SC: Cheap Gun Opportunity, Conway, 29 March, 2014

Gun Watch ^ | 16 March, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Conway, South Carolina, will be having a gun turn in even on Saturday, 29 March,  2014.  While these events are commonly labeled with the propaganda term "buyback" the guns were never owned by the people attempting to buy them.

The event will be held at Father's Place, 809 Wright Blvd.

The event is scheduled to run from 9 am to 2 pm. People often turn up early at ese events.

The incentives for the gun turn in will be gift cards.   They will be offering $100 for long guns, $200 for handguns, and $300 for "assault rifles".   These are fairly high incentives, but that is a double edged sword.  With these high incentives it is likely that the police will run out of gift cards before the public runs out of firearms that they want to turn in.   If individuals show up with firearms to turn in, and there are no gift cards available, they are often willing to make a private sale.    Private sales are legal in South Carolina, as they are in most states.

The first event in March of 2012 resulted in 130 firearms being turned in at two locations.  Last year, 70 firearms were turned in at the April event.   About half of the firearms turned in were long guns, the other half handguns.

The tactics that will be used at this turn in event are similar to those that were used in Phoenix this last May.  People are asked to store the guns in the trunk of the vehicle.  The organizers have said that dealers and pawn shops are not welcome, and that police have the ability to limit the number of gift cards given out to a single individual.  If there is much of a turn out at the turn in, private buyers should look for easy places for people to park so that the merchandise can be looked at prior to purchase.  Often people bring several guns to these turn in events.

You might want to read about the Phoenix event to see how things were handled there.

Be prepared for a percentage of people who refuse to talk to anyone but police.  All the private buyers that I saw in Phoenix were very polite and let these ideologically driven people turn in their guns for a fraction of what they would be worth on the open market.

Signs are helpful, as are good grooming, cash, and a friendly attitude.  Dale Carnegie's advise for dealing with people works very well.

Across the country, communities, police departments and churches are sponsoring gun turn-ins to get "guns off the street". At many of these events, private buyers are showing up, offering cash for the more valuable guns. These private additions to the public turn-in are effective, no doubt, in getting more guns off the street, because they add to the resources that are available to those who want to get rid of guns for something of value, be it a grocery card or a number of twenty dollar bills.

You can help make the turn-in in your area more effective by standing on the curb with your "Cash for Guns" sign, or at a folding table, willing to offer more than the gift card for firearms that are more valuable. It would be best if numerous private parties were available, as more good guns could then be transferred into responsible hands.

This action serves many useful purposes. It stretches the turn-in budget so that more guns can be taken off the street. It helps keep fearful widows from being defrauded of most of the market value of the gun they are turning in. It prevents valuable assets from being destroyed by bureaucratic inflexibility. It is a win-win-win situation.

It also dispels the pernicious message that guns are bad and should be destroyed.

Link to article with numerous examples of private sales at gun turn in events
 
Link to most recent article about private buyers at Detroit event

Link to Phoenix Article: pictures of private buyers

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

There could be some interesting items there.

[gwjack]

marktwain, I hope you are well. Thank you for posting this.

Being in one of my entrepreneurial moods at this time, I’d like to bounce an idea off of you (and other FReepers). Is there any restriction that you know about that restricts a private party from organizing, sponsoring, conducting a “buy back?” Of course I mean from the transfers that may require an FFL.

I’m thinking I see a business opportunity. Perhaps even a quarterly FReepathon fund raiser.

Thoughts?

Gwjack

P.S. Next time I’m in Sun City, would we be able to meet?

[basil]

Ping!!!

[logic101.net]

I’d be happy to pay $400 for an AK-47! Wish I’d have willing to spend the extra money when I bought my SKS.

[libstripper]

There have been at least two incidents where ignorant sellers have turned up with STG 44 assault rifles, each worth about $34,000, the STG 44 being the German granddaddy of all assault rifles. Yes, each one that turned up was a real assault rifle, meaning it had a full auto position on its selector.

[mad_as_he$$]

I heard one unconfirmed story that a small elderly woman trend up at one of these events with a mint WW2 era BAR in cosmoline. Guy bought for a grand and she was tickled pink. Obviously the buyer isn't talking.

[mad_as_he$$]

trend=turned

[Tijeras_Slim]

$100 for long guns? I have a Greener GP I got for $50 somewhere. It’s a funky gun, a single shot 12 gauge built on a Martini-Henry action.

[catnipman]

“Being in one of my entrepreneurial moods at this time, I’d like to bounce an idea off of you (and other FReepers). Is there any restriction that you know about that restricts a private party from organizing, sponsoring, conducting a “buy back?” Of course I mean from the transfers that may require an FFL.

I’m thinking I see a business opportunity. Perhaps even a quarterly FReepathon fund raiser.

Potentially an awesome idea.

Possible drawbacks, though:

1. You won’t be able to obtain nearly unlimited free publicity as would a church or the police. Actually, you won’t get ANY free publicity.

2. Do you plan on buying EVERYTHING that comes your way, even rusty or dangerous junk? If not, it’s not a real “buyback” event; you’d be no different than a gun shop or pawn shop that simply wants to buy guns from individuals.

3. Church and cop buybacks engender trust from those prone to sell at such events; how would you engender such trust?

4. How will you handle the issue of stolen guns and guns previously used in crimes. Cops (and churches with cop backing) can deal with this; you may not be able to.

Probably best bet is still to glom onto an “official” event.

[marktwain]

“Being in one of my entrepreneurial moods at this time, I’d like to bounce an idea off of you (and other FReepers). Is there any restriction that you know about that restricts a private party from organizing, sponsoring, conducting a “buy back?” Of course I mean from the transfers that may require an FFL.”

I have thought about this as well. Done right, it could work. The “problem” is that most of these turn in event are “fueled” by free advertising from the media, which a strictly private event might not get, and free “gravitas” and “credibility” from the presence of police officers. Usually their time is “donated” as well.

I still think it could work in a mostly gun friendly community with the cooperation of the police and the local media.

It is the opportunity costs which have prevented me from trying it.

[gwjack]

I’d love to discuss with you on FReepmail if OK with you. I’ve already chatted up a buddy in Vegas.

I think you are further down the trail than I am.

I’m thinking re-sale may be a bugaboo to deal with before hand.

[basil]

I think what happens is that some states allow private sales and some don’t. You would have to research the states’ laws.

In Texas, it is perfectly legal to sell a gun to your friend or relative. It’s best for each person to sign a note saying that on this date I bought or sold a gun from this person, just in case there’s a problem down the road.

I have no idea how you would do this on a larger scale, though.

[upchuck]

South Carolina Ping
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[2nd amendment mama]

I may just go to observe....not sure.

[libstripper]

Your BAR story and my STG story both say it’s a good idea to attend as many of these “buy back” events as possible. Never can tell what kind of treasures might be available. Sort of like buying a lottery ticket.

[marktwain]

I had an absolutely great time at the three Phoenix “buy back” events that I attended.

I wasn’t buying, except when it was directly presented to me, and I still got some great deals. Some people got incredible deals - and still a great deal of treasure was needlessly destroyed, simply to make political theater.

[marktwain]

In Praise of Private Sales

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/in-praise-of-private-gun-sales.html