Antique Firearms Auctions

[vintovka]

Seems it works two ways today as folks seem determined to quickly divest themselves of stacks of cash. High end modern and antique firearms are bringing premiums as investments. Useable, complete BP arms of any kind are as well including parts thereof. Other Collectables including furniture and even classic vehicles may be circling the drain in value due to lack of demand and cost of maintenance repair and insurance. Everything pales however when compared to real estate. On my way today to look a house currently priced at near 1 mill that sold for 300k in 2016? Go figure.

 

[TobJohn]

Seems it works two ways today as folks seem determined to quickly divest themselves of stacks of cash. High end modern and antique firearms are bringing premiums as investments. Useable, complete BP arms of any kind are as well including parts thereof. Other Collectables including furniture and even classic vehicles may be circling the drain in value due to lack of demand and cost of maintenance repair and insurance. Everything pales however when compared to real estate. On my way today to look a house currently priced at near 1 mill that sold for 300k in 2016? Go figure.

Collectible cars also follow the trend of having the teenage dream cars of the current 40-60 years olds as the most in demand, so the prices usually follow that, with a corresponding drop in the previous bracket.

 

[vintovka]

Collectible cars also follow the trend of having the teenage dream cars of the current 40-60 years olds as the most in demand, so the prices usually follow that, with a corresponding drop in the previous bracket.

This was true up until the cost of parts and labor became stupid high. I can see many classics with 40-50K+ in them going for half price or less. Sadly the odds of even restoring a classic in a cost effective way are now zero.

 

[TobJohn]

This was true up until the cost of parts and labor became stupid high. I can see many classics with 40-50K+ in them going for half price or less. Sadly the odds of even restoring a classic in a cost effective way are now zero.

That’s a very good point. I forgot everything car related is still supply chain f-upped

 

[vintovka]

That’s a very good point. I forgot everything car related is still supply chain f-upped

Not just that the prices when available and the cost of shipping parts is killing car collectors. I was asked to advise a friend about buying a non running 1953 Chevrolet pickup needing restoration priced at 10K. I gave him several current parts catalogs and the name of some restorers. I have not heard back.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I think the OP is talking about “window shopping” primarily. Looking at the old guns and gear for enjoyment and education.

I like the Rock Island Auction, Cowans, and iCollectors, all of which have good descriptions and uniformly excellent photos. However, I am usually less likely to go to some specific seller’s website than I am to just do a Google search, using terms like “antique hunting pouch,” “buffalo powder horn,” “cane powder measure,” or “tack decorated Springfield.” Maybe only one out of twelve or fifteen “hits” show anything you really want to see, but if you get a thousand hits, you still find a lot to look at. Check out the “images” page in addition to the links. These frequently lead to one or more of the auction sites mentioned above.

Some of the folks curating these auctions don’t really know what they’re talking about… I’ve seen several “powder horns with missing base plugs” that were clearly blowing horns, for example… but the Rock Island and Cowan’s staff (and a couple of others) generally seem to know their stuff. I’ve learned a lot from that type of browsing.

Some of the larger museums (e.g. the Smithsonian, the Met, the National Museum of the American Indian) have digitized their collections and created searchable databases. A lot of these places have guns and related accoutrements, and they are worth a look.

Notchy Bob

 

[brushblind]

10 to 24% buyers premium plus tax plus shipping and handling, ins. is usually extra, no thanks, I'll keep looking around!

 

[Col. Batguano]

Collectible cars also follow the trend of having the teenage dream cars of the current 40-60 years olds as the most in demand, so the prices usually follow that, with a corresponding drop in the previous bracket.

So my Yugo and Chrysler K-Car' I bought in the 80's as investments are just about to bust through the roof. Hot dang!

 

[Hawk54]

It is rural here with patches of development. I watch the local papers for ads from the couple of auctioneers. Estate sales and, sometimes, gun auctions. Where possible, I will preview the sale either the day or morning before. It is good to have self discipline about how much you are willing to pay for a given item. Admittedly, that self discipline has vanished on one or two occasions.

Exactly. You have to factor in buyer fees and tax if applicable when bidding. If over the internet and the item will be shipped you have to factor in shipping. Add the buyer fee, shipping, and tax into a total and subtract from the total you are will to pay. That amount is what you bid up to. Easy to get carreid away and then they slap on all the fees and your eyeballs bulge.

 

[vintovka]

Fees and tax are now everywhere leading some to avoid paying the auction house when the bill comes due.. Most now collect a CC to even place a bid and may opt to charge full amount plus (and or) penalties for failing to pay. Same auctions may additionally ban those who do not complete purchases and refer some to collection and credit agencies. They may also take your info and "share" it with others as sort of a bid vetting system. Now that taxes are part of most online sales states also might get involved when they are not paid. Just the way it is and getting worse.

 

[Hawk54]

Fees and tax are now everywhere leading some to avoid paying the auction house when the bill comes due.. Most now collect a CC to even place a bid and may opt to charge full amount plus (and or) penalties for failing to pay. Same auctions may additionally ban those who do not complete purchases and refer some to collection and credit agencies. They may also take your info and "share" it with others as sort of a bid vetting system. Now that taxes are part of most online sales states also might get involved when they are not paid. Just the way it is and getting worse.

Exactly. You have to be more aware now of what you are getting into. Check the fine print before bidding.

 

[wojciste]

Interest in collecting 'old' stuff has dropped dramatically. Not just for guns but all kinds of antiquities. I'm currently trying to sell of my wife's considerable collections and, literally, cannot give the stuff away. Eventually, it will all go either into the dumpster or donated to Salvation Army where they can sell $300.00 items for one dollar.

A buddy of mine's father passed away. He had 200 books on WW2 had to give them away. The Veterans Association took them. He had over 50 shadow boxes if military models all painted and with figurines. In the trash. His wife had 200 Marie Osmond dolls in the box unopened. Went to Goodwill. Old dark wood furniture in the trash. No one wants this stuff anymore.

 

[Oldbear63]

My wife just returned from Europe where she had to close out her mother's estate. The apartment full of antiques was appraised for a tiny fraction of what it would have gone for a generation ago. Younger generations have little connection to antiques and little interest in collecting them.

 

[Coinneach]

Agree. Younger people aren't interested in lever guns, wheel guns, Model 12's, and such. I have seen that in other collecting areas also such as militaria. The younger people have little interest. Shows fifteen to twenty years ago were packed with people. Not so much now. Some of the bigger shows are completely gone now. Items that sold easily before are now tough to sell or don't sell at all. WW1 and WW2 reenactments were real popular. We had some good ones all over. There are none now in our neck of the woods. Have some friends that still do it but it is a shadow of what it was. Flea markets were many and huge. Now they are few and much smaller.

Much the same here in Australia nowadays, the Gun shows worth attending are gone replaced with "Bric a Brak" junk in the main. The last one I went to in Brisbane (Queensland Australia) was pathetic, a couple of private Gun collections on display (no sales) and Militaria junk tables everywhere.

 

[Coinneach]

Perusing auction sites, one can see where an older or deceased person's long-time collection is being disseminated. One thing to avoid is having to sell one's personal collection in a 'panic', such as when one receives a serious medical diagnosis. It's hard for many to 'manage' a collection and 'let go' at a certain point; we only have a certain life-span.

Thankfully my 40 year old daughter and grandson are keen to keep everything I've collected over the years, theyre country focussed and independently minded so I'm confident the family will retain most things.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

BEST auction and/or research site, INVALUABLE @
http://www.invaluable.com
Why? Because all (most?) of the auction Site have their listings available on there, especially European auction sites for like when looking for old matchlocks or wheellocks.

 

[elkhorne]

I can attest to the stories about antique vehicles. My wife was left her dad’s 1929 Plymouth U sedan that had not run in over ten years. Exhaustively looked all over for someone with the expertise to get it running. Finally found a local mechanic that said he could but took 9 months and charged $4000+ and it ran for about 2-3 months. That was right as the Plandemic was starting and the guy never came back or contacted us to finish the job. Fast forward to last fall and at anxarea car show we attended, met a guy that has a rebuild business primarily for Ford Model As. He came looked at the car, said he could do it and get it running. Came and got it around Christmas and worked on it through February. He would bill us every week and some were over two thousand dollars. His statements were vague and had no description of what he was spending all the hours on. Got 5 of these and on the third one I began questioning! We had met in the beginning and I had tried to pin him down to a general price for doing what we discussed and he said he could do. Still, he started getting testy when I questioned his charges and why. He used a reproduced wiring harness, rebuilt the hydraulic brakes, got the clutch working and then dropped the ball on the starter, carburetor and radiator. It was like he just stopped accomplishing critical components and delivered it running for 40 miles! Got the starter rebuilt and had to replace the carburetor. I’m not a mechanic but I had to learn a Carter BB-1 carb, got a NOS one, learned to adjust it and finally got it running! It is a beautiful old car but they are a bear to keep running. We finally put out way over his estimate and he realized we caught him gold plating stuff. We now have in it about what my father in law paid for it back in 2006. Sad thing is none of our kids care a thing about it even though it is in very good shape and we have a number of the original docs and tools that came with it. Antique guns are a lot less to maintain and take good care of.

 

[springfield art]

Bidding at auction; you must be aware that your 'hammer price' has on top, a buyer's fee, often 13-23% depending on the auction, and the state sales tax; thus, a $100 bid is actually $124 or more or less depending on the percentage.

 

[vintovka]

Bidding at auction; you must be aware that your 'hammer price' has on top, a buyer's fee, often 13-23% depending on the auction, and the state sales tax; thus, a $100 bid is actually $124 or more or less depending on the percentage.

True and the seller often gets less than $80 out of your 124 bid. Now with taxes and shipping it seems to suck the fun right out of the deal. Why transactions on sites like our little trader can be best deal going