When Mark was alive and I first moved to B'ham I was just a 20 year old kid and he knew my name after I bought 2-3 guns from him. He would see me and always talk to me. Some of the others in there wouldn't pay me any attention and still don't. So that is nothing new in there. I could write an essay on the things Mark did for me, called distributors and found me what I was looking for scopes or guns and a lot of time just something average. When I got a little older and had a little more walking around money (still nothing like a lot that shop there) Mark had some dude that would come in there and buy up guns but they would never leave the store. The guy just bought guns to buy them I guess. Never took them home. Anyway maybe 2-3 times I wanted something nice like a Weatherby this guy had habitually swooped in there and purchased some of the nicest stuff Mark had. Well he would call this guy and tell him he was going to sell such and such gun to me and never tell him a price.... I think one time he even left him a message. Mark give me a RACE HORSE deal on those couple. I mean a well used price. He was just a good guy he knew I didn't have deep pockets. He didn't have to do that.

The deals they once had are no longer there on guns, they do get some on scopes but nothing you can't get elsewhere via the internet. The rest of the store is your typical yuppie stuff I can buy cheaper online. I feel real sorry for him and the situation that the store is in. I occasionally walk through and just look at what they've got in the used rack.

I do most all my shopping at Simmons these days.