What I "should have bought"/What I "shouldn't have sold"

[Daveboone]

Back in the eighties, imported war surplus guns were a dime a dozen....I was crying to get my hands on a Mauser Broomhandle. They were going for 4-500. at the time (a couple weeks pay). 98 Mausers were sold by the barrel full for 99.oo. Should have bought several barrels full. Most of my firearms I sold to upgrade what I had, and dont miss too much.

 

[Don458]

There was a company i think it was Brooks brothers like the clothing store sold surplus stuff. Had a bunch of p-08 lugers marked as Mismatched. For 299.00. !!!

 

[Aaron N]

My Grandfather always told me to buy gold , early 1980’s told me buy one coin a month. I didn’t listen. Bought some Sub $300 oz. I would have been set if I listened.- When you’re 20 you think you know everything But then again I also sold my 1970 Torino 429 SCJ in 1985 for 5k That was the market value then.

You’d have done better in an index fund than gold.

 

[MauserDuff]

I had a friend that had a couple of original Win 1892s in 38-40, one carbine, one rifle. He offered to sell me either for $125. Being a broke high schooler in the 70s, I didn't have the money. A few years later I bought a new Marlin 1894 .44 Mag for $125--the purchase still hurt, and 20 years later I traded it in for an Marlin 1895 45/70. Now I want an 1894 again.

 

[Safari Dave]

I had a friend that had a couple of original Win 1892s in 38-40, one carbine, one rifle. He offered to sell me either for $125. Being a broke high schooler in the 70s, I didn't have the money. A few years later I bought a new Marlin 1894 .44 Mag for $125--the purchase still hurt, and 20 years later I traded it in for an Marlin 1895 45/70. Now I want an 1894 again.

Funny, when I has in high school I bought a Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum for less than $200. I didn't keep it very long and traded it for something.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I gave $1,000 for another one!



I've never suffered from gun "buyer's remorse."

I've been hit with "seller's remorse" more than I care to remember...

 

[reinwood]

I am very very glad that about 10 years ago I decided to import from US three CZ 550: a 375HH safari classic, a 338 lapua safari classic and a 458 lott. I knew I will go to Africa and these were the rifles I was willing to hunt with. They were too difficult to find in Europe so import them directly from the US. It was more easy than expected and costed $250 for export permit and 10% of rifle value for the exporter. Now one of the rifle is worth more than the 3 at that time. But more important they are almost impossible to find now. I hunted last year in Africa with the 375 and 458, and in Canada and Tadjikistan wiht the 338 lapua.

I regret not having anymore and having sold 2 cameras a Hasselbalad 501 CM and a leica MP, but it was to finance other cameras.

 

[Huvius]

I don’t have many regrets in selling guns - maybe a Daniel Fraser takedown 7X57 and a Westley Richards 425 - that was a good rifle.
Selling vehicles is my weak spot.
Sold a BMW 3.0CS for $4K and a 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint for $7K.
Both were cool cars.
Had a ‘78 Porsche 911 with a steel turbo body and turbo. Sold that for $15K but then that is really about what it was worth.
Also an ‘83 Yamaha TZ250 and ‘89 Honda NSR250SP.
Should have kept those too!

 

[Safari Dave]

I don’t have many regrets in selling guns - maybe a Daniel Fraser takedown 7X57 and a Westley Richards 425 - that was a good rifle.
Selling vehicles is my weak spot.
Sold a BMW 3.0CS for $4K and a 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint for $7K.
Both were cool cars.
Had a ‘78 Porsche 911 with a steel turbo body and turbo. Sold that for $15K but then that is really about what it was worth.
Also an ‘83 Yamaha TZ250 and ‘89 Honda NSR250SP.
Should have kept those too!

Oh, if I could only have some of my old vehicles back, that I sold...


1972 Corvette Convertible with hardtop - $5K
1972 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40 - $2K
1974 Toyota Landcruiser FJ55 - $2K
1968 Land Rover Series IIA - $1K
1972 Land Rover Series III - $5K
1983 Jeep Scrambler - $3K

 

[meigsbucks]

When Ruger was changing the #1 from a standard production item to a distributor only item, Cabela’s had some on sale for $800, if I remember correctly. They had three: 7mm-08, .280 REM and .35 Whelen. I had recently purchased another rifle and didn't have the funds, otherwise I would have scooped up all three.

 

[Bandera]

Let’s see…
Marlin 338xmlr for about $650.
Every left handed magnum length CRF action, CZ550 Winchester Model 70, Mauser, etc.
A double rifle 10 years ago.

I regret selling the complete Ruger No.1 Boddington set.

 

[CBH Australia]

When Ruger was changing the #1 from a standard production item to a distributor only item, Cabela’s had some on sale for $800, if I remember correctly. They had three: 7mm-08, .280 REM and .35 Whelen. I had recently purchased another rifle and didn't have the funds, otherwise I would have scooped up all three.

Well, there’s 2 out of 3 I would consider.

 

[RSL]

I sold my 338 WM Browning Safari in 1989 iirc.
Wish I had kept it. It was very close to 100% and a sub MOA shooter. But, I sort of replaced it recently with a 1998 M70 Classic Super Express in 375 H&H.

 

[steve white]

Should have bought Capsticks leather bound collection when I thing they were 150-200$

 

[Ridge Runner]

Back in the eighties, imported war surplus guns were a dime a dozen....I was crying to get my hands on a Mauser Broomhandle. They were going for 4-500. at the time (a couple weeks pay). 98 Mausers were sold by the barrel full for 99.oo. Should have bought several barrels full. Most of my firearms I sold to upgrade what I had, and dont miss too much.

WOW!....4-500 For a broomhandle in the '80's? I passed on the broomhandles for a mousant- nugent (? spelling).

At a gun show in North Carolina in the 80's I could of had my pick of broomhandles, and as many as I wanted, complete with the wood holster/stock and 2 boxes of ammo for $45.00 each. However I went with buying a full length Mousant- Nugent rifle with 40 rounds of ammo for $40.00, thanks to my team sargeant being with me on the last day of the gun show, as I was going to pay $45.00 for the rifle and 1 box of ammo.

Should have bought that Ruger No 1 stainless in .270 back when the sticker price was $700.

As for the Ruger #1's......

I was new to this site and I was paying somewhat a lot of attention to the prices members were buying and selling the #1's.

Long story short I passed a deal on a Ruger #1 in 458WM for $400.00 because I was preparing for my third safari, first DG hunt, and had expected the price to be at least 4-5 times that price.

Over my 60+ years of decision making I have a lot of regrets on:

selling and missed opportunities on buying: firearms,
trucks and cars,
stocks, war bonds, and
precious metals,

not marrying the right woman and marrying the wrong women.

Etc.
Etc.

As for should of, could of, would of, if knowing then what I know now.......Wellll......okay, physically maybe not so good, I have no regrets as I have well earned my aches and pains. But I still have a good life, good friends, and a good income to do what I want to do,.......and I don't regret that I can still, reasonably, enjoy the life I have now.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Every gun sold to pay for something else in efforts to please a woman I hope to never see again in this life.

.....Not laughing at your situation of rhyme or reason.....but you bring back memories of discussions my 2 previous wives and I had regarding my enthusiasm for firearms, hunting, fishing, the great outdoors, etc., etc.,......and our respective each his/her own "financial independencies".

I made it plain to each of them that once bills were paid and expenditures were alloted the remaining amounts of our funds would be each there own "mad money" to be spent as each pleases. We had date nights, stay at home nights, luncheons, weekend adventures, vacations, etc. And we had our own "allowance" that we could independently do with as we liked.

Evenutally, respectively, each former wife at one time or another would ask about why I had: so many guns, and this, that, and another, and why I wasn't selling my things, spending my money totally on their pleasure, aka whims.

Neither liked My simple response: "You have money to spend on what you like; I spend my money on what I like and I'm not selling my firearms to waste my money on your dust collectors." Dust collectors IMO being those idiotic, waste of money, novelty, no future collector value crap, that collects dust, then eventually ends up in the trash within a few days, weeks, or months.

They each sooner or later realized when I said something, I meant what I said, especially in respect to financial priorities: first "bills", second allotment for expenditures between paydays, third individual allowances for "pleasures"/other thrivolous things.

Our respective marriages only legally lasted 2+ years. And both divorces ended in my favor. First wife under threat of her spending time in Fort Leavenworth prison for multiple federal (military, under UCMJ) felonies [FYI: federal checks can only be cashed by the person (or persons) to whom the check(s) are made payable to] and the second divorce for breach of contract: Business Law 101: a contract is a contract: marriage is a contract!!! she violated the contract, by filing for divorce!!! They both also knowingly and willingly, under "questionable" legal advice of their respective attorney's legal council, committed perjury to which I could have, but refrained from, brought forward to the respective courts [judges].

 

[PARA45]

Oh, I forgot. In the mid 80s, I was working a parttime job. One of them was working at Herman's Sporting Goods. One of the managers bought a JM Marlin 1894 in .44 Magnum, shot 4 times, and didn't like it. I paid $100 for the rifle, a Bushnell scope, and two boxes of ammo. I sold that rifle for $1000.00. Even though I never shot it, I feel I made a mistake by selling it.

 

[odonata]

I paid $100 for the rifle, a Bushnell scope, and two boxes of ammo. I sold that rifle for $1000.00. Even though I never shot it, I feel I made a mistake by selling it.

Whenever I make a 900% profit on a deal, I usually feel pretty positive about it.

 

[Hedge774]

Oh, if I could only have some of my old vehicles back, that I sold...


1972 Corvette Convertible with hardtop - $5K
1972 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40 - $2K
1974 Toyota Landcruiser FJ55 - $2K
1968 Land Rover Series IIA - $1K
1972 Land Rover Series III - $5K
1983 Jeep Scrambler - $3K

Daaaaaang

 

[steve white]

WOW!....4-500 For a broomhandle in the '80's? I passed on the broomhandles for a mousant- nugent (? spelling).

At a gun show in North Carolina in the 80's I could of had my pick of broomhandles, and as many as I wanted, complete with the wood holster/stock and 2 boxes of ammo for $45.00 each. However I went with buying a full length Mousant- Nugent rifle with 40 rounds of ammo for $40.00, thanks to my team sargeant being with me on the last day of the gun show, as I was going to pay $45.00 for the rifle and 1 box of ammo.



As for the Ruger #1's......

I was new to this site and I was paying somewhat a lot of attention to the prices members were buying and selling the #1's.

Long story short I passed a deal on a Ruger #1 in 458WM for $400.00 because I was preparing for my third safari, first DG hunt, and had expected the price to be at least 4-5 times that price.

Over my 60+ years of decision making I have a lot of regrets on:

selling and missed opportunities on buying: firearms,
trucks and cars,
stocks, war bonds, and
precious metals,

not marrying the right woman and marrying the wrong women.

Etc.
Etc.

As for should of, could of, would of, if knowing then what I know now.......Wellll......okay, physically maybe not so good, I have no regrets as I have well earned my aches and pains. But I still have a good life, good friends, and a good income to do what I want to do,.......and I don't regret that I can still, reasonably, enjoy the life I have now.

$45 broomhandle ...now that's just painful

 

[cwickgo9]

I'll keep the regrets to guns since the rest would be too volumous.
Both regrets were force on me by poor financial decisions by someone else.

1. Sold a Jericho 941 complete set (9mm & 41AE), Semi-auto Uzi with 9mm and 41AE barrels/mags, 41AE dies and several boxes on ammunition.
2. Sold my entire SASS rig - rifle, pistols (2 SS Ruger Vaqueros {original big frame .45LC}), shotgun, cart, gun belt, etc. for $1200 ( that might get you one pistol today ).

I wish I had bought an SKS, lugers, broomhandle Mausers and a few others when they were seen as mil-surp and going for pennies on the dollar.

The one vehicle sale was my father's 2001 F350 4X4 7.3L diesel. Would love to have that truck today.

Not really a regret so much as wanting to have something fun - my old Maverick Grabber 302. With my finances today, I'd have that thing totally reworked and it would be a street sleeper.