I almost passed out...Case of Colts !!!

It's stories like this, that I share with my friend who is a collector. I say, "Gunbroker and the Internet shows us just how "rare" some of these guns really are. Now, a few cases of Colts doesn't change the rarity much, but how many cases are still out there? I always wonder just how rare some of these guns truly are. Not saying there's a ton of them out there, but posts like this make you wonder, because there are a lot of gun owners who don't go online, don't post pictures, or tell tales of the guns they have or have found. Just my 2 cents...
 
And this is why you make sure you have good documentation of your guns and have someone you know that you can trust to know the value of your guns to take care of their sale. All I can think of is that man's family who may have really needed the money to continue sustaining their way of life because we all know that people who don't need the money don't tend to sell off their guns, they just get handed down. Now, the guy who had owned these probably didn't have as much into them as they are worth now and all in all probably turned a profit, but not nearly as much as he could have if there are more cases still to be sold.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pancake guy just "flips" a few of them. :)
 
And this is why you make sure you have good documentation of your guns and have someone you know that you can trust to know the value of your guns to take care of their sale. All I can think of is that man's family who may have really needed the money to continue sustaining their way of life because we all know that people who don't need the money don't tend to sell off their guns, they just get handed down. Now, the guy who had owned these probably didn't have as much into them as they are worth now and all in all probably turned a profit, but not nearly as much as he could have if there are more cases still to be sold.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pancake guy just "flips" a few of them. :)

You think? Huhh huh
 
I bought and sold pythons in the last 2 years, but apparently they have gone up SOME. But the ones pictured are not snub nose and no boxes. This said, that one case is not close to $20,000. Argue anyway if you want.

Edit: plus if I'm buying that many, I'm getting a discount
 
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And this is why you make sure you have good documentation of your guns and have someone you know that you can trust to know the value of your guns to take care of their sale. All I can think of is that man's family who may have really needed the money to continue sustaining their way of life because we all know that people who don't need the money don't tend to sell off their guns, they just get handed down. Now, the guy who had owned these probably didn't have as much into them as they are worth now and all in all probably turned a profit, but not nearly as much as he could have if there are more cases still to be sold.

I wouldn't be surprised if the pancake guy just "flips" a few of them. :)


When i asked Bob who was the guy who bought the Colt "lot" he said it was a Gentleman who owns a Pancake house in town.
I then asked him how old is the dude. He told me he would guess he was in his 20's a younger guy.
I also asked Bob (gun shop owner) if the guy was going to sell them. He said, NO they were going right into his collection.
Now the buyer might decide to sell a few and he might not.
It's his call, his guns. But i am going to that guys restaurant this weekend to see if i can meet the guy and maybe talk guns a little. Maybe i can talk him out of one......or two.
Who knows??

I have told my wife that upon my passing that my collection is to go to Mr. so and so, for him to sell for her.
It might take a little longer but my buddy will get top dollar or
at least close to their current value for my wife if i pass on before she does.

Chuck
 
Chuck--I'm not sure you should contact the pancake house owner. He might not appreciate the fact that the dealer passed along information on who bought the guns. I know I would be very pissed if someone approached me and told me that a dealer told him he'd sold me a gun, much less a collection like this. I'm sure you are friends with the dealer but he broke a confidence in sharing this information, and the buyer might be (rightly) upset if you contact him. It would be better if the dealer contacted him and told him that another collector was interested in the collection, and asked if he minded having his name shared (without mentioning that he had already done so!). Or better yet, ask the dealer to pass your name along, and leave it up to the owner to contact you if he is willing to talk to you.
 
I'm sorry guys. I realize that Colts are bringing extremely high prices. I guess I just do not quite understand why. It does not appear to me that they are in short supply. I do like the revolvers but I guess I just can't seem to bring myself to drop that much money on a gun that to me ( this might be a misperception on my part) are not that rare just over priced. This post is not meant to offend any Colt Fans at all. IMHO at this time I think I will stick with the Smiths. I can understand why when you see a rare /desirable smith come up for sale it is priced high. But I do not understand the colt pricing. The guns pictured above are real beauties though I will admit to that and a very impressive collection.
 
I posted this response on another forum about these same guns but there is no way these five guns would even bring $15,000 around here and $12,500 would be a stretch.If they where stainless or 2 1/2 inch they would bring a lot more but not 4 and 6 inch common guns.

To me I only see maybe $10,000 in that case around here I see Python's with high asking prices but they just sit.The last three I have seen sell sold for $1800-$2000 two nickel and one blue.About 7 months ago a LGS had a stainless 6 inch and it sold for $3600 but not the nickel or blue guns.JMHO
 
Must be bigger money in waffles and sausages than I realize.

Chud333, I wouldn't out the gunshop owner to Mr. Pancakes. It was kind of a breach of etiquette for the gunshop guy to have said anything to anybody about who bought what and paid how much. I am sure he knew that at some level.

A few years back, I was in my favorite local gunshop and the owner, who I had dealt with for years and considered him (and still do) to be a friend, was talking to another customer, who I didn't know and who I am sure didn't know me, and I heard him ask the shop owner, "So, has that BUFF guy bought any cool new S&W's lately?" Shop owner shot a glance at me as his face and ears got really red. I interjected my self and said to the customer, "Hi, I'm BUFF and haven't bought **** lately."

I knew the owner had shown some guns that I had ordered through him to other customers before I picked them up, which I didn't mind, but it kind of ticked me off that he would tell people who they were for. I get mildly ticked still whenever I think about this and this happened probably 20 years ago.

Loose lips sink ships, and often screw up a lot of other things.
 
Must be bigger money in waffles and sausages than I realize.

Chud333, I wouldn't out the gunshop owner to Mr. Pancakes. It was kind of a breach of etiquette for the gunshop guy to have said anything to anybody about who bought what and paid how much. I am sure he knew that at some level.

A few years back, I was in my favorite local gunshop and the owner, who I had dealt with for years and considered him (and still do) to be a friend, was talking to another customer, who I didn't know and who I am sure didn't know me, and I heard him ask the shop owner, "So, has that BUFF guy bought any cool new S&W's lately?" Shop owner shot a glance at me as his face and ears got really red. I interjected my self and said to the customer, "Hi, I'm BUFF and haven't bought **** lately."

I knew the owner had shown some guns that I had ordered through him to other customers before I picked them up, which I didn't mind, but it kind of ticked me off that he would tell people who they were for. I get mildly ticked still whenever I think about this and this happened probably 20 years ago.

Loose lips sink ships, and often screw up a lot of other things.

Good advice and thanks i've been thinking about this myself.
I'll not approach the buyer and i won't ask the owner of the
shop to show me any of the other Colts either.
To be clear, the owner volunteered to show me the case of Pythons, i think because he knew i appreciated fine revolvers.
He's a friend and does call me when he gets nicer old Smiths in the shop.
I'm happy with my new HD

Chuck
 
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That's a nice HD you got. I can't think of any problem just looking at those Colts would cause. It's nice when a dealer can show you neat stuff going through their shop.
 
I watched 3 Pythons being auctioned at a local gun auction about 3 weeks ago. 2 blued 6" and 1 nickel 6". The blued went for $2000 and $2100, and the nickel one for $2750. (They all went to the same bidder). This is a fairly well attended auction and there were bidders from St Louis, and Central IL area's.
The one thing I have done is a "tag" attached to every gun with the spec's and anything special about the gun, with a penciled in "value as of" amount which I update every year or two. There is also an excel spread sheet with all the info, s/n's, when bought, how much paid, current value, etc. Hopefully she won't get lowballed by anyone.
 
It's stories like this, that I share with my friend who is a collector. I say, "Gunbroker and the Internet shows us just how "rare" some of these guns really are. Now, a few cases of Colts doesn't change the rarity much, but how many cases are still out there? I always wonder just how rare some of these guns truly are. Not saying there's a ton of them out there, but posts like this make you wonder, because there are a lot of gun owners who don't go online, don't post pictures, or tell tales of the guns they have or have found. Just my 2 cents...

Pythons are in no way rare at all. They are the most commonly sold Colt. Price does not indicate rarity.
 
Pythons are in no way rare at all. They are the most commonly sold Colt. Price does not indicate rarity.

No argument on either statement. However, my guess is that if these were packaged as one lot, what we see in the picture, instead of by themselves, they would bring more. If there's a new Colt collector out there, a group of unfired guns, which may or may not have boxes (we don't know), would be pretty valuable. Some enjoy the hunt, but if you want to build a collection quickly, this would solve your problem. The right pictures, etc. on GB and they would go for more than they are worth.

The inventor of the Pet Rock became a millionaire. So...
 
I see between 12 and 15 grand in that case. Maybe more if they had original boxes and paperwork. Regardless, it sounds like the new owner got a good deal. He may be looking at them as future investment as well, in which case he will no doubt be money ahead.
 
OMG

I recently (today) picked up a nice Austin Police department
.38/44 HD at my small LGS. See: Hand Ejectors forum
for story and pictures....
Run by a retired small town Detective, in a shop that was once
a garage, not attached to, but close to his home.
In asking the owner what he might know about the HD he told me
he would look it up in his log book. He then states the HD had
come in as part of a large (estate) purchase he recently made.
I ask him in addition to this nice old .38/44 was there any nice
old Colts in this estate? He replies simply......"cases".
I ask him.....Any nice old SAA's or Pythons???
Again he replies.......cases.
I then ask him where the heck are they? He grins and says
he sold them all as a "lot" to a young local man who owns a pancake house in town. I about got sick on the spot !!!
He volunteers that he sold the "lot" for 20K.
He then tells me to watch the desk as he would bring some
out to show me if i liked. I foolishly said i would and he brings out the first case and opens it.....




I felt instantly ill .....
I got a nice HD but missed the BIG opportunity......
Oh well, at least i got to fondle them in his shop.

I opened the cylinder on three of these to see they
were most all 5 digit Pythons (Like New, Not even turn lines).

Then he brought out a buntline Peacemaker in Nickel .22
with both cylinders in a wooden Colt box. NIB !!

I had to say my goodbyes as i was about to double over in
pain from my insides.

Chuck

Chuck, Is this even possible. Are you buying all your guns from that store keeper this cheap??? Is he pulling your leg on this????He had to have known the value of those which begs the question "Why let them go so cheap" or he wouldn't be in business to this day don't you think? Im Just crying here...sorry
 
I got a call a few years back on a estate collection and after initial viewing I realized I was going to need some backing to insure that I got the collection at a fair price for both parties.

so I had to call in another investor and we decided that he was interested in some of the nicer pieces so we agreed on what we would take procession of before finalizing the purchase, he got some guns that I would have loved to kept, but then again I got some nice stuff as well

and would not have gotten the collection without his help, and he would not have gotten his guns without mine so he got away with some very nice military arms for his collection, and I settled for some old colts and smiths including a colt revolving musket and a black diamond Winchester 97 , and a 3 digit colt 1900 with unaltered sight safty in 90% condition.

so he might have used the pancake guy as a means to an end

all of those guns I bought back then are now in the hands of other collectors but I did all right on them, and enjoyed them while they were in my pocession
 
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And now...back to S&W's

I'm sorry guys. I realize that Colts are bringing extremely high prices. I guess I just do not quite understand why. It does not appear to me that they are in short supply. I do like the revolvers but I guess I just can't seem to bring myself to drop that much money on a gun that to me ( this might be a misperception on my part) are not that rare just over priced. This post is not meant to offend any Colt Fans at all. IMHO at this time I think I will stick with the Smiths. I can understand why when you see a rare /desirable smith come up for sale it is priced high. But I do not understand the colt pricing. The guns pictured above are real beauties though I will admit to that and a very impressive collection.

I'm with you, sbowenjr. Some Colts (e.g. Python, Cobra, SAA, et al) are ridiculously overpriced these days. But, what do you think of the rarity of this gem? It's in 95% condition, reputedly one of only 63 S&W ever made in 5" bbl (that's right), and Roy Jinks letter from S&W says it was shipped from them in November of 1968 to Int'l Distributors Inc. in South Florida. It was sold by them to the Florida Highway Patrol (which reputedly bought 50 for testing) custom ordered as an evaluation piece (they loved 5 inchers), but they apparently went with the N frame instead eventually, which they carried up until the early 80s along with Colt Troopers. It's an M19-2, 5" bbl, nickel, and sweet! Barely used and still feels factory tight: only a little holster wear from being carried by a trooper. I wonder what it's worth...?
 

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