Posted on 08/21/2008 5:25:18 AM PDT by marktwain
Every serious sportsman knows that by late August, the Scottish Highlands offer an array of riches. Grouse season is a couple weeks under way. Deer stalking is at its peak, and the fly-fishing doesn't get any better.
Sotheby's annual sale of antique sporting guns at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland is popular this time of year because winning bidders can walk out the door and take to the field with their elegantly engraved rifles and shotguns.
City bankers and sundry members of the English upper class have always favored the Highlands in August (and the golf is phenomenal, too). But at Sotheby's 35th annual Gleneagles auction on Monday, it's visitors from North America — particularly financiers from Wall Street's most storied shops — who are expected to keep the market for antique British guns smoking hot. "Thank goodness for the Americans," Sotheby's specialist for vintage and modern sporting guns, Gavin Gardiner, said. "The wealthy gun connoisseurs there have really created a significant demand in the high end of the market."
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
No one is going to take a $50,000-$100,000 gun out in the field.
I am sure that many people do just that. People who have a lot of money are often willing, if not eager, to flaunt their wealth. Others simply are not concerned with a “mere” $50,000 - $100,000. It is all relative. If your net worth is $10,000, you may feel it reasonable to take $500 gun to the field. If your net worth is $1,000,000, taking a $50,000 gun to the field may seem reasonable.
Actually, there are people who will take those $50,000-$100,000 guns into the field. Purdey’s, Holland & Holland, etc crank out high end guns on a regular basis for the well heeled who shoot pheasant in Britain and partridge in Spain. Do a web search and you’ll see that it’s easy to lay down five figures for two or three days of such shooting. You’re pretty much expected to show up with a pair of good guns for these shoots (good meaning high end, double barrel guns, autoloaders not allowed old chap).
if you’ve got the money to afford that much gun, you can afford to take it into the field.
of course most people that own those kind of guns can also afford to hunt in places its not going to get beaten up, and even have a caddy to carry it and clean it. Not like they’d be likely to hunt midwest forests in snow or southern bayous. the ones that go into the field will probably be for wing shooters in nice dry fields, or safari in africa.
If you buy it to lock it up and keep it safe? Well, you may have the means to purchase it, but you certainly can’t afford it.
That turns out not to be the case. A friend of mine owns a very nice collection of Holland and Holland double rifles and he takes several of them on safari in Africa at least every other year. Normally you buy factory ammo for these guns because in this case factory ammo actually shoots better, but he's a fanatic and has managed to duplicate the accuracy of the factory loads by handloading.
Interesting world these rich folks live in. I can’t fathom that myself. I guess it is relative to your own wealth. I’ve carried an $800 gun pheasant hunting. I guess that would seem extreme to someone who has a $200 gun.
Those are beautiful guns they have for auction.
No pointed sticks?
Would you look at the finish and beauty of that stock, not to mention the engravings.
I would have a heart attack if it were scratched.
Hell, my shotgun runs around $1600 and I would have a heart attack if it were scratched..
Can anyone tell me what the “1” on the rib of the Luciano Bosis OU might mean?
You haven’t priced guns lately. I don’t know of any 200 dollar guns unless it’s a used SKS.
I have a lot of guns that are safe queens. I own them because I like to collect certain guns without the need to fire them.
I’m also too busy using the others.
“You haven’t priced guns lately. I don’t know of any 200 dollar guns unless it’s a used SKS.”
OK, I wasn’t exactly talking about buying new guns. I was referring to guns that people might have bought 20 or 30 years ago. I do know what the price of guns are lately and they aren’t $50,000 to $100,000 for us peons.
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