A paintball quandry...

I have a sign in the Pro-Shop. It reads, "I don't buy used guns. If you don't want it chances are I don't need it." Typical of me it's straight to the point and maybe just a little mean and grumpy sounding.

I have a gun. In fact I have three. An Autococker, an Automag and a Phantom pump so personally I feel I'm pretty hooked up. From a business standpoint I only sell what I'm comfortable with. Anything less I consider junk and anything more I feel is unnecessary.

Sometimes people are insistent and need to know why I won't buy their treasure. That's when I come off sounding mean and grumpy. "It's a low end piece of junk that I wouldn't sell to someone else if you gave it to me."

The worst is when someone insists I make an offer or give them an estimate of worth. For the life of me I don't know why people don't consider that I'm a business and have to offer a used wholesale price so I can make a dollar selling at a used retail price. I swear people think I have a big closet where I keep there amazing deals as my own. Take the asking price and subtract the devaluation and then factor in a little profit and I'm left with a guy standing across the counter with the look of someone I just forced to eat a lemon.

Then there is "pride of ownership." How do I offer a fair price to someone who is trying to sell their "baby"? A gun that they have invested so much time in? A gun that they have nurtured from a simple box stock toddler into a Mighty Mo? A gun that is so ugly only it's creator can appreciate it? No matter what price I attached to it it will be half of what the owner wants. And now he feels insulted.

And there is always someone who wants me to sell their item on consignment. I'm even offered a percentage. I try to do people a favor when I can. But what I'm left with is an overpriced item that will never sell and is taking up space on my wall where I could put something that would really sell. And God forbid it should actually sell cause if it breaks down I'm expected to fix it.

It's a no win situation. Sometimes I wish I could be like a stony face Pawn Shop owner and just give a take-it-or-leave-it offer and not sweat the feelings of the seller. If people actually sell and not stomp off mad I could unload the low end junk and high end nonsense on EBay and sell the rest in the shop for a tidy profit.