Had my eyes opened tonight watching the closing auctions for a couple of very pretty pre model 21 and 24's, had my max bids in early and thought I was stretching on one, got blown out of the water in the last eight hours. Am still watching one pre model 21 going for close to 4 grand....Amazing, they were truly beautiful examples from a Dr.'s collection.

That one pre-21 went for over $4K...truly amazing

Not so much 'amazing' as extremely disheartening.
The winner kept stepping on my head.

I was the second to the last man standing.

Poop.

bdGreen

I really liked the transition Outdoorsman 38/44 (with the RM bbl) but didn't
want to "play" at 1800 plus.
He has some nice stuff for sale.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Yeah. Whew!

I followed the Doc's guns from the day they went on the block until yesterday. I was awestruck -- even sent a note to the "sellers" to tell them how much I appreciated the Doc's collection. I felt like I'd gone back in a time machine. There were a few I didn't even know existed.

I was lucky though. I'm a shooter. No safe queen's here. Even if the prices were in my comfort zone I wouldn't have played because I wouldn't, couldn't, shoot any of those. I can sincerely appreciate them from afar, but those were museum quality, and therefore, not for my palate.

I sort of knew on "opening day" with auctions that started at $0.01 with no reserve were going to go off the charts. Guess they did -- I couldn't watch.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

What auction was this?

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George Jamison

Classic old Smiths are like land, they ain't makin em anymore.

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Loyalty Above All.. but Honor

I was amazed that the 5" pre 21 went for more than the 4" . I thought the 5" was the more common of this model , followed by the 4" & lastly the 6 1/2" . Auction was David Carroll's on GB that ended last night . Had to look again . Now I see the 5" was in better condition .

Check GB similar prices there. I never thought the prices would go up so fast. S&w has hit colt status price wise. If we're seeing the higher prices now what will we see in ten years? Glad I have a few.

I don't collect this model, but, I know condition is paramount and this one stood out. I really wanted this one. Just one. But, twasn't meant to be. When you get to the point of higher levels of insanity than usual and realize, "I ain't going home with this one".
Bid on a S&W Nickel Model 17-3 and you get to see that if you are up against the 'right guy', you didn't bring enough blood to party.

bdGreen

Who is this 'Doc' you speak of?
Just wondering if there was another auction going on other than David Carroll's.

bdGreen

The OP mentioned the guns were from "... a Dr.'s collection."

I can't find a one of them, now, and I don't recall the Doc's name. The ones I referred to were offered by a shop in Alabama -- Woodlawn Boys, I think.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

You are correct, Woodlawn Boys, it is David Carroll and every week he has a listing of 20+ "collector grade" guns on Gunbroker. I've been following his auctions for several years, and although I have put my bids out I have never been able to buy anything. My wallet isn't fat enough to be able to pay the prices they are bringing. I do smile often as I compare some of the S&W's I have with the prices these models are now bringing. They are setting new high's.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Glad to hear someone else say they can't play at those prices. I watch the Woodlawn Boys auctions and wish I could win one but they're just too rich for my blood. Then again most of those guns are too nice to be in my collection.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

One of many reasons why I am not a collector...and why I don't seek collector grade guns. I simply can't afford it. Revolvers costing several thousands of dollars are way above my pay grade.

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No life story has happy end.

You still can buy a decent collector grade at a reasonable cost if you stay browsing.

I'm not a collector, I shoot at the range and hunt. Some stuff I have is range only. I enjoy the few I have. I been very, very frugal all my life.

I made a couple of attempts at the M19 four inch with the box from that collection, what a beauty! I would have kept going after it but we just got home from a vacation the night the auctions ended.

I too have been following Mr. Carroll's sales for a while. Prices on many of the items from one collection, listed over the past 3 weeks, have been exceptionally high. Word got around that the collection had many uncommon revolvers & people came with barrels of cash. I took a run at the 6 1/2" pre-21 in the last hour & immediately hit my limit.

Always a pleasure to see what he has up for sale. I was sorely deluded into thinking I was anywhere near competitive with my early bids. I had no idea they were going through the ceiling. I should have been clued in watching the previous weeks Hand Ejectors.
On the one hand I wonder if the market could possibly begin to see more and more of these high condition revolvers begin to see the light of day as more and more of the older collectors age and their life long collections become the property of greedy youngsters with little regard for mechanical art.

Decent collector grade guns can be found. Mostly by accidentally tripping over one.
Times have changed in many ways.
Just a few short years ago word of mouth brought treasures to the forefront. A verbal back and forth with the seller usually brought an amicable sale. This was enhanced by being someone with 'that interest' or 'that kind of money'.

I used to get personal calls and emails, quite frequently, from the movers and shakers in the Smith and Wesson selling business. They knew their customers wants and needs.

No more.

No more calls, no more emails.

My money hasn't dried up.

The personal contacts have.

Where are they?

GunBroker.

Few personal contacts to make, throw it out there with a butt load of wonderful pictures and voila, enter the masses.

I get it. It's a business. They are selling for their commission. It is important. But, can I further the narrow focus I try and maintain in my choice for my collection?

No.

No more calls from people that know what I collect and desire to own. And, when you factor in the 'masses' that are now made aware of all those guns you would like to own then those with the deep pockets will continue to step on your head.

We all have our price points. If you have come from way back in time then the sales of today are like a swift kick in the groin. Each and every auction winds up with a 'I guess someone wanted it more than me'.
It's really not all about the money, people. At least not to me. It's the idea that 'you just bought it too soon' doesn't play well if you can't see the date when the price points will match, if ever.

I have shooters.
I have collector grade stuff.
I have dedicated safe queens.

They are all still my passion.
The selling game, not so much.

bdGreen

Representation and great pictures, added with premium guns, make auctions BRING HIGH PRICES. I may watch a couple each week I might could afford one day, but am sadly way off on my reality of pricing and What some people are willing to pay. I don't want any more guns; then, I look and change my mind.

Ya'll played for quite a while after the "official" ending for the auction!

According to Woodlawn Boys sales:

"We are featuring the fourth installment of the S&W collection of the late Dr. Harry Shepard ’Shep’ Rowland, Jr., a prominent and long-time member of the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association, who passed away in July 2015 at age 89 at his home in Richmond, Virginia."

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

IIRC there were only 1,200 pre 21's made . Of these 600 were 5" , 400 were 4" & 200 were 6 1/2" . So they are scarce . Now add the fact of being in high condition , with original boxes etc . I look at it like fishing or hunting in that I can't get every one , but when an opportunity arises I'll take my best shot . Due to work & other constraints making the big Louisville & Tulsa shows just aren't possible nor the annual SWCA , plus I aint making the same money I was in the oilpatch heydays long gone .

I'm still stunned by the Pre 29 bringing almost $6800. That's getting into Registered Magnum territory.

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Get off my lawn!

You know the prices for these beauties wouldn't be so high if you guys would all stop bidding against each other.

I have a thought. All of you stop bidding on Gun Broker and Gun Auction and I will bid to represent all of you. Without all of the head to head competition we can keep the prices down. OK?

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James Redfield
LM #497

In my ignorance I had no idea they were truly that rare. I am not what I would consider a collector by any means. I just appreciate earlier Smith and Wesson revolvers and wouldn't mind having one in my possession. I don't care for the newer models, although some are very fine shooters, they just aren't the same as the pre-model revolvers. Even my Brazilian model of 1917 is finished to a higher degree than the new stuff.

I had forgotten how rare the pre-21's were. Sure glad I bought that pre-21 4 inch original factory pinto off a local classifieds for $400 a couple years ago. Wonder what it might be worth now.