I had not been to the LV show in about 8 years and much has changed. It is a shadow of it former self on the international side where the higher end doubles tend to be. There is not the excitement that was present several years ago and the market seems flooded with sellers but little buyers. While looking at several top end retailers I was approached by individual wanting to unload some of their personal collections for a quarter of the dealers pricing.
Talked with Tony G and he says the auction online sites are killing these shows. Most of the brand names are going to the SCI shows. The antique side reminded me much of Reno shows 3x times a years.
I was able to sell my McKay Brown and buy a Joe Manton Flintlock 16 bore in short order. Other than that the amount of Purdey's and Hollands has tripled but little is moving and mostly asking much less than I saw 6-7 years ago. I suspect many dealers are stuck with these 12 doubles with little room to make a profit now that the Russian market is soft. I would not want to acquire more 12 bore top tier English doubles and expect to recoup investment for many years. The most astonishing thing I show or failed to see was that few attendee were under sixty which does not bode well for love of fine weapons. On the antique side the comradeship was superb and everyone quite jovial. Many fine tables and great collectors present.
Then there is Vegas. The Riviera is still a cool place for this show but outside, it looks like someone dropped a bomb on the place. Many construction projects are halted it looks like after the 07 meltdown with rusting girders and cranes everywhere. If not hunting birds I suspect will come back
to visit old and new friends but nothing really got to me except the flintlocks after dreaming of a double on Montana pheasant
NorMax
