So I was laid off a month ago and as a result of being home I've been doing a sort of spring cleaning and ridding the space under the bed, loading bench and garage of things I have but don't really use or have a use for. It started with a deluxe set of LEE carbide reloading dies in 45acp. I got them because I needed the expander & seater die for loading cowboy 45 special brass, so I had the rest of the set just sitting there. I listed them on the Uncle Henry's website, it's our local buy, sell & swap publication here in Maine. I said I was looking for 45 colt brass . I got a call Wednesday night from a guy who said he thought he had some 45 colt stuff left that he didn't need any longer. We left it at he'd call me Thursday morning and let me know. So he calls in the AM and tells me he has a new box of Winchester CAS loads, 100 1x fired brass and a box of 250 grain RN lead bullets for CAS. He wants to trade straight up for the dies, so I said okay. I looked around the garage and loading bench for anything else in .45acp because I was feeling kind of guilty. I founds a MTM box for 50 and a ammo wallet, so I threw them in the bag with the dies.
We met half way, which was the side parking lot of a Wal-Mart. We talked for a bit and I mentioned that I like H&R single shots and he mentioned that he had a 45-70 Buffalo Classic as well as some stuff for reloading it that he might be interested in selling for maybe $300. I think that I said "I'll take it" too quickly. At the time I was also selling a .44/20ga Handi combo and asked if he'd be interested in trading, and he seemed interested. Conversation continued and then a hint of uncertainty started to surface in him, so I said think about it and give me a call. When I got home the phone rang and it was a gentleman wanting to buy the combo for his grandson and I said that I had a potential trade deal working and if if fell through that I'd call him. So the phone rings a few minutes later and it's the gentleman with the BC, and instead of trading he wants $350 cash. I said let me call you right back. I called the other guy who wanted to buy the combo and sealed the deal with him for $350. The I called the BC's owner and said when can you meet. So 45 minutes later, and with my wife's permission, I'm back in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I didn't need her permission but wanted it. She lets me do whatever with respect to buying, selling & trading guns and gun stuff as long as it pays for itself, so that's how I have been doing it for about five years now.
Now I've been watching for a BC locally for quite some time, and every time I saw one listed somewhere, it'd be gone by the time I'd call or I just wasn't in the position to buy it. I was perfectly fine with paying $350 for a used BC and a few reloading things, to me it was a deal. So he hands me the gun and it looks new. I look at the serial number and it's an HY, so I knew it was from last year. Come to find out he bought it new last summerish and it hasn't used it, but did load 20 rounds for it. And then he hands me the box of stuff for reloading and it has a new set of Lee dies including the factory crimp, 80 pieces of new brass, 20 loaded rounds, 20 factory rounds, 2 boxes of jacketed SP 405's, 80 cast 405's, a container of trail boss and the special screwdriver he used for taking off the forend. I asked if he was sure before paying him, and then paid him and headed home.
When I get home the guy who wanted to buy the .44/20ga combo was waiting in the parking lot. He was super happy with his deal and stayed for at least 30+ minutes talking about the outdoors.
And on top of this, a few weeks ago I got an email from somebody in CA wanting to know if I need any parts for an older CH Mark II press. He had seen a post of mine on another forum (before I found this one) because someone gave me the same press last fall and I was looking for info about it. I responded to the email asking if he had any pictures and a price in mind for the whole thing. He sent pictures and said $45 shipped to me in ME. I said do you take Paypal, and it was on it's way. Both were set up for 38/357, which I don't load. I wanted to convert the 1st one to load .44 or .45 Colt because they're wicked good preses, but I learned that it's one CH's older presses and one that don't make parts for any longer and don't have lots of parts for them left, so I sold them. The 1st for $225 and the 2nd for $300.
I have been very lucky of lately and wanted to share it with some folks that would appreciate it. Although my wife is happy for me, she just doesn't understand my excitement. Anyways, that's my fairy tale, and I'm guessing that I'm done for a while, but I'll keep trying because it's just so much fun. Thanks, Brett
