jeez, some people will try to pass of anything at a garage sale!

 

[Monkeyleg]

Funny, Exposure, but not too far-fetched. Not too many years ago an older couple had a belt-fed, tripod-mounted Czechoslovakian heavy machine gun at their rummage sale. They obviously didn't know what they had, but the ATF certainly let them know.

 

[DMK]

My dad has an old but fully functional H&R 20ga that he picked up at a yard sale just a couple years ago. He got it for $20!

 

[2nd Amendment]

A few years back, maybe '98, was the last time I saw any firearms at a garage sale. Some old single barrel shotguns and some other odds and ends I wasn't interested in. Thinking back I should have bought them anyway since I don't think a single one was over $15. Same people had a '56 Bel Air in the drive for sale...for $850. Needless to say THAT would have been mine but I was about 10 minutes late. :banghead:

 

[Okiecruffler]

I stopped by an estate sale a few months ago to look at a gun cabinet in the front yard. It was ratty and overpriced, but I did gladly pay $75 for the 14 inch 30-30 contender barrel. Got it to the range and found out it had been rechambered to 30-30 AI which is what I wanted it for anyway.

 

[Piney]

I have a story about garage sales that still haunts me. About six years ago my parents were preparing to move from Central Pa. to a continuing care facility in Maryland. Since they had to get rid of a lot of things moving to a smaller place my mother decided to have a garage sale. To cut a long story short, my father, who was not getting on too well wandered out to the sale while my mother was busy with people. Some guy asked him if he had any guns to sell and he told him he had a couple of old guns in the house and took him in to show him. One was a long parabellum barreled Winchester 30-30 that he had had for 75 years and a Remington 12 gauge pump. The guy offered him $100 for the two of them and he sold them. Both were in perfect condition with ammunition. He said he didn’t think my brother or I would want two old guns.:banghead:

 

[Red_SC]

I'll see one occasionally, but I can't seem to find good deals on them. Last one I saw was a rusty Savage .270. I think the guy wanted $350 for it, and it looked like it had ridden around in the bed of his truck for a couple of months. My neighbor has quite a few guns he's picked up for a song at yard sales, though.

 

[CJ]

Back in Ohio, I once saw an old-timer selling a rusty, single shot .410, but was too young at the time to seriously look at it. Out here in California...well...I DID see a single-shot black powder pistol.