After you pay for shipping, plus some sort of fees to the auction house, do you realize a profit when you sell? And then you factor in inflation.
I looked at everything of interest to me (not modern pistols, AK or AR-based junk, or shotguns, or just ordinary ho-hum stuff). A rancher friend died a few months back. I saw at least 3 of his guns in the 2-day auction. He never cleaned his stuff, generally neglected most of it. Someone put a lot of work into those guns (rifle & pistols) just getting them ready to sell.
Just looked at posted prices: Lot 1405 sold for $1920. Lot 1545 sold for $1800. And then you pay for packing & shipping & insurance.
Amoskeag Auction
Re: Amoskeag Auction
Auction house charges a big percentage to sell. They charge a big percentage to buy. They wind up making around 50% of the proceeds of the guns sold. This is why almost all auctioneers are multi millionaires.
Make up your own mind of whether it's worth it or not. They do a lot of work, pictures, advertising, etc. but not that much, in my opinion. But, I do occasionally buy, no where near as much as I used to, though. And I won't do business with a few places that have tried to rip me off or have repeatedly mis-represented items. Buyer beware.
Make up your own mind of whether it's worth it or not. They do a lot of work, pictures, advertising, etc. but not that much, in my opinion. But, I do occasionally buy, no where near as much as I used to, though. And I won't do business with a few places that have tried to rip me off or have repeatedly mis-represented items. Buyer beware.
Re: Amoskeag Auction
I went back to the Timed Auction pages, all the Lot #s 2000 and up.
#2002 was an 1896 rifle, went for $1200.
#2024 was an 1898 rifle. Sight was wrong, but the barrel was excellent. $720. That buyer did OK.
#2047 was another 1898 rifle, not as good as #2024. $720.
#2048 was a 92/96 rifle with a 1894 date, $780.
#2049 was an 1896 rifle, $720.
#2050 was an 1898 rifle called an antique, with "slightly softened rifling", whatever that means. $660.
#2297 was a 92/96 rifle, $510 and the buyer paid too much.
#2299 was a carbine (?) said to have a C-marked 1901 sight. $450.
#2389 was an 1899 (?) carbine, C-marked sight. $660.
#2399 was a GPR, $1,080.
#2400 was a cut down 1898 rifle, probably restorable. $312.
#2406 was a really strange sporter, $228.
#2411 was a Bubba special, $252. The aftermarket sights are probably worth that much.
#2412 looks to me to be a school rifle. $312. A bargain for somebody. What is a good school rifle worth?
#2794 was a rusty 1898 action. $160. After fees & paperwork, not worth it.
#2795 was a really rusty 1898 receiver. Unsold.
#2943 was an 1898 rifle turned into a really nice, very high end sporter by Ed Lander, a recognized New England pre-war riflesmith. At $228, someone got a gem.
Is someone "low bidding" Krag rifles (at $720?) and stockpiling them against future demand or value? By the time the guy (I assume, probably wrongly, that it is one guy) gets those old rifles home, he will have $1,000+ in each of them. 50 years back, didn't the guy at Dixie Gun Works do that with trapdoors?
I looked at Amoskeag's buyers statement. They charge 20 % buyer's commission (17.5 % cash or check), plus packing & shipping. I looked through all their sellers bumpf but could not see their charges. Expect it is the same or more.
#2002 was an 1896 rifle, went for $1200.
#2024 was an 1898 rifle. Sight was wrong, but the barrel was excellent. $720. That buyer did OK.
#2047 was another 1898 rifle, not as good as #2024. $720.
#2048 was a 92/96 rifle with a 1894 date, $780.
#2049 was an 1896 rifle, $720.
#2050 was an 1898 rifle called an antique, with "slightly softened rifling", whatever that means. $660.
#2297 was a 92/96 rifle, $510 and the buyer paid too much.
#2299 was a carbine (?) said to have a C-marked 1901 sight. $450.
#2389 was an 1899 (?) carbine, C-marked sight. $660.
#2399 was a GPR, $1,080.
#2400 was a cut down 1898 rifle, probably restorable. $312.
#2406 was a really strange sporter, $228.
#2411 was a Bubba special, $252. The aftermarket sights are probably worth that much.
#2412 looks to me to be a school rifle. $312. A bargain for somebody. What is a good school rifle worth?
#2794 was a rusty 1898 action. $160. After fees & paperwork, not worth it.
#2795 was a really rusty 1898 receiver. Unsold.
#2943 was an 1898 rifle turned into a really nice, very high end sporter by Ed Lander, a recognized New England pre-war riflesmith. At $228, someone got a gem.
Is someone "low bidding" Krag rifles (at $720?) and stockpiling them against future demand or value? By the time the guy (I assume, probably wrongly, that it is one guy) gets those old rifles home, he will have $1,000+ in each of them. 50 years back, didn't the guy at Dixie Gun Works do that with trapdoors?
I looked at Amoskeag's buyers statement. They charge 20 % buyer's commission (17.5 % cash or check), plus packing & shipping. I looked through all their sellers bumpf but could not see their charges. Expect it is the same or more.