Quote Originally Posted by Josie & John View Post
I concur. Just think of the number of wasted trips dealers make to view that item in 'mint' condition that turns out to be a piece of cr*p. In effect, you're paying a 'finder's fee' at a fair from one of these dealers, which saves you time and effort in tracking old airguns down. Using Tim Dyson as an example, it is possible to attend a fair and come away with a near complete Webley collection or maybe with that one pistol you were previously missing. It may not be cheap or bargain basement but the opportunity is there and a prospective buyer can make their own mind up when viewing. Personally I think our hobby benefits from the presence of specialist dealers.

John
I couldn't agree more. Although there is a lot of pleasure to be had in pursuit of an addition to any collection, this is often accompanied by a great deal of frustration. Dealers spend a great deal of their time, much probably wasted, sorting the wheat from the chaff, so some financial reward is not unreasonable. They obviously incur expense in sourcing items and have contacts to which we private collectors may not have access. Consequently they often uncover the rarer items we private collectors might not otherwise have the opportunity to purchase.
Finally, It's nice to just browse and compare the large collections dealers display even if there is no intention to necessarily buy anything.
Brian