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pudelpointer
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:38 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 14 Jan 2006
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Location: Lancaster county, Pa

Went to a gun auction saturday in south east pa. They had a really nice Baker Batavia leader 16 gauge. Nice case color,good bores,wood was sound no cracks but the finish was 60 % on the wood. blueing was 90%. I would have liked to add it to my american sxs gun selection. I figued the gun was worth $400 to $500. I planned on paying $600 to $650. It went for $875. Twice what the blue book says its worth goes to show those american made 16 gauge sxs are golden.
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:56 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
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Location: massachusetts

Sounds like the shills were in rare form and landed a sucker. Or The auctioneer was working some competative feelings and obstinate attitudes to his advantage. You have to be very careful at gun auctions. Stick to what you know to be a realistic value and don't get caught up in a bidding war between two or more fools. I've seen this scenario way too often in the past. Now when I go to an auction, I usually keep mum and bid rarely. Its too easy to get skinned. you did the right thing and passed over the gun.

I once had a buyer approach me after an auction wanting to sell me the gun he just bought at below what he paid. He said he knew he'd paid too much and was hoping I'd still want it because I had bid on it until it had gone past my evaluation as a decent buy. He and another bidder fought over it long after I'd dropped out. He even admitted my evaluated price was a close one but could not bring himself to offer it for that much, since he'd gone well past that. He wanted to split the difference. I simply said that half a bad deal was really no better than a whole one and walked away.

The gun was back on the block the following month and went for much less. However, by that time, I'd found a private seller of the model I was looking for and got a really nice deal on one in better condition. I never found out if the winning bidder paid the commission and passed the sale or simply left the gun unpaid for. I never saw him again. Lesson learned. 16GG.
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pudelpointer
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:45 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 14 Jan 2006
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Location: Lancaster county, Pa

Yes sir you are right. Decide ahead of time what its worth and how much you would like to pay. I can be aggressive and overbid I've done so before.
A change of subject 16 gg your from new england do you know where any nice steel barreled 16 gauge Lefevers might be hidding.
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:44 am  Reply with quote
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Location: massachusetts

Most of the LeFevers I see are at gun shows. Very few are 16 ga. None are what I would call fairly and honestly evaluated or priced. The older American Doubles usually are well under 80% but rarely evaluated at under 90%. Plus, the prices are high even for that percentage. Nor are the guns guarenteed shooters.

Not too many gun shops will pay a decent trade price on a 16 because the New England market is a tough one. However, because of the internet asking prices, these owners want top buck plus too, so the guns languish on the racks. I just looked at a model 37 this weekend that the shop owner has been convinced he'll get about $300 for it sooner or later. The gun is far from clean, and is worth under $200. He probably has less than $75 in it and can afford to dream. I should have known better, because he has a bunch of old guns on the back wall, that have been there year after year. They will sell for next to nothing when he passes on. I doubt I'll wait on it. There are cleaner 16 ga. 37's at cheaper prices around.

Pheasant are not the primary game birds here, nor are the numbers of upland hunters very high. After the first few weeks, the novelty has worn off and only us diehards out prowling the fields and coverts. Even the few guys out have 20's and 28's if they are not toting a 12. There is a few of us 16 ga. fans around who hunt together or know each other. We are considered a bit eccentric by most of the weekenders we bump into. 16GG.
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 3:49 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 28 Dec 2005
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Location: Glendale, AZ

'eccentric'- ain't that some french word for out of round or just knows a good thing when we see it and not afraid to stand outside the crowd?
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:14 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
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Location: massachusetts

Either that or it means we are stony broke from spending every last penny we have on another 16 ga gun. I'm not sure which. What a way to go through life, a quarter bubble out of plumb and flat busted too. Oh well. Wink
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