Nick Holt appears to be an astute salesman and he seems to know that very fine damascus barrels are now back in demand. I have been watching the results of his sales for years and each auction of his I pick out about 10 guns to watch the results---which helps me understand what the real market price of British guns are in the UK vs. the overpricing of them here in the USA. ...
Kind Regards;
Stephen Howell
I really don't follow the results of British Gun Auctions much, except for what I read here. We have seen that the hammer prices for British doubles have been generally depressed for years, and some here find relative bargains even when factoring in the high costs of auction and importation fees. And sometimes, we read that these guns sell for several times the pre-auction estimates, which may be a marketing ploy by the auctioneer to generate interest. So this leads me to ask if it is only the prices of double shotguns that have fallen in recent years, or if the current conditions have also led to depressed prices for other types of firearms? I ask this because we also read here that other guns such as pump shotguns often sell for near give-away prices... if they sell at all.
If that is indeed the case, it seems that the root cause may well be the anti-gun climate in Great Britain, and the highly restrictive gun laws that make gun ownership there much more cumbersome than here in the U.S.
That would also explain why these British doubles may seem overpriced here, when in reality, they are still bargains in terms of their average overall quality as compared to many vintage American doubles. Selling prices here are a function of what the market will bear, and it is undeniable that many of these fine quality guns sell for less than what their engraving alone would cost today. It appears to be a sad fact that the comparative Fire Sale prices in Great Britain has permitted many American double gun buyers the opportunity to purchase high quality British doubles at prices that they otherwise may not have found so affordable 25 or 30 years ago.
There have always been regional differences in demand and prices for many collectible items. But it's somewhat tragic to think that our gain has come at the expense of British gun owners who were driven out of their sport and gun owning passion by the same anti-gun forces that continue to threaten our 2nd Amendment Rights. That's something to think about in this election year. And I can only hope my post shows up sometime before Election Day.
