Charlton Hall auctions had the goal of testing the market to see if a market for English and some USA guns existed for a new auction entry. At least that is what the owner told me prior to CH's first auction. He further told me that he would give it a shot for a couple of years and if it did not work out to be a success, then he would carry on otherwise. You can decide for yourself what the owner is doing now.
I don't know if $9,500.00 is a steal for a VHE .410 Parker as condition is everything. However, I do know from my viewpoint there was lot of what I would classify as junk at the first auction--the only one I traveled to Columbia, SC to see. For example the BPE double rifle (Manton marked I beleive). At Holts auction in London that rusty BPE would have done well to sell for UKPounds 200. Its bore looked like the inside of iron water pipe after 20 years of use. Some poor under educated fellow paid a couple of thousand bucks for this scrap iron at the auction.
I must say however, there were some nice guns at that first auction--not stellar but nice.
At the first CH auction a painting of an Elephant by the famous English painter and collector of full-size steam locomotives, brought nearly US$100,000.00. This even surprised CH's owner. The price that this painting brought at the hammer (by a telephone bid) shows that CH antiques and fine art knowledge and sales ability is outstanding and continues to be.
I think CH's decreased focus on "fine doubleguns" is due to prudent business focus by the owner; amateur knowledge of fine English guns by the owner---that importing individuals from London for the auction did not help much; lowering value of the UKPound (2.2 to the US$ down to 1.57 to US$ during 2008-early 2009); not developing a niche that would sell in CH's market; the current economy and the need by CH to focus on its real expertise to earn profits to cover the cost of its new increased overhead. Being "too busy in UK" to attend the 2009 CH gun auction by smallbore is an interesting comment considering the above. It seems more likely that CH's owner did not think that the expense of another gun consultant at this latest auction would earn the recovery of that expense. If anything, the owner of CH is a business man who has been successful and he has likely tested the market on other items and the test either worked or did not work to earn additional profit.
However, look at Holt's today. If the economy has slowed it down I cannot see it. The current Holt's online catalog has some of the most outstanding London SLE pairs I have ever seen at any auction in the UK. I predict that the Dec 2009 auction will be big success. My problem is that I am not going to be in London this December to be able view some of these masterpieces (maybe that is OK as my cash is low and the weather last Dec in London was most miserable. If you view the Holt's current catalog you will see that that are fewer BLE and other lower priced English guns than there were a year or two ago. Holt's knows where the money is being spent in today's less than rocket economy and it is focusing upon it. Will Denys Finch Hatton's double rife bring UKpound 60,000 to 80,000? No, it will bring more.
These are my thoughts from deep in the bushveld. Merry Christmas to all.
