The auction just ended, and I hope they're happy with it. I certainly was over the years I've owned it. But with most things, the end is neigh. Mine, not the guns. I put a bunch of great guns up with David Carroll to be rid of them. To emphasize why, my wife was looking at me struggling to print the auction pages to keep the photos as a record. He now uses George in South Dakota to photograph them, and his pix are better than mine.

But when she saw what the bids on Bob Bettis' gun was, she asked why his was worth over thousands more. I tried to explain it to her, that mine was a postwar K22 and Bob's was a prewar 44. Still kind of a blank look on her face, so I also explained that they'd only made 96 of his, but probably thousands of mine. Kind of hard to explain to a woman who likes to sew and go to kids soccer games.

But it verified the wisdom of my decision to sell. If I'd left it to her to distribute the gems in my collection, who knows what she'd have let them go for. Or worse, let my sons have them "to remember old dad by".

The gun that sold tonight I think went to a forum member. He got a really good gun and one that as David said, you could spend a lifetime looking for and never find. So after the auction finalizes and the winner has his gun and I get my check from David, maybe I'll show some mercy and send the winner, whoever that is, a bonus. When I bought the gun I got some extra's. He'll want them more than I will.

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Dick Burg

Well if momma ain't happy with how it played out tonight then momma ain't ever gonna be happy.

Congrats on K166, and K155 for that matter.

I know I am not near as old as you, but, I let them go.

Gotta look to my future also in this collecting thing.

I keep telling myself to sell some of the inventory and upgrade, but, I haven't forced myself to sell yet and can't just keep piling on.

You did good.

So did the seller of the Model 45 and the Model 35-1.

Bam!

bdGreen

Congrats to the winners, I was in on some of the bidding early but soon realized how far over my head I was. From the pictures they must have been truly spectacular pieces, makes me kick myself for not paying what I was ready to pay a few years ago...ain't that the way it goes. Like the old saw "You never pay too much for a Colt, just pay at the wrong time."

One of the things many people and even collectors don't realize is that guns don't always come in 100% or even 98% condition. Often the guns that are brand new get some "shop wear" by others handling them. Getting lucky or really lucky and getting one 70 years old and having it be better than some offered up as brand new is real luck. I'd guess if you looked hard enough with a high powered magnifier, you might find a small blemish. If you do, keep it to yourself. Let the next guy find it.

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Dick Burg

I know what you mean about explaining rarity and condition to a wife. My wife is wonderful about listening to me talk about the various reasons one is special.....but at some point I see her eyes glaze over, and its time to talk about her!

To my wife, after the first two or three sentences about guns, I start to sound like Charlie Brown's teacher, "Blah, blah, blah, blah".

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Yep!

"You don't pay too much for any premium name brand gun, you just buy it too soon."

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Jim
S&WCA #819

If you're talk8ng about the NRA event in E-Town, i've done made up my mind that I'm going next year. Come He'll or High Water. And I'm bringing a pocket full of cash.!

As a confirmed lifelong bachelor, I used to worry about what would happen to my guns when I “shuffle off this mortal coil” but my fears were allayed nearly 10 years ago when my youngest niece observed, “Uncle Charlie, when you die, a lot of people are going to be fighting over your guns!” Since both she and her older sister as well as her brother-in-law and even her dad (my youngest brother) have a serious interest in all things gun related, she’s probably right. Then there are the grand nephews... yes, I’d say the future of my guns is pretty well safe for a long time to come!

Froggie

Dick,

Tell your wife that I thought that yours brought some very nice prices!! You and I are in the same boat. We've reached that age where we believe what the ancient Stoics told us that we never know whether last night was the last one in which we would crawl into bed or whether this morning was the last one where we would awaken. Neither of us want our spouses to sell our collection for what we told them we paid for it. That certainly doesn't mean that we are folding out collecting tent but only that we are planning ahead.

Bob