I'm just finishing up with my 1911 Black Army..
I only plan on one 1911 (the best), and I now own one of the best.
It is back to ARs for me. I like to make them allot more!
I am just starting my military upper A2 1/7 and feel more at home with the Stoner Rifle than those 1911 old models...Geeze, they are mucho bucks!
But, I might just need mine in case I drop my XM!
Got some KeyHole mags from a guy on EBay, and was concerned they would not be "correct"...
I posted about my "find" on 1911.com an got some real good feedback!
Some good and some "know it all stuff" which turned out to be BS or whatever.
The mags turned out to be original...some posters questioned that, but I had a person to person talk with the seller before sent him the cash.. and, on his "WORD"
I got the mags and they were original as stated.
I verified originality this with a "Colt's Expert" in AZ that I have known for years.
Sometimes a person needs to go by instinct in the gun world, and a man's word is the best guarantee I've ever had.
I have yet to be forsaken!
How about some of you.
Did a person ever blatently lie to you about what they were selling and "rip you off"?
Just courious.

I had a pack rat's nest in a '97 Z28. Caught fire!
Know how it feels.........
Thank God for Insurance!

thebeekeeper1,
I has always worked for me too!

Are you sure it wasn't the Camaro under the pack rat's nest that caught fire?[;D]

My word is my bond.  Its really all I have and can be judged on by all of you.  If I say I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it.  

Honor, trust, integrity, these are not things that can be easily regained, if ever, once lost.  Some people don't care about that and laugh at the concepts.  Well, I don't want to get into those people right now...

FMJunkie,
Could be that LT-1 burned that Rat's nest..
No matter they are both just dust and memories now.
Your word is all you really ever have!
It makes you worthwhile.
Glad you are worthwhile!

Lady_of_the_Wolf

The "Word" is honesty.

People make mistakes, but someone who deceives knowingly for personal gain is not worthy of being among the majority of us who do not.

"Trust, But Verify" R. Regan.

Our word is the only thing any of us have.

Life would be without substance if it were based on a lie!

The point I wanted to make is that most people are "honest", but because of the few that are not, we become less than unified as a species.

Come to think of it, I have never met a dog, horse, or any other animal that lies!

Have you?

In many, many internet gun deals I've been ripped for a total of about $500.00 in three deals.

All three were HK 91's.

(I still have such a case of the ass that I own no H&K's and don't plan to.)

I got burned twice on mag deals from this very board.

Only to the tune of about $200, though.  I learned, and they get to live with themselves.

Bud

Bottom line? We all come into this world with nothing, when we leave it the only thing we take with us is our integrity (good or bad)......

I have had very good luck w/ private party sales over the 'net.  I cannot say the same about third party intervention al la ebay and others as the hype attracts scum.  

What is a man's word worth?  Depends.  On automiobile insurance, almost nothing.  I was injured and my car totaled by a drunk who ran a red light.  His insurance company is in complete denial of responsibility stating I hit him!  Complete ignorance of physical evidence (my airbags didn't go off, my bumper is pristine but completely removed from my car and the Federal 5 MPH energy-absorbing dampers had not been stroked but rather sheared from the frame.

Worth of word?  For insurance companies, its about that of a bucket of warm spit.  Had this adjuster claimed a semblance of responsibility, I would not be in the position to sue for limits.  Now that limit is the sky.  

A mans' word is simultaneously worth everything & nothing.  I've known plenty of lying, cheating, thieving rat bastards that seem to do very well & live with themselves very well.  They seem to always get away with it & usually get rewarded for it.  It's a huge paradox to me.

I will not have anything to do with them when I figure them out, but there are so many people in this world today that they easily move on to the next sucker.

On the other hand, there are so few honorable people out there that it's hardly worth the effort to find them.

Excellent replies!

I have made it my policy to secure the phone number of a "seller" before I put my hard earned money in the USPS and send it to someone or someplace I know nothing about other than an screen name and email address.

About 7 times out of 10, the seller's phone number can be found by using the area code of their mailing address and dialing 1-555-1212. If the sellers number is "unlisted", I will email them and request we speak prior to exchanging money or goods.

I don't mind investing the extra nickel and CALLING that seller/buyer directly, and introducing myself as, the buyer, winning bidder, (or seller in certain high dollar transactions like complete uppers or optics.) If the item is under $200.00, and I am the seller, I just wait for the check to arrive. Believe it or not, I have had many sellers send the goods prior to receiving my payment! I dont do that ever!, unless I know the person from a prior transaction.

I NEVER accept personal checks or PayPal Visa payments without waiting for the funds to clear before I ship the goods.

If can't make personal phone connection, or find  a seller's phone number, and if that person doesn't email their number to me on request, or reply to my email, it is a big "RED" flag!

When I get a "RED" flag, I hold on to the money or goods and email the other party to that effect. Also, I am cautious if the other party has a public email address, although more often than not, their email address is a Yahoo, Hotmail, some website like that, and not their ISP. Then personal contact is a must!

I flushed out bougus sellers on EBay twice when my emails were returned as undeliverable!

All that aside, I usually find a contact number, and once I speak to the person I ask if they will "give their word" that the item is as represented, also, I use the opportunity to get a comittment on delivery, type of mail carrier (USPS, UPS, Fed-Ex, Ins., etc.)In turn, I offer my committment to send the payment promptly.

I have yet to be burned when I speak person to person with someone and get their "word"!

Email is great, but it is too easy for a scum sucking fraud to hide behind in long my book of "past experiences".

To me a persons "Word" is much more believable, after a personal contact is made, plus I worry little that the person is bogus, and seldom go to my mailbox and come back disappointed!

There are other advantages to making personal contacts as well!