Is it just me (probably) or does it seem like Cabelas has a number of interesting doubles in stock at the present time? More than I can recall in a while.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/g...e=gl*left*finerifles

interesting. Looks like someone may have hit the UK auction circuit.

If I am not mistaken that A. Hollis was at the Dallas Show 2 years ago at the Holland and Holland booth. come to think of it there seem to be a lot of H&H rifles listed. Wonder if H&H New York reduced it's stock a bit?

Boland .450 NE with - 6 lbs. 8 oz. for 8 K would be my pick:

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
If I am not mistaken that A. Hollis was at the Dallas Show 2 years ago at the Holland and Holland booth.

No, Holland still has that gun. Different gun from a different trade maker.
-----------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Cabela's has 2 corporate buyers now, one offices here in Buda, and they have been out buying. Many fine doubles and also custom bolt guns have been turning up at our Austin area store. Then many get transfered to other stores that can sell the fine stuff.

I think it is one of those cycles where things come out of collections/estates. I have heard of several estates lately that had some nice guns. Rember The WW2 generation is now dying at the rate of 100+ a day. Many were collectors of good guns.
Bill

quote:

Rember The WW2 generation is now dying at the rate of 100+ a day. Many were collectors of good guns.

Actually, i saw on the news that we are looseing them at the rate of near 1,200 per day!!

DM

And financial circumstances are also so that more, better, guns are becoming available for reasons all connected with turning assets into cash.

I've seen this happen at least three times before in my lifetime....the last previous cycle of it peaking in about 1981. My advice is, if you like fine guns and can possibly do it, buy now (within the next 18 months). It may be inconveniently timed, but it will pay off for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
And financial circumstances are also so that more, better, guns are becoming available for reasons all connected with turning assets into cash.

I've seen this happen at least three times before in my lifetime....the last previous cycle of it peaking in about 1981. My advice is, if you like fine guns and can possibly do it, buy now (within the next 18 months). It may be inconveniently timed, but it will pay off for you.

What about after the '87 crash.

Plenty of Bargains to be had after that
debacle - houses, Porsche's etc.

Divorces are always a good one to pick
stuff up from as well !!!

Gosh some of those are purdy

I know it's not a DR but that Take Down Holland & Holland Bolt Action in 375H&H looks very nice.

I have a Manton in 404 the same and makes a great travel gun.

quote:

Originally posted by DM:

quote:

Rember The WW2 generation is now dying at the rate of 100+ a day. Many were collectors of good guns.

Actually, i saw on the news that we are looseing them at the rate of near 1,200 per day!!
DM

Yes I had heard that to but coulden't get my self to type that big of a number,perhaps it reflects our own mortality to well.
Bill

Yeah, I saw they had a boatload of them, too. I guess they've decided to get serious and flex a little muscle to see if they can garner more of the marketplace. God knows they get the foot traffic to do it.

And the prices they get! People actually paying!!

They are getting into a position where they can set the new market prices on much of what they sell!

MOUSE -- consider the boland 450 double rifle to be REALLY exciting to shoot at a weight of only 6 pounds 8 ounces ! it would flip you into croatia.

at that weight it would be most lively, unless it is some short pipsquek 450 and not the 450 - 3 1'4" full nitro

quote:

Originally posted by Woodrow S:
They are getting into a position where they can set the new market prices on much of what they sell!

I don't think that's quite the situation. Auctions have the ability to drive prices, obviuosly, but it really depends on the pieces themselves, what niche. I won't try to predict anything but when it's all said and done for my money, I'll be the owner new quality double guns over older ones. They won't be Merkel or Chapuis, tho good guns they are, but will be Demas, Siace, AyA and the like. All hand done but representing great value in a modern piece.

quote:

Originally posted by 500N:
[
What about after the '87 crash.

Plenty of Bargains to be had after that
debacle - houses, Porsche's etc.

Divorces are always a good one to pick
stuff up from as well !!!

Must be the difference in our places of residence. I did not note any crash of particular severity in '87. The three times I was referring to were the last years of the Great Depression, the years of the Labour Party imposed estate taxes which almost equalled confiscation in Britain in the late 60's, and the inflation/recession incident in the U.S. from about '80 to '83...in which I bought an as new Mercedes SL for $6,000 Canadian and a pair of virtually new guns (Model 1432 Anschutz and Remington 700-C) for just over $200 U.S. for the pair, as examples

. During the "estate tax" socialist seizures in Britain, I bought cased Rigbys in NRA Exc+ condition for as little as $150, and quite a number of both English & ontinental double rifles for never more than 200 Guineas each.

Just in case someone wants to start saying, "Oh yes, but wages were way lower then too"....well, each month after I paid ALL my bills, I had almost exactly 2,650 Guineas of monthly income left over...and could buy Mannlicher Schoenauers for 5 Guineas each...about $8.25 U.S. in those days.


Be that all as it may, as any "contrarian" can point out, the time and way to make money (or a good firearms collection) is to BUY, not sell, when times are tough.