Interesting auction in Indy with lots of surplus guns and WWII items

[DoggyDaddy]

This is Lot 35, it followed me home. I've ordered a correct reproduction holster (Cavalry draw with 3/4 flap) and some REALLY expensive .45 auto rim ammo.

From what I've been able to research this one was born in 1918. It was (one of 10,163 S&Ws) rebuilt in the Springfield Armory in Fiscal Year 1941.

Very nice find!

 

[steif]

What was funnerer was the standing up feeding frenzy at the last for all the bayonets and stuff on the tables.. lol That's where i ended up spending way too much money, but I did pick up some great items. I had never owned a real WW2 stiletto, and got 5 of them! 3 Fairbairn-Sykes, and 2 Marine Raider Stilettos. It never rains, but pours... lol

 

[indy1919a4]

My only purchase was this little unrecognized jewel.. lol
https://christys.hibid.com/lot/5916...-cal--22-lr-sn--111531/?ipp=10&q=&ref=catalog

I cant believe it slipped through for what I bid..
this started out as a 45 colt SAA, manufacture date is 1884..
it's got a new set of hard rubber grips as well as what it's got on, a fine set of stags.
Mashburn's gun shop, the old one run by Art, converted this to 22 LR, and it works like a swiss watch. His shop did a lot of custom and wildcats, 218 mashburn bee I think is the most common.
Am I happy... Heck yeah.. lol
I think I could probably get most of the cost back from them stags If I wanted to sell them.

That is so darn cool.. was to ignorant to appreciate all of that.. You know there were alot of really nice guns there..

 

[KellyinAvon]

My only purchase was this little unrecognized jewel.. lol
https://christys.hibid.com/lot/5916...-cal--22-lr-sn--111531/?ipp=10&q=&ref=catalog

I cant believe it slipped through for what I bid..
this started out as a 45 colt SAA, manufacture date is 1884..
it's got a new set of hard rubber grips as well as what it's got on, a fine set of stags.
Mashburn's gun shop, the old one run by Art, converted this to 22 LR, and it works like a swiss watch. His shop did a lot of custom and wildcats, 218 mashburn bee I think is the most common.
Am I happy... Heck yeah.. lol
I think I could probably get most of the cost back from them stags If I wanted to sell them.

Nice!

 

[indy1919a4]

We were hanging on the right side, between the gun tables and the table that had all the bayonets and odd lots on it, up near the front mostly (at least when something was getting ready to come up that I might bid on ).

A professional bidder always moves around, fires his shots from different locations.. Melds back into the crowd.. You never want to be spotted like Mr red pen.. And you never want to be one of the Auctioneers pet bidders.

 

[steif]

Yes, I think there were too many nice guns to pick from.. or just too many to have enough money to buy what a person wanted.. lol

 

[DoggyDaddy]

A professional bidder always moves around, fires his shots from different locations.. Melds back into the crowd.. You never want to be spotted like Mr red pen.. And you never want to be one of the Auctioneers pet bidders.

 

[indy1919a4]

Yes, I think there were too many nice guns to pick from.. or just too many to have enough money to buy what a person wanted.. lol

You know I hate the thought of ever saying there was to much goodness in one place. But you are right there was so many wonderful little (and not so little) finds in there, it was really hard to focus and take it all in. It was hard to take the time & money to venture out of your comfort zone and look at all the other items.

 

[indy1919a4]

Sorry man, not all of us can bring cute little kids to do his bidding ..

 

[bgcatty]

When all is said and done there where an awful lot of ridiculously high prices bid for a lot of mediocre firearms. It would appear that auction fever or shills got cut loose on the auction floor. The 18% premium is also crazy and an example of pure greed by the auctioneers.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I think you did very well too, great pistol! I think First World War guns reused in the Second World War are a fascinating subject.

I was one row behind and to the left of the guy you mentioned, and I literally thought the same thing at the end of the auction. "That guy must have dropped $10 grand today." I had a real good view of him from where I was at, and he really did have his eyes closed most of the time, then that pen would go up. He would win, write a bunch of stuff on those papers he had, and appear to doze off again.

Were you the guy with long hair who took a couple LC Smiths home?

 

[KellyinAvon]

We were hanging on the right side, between the gun tables and the table that had all the bayonets and odd lots on it, up near the front mostly (at least when something was getting ready to come up that I might bid on ).

Ah, there was a mob of folks over there.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

When all is said and done there where an awful lot of ridiculously high prices bid for a lot of mediocre firearms. It would appear that auction fever or shills got cut loose on the auction floor. The 18% premium is also crazy and an example of pure greed by the auctioneers.

Well, to be fair, it was only 10% in person. The 18% was for online only. And greed? Meh. They're in business to make money, not as a public service. Sure, nobody wants to pay more for anything, but I can't really begrudge them wanting to make money. Obviously a lot of other people felt the same way.

 

[indy1919a4]

When all is said and done there where an awful lot of ridiculously high prices bid for a lot of mediocre firearms. It would appear that auction fever or shills got cut loose on the auction floor. The 18% premium is also crazy and an example of pure greed by the auctioneers.

Would never accuse Christies of ever shilling, ever just not in the cards .. And keep in mind 8% of that premium is the state of Indiana.

 

[indy1919a4]

The 18% was for online only.

You know we really have to get the 411 on this and we have a perfect person here to do it.. Kaveman purchased something online and will pick it it.. Perhaps he can tell us exactly what he paid in terms or premium and taxes.. I gots to know.

 

[KellyinAvon]

A professional bidder always moves around, fires his shots from different locations.. Melds back into the crowd.. You never want to be spotted like Mr red pen.. And you never want to be one of the Auctioneers pet bidders.

SOLD, to the gentleman who keeps moving around and changing his appearance

 

[DoggyDaddy]

SOLD, to the gentleman who keeps moving around and changing his appearance

To really throw them off, I wonder if there is anything to keep someone from going in and registering for a bidder number multiple times, then just keep switching your sticker every time you bid.

 

[indy1919a4]

To really throw them off, I wonder if there is anything to keep someone from going in and registering for a bidder number multiple times, then just keep switching your sticker every time you bid.

Beginner... lay down before you hurt yourself.. You do not wear your bid number, you keep it in your picket so only you and God knows what your doing..

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Beginner... lay down before you hurt yourself.. You do not wear your bid number, you keep it in your picket so only you and God knows what your doing..

So you just let me wander around yesterday with my number hanging out for everyone to see?!

 

[kaveman]

You know we really have to get the 411 on this and we have a perfect person here to do it.. Kaveman purchased something online and will pick it it.. Perhaps he can tell us exactly what he paid in terms or premium and taxes.. I gots to know.

Winning bid was $300. Internet buyers' premium of 18% is tacked onto that totaling $354. Indiana tax of 7% calculated on the whole for an invoice total of $378.78. Without having the chance to check the auction rules I assumed that I was committing to AT LEAST $350 with my "$300" bid. After winning I back-checked and saw the 18% plus tax and wagged it at $375.

*NOTE*,.....this is NOT the way it should be done, but I literally found the object of my desire minutes before it hit the block and it was "now or never". I was willing to take a chance at $300 but I was done bidding at that point. $325 would have taken it from me and I'd be cussing up a blue streak today if I'd let it go for that. But after having time to look at the pics a few more times and fully understanding the contractual terms of the auction, I'd be willing to go $500 now,......but I still haven't seen the gun. I just know that if "Merwin Hulbert" had been written in the description instead of "Hopkins & Allen" I wouldn't have won it. It would have sold for twice as much. Since I wasn't there I have no way of knowing if the auctioneer mentioned "Merwin Hulbert" to the crowd, but I suspect he did since it was mentioned in the sparse description.