Oldtimers may recall the old Eagle Museum. Vince and Helen Nolt ran this establishment on Route 741, just west of Strasburg, Lancaster Co., PA until it closed in early 1984. It was truly a gun museum and there were literally hundreds of Kentuckies, many signed and carved, from real good condition to heavily used and restored. They ran the gamut, but the grouping was better than what you normally see today. There were other historic guns, horns, and accoutrements, too.
Conestoga Auction Company ran an on-site auction on June 15/16, 1984.
The one that everybody fought over was a carved J.P. Beck with wooden box which went for $17,600 plus a 10% buyer's premium. That was a lot of money in those days, even for a Beck. Certainly the gun would likely fetch double that today, but other guns were likely better investments.
How about the raised carved Peter Berry for $3850, or the raised carved George Schroyer for $4620.
There was a J. Hoake (Strasburg) for $3025, an unsigned Bonawitz, really decent, for $2970, and an unsigned J. Rupp for $2550. And the sign from Jacob Rupp's shop, marked "Jacob Rupp, 1817, MaDpLC. (Macungie, DP [Twp.] Lehigh County) which fetched $880.
The list of Lemans, Fordneys, and other eastern PA makers goes on and on. Average price for a plain, signed gun with patch box was around $1500. Signed, carved guns averaged, I'd say at a glance, $3300, not including the buyer's rip-off fee.
I'd wager to say that the average gun bought there has tripled in value, with some of the mid-range carved pieces escalating the most because they were bought right. I recall that I thought, at the time, that prices were steep for a lot of the stuff. If I knew that I was going to live so long, I would have bought more. In retrospect, it was the best auction I ever attended.
Vince was a friend and gentleman, and Helen was a true classic lady, always presenting a smile and a positive approach to people and life in general. They were an asset to the gun world. Wayne
