Worked in a sporting goods store in the late '60s. One day a guy came in and sold the manager three guns, one of which was an absolutely brand new Ithaca Grade 3 28ga. that had never been touched. When the manager, not one of my favorite people and not gun savvy to boot, put it up on the rack, I promptly put it on layaway. He wouldn't give me my usual employee discount, saying it was "too valuable a gun to deny it to the public, let alone discount it", but I didn't care. A few weeks later, a buddy took me on a wild goose chase after what he described as a mint Winchester 21 early Custom Shop 20 ga. in "terrific original condition"for $1000. I took my deposit back off the Ithaca, went with him on my day off way up hell and gone to the country to a lone farm house, whereupon he instructed me to "stay in the car till I'm sure he's OK with me bringing a stranger." I hung tight until about 45 mins. later he reappeared, saying the guy had changed his mind, didn't want to sell after all. To this day I suspect the "he" was a "she", and that I was the chaeuffer for his little upcountry tryst. When I got back to the store the next morning I found that my very understanding boss had called one of his buddies as soon as I'd taken my deposit off the Ithaca. Result" No Win 21; no Ithaca, out a tank of gas, with a severe case of the DumbAss for a week!
