A $3200 Gew98?

Loewe said:

... So fine, Larry is a used car salesman, but one that sets the "trap" you must spring yourself.

... at least Larry pops the hood for you to look...

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I agree. He's certainly not among the worst who deliberately try to deceive with poorly angled, lit or focused photos and outright lies. Whether you like his descriptions or not the photos are there for you to vet. Anyone who bids 3, 4 or more times above retail has no one else to blame.

More first hand experience. 2 purchases. First one was ok, 2nd one I was very pleased. Steyr M95 with AOI cartouche still in original 8x50. It got almost no action and I was able to grab it at a really nice price. I have followed or bid on many others that went WAY beyond what I would have paid.

Loewe, first, thank you, I feel likewise. I've seen him awkshun humped SVTs, humped Arisakas, humped this and humped that. When you see a SVT and Arisaka both with humped bolts with the exact same dies, well, it gives you pause to contemplate, i.e., WTF, over? Pzjgr's revelation is not even remotely surprising to me. I've had past dealings with him and they were good, but I think I know better, though I'm not infallible. I simply think that advertising something that it is not is bad, and intentionally misrepresenting something is fraud.

Mikes revelation is pretty much true of all the flippers and retailers, - you want honesty and integrity in your salesman, buy from a collector who cares about his reputation, otherwise you must arm yourself with knowledge or rely on someone who has the knowledge.

Sure, misrepresentation or misleading descriptions are forms of fraud, they are also to be expected in a society where ethics and morality have been distorted to indulge in any behavior, where right and wrong have "evolved" and once noble characteristics or attributes, like thrift, savings or frugality, self-reliance, self-responsibility, self-restraint or self-discipline have become vices or quaint habits deserving of ridicule.

Mike, Bruce and Hambone have provided a place where collectors can come and put a brake on some of this behavior, outing bad rifles, typically with reasons why, or at least why suspicion exists, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the buyer to have some basic awareness of what they are buying.

Larry is better than the vast majority of sellers I have seen on GB, he is safe to buy from if you understand the basics and use common sense. In the cases where something is confusing or seemingly inconsistent with what you have read or learned, a potential buyer can get help from any number of resources (a simple PM to a specialist for instance). There is only one reason someone gets burned these days, they are impulsive and act without knowledge (foolish people who will spend $3200 on an $800 rifle and scoff at the notion of buying books or asking for "free" advice deserve everything they get..)

Hambone said:

Pzjgr's revelation is not even remotely surprising to me... I simply think that advertising something that it is not is bad, and intentionally misrepresenting something is fraud.

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A wee bit over the top.

Something to remember though, as mentioned, the rifles are often remarked with the same font number stamps. The exact same font number stamps that were in every tool & die and machine shop I have ever worked in. I have probably a dozen sets, including a set from my grandfather from 1932. There the same, by the same company, that you can buy today.

So when he buys a collection and there’s a questionable piece. . .

My issue is, as you mentioned, the rifle is then listed as original, or matching, or un altered. Or in the instance of a friend, he recently purchased a rifle that was labeled as “a great shooter”. The rifle was so molested it wouldn’t feed a round. Bent/mangled/mutilated parts that were not mentioned or photographed.

I think most people have a serious gripe with him due primarily to his success in sales. He gets prices I could never get for rifles in better condition.

On the flip side, I bought an extremely rare rifle from Eisel for a great price, because he had no idea what it was. I called and asked questions, they answered honestly and in full, even highlighting a few issues.

If you have a piece your interested in, I strongly recommend calling and talking to him.

I called about a rare rifle I was interested in selling. We talked for a bit, but he was straight to the point. He offered me $500 for it. I said I appreciated it, but would sell it myself. He sold a nearly identical rifle a few weeks later, it sold for $600. I listed my rifle, a much nicer condition rifle, and got $550.

There is a certain appeal (comfort) to dealing with someone you have dealt with in the past, a familiarity and ease of knowing you will actually get the item ordered, - whether ordering from the same company or reconnecting with an old girlfriend, some of the uncertainty or "discomfort/unease" is lessened when you know what to expect. Dealing with a new seller (especially one with low feedback or first time seller) is full of uncertainty, little of it exciting...

Larry offers that, whether described well or misrepresented in the title or description, you literally get to see almost every part of the rifle. You know you will receive the rifle, you know that you can return it without explanation, - for me those elements would hold appeal and I would buy from Larry. I do not find much appeal in buying from glitzy auctions operated by slick charlatans, especially slippery ones that have a solid track record of "restoring" rifles and selling them as original.. of which there are a few. While some of these "latter day" artists do a credible job in their restorations, this is far more clearly fraud than anything Larry is accused of, certainly far more difficult to defend, - whilst Larry tends to be "sloppy" in his descriptions and narratives, perhaps oversells (exaggerates) the merits or originality, at least he doesn't seem to be involved in direct fraud or alteration.

But, CB and Dan's cautionary advice holds true, know your business (subject or rifle) and examine all the photographs closely before bidding. The truth is in the photographs and the "trust" is in the return policy.