Why do I see so many Parkers and LCs for sale, and less and less Foxes and Ithacas all the time. Have these collectors abandoned, and jump ship to the other brands?
What's the word from the oaken leather and brass gunrooms across the land?
Lowell,
I think these guns are commanding unprecedented prices, causing scavenger hunts for any rusted hulk bearing popular American maker names and the subsequent skullduggery that happens on internet sales.
I'll guess its the price to quality issues with Parkers. Great guns....Waaay over priced. As for Smiths, always the dog of american doubles on the market.
Steve
Today there are 40 Sterlys listed on GunsAmerica, lots of 16s, many well used if not abused, and some approaching $3000! And prices are rising for decent LCs-the key words being 'decent', '16 or 20g', and 'no cracks.'
What is going in in the double shotgun world is no different than what has gone on in the collector car world.
Yesterday's junkers are today's finds. Accordingly, yesterday's junkers are being dragged out of closets and put on the market as their value has never been higher.
The bottom line is demand is outstripping supply of top quality guns, so people begin to buyer lesser guns.
Makes a Birmingham boxlock extractor look like an awfully good deal. Trojans for over $2G is the one I just can not fathom.
As previously discussed, 'A must have for your collection'
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=62984111and a no case 16g Trojan with a neat-o white line pad offered by the '5th generation owner' for only $2,600
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=63339885This LC has real potential but so far the seller is refusing a 3 day inspection with right of return
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displa...N%20FWS%20356XX
Maybe the Fox and Ithaca guys (I'll presume you mean NIDs here, correct me if I'm wrong) are into shooting and hunting, and keep 'em for that, and the Parker and LC Smith ranks have swelled with prospectors, looking for an easy buck?
Best,
Ted
Guy claims to be an FFL, he's got eleven guns listed on AA as Reserve Auctions, but won't allow the AA-standard three-day inspection and doesn't have a choke gauge. Unless you really need what he's selling, there is no reason to do business with this bozo. That Smith sure looks nice, though.
A Fox 12ga CE sold on Gun Broker recently for $3600. and no right of return. That would scare me even if the dealer had good feed back.
Looks like a restock to me, and the pix are fuzzy.
As a point of reference, in Fox we have one 20ga (XE) and three 12 ga guns (2 CEs and one BE) in inventory; six 12 ga Parkers (2 DHEs, 2GHs, 2PHs) two of which are #1 frame 12 ga guns; 2 LC Smiths both 10ga Gr2s; four 12 ga Lefevers (a G, an FE, two Es, and a CE); four Rem 1900s some with ejectors and one 1894 BE grade. We don't have any Ithacas at all, but that's because I don't have a good feel for the values and I couldn't give away a 16ga field that I had a couple of years ago. I go out of my way to find Fox guns, also Lefevers, and I can't resist the bargain Rems because I think they are next in terms of market recognition. I avoid Ithacas, and I only buy Parkers when people throw them at me.
A fellow with a 20 gauge Model 21 with a hefty reserve on gunbroker, was also selling other guns, but could not measure his bores. I assumed then that he was a gunsmith rather than a collector. Little bit of humor there. How does that translate? I want seven grand for my gun but don't want to spend $100 for a choke gauge. I wonder if he would be willing to buy another one without a choke gauge?
Now, if only someone could just put me on to a Sterlingworth 'Fowler!
Anyhow, the sites I did go thru were, Puglisi's and Cabela's. Both seemed to have a glut of Parkers and LCs.