Okay guys this is taking one for the team, apparently there is an organized group called the Travellers, gypsies basically, who follow the gun shows and hit people up with high end items, I wasnt in the parking lot, I was at my usual spot in the Tulsa show when this old lady and old man, not obviously gypsy of course, tell me this tale and show me their wares, well I got hammered, Im selling it all as repro to recoup what I can, but the key is this, they always thus far use the same routine or ruse. Always a german cross and a hard to get cufftitle, everything else varies, but if you use that as a guideline you can slap them upside the head for me! If they show back up at Tulsa, well what can I say, as a retired crusty police detective I have a certain bag of tricks. Lesson learned by me, lesson for us all.
-
-
Ethnicly speaking, the Travellers aren't gypsy, but Irish. There are lots of them in the Southern US. In most other respects they are like the stereotypical Gypsies; they move from place to place, have an elaborate and somewhat closed society, and have some members who are engaged in all sorts of rip-off schemes. -
yer we have the same ragtags over here tarmack your drive sir
Comment
-
Can you post pics of the Hermann Goering Division enlisted visor?WAF LIFE COACHComment
-
Sad, pathetic individuals...
Comment
-
Pretty interesting story. I am somewhat familiar with the "Travelers", as a large colony of them live in the Augusta, GA/N. Augusta, SC area where my sister-in-law formerly taught in the public schools. Via her experiences with children of the Travelers I have learned a good bit about them. In fact, I once persuaded my sister-in-law to drive with me through the Travelers' neighborhood and, yes, they literally came out of the houses to stare at us with a menacing "what in the hell are you doing here" look (even though they live on public streets).
Anyway, I always heard that the Travelers made most of their money on home improvement scams, typically targeting the elderly. The story of selling fake Nazi relics under the guise of vet (or vet heirs') walk-ins at gunshows is a new one on me. Considering, however, the potential for easy profit involved when collectors seem to be eager to have a vet (or his heirs) walk into a gunshow and offer their stuff for pennies on the dollar, I can well see the Travelers taking advantage of this profit center.
Thanks for sharing your (unfortunate) experience, as we can all learn from it.
BTW: How do you know for sure that the folks who scamed you were Travelers?Comment
-
-
The Irish Travelers live basically in the Southeastern part of the US. However, as Spring comes, they hit the road and spread out all over the country stealing and cheating. They are a bad bunch
BobComment
-
Donnerwetter
What with Osama bin Laden and his bearded minions, the dark invaders in the nation's ports, the Gefluegelpest, the rising flood waters of the Elbe, Pakistani expert embroiderers of Aermelhoheitszeichen, the inflated price of POL and now this...!! Quo vadis? I understand that the Russian mafia has a death grip on this material in central and eastern Europe. I surely do not doubt any of the above. When has this material issued forth the virtues of honesty, compassion, and grace? In any case, I thought that Ireland is today a site of education, prosperity and stability. The above sounds like something from nativist politics of the mid-19th century. I rather think that the crooks in this material hail from all points of the compass, and many of them are wholly home grown. The original tribe of same in California with whom I started all of this as a wee-pike were surely as all-American as could be ca. 1969.Originally posted by Bob ColemanThe Irish Travelers live basically in the Southeastern part of the US. However, as Spring comes, they hit the road and spread out all over the country stealing and cheating. They are a bad bunch
BobLast edited by Donald Abenheim; 04-04-2006, 02:19 PM.Comment
-
These Irish Travelers have been making appearances at gun shows for the last 6-7 years. I have been approached by them several times in Tulsa and Houston. Always the same SOP. Old cigar box with 5-6 high end fake items and two or three common original items. They have very elaborate stories! After having a confrontation in Tulsa 4 years ago, with two members of this rag tag bunch, they have stayed away from me. Last I heard it was still legal to kill them.......
Originally posted by Bob ColemanThe Irish Travelers live basically in the Southeastern part of the US. However, as Spring comes, they hit the road and spread out all over the country stealing and cheating. They are a bad bunch
BobComment
-
Originally posted by Howard Kelley goody goody get me a plane to the states give em some led
Comment
Comment