As Ed suggests, added value because of provenance is easily brought into the battle by only two bidders. True value in the long haul is not neccesarily determined by the first auction price of a given gun. The next time Tapply's gun is sold, it may not match the first sale price. However, the present owner will probably not give a darn. He has owned Bill Tapply's gun for a certain period of time and the next owner will do the same.