Integrity.....

[Bob Wright]

I've always been a man, who when somebody placed a trust in me, did everything in my power to avoid betraying that trust. Integrity plays an important role in my life. Recently I saw a request for a pair of grips, a pair for which I had. I contacted the man and we agreed on a price. This man was in a distant city, so mail was involved. As soon as I got off the phone with him, I found the grips, boxed them up, and took them to the post office. As I started to leave, Nita questioned the wisdom of mailing off the grips before getting the money. I told her that's the way we men of the gun fraternity did business. End of that was he got his grips, I got his check and it was good.

I was high bidder for a gun recently on GunBroker, and contacted the seller. I told him I preferred to pay with a personal check, and understood he might want to wait for that check to clear before sending the gun. His response was to the effect that he didn't worry about that, that men he had dealt with were upright men of their word. With that attitude, do you think I would in any way welsh on our deal?

But such is the character of the men, and women, on this site ~ folks of integrity,

I am proud to be among you all.

Bob Wright

 

[Mobuck]

The way it used to be(and still should be).

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I also have sold Guns, gun parts, grips and never thought twice about the payment. Yes I have shipped guns without receiving the check first and they have been personal checks. Also have allowed a payment plan and shipped the gun first. Just who I am.

 

[SAJohn]

For decades, my folks sold a fair amount of our annual home grown and home processed pistachios in our sales office at the farm. We always accepted personnel checks. Not once, in all of those years, did a check bounce. IMHO, the vast majority of folks do have integrity.

Sadly, the few people lacking in integrity try to take advantage of it. I suppose they consider it a weakness.

I believe a handshake should be as good as a legal contract.

John

 

[Jeepnik]

Comes down to “it’s the way we were raised”. I can’t speak for others but acting otherwise would dishonor not only myself but my father who taught me how to conduct myself.

My dads been gone since ‘88 but i can here his words daily. They remind me to be who he wanted me to be.

 

[Fox Mike]

I was brought up to believe that a person's word is as good as any written piece of paper. Now, at close to 82 years, that has served me well.

 

[steveodtw]

Not quite the same as gun sales, but my favorite fish & chips restaurant of over 50 years still only accepts cash AND personal checks!! The people of this site are its greatness. I've yet to buy or sell a firearm on this site, or any other. But when that time comes, I wouldn't think twice about shipping pending funds to you folks.

 

[gramps]

The way it used to be(and still should be).

Yep, I have done business with several on this site, and things went well as they should have. We have an Society here that brings in people who have been raised by parents from the WWll era, where one’s word was your bond.
gramps

 

[blume357]

Bob Wright, that is exactly what I have found here. First time it happened with a member who has now passed... Ron Honner .... ran a small gun shop up in the Dakotas... he was offering for sale a Mini-14 and not getting any responses and I posted that I would be able to buy it in a couple months when my work picked up. I never posted what he did until after he died because of my fear that someone might take advantage of this man. He asked me if I really wanted the rifle and I said yes if it was still available in a few months. He then shipped me the rifle and said pay what I can over time.

Of course, I have never understood the folks that won't take a personal check.... banking rules now require that a check be cleared in one day... it is all done electronically... a check is actually better as far as I can see than a money order.

 

[Selena]

I was brought up to believe that a person's word is as good as any written piece of paper. Now, at close to 82 years, that has served me well.

I remember my grandfather telling a man of… Questionable dependability that if a man's word wasn't any good his handshake wasn't either. While dad was never that blunt, his attitude is much the same.

My brother, sisters and I had it drilled into us that you only get one chance to do the right thing. By and large, the four of us live by that philosophy. It's funny in a way that that one attitude tends to grow into a number of other virtues. And while it's easy to take advantage of us the first time very few are able to do so the second.

In the end it all boils down to one universal truth – do it to others as you would have them do unto you.

 

[Mobuck]

Personal responsibility is the key to integrity. Once upon a time, failing to make good on an agreement led to loss of respect and/or physical retribution. Currently, the term "so sue me" is the norm and most often results in no action at all.
After living in 4 different communities in the Midwest during his early adult life, Tom moved back home so to speak(within a few miles of where I, Dad, and Grandpa have lived for over a century). Although he wasn't a stranger in the communities where he'd lived, as in most places he had to make his own place at the feed bunk. When he moved back here, he was quite surprised that simply mentioning his family name made a difference to local folks. In one instance, he went to a local farm store for something only to find he had no checkbook and the store didn't accept credit cards. His expectation was "no check= no stuff" but was surprised when the store owner said "Oh your Dad is _ _ _ _. Sure you can leave a check next time you're in town".
I did remind him of how long and hard it had been building that family name and that it was his responsibility to maintain that integrity.

 

[Fox Mike]

Of course, I have never understood the folks that won't take a personal check.... banking rules now require that a check be cleared in one day... it is all done electronically... a check is actually better as far as I can see than a money order.

Had to pass up a rifle a couple weeks ago simply because the seller said he didn't accept personal checks. I thanked him, and moved on; there will be another rifle.

 

[loaded round]

Bob: You're my kind of man and would be proud to deal with you anytime!

 

[Watchman]

A man's integrity is the only thing he truly owns in this world.
It can't be taken from you. Only you can lose it. Or keep it.

Only the gift of salvation is more important.

 

[tom black]

Fox Mike,
My dad always told me, "A man's word and handshake was as binding as any written contract." I've always tried to live my life by those words. Sounds like our fathers were cut from the same bolt of cloth.
Tom Black

I'll bet if you looked up the word "integrity" in the dictionary, Bob Wright's picture would be there beside it.

 

[pete44ru]

.

I remain of the persuasion that integrity is what someone does when nobody's looking...….. 8)

.

 

[TRanger]

I wish everyone in the gun business was like that; but, unfortunately they’re not. A large gun retailer opened in our area and hired me as their lead training instructor. We had a handshake agreement that I’d receive a certain percentage as commission. The success of the training section increased to the point it became very lucrative. At that point, the management decided they wanted a bigger slice of what had become quite a large pie and announced they were reducing my commission. I told them I would not continue to provide my services on the cheap and left. No regrets and it was a great experience. But some people will not honor their word. At last report, they were struggling; so I guess what goes around comes around.

 

[nvbirdman]

I understand the seller wanting to make sure the check is good before sending the gun, but I often think the other way too.
I want to make sure you actually send the gun before I send you a check. Shouldn't it work both ways?

 

[Mobuck]

I've found that nothing enforces integrity like looking a guy in the eye and saying "If this isn't right, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE".
That doesn't work for distant transactions.

 

[Bob Wright]

I've found that nothing enforces integrity like looking a guy in the eye and saying "If this isn't right, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE".
That doesn't work for distant transactions.

The only thing that bothers me about that attitude is that it suggests the possibility of wrong doing in the transaction. Lack of trust on your part to begin with.

Bob Wright

 

[trebor44]

.

I remain of the persuasion that integrity is what someone does when nobody's looking...….. 8)

.

This ^^^^ really is the bottom line. I've know a lot of folks good for their word and a lot who were not. As the ad says " a smiling cheater, is still a cheater" but I think one should be of good integrity and accept that there may a few who are not.

 

[smoke-eater]

Integrity is one valuable commodity that can't be bought. Just a couple of months ago I posted a "want to buy" ad on a traditional bowhunting forum for a specific custom recurve bow from a bowyer who closed his shop almost 30 years ago. Got a reply from a collector who was willing to part with one of his. Sent him a USPS money order. The next day he texted me that the bow was in the mail. I replied that the payment couldn't have gotten there that fast. He said that it didn't, but he wasn't worried about that. That kind of trust meant a whole lot to me.

 

[Rancher Will]

Most here know that I always carry my revolver openly-not concealed. Although I live about 3 hours from Fort Collins, CO, I do significant business there at the Auction Yard, machinery dealers, retain stores, truck shops, grocery stores, restaurants, barber shop, etc. ( We do not have these businesses in the county where I live.)

The city has grown to become much larger than previously and there are now many businesses there that do not take personal checks. However, it is not uncommon for a business in Fort Collins, even with a sign at the payment counter saying "no checks" to accept my personal check, often saying something to the effect that a check from anyone carrying a gun will be good. I even hear some offering me a discount "for me carrying my gun" saying they feel safer because I am armed.