>Let's just say, I thought I could do better, b/c sometimes he'd have for MY price, the price I actually thought it should be selling for, you know?<

On the basis of the post here about "Gadget" Bob Downs I visited with him in Arizona last winter. First I met him in his home, then a couple of weeks later I saw him in action at a Gun Show. Bob is a very engaging fellow. What he said about selling his sort of gadgets -- that they sell well -- was correct, at least from what I observed at the show.

I decided not to purchase from Mr. Downs because I didn't think it would be worth my while, with the pricing I would get. His suggested retail price was double what he would sell to me at "wholesale," but from what I have read elsewhere the wholesale price -- as a general rule -- should be at least one third what it can be sold for. I suspected that Bob was marking up the products he supposedly sold at wholesale, but he told me he was selling at his cost. I didn't challenge him on this, in part because he is hard of hearing and it was somewhat difficult to converse. In fact, at the gun show he had his daughter help out because of this problem. I witnessed people often repeating their questions as they crowded around the table, making it appear he was ignoring him. This was before his daughter had arrived. Anyway, in my mind I gave Bob the benefit of the doubt (somewhat), thinking that perhaps his selling to other sellers might enable him to purchase more volume, giving him a better price. Still, the rather slim profit margin, particularly after taking into account shipping and other expenses, did not excite me.

Jerry