basic info on selling or consigning your guns to us
TOP TEN WEIRD THINGS ABOUT DOING BUSINESS WITH OLD TOWN STATION:
10. Our prices are FIRM. When we list a gun in the Dispatch mail order catalog or in at ArmchairGunShow, we try to price it at a level we think a couple guys would reach after 15 minutes of gun show haggling histrionics. Often we're right, as experienced customers show a high level of comfort in calling up & saying "I'll take it", without trying to bargain down. However, since haggling is such a tradition in selling old guns, a lot of first time customers wind up disappointed when they call up wanting to discuss a gun or negotiate on it, and miss buying a piece they'd really like to have when someone else calls up to order it in the mean time.
9. We're glad to take returns for refunds... We want you to be happy with your purchases. You don't have to have a reason to return the gun, but if you do notice something that was missed in the description, we appreciate knowing about it, so we can advise the next buyer.
9a. ... on the other hand, you are out shipping both ways if you return a gun. We don't refund shipping on returns, even if you disagree with the condition description. It's sort a a "browsing by mail" fee. The only exception is if we ship you the wrong gun (you order a Colt, but receive a Ruger). Rare, but it has happened in the past.
8. We don't sell guns until after they've been listed in our mail order catalog. I'm the only dealer I know of that does business this way. Most dealers are active on the gun show circuit, or work a calling list of select customers. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that many of their best finds are never advertised or are sold before their ads are published. When I buy a piece for inventory, I just set it aside until the next Dispatch has mailed to subscribers. My daddy always said "dance with the one what brung you". Our subscribers brung us, and we appreciate it. If you want first shot at our finds, subscribe.
8a. ... however, this means that some of our best bargains & most interesting guns never make it to the website. We don't post new listings on the website until after the rush of orders from the Dispatch mail order catalog dies down a bit. This means that about a third of our guns never make it to the website.
7. We're delighted to sell to C&R collectors. We're always pleased to sell curio & relic guns to federally licensed collectors. We usually know whether a gun is C&R eligible. If we don't, it's up to the C&R buyer to cite chapter & verse proving that it is. Also federal law specifies that C&R handguns cannot be mailed to C&R licensees, and they have to go by more expensive UPS Next Day. It's a stupid law, and lots of folks either don't know about it or ignore it. However, it IS the law, and we abide by it, which brings us to...
6. We play according to Hoyle. We comply with all federal state & local firearms laws, to the letter. Don't ask us to bend them for you. You are responsible for knowing whether a purchase is legal in your home area, and only ordering if it is.
5. No, we can't email you more photos. If we had 'em, we would have put them on the website or in the catalog. If it's not an extraordinarily busy time for us, if you call or email & ask, Jennifer can usually get the gun in hand & do an outstanding job of answering any questions you may have.
4. Your success as a customer depends heavily on how you treat Jennifer. Jen does an exceptional job as our sales manager, & she's who you'll talk with when you order. She's knowledgeable, efficient, good-humored, straight-forward & a joy to deal with. It takes quite a bit to piss her off, but you do so at your own peril.
3. No, we can't tell you what your gun is worth on the phone. Or by email. Even if you send pictures. Even if you hold it close to the phone so we can listen to it.
No one can tell you via phone or email. If you're not very gun savvy, you may easily misidentify make or model, or miss an important variation or modification in your description. It takes a fairly good level of expertise, and a hands-on inspection, to evaluate the condition of a gun (which can easily halve or double a gun's value).
Also, regrettably, we just don't have the time. With the national exposure we have, Jennifer & I could spend well over half our time answering the questions we'd receive.
We do want you to know what the market is for your guns, and how to research gun values, which is why we provide information on how to do the basic research yourself on our website. We're the only gun dealer I know of that does this. We're perfectly content buying at a fair wholesale price, and selling at a fair retail price, and don't need or want to make our profit off of your lack of knowledge of what you have or what you are buying.
2. We're gun dealer with a great reputation for honesty & integrity. Ain't THAT odd? I've always figured that our reputation was our most important asset, and I'm proud of the way we're perceived in the gun collecting fraternity. Ask around about us. I may be wrong on something, but I won't lie to you on purpose. I like sleeping sound at night, plus once you start lying, it's tough to keep track of who you told what.. (Actually, it's not really that odd. I've found that gun collecting folks in general are some of the finest people you'd want to be around. As with any group, there are a few "bad apples" that can tarnish the field.)
and the NUMBER ONE weird thing about doing business w/ OTS:. We're a little bitty outfit that has a big reach, and love what we do. I'd do this for free if I could afford to. I can't so it's a special blessing that I can feed my family by doing what I love to do. We don't have a big staff. Only Jen & I are at the office full time. My wife & love of my life Eve keeps the books at home, and the boys come in about 3 times a week after school to handle packing & shipping. Col. Jackie Smith helps out part time when he's not in Afghanistan, Iraq, or some other garden spot of the world defusing nasty stuff. That's about it. You ain't calling Mega-mart, if you'll have a little patience with our quirks, I think you'll find a refreshing level of personal service, and a shared passion for old guns & the history they represent.
For the number of people involved, we've found a pretty nice niche & have developed a nifty national level standing. Our Dispatch catalog is widely popular, and our website ranks extremely high in popularity & search engine placement (see some of the sample Google rankings at the bottom left of our home page). I've been given opportunities to promote responsible firearms ownership & collecting in a number of ways on a national level (see Who is OTS). I think you'll find us a good comfortable fit whether you are building a collection, looking for a good dealer to liquidate your collection, or just looking for a special piece.
Thanks! -- Jim Supica
.
HOME - Guns for
sale
hits since 11/7/05