When You Have No Money Times

[Texas Man]

Last night a fellow collector and I were remembering back about when we were both young and just becoming interested in guns. We shared a few stories about guns we found and at the time we were either broke or did not have the money to buy anything with. And We both agreed that sometimes today we have had the same thing happen to us and evertime we find something is just after we had to pay a large amount of money out or the money in our pocket is comminted for something already and then being in business today collecting what is owned to you can be a problem as well at times.

 

I will always remember once when I was just married and money was tight and my wife and I were living from day to day and as hard as times were back then we were both happy. I was driving from Kerrville, Texas over to Ingram, Texas about six miles away to let my wife visit her folks {I was 19 and she was 16 and the year was 1961] and on the way there was a small hole in the wall little gunshop on the left side of the road. I used to stop in ever so often just to look around and wish and he seldom had anything I would be interested in anyway and I didnt like the guy anyway who owned the shop. I remember it was on a Friday afternoon and as my new wife sit out in the car and I was inside looking at some young kid trying to buy a brass frame copy of a 1849 cap and ball gun that was a really cheap gun and the owner was jacking some young guy around asking twice what it was worth. When IT HAPPENED.

 

In walks a Young couple about My age and the wife is big time preg. and the guy is dressed in work jeans and a western shirt and in his hands is an oak box with beveled edeges and a silver oval set in the center of the lid. Without opening the box I knew what was inside it and I watched as He sit the box on the counter and opened it. My heart stopped,,,,,,,,A cased Orginal Colt Texas Paterson complete with an extra 12 inch barrel and powder flask and everthing else in the case. The gun was in excellent shape and the young man had no idea what he had. He ask the guy behind the counter what the gun was worth and the guy was all excited and told him it was not worth juch because You could find ammo for it anymore and that the best he could do was trade something for it. I watched as the dude looked around and handed the kid a beat up old winchester 94 30-30 ranch gun and told the kid he would trade for $25.00 difference and he could take a couple of weeks to pay him if he did not have all the $25.00 just then. I watched as the young man and his wife whispered and when the store owner turned to tell the other young guy that if he didnt have the money to buy the cheap 1849 copy he should leave and come back when he had money. I knew I was broke, But Looking at the young man and his wife I knew they needed money and I pulled a paper out and wrote the name of a well know collector from New York that I had once met and told the couple to call him and he would buy the gun for the right price. I told him it was very rare and worth thousands and as we walked out together the store owner was calling for him to come back in he may be able to give him $100.00 for his gun. I asked the kid where he got the gun from and he said he was tearing down an old barn over in Johnston, City near Lindon Johnstons place and it was up in the hay loft on a shelf and the lady who owned the place told him he could have it. Several Years later, I saw the new owner that I had refereed the kid to and the cased Colt was the centerpiece of his collection and when I told him I was the guy who told he kid to call him he got a funny look on his face and walked away. That made me somewhat mad and later some guy who was sitting at his table told me Mr. H--b G---s had paid some dumass kid from Texas a $1,000.00 for the Fine Cased Colt Paterson. I never had any respect for that man the rest of his life and told him so to his face and he is now dead.

 

Later I was starting my business and as anyone in the constuction business knows it feast or fanon meaing sometimes you have money and other times you are broke. This was such a day when I was broke. Small gunshow at Kerrville and I find a mint in box Ruger 44 mag and 7 1/2 inch barrel and the same man has a mint in box unfired special order Colt SAA in 44 special with a 44-40 exrea cyclinder. Asking priice for both guns $150.00 each or $300.00 for both. I left empty handed with tears in my eyes.

 

Then one day I happen to stop by a local pawn shop and on the rack was a Sharps Rifle that still had noce case colors on it and some bluing and oh those big long range sights that lifted up and it was a cal. 50 cartridge gun. At the time I knew nothing about Sharps and neither did the owner of the pawn shop. I saw the asking price was $125.00 and the owner said if I wanted it he would sell it to me for $75.00 As in so mant times in my life My pockets had not a cent in them and a month or so later I had the $75.00 and when I went back he had sold the Sharps for $45.00. I later saw the same Sharps and it was an orginal 1874 Model big 50 and the collector pointed out it was engraved as well.

 

My friend told me that once he was in a pawn shop when a man came in with a Winchester 73 One of One Thousand and wanted to sell it. He said He knew what it was worth and when the pawn guy told him he was not interested because he already had six 30-30s on his rack the guy who had the gun turned to him and ask if he was interested and he said 'yes I am how much do you want for it' and the guy said he needed to get $500.00 to pay his rent and my friend said he told him he would have to follow him to his bank to get the money and when they got to the bank it was closed and the guy said he would wait till the next day and the next day my friend called and ask to meet him and he said he had already sold the gun.

 

I was at a gun show a while back and was talking to a high end Winchester collector I had just met and he told me he had flown in to see what he wanted from the aucton and that he had $30,000,000.00 that he could spend and he had not seen one thing he wanted in the entire aucton. I told him that was the same luck I always seem to have if I had money to spend I never found a thing I wanted and when I was tight on money I found everthing I always wanted and as we both laughted, I ask him where he got $30 million dollars from this day and time and he said he had just sold six and a half miles of prime riverfront to some investers and that he was also into the South Texas Oil Boom big time.

 

I quess We All have had some of the same experences in the past. Lucky for most of us we have found some good finds over the years and all in all I quess its JUST LIfE.

 

Your Pard. and Friend, Texas Man

[Cypress Sun]

Yep, always happens like that, don't it. I'm one of those that goes to a gun show and runs out of cash just before finding what I was really looking for. I'm also one of those buy it right then kind of guys........every time I don't do that, I come back and it's gone.

 

Of course, now I don't have any cash anyway (economy) so it doesn't matter any how.

 

 

Take care TM,

Sun

[Rex M Rugers #6621]

I can relate to being short of funds when a great deal comes along. Or , hearing about a deal that was yesterday or last week , and actually did have some money.

Hey Texas Man , you and I are close to the same age , I was 19 in 1961 also.

Enjoy your stories , Rex

[Utah Bob #35998]

I bought an Astra 600 for $18 once. Was gonna keep it but sold it for $25.

 

That's what a slick businessman I am.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I remember those times (I was married at 19, too); when a sawbuck looked as big as a blanket.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Dear Texas Man,

 

I love hearing about your life.

 

Regards,

 

Allie Mo

[Oddnews SASS# 24779]

Along with the regrets for the ones we had to walk away from when we had those money is the regret for those we let get away out of stupidity or poverty.

 

I once owned a Texas Longhorn Arms West Texas Flattop in .32 H&R mag. I knew it was valuable, valuable enough that I wouldn't let myself shoot it because I was afraid I'd like it so much I'd have to keep it. Later I traded it for a pair of Ruger Single Six revolvers in the same caliber, and then later, traded those for the H&R Trapdoor Officers Model I have today.

 

Last year I found out that original Texas Longhorn revolver was the only one ever made in that caliber. I wept.