A long time ago, I needed a vise for my shop. I wanted a decent one, and began attending farm and shop auctions, looking to purchase a Wilton bullet style machinests vise. Every auction I went to that had a good sized (I wanted at least a 4" version) Wilton bullet saw the price quickly rise to near, or, just over, retail. These were vises that had been in service for most of 25-50 years, rusty, usually, and with bent handles, broken mounts and a turn or two of backlash in the nut.
I never saw a decent vise at an auction.
I ended up buying a brand, spanking, new Wilton 500. Doing so got me a vise made of higher grade ductile iron than one produced even ten years prior, and an engineering change to the vises put a machined keyway into the movable jaw, which, held the movable jaw dead straight to the fixed jaw. Yes, I was out $390, although the gent at the late Globe Tool in St Paul asked if I wanted a discount, and gave me a "student discount" saying we were all students of life.
Retail on that vise is over 1K now.
I found much the same thing with guns at auction that I did with the vises. I assume there is always someone who cherry picks any auction before it begins, and the stuff left is what you bid on.
I haven't been to a live auction in a long time. The last two gun site auctions I won, I was the only bidder. I won an Uggy 12 gauge for $404, shipped, and a Nitro Special 16 gauge, like new, save for rust on the barrels exterior, for $260.
Ken reblued the barrels. Both guns were fairly priced, I believe, when it was said and done.
Best,
Ted
