doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Outrageous Prices - Over The Top Asking Prices

I paid an even thousand for my Sterlingworth ejector 20-28" barrels M&F, DT 1933 Utica gun in 95% condition- I bought it 7 years ago, saving it for doves mainly. It does have 2&3/4" chambers, unlike my buddy's 20 Sterly- 26" DT extractor Phila gun made in 1916- he uses RST 2.5" shells in it, don't know the chokes, but he sure kills grouse and woodcock with it. You couldn't write him a big enough check to get it away from him. I very much agree with the late Mike McIntosh on the quality and cachet of the A.H. Fox shotguns..

It all depends on who your clientele is. If one lives in real world and works for a living Kirby Hoyt of WA is one of the great places to go and buy a vintage shotgun. Some places are only for those that have others make money for them or earned it the best way possible ie inherited it from their dad (this is what southerners often refer to as Ole' Money).

The big prices advertised by the mentioned dealers are used to attract trades more than cash customers. A dealer who puts a big price on a gun can be overly generous when allowing a customer a trade situation.

Sure it works well if one has certain type of buying clients. Offering higher prices for bought guns and on consignment pieces assures good and interesting inventory. I heard "Marie Antoinette Boutiques" like: Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany & Co. .....are doing real well just like Dollar Trees, Dollar General,.....on the opposite side of spectrum.

Sometimes, Bill- but not always. Years ago, when I turned down an offer from a Trap shooting pal on my 1948 era m12 Pigeon Grade Trap gun, he found one at Felix Bedlan's in Nebraska. Bedlan was one of the dealers mentioned in Dave Riffle's book on the Model 12 Winchester, by the by--

Long story short- Bedlan wanted over $3000 for his M12 Pigeon grade-and offered by friend $450 on trade for his Browning Belgium mfg. Broadway rib O/U trap gun-- Caveat emptor.

In your reply on the 'dove gun thread" when you mentioned using your HE Fox with pigeon loads 30" barrels for the "coo-coo-birdies come Sept. you also, I believe, hinted at a possible future estate sale of some of your guns and amoo- if so, and you want a local "very deep pocketed" neighbor (sort of) he and my sister Gretchen live in Germantown MD--and he has a King's ransom of BA (mainly G&H Mauser actions, and some double express rifles as well) in owning and shooting some top shelf side-by-sides. Like me (my pockets are shallow, however) he does not like the auction two-step route, so if you were considering turning your investment grade guns over to, say, James Julia, he most likely, would pass. He has a Binelli 12 auto-loader at present- and like me, not a big SC shooter, but that could change. So, put out the word when you are ready, and I will so advise him. And good luck with your back problems in the up and coming hunting venues- Fox with the runs--

How would you know Jag? You don't even own a double shotgun. Your only shotgun is an Ithaca Model 37 pump with a short barrel. Do you rent that one too, as you do with your .22 rifle and handguns? Dollar Tree and Dollar General must seem like pretty classy joints when you do most of your shopping at the Rent-A-Center.

SLY (his real initials), was a guy in the commercial truck sales business in Springfield, MO on West Chestnut Street just down from the old Westley Richards Agency. He was in and out of WR so often that he had an inside track on when shipments of doubles would come in from Birmingham. Often there were a bunch of beaters in the shipment that were not up to the standards of most of WR's customers. SLY would deal by bundling a bunch of those guns, maybe paying an average of $4-700 or so a piece. He would clean them up a bit and pedal them at incredibly high prices on the gun sites. I went over to his place one time to look at an absolutely gorgeous little Jeffrey with amazing engraving......but it had a ring bulge near one of the muzzles and I eventually passed even though SLY let me shoot it and keep it in my safe for a month or so. So in spite of his high prices, rumored online high jinx and maybe borderline guns, I though he was basically a good guy. Even though he tried to learn all he could from Bob Francis, The Lord of Chestnut Hall, I don't think he was a very good student and many things about the British gun trade just never registered with him. He never forced anyone to buy his wares though. His business is now gone and I've lost track of him.

Bob:

Back then the $450 sounds about right. For a dealer now, they are still a very hard gun to sell.

John

Probably right John. Likely just some memory skewed by recent prices.

One of my favorites is Lewis drake. He seems to deal in extreme high end pieces exclusively.