Rock Island Auction results.

[EC121]

Well the Rock Island Auction is over, and the goods have made to the house.  Here are the pictures.   www.bricestultzhisblog.blogspot.com  The bloodletting is over.  Now to the fun part.  The shootng!!

[Stoner creek]

These auctions are a whole lot of fun. I, like the OP bought 3 guns in the same auction. All three were built by well known makers and after buyers premiums and tax were well below the cost of having the gun commissioned by the makers.
So far this year I have bought in auction rifles made by Jim Chambers, Herschel House, Jud Brennan, Mike Brooks, and Freddie Harrison and have gotten what I can comfortably call bargains.
Oops, I just let the cat out of the bag!

[Marcruger]

Wayne, most excellent gathering and hoarding.   :-)   I look forward to seeing some of those next time we gather in Lexington. 

I think the low auction prices are a result (sadly) of their being fewer of us out there buying.  Let's get some kids out shooting and hook them on the old technology. 

[EC121]

       The low hammer prices can be misleading.  There is a 15% buyers premium(plus 3.5% if you use a credit card and 1% to phone bid) plus 9.5% Illinois sales tax with shipping materials, insurance, and shipping tacked on.  The hammer prices have to be lower to allow for all that and still call it a bargain. 
      Some folks are also buying to resell, and they need room for profit.  You have to sit down before the bidding and figure out your maximum price with fees then subtract the fees to get your maximum bid.
         
       

[TN Longhunter]

Mine came in last week but I was out of state and had to wait till Saturday to unpack it. I eyed the rifles you bought but decided to throw everything after the Matthew Kincade rifle, after spreading too thin on the last auction and just missing out on two Ron Ehlert rifles. I’m good friends with Matthew and his dad, David, and knew the history of this rifle.  Matthew’s first commission while a teenager. Neighbor and good friend helped him with it. The neighbor engraved “RE” surrounded by buck horns on the breech. Matthew’s name is engraved on the top flat. Simple, clean lines for an early style rifle. Bought it for more sentimental reasons but after shooting will see if it can become my main woods rifle for awhile.
Lot of good guns have been showing up on auction and I’m afraid that too many are coming out of estates where the family has no desire to keep them.

[EC121]

You are probably right about the estates.  I saw the Brooks rifle for sale 2yrs. ago at the CLA show.  I don't know what happened to the man who had it for sale.  He had a table full then.

[Daniel Coats]

Auction houses make money with both a buyers and sellers premium. I've done a good amount of business with RIA but stopped when sales tax became part of the equation. It would take a very special item that I wanted to keep indefinitely to buy from them again. Not mad just getting smarter about how I do things.

[EC121]

Like you, I am probably done.  At my age it just isn't worth it.  I can enjoy what I have without getting more.