ARE YOU MISSING A 20 GA 1912 STERLINGWORTH?

[J. A. Early]

I left my name at a local pawn shop for Fox guns if any came in. Did not recognize the number on an incoming call so I did not answer. A few hours later I checked the message and I was told they had taken in a 20 GA 1912 Sterlingworth.

I called and was told it had sold immediately. I inquired about the gun and I was told it was in excellent condition. I asked the price. I was shocked it sold for $750 (asking price) or less. Now something does not sound quite right for I do not believe anyone that has such a gun would have sold it at pawn for perhaps a few hundred dollars. That does not make sense. This is in the Charlottesville, Virginia area. It's a long shot, but has anyone in the area had one stolen lately?

[vaturkey]

Goodness, that does sound a bit fishy. Pawn Shop had to log in the serial number to sell it.

[Stan Hillis]

If they bought it for $200 then $750 would bring a healthy profit. Remember the old adage "You'll never go broke taking a profit.".

[J. A. Early]

The first question a pawn shop asks is "How much do you want for it." Then they bargain down. So if they sold it for $750 or less, they would not tell me what they got for it, one can guess they bought it for a few hundred dollars. No one but an idiot or a thief would be so dumb as to walk into a pawn shop and sell a 1912 20 GA Sterlingworth in excellent condition for that little. There is something rotten in Denmark.

[67galaxie]

Goodness, that does sound a bit fishy. Pawn Shop had to log in the serial number to sell it.

Not if it was a slick cash deal. Should have-yes. Did they-who knows?

[vaturkey]

Goodness, that does sound a bit fishy. Pawn Shop had to log in the serial number to sell it.

Not if it was a slick cash deal. Should have-yes. Did they-who knows?

Well, legally they have to log it in. Whether they want to break the law is up to them.

[ROMAC]

Not so fast.

There is a military surplus FFL near me right over the Philadelphia line. The owner liked to move product fast. To him everything was just iron. Back in the good old days when SKS's, German, Turkish, Swedish and Yugoslavian Mauser's, 9130 Mosin Nagant's, FR8's, Hakim's, MAS 49/56's and FN 49's were coming in by the ton this guy would trade for anything he could flip.

I bought many a classic gun by being in the right place at the right time. He just wanted to turn the trades into cash as fast as possible. His employees knew that by the end of the same day was looked upon favorably. Some of my best deals were a Pidgeon grade Browning Superposed for $700 out the door, and a Savage 99 in .375 Winchester for $400 paired with one in .358 for an additional $500. I lost out on a 32 inch barreled Fox A grade 20 gauge for $1,000 by dithering before I knew any better. That will put a tear in your eye.

It wasn't uncommon for guys to come in with something classic out of their fathers or uncles or grandfathers closet to see what they could get for it (they brought a lot of junk in too). They would walk out with an SKS and 400 rounds of ammo with a big smile and then the trade fodder would get flipped for 3 X's the value for a quick profit.

Sometimes the art of the deal is knowing what is motivating who's on the other side of the transaction. Maybe this seller just wanted to move it fast before the weekend or before the electric company shut his lights off, who knows?