Howdy

I attended the second day of the Amoskeag auction in Manchester NH today. I was very interested in this Bicycle Revolver.

Auction Item



I had inspected it a few days earlier. Really pristine condition, nice box too. I thought the estimate of $700 - $900 was really low, but this was one of the items I was planning on bidding on. As it happened, I was out of the room when it came up, and as I walked back into the room I saw it was up on the screen and under the gavel right then. I grabbed for my orange card, but the price was already way beyond what I was willing to pay.

When the gavel fell it sold for $4000. I did not feel bad, I would have gone above the estimate, but I was not going to pay that kind of money.

As I said, a beautiful example of a Bicycle Revolver, but I did discover on examining it that the grip safety was not functioning. The action could be worked without pressing the grip safety in.

I suppose that sounds like sour grapes.

Actually, I was not too disappointed, the main reason I was there today was because they were auctioning off a whole bunch of Lugers today, and I was able to grab a nice one.

There was also a S&W #3 American up for auction today, but the condition was pretty bad, and it needed some work as it did not time properly. It went for $1000, more than I was willing to pay for an American in that condition.

I was a player here at home. I thought the estimate was low as well. Some people have more dollars than sense.

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Don Mundell

I had just looked that one up, and was shocked at the bid price, (plus the buyer might have the 20.5% premium of bought on line). Their pockets are much deeper than mine are.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

One of three things must have happened (1) The gun had a famous person provenance, known only to the high bidders, or ( 2) Two, or more, deep pockets collectors had an ego fight for the gun, or (3) the consignor had a change of heart and had a ringer buy back the gun. Ed.

The sad part is someone will show up at my next show with grandpa's just like the one in the auction. Try to tell him his isn't worth what the one just sold just brought.

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Don Mundell

WOW! $4000 is a lot of money in the circle I run with. It certainly appears to be a pristine example, with a matching box, But still a lot of money.
My congrats to the new owner. You have the finest example I have ever seen. Best

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

There was a nickel 38 Double Action (no box) that went for $1800 as well. Everything on my watch list sold for way higher than I thought it was worth. Must have been a great day for Amoskeag!

That 32 came with a box and paper, so that probably pushed the price up another $1000. 20% buyer's fee is big money when bidding $4000 - add another $800.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I got 2 for sure, possibly 4, at that auction, at my low estimate. The other two I won't know until my dealer calls me in a couple of days.
Don't forget the house gets their cut from the consignor. So the guns is actually worth $3000.00 correct?

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Don Mundell

. . . but not to the buyer . . .

Think about the fact that the auctioneer gets roughly $1000 from the seller and $1000 from the buyer for 20 seconds of the auctioneer's time and a few snapshots.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Anyone here get the 3 1/2 " .44 Special?

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Good shooting.

Howdy Again

Regarding the Bicycle gun, there was no providence listed in the catalog. I doubt anyone on the phone would have had information that was not listed in the catalog. As I said, I examined it and it was pristine. Looked real hard for a refinish but could find no evidence of a refinish. The box was really nice too, I don't know how to rate a box, but it was really nice.

Personally I am not interested in high end guns, a box really does not light my fire, although it is always nice to get one. As I walked back into the room I'm pretty sure the bidding was coming from the phones in the back of the room, not from anybody in the room. As I said, I had been planning on bidding on it because the estimated price was so low. I had been out in the hall talking to a friend about a serious issue he was having and time flew by and I did not realize the gun had come under the hammer yet. I grabbed for my card, but did not even raise it when I saw where the bidding had gotten to.

This was the second day of the auction, the really high value stuff went the first day. This gun really should have gone the first day, sometimes Amoskeag makes a mistake in their estimates and that is probably why this one was in the second day's auction.

Overall, prices were not crazy that day. Lots of stuff went for under the high price in the estimated range. Yes, the bidding was hot and heavy for this one, a couple of deep pocket guys on the phones.

Not to sound like sour grapes, but I may be the only person who noticed the grip safety was not functioning. Not that the kind of guy who pays that kind of money is going to notice, he will never shoot it.

I will remain on the lookout for a Bicycle Revolver, yesterday just was not my day for that. But I walked home with a nice Luger from 1915 and a WWII M1 Carbine, so I was happy.

P.S. The way Amoskeag works is the 'buyer's premium' is 20%, unless one pays by check or cash, then it is 15%. So 15% gets tacked onto the hammer price. I do not know what the deal is with phone bidders, have never done that. Amoskeag also keeps an additional 15% of the hammer price from what they pay the consignor. But the buyer only pays the extra 15% as long as he pays with cash or check.

I saw the Bicycle gun at the Las Vegas show when they had it on display, great gun. I was a telephone bidder on the gun but the price when above what I was willing to pay. From my conversation with the phone auction person it seemed that most of the bidders were telephone bidders. The buyers premium added another $600 to the $4000 hammer price for a total of $4600 (assuming the bidder paid by check). That has got to be a record for a 32 Bicycle revolver.

B. Mower

We saw what happened, but was it real? The first warning sign was the ridiculous estimate by Amoskeag. $700-$900 ? Any knowledgable collector consigning this gun would have raised the roof with Amoskeag putting that low of an estimate on the gun and putting it in the second day, to start. ( It's been my experience that few auction houses have any smarts regarding S&Ws, unless the consignor clues them in ) . Until we know the real story - who consigned it & why?, Who bought it and why? It will an anomaly. Ed.

So if I am hearing you guys correctly you are saying that I overpaid for the boxed bicycle gun????

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James Redfield
LM #497

James
There's no fool like an old fool! I do know that your full of Bravo Sierra, because Kathy didn't call me offering me her poor deceased husbands Club Gun.

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Don Mundell

Yes "Donnie bag of dumpsters" but you are still in the will.....

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James Redfield
LM #497

I inspected the gun in person at the Las Vegas show. The gun is very nice, as is the box but unfortunately there are multiple cylinder lines where something put several ring-like scratches around the notches. That turned me off pursuing it.