RMC on GB

[tenOC]

We all hate the destruction of stocks being restamped. So we can slow it down a lot.

Someone on another site tipped me off to his tactics. He bids on rifles with high wood stocks that can be stamped to look like USGI cartouches, even if the rifle is import stamped. Import stamps just means he can get them cheaper. He also bids on receivers with little or no staking for reproduction flip sights (the same receivers we look for to get a more collectible carbine). If it's import marked, pitted barrel, shot out barrel, it doesn't matter. He'll buy it anyway to get the stock or receiver or original trigger group.

That tells you there is more money left on the table. Just out-bid him. If he bids on something, there is a reason, making it a good buy for anyone interested in collecting. His top bids are said to be a little north of $900 for more rare highwood rifles, but about $800 for more common high wood stocked rifles. You can contact the sellers that he's bidding on to ask questions about the items to see if there are parts confirming more value that aren't pictured. With a little effort the gravy train of his bubba'd Carbines can be slowed to a trickle.

I believe he's already using other usernames to buy to keep people from out bidding him on things he can fill full of reproduction parts and resell for profit. It's easy to see who they are because it will be always be a high wood stock or the receiver has proper staking. Those are said to be the biggies. Other rare parts are an attractant but lesser degree.

Let's get into the game on this. It's doubtful you'll lose. If the bids get too high, bail out since you know where he'll stop and at least you can cost him some money. I saw someone bid him from about $650 in the last hour when he was the only bidder to running it to $900 for an Underwood that turned out to be a mix master. It looked like it had an original configuration but that other bidder contacted the seller to ask about some of the parts at the last minute (upping his bid every 13 minutes to keep it open until the seller responded) and it wasn't as original as it looked in the pics. He stuck him for over $200 on that one. The seller was happy.

Someone did a decent job on him there. I wish more people would do that, at least. He still got the stock, but it made it harder on him to make money. It got in his pocket for $250, which is the price of a some good high woods.

You'll immediately be able to use or resell the undamaged stock for plenty if you want to. If you get stuck with a high wood stock, rest assured it will be worth more money next year, and the next year and next.

You need to do a little bit, give a little bit, to protect the hobby you love.