I've just GOT to tell this story. I was at a friend's house last Saturday and we got to shooting the breeze about guns as he knows it is a hobby of mine. I knew that his great uncle, who was childless, had left him an extrmely valuable collection of Civil War era firearms, matched engraved presentation sets to General so-and-so, a "Dance" pistol, etc, etc. That collection was valued 15 or 20 years ago at over $300K.
But when we were talking, he said "you know my Great-uncle left me other run-of-the-mill guns too that aren't valuable...would you like to see them? I'd like to sell them sometime, but don't want to get ripped off". He has no real interest in the guns, and his son isn't really interested either. I said I'd take a look and see if I could give him a best estimate as to their value.
Well, he goes over to a locked cabinet and proceeds to pull out about 10 original boxes and hands them to me. I open the first box and I am looking at a new, apparently unfired first generation Colt SAA in 45. Not a single mark or blemish. I can only estimate the age of he gun by the Colt box, which on the inside had some advertisements, including talking about buying Colt machine guns. So, I am estimating it was from the 1920's?
The second box had an identical revolver in the same pristine condition in 44 Russian caliber. Same type of box with the same advertisements in it.
The next 4 or 5 boxes were miscellaneous Smith & Wessons...again apparently new and unfired...most of which had the original bills of sales from when the man bought them in the 1950s. Not a single drag line, not a mark. I'm sorry, but I don't remember the model numbers - I was sort of flabbergasted.
Next was a Colt Woodsman - brand new in the box - obviously fairly old based on the style of the box, etc.
Then there was a 1908 Colt 32 caliber automatic - almost perfect condition. There was one fairly well used S&W western type 44 Magnum (blackhawk?).
So, I offered him $500 and took the whole bunch.
JUST KIDDING! No, I told him that what he had was a helluva lot more valuable than he thought. And gave him some estimates, but said that he really needed to do some research.
Anyway - that's my story. It was one of those rare circimstances where you come across something amazing when you don't expect it.
But when we were talking, he said "you know my Great-uncle left me other run-of-the-mill guns too that aren't valuable...would you like to see them? I'd like to sell them sometime, but don't want to get ripped off". He has no real interest in the guns, and his son isn't really interested either. I said I'd take a look and see if I could give him a best estimate as to their value.
Well, he goes over to a locked cabinet and proceeds to pull out about 10 original boxes and hands them to me. I open the first box and I am looking at a new, apparently unfired first generation Colt SAA in 45. Not a single mark or blemish. I can only estimate the age of he gun by the Colt box, which on the inside had some advertisements, including talking about buying Colt machine guns. So, I am estimating it was from the 1920's?
The second box had an identical revolver in the same pristine condition in 44 Russian caliber. Same type of box with the same advertisements in it.
The next 4 or 5 boxes were miscellaneous Smith & Wessons...again apparently new and unfired...most of which had the original bills of sales from when the man bought them in the 1950s. Not a single drag line, not a mark. I'm sorry, but I don't remember the model numbers - I was sort of flabbergasted.
Next was a Colt Woodsman - brand new in the box - obviously fairly old based on the style of the box, etc.
Then there was a 1908 Colt 32 caliber automatic - almost perfect condition. There was one fairly well used S&W western type 44 Magnum (blackhawk?).
So, I offered him $500 and took the whole bunch.
JUST KIDDING! No, I told him that what he had was a helluva lot more valuable than he thought. And gave him some estimates, but said that he really needed to do some research.
Anyway - that's my story. It was one of those rare circimstances where you come across something amazing when you don't expect it.
