My wife's WWI pistol is in better condition than museum pieces!

[the naked prophet]

My wife has a WWI Ruby pistol, made by Esperanza y Unceta, and isn't really into collecting, so she asked me to list it on a gun auction website. After I listed it, she's reading about it on Wikipedia (the article hadn't been written when I started research, hadn't bothered to check again) and the picture they have of a museum piece in the Warsaw museum is in much worse condition than hers is. Turns out, we can't find one in better condition. I'm not posting a link to the auction because I'm not trying to spam it, but this is the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_pistol

Some pictures are:

http://web.umr.edu/~ikellogg/ruby/ASTRA Patent.JPG

http://web.umr.edu/~ikellogg/ruby/left2.JPG

http://web.umr.edu/~ikellogg/ruby/right.JPG

Notice that hers is better condition than the one in the museum! Has anyone seen any better shape Ruby pistols? I'd like to see some pics, but I can't find many online. I'm also curious to know if anyone else has one at all, since they seem relatively rare (yet collectors tell me how common they are... then offer me $60 for it).

 

[finnerandr]

I personally have never seen a Ruby sell for over $100. And that is for one in pristine condition. You should go to http://forums.gunboards.com/, go to the Spanish pistol forum, and talk to BobinStLouis. He is the resident Spanish pistol expert over there. He can better help you establish value, and heck he might even buy it from you!

 

[the naked prophet]

Already have a $200 bid on it, so I can't offer to sell anywhere else! Like I said, best condition I've ever seen. Several others in horrible condition were selling for over $100, I figured this would sell better.

I've actually done pretty extensive research on it - I've read every dead-tree book on the gun, or on WWI guns in general which mention the Ruby pistol. There are some websites out there with somewhat inaccurate information, though who is correct is debatable.

 

[HisSoldier]

Yes, the pictures I've seen in all my books show terrible condition guns. A collector should be willing to pay a premium for it.

 

[HisSoldier]

I have looked in all three of the major gun auctions and haven't found it. Which one is it in? Thanks

 

[the naked prophet]

It is in gunbroker. I'm selling there as kellogg.leather