Wild Bill's and Jesse James' Guns Don't Sell at Auction, but Oakley's Gun Goes for $293K

fieldandstream.com ^

[Red in Blue PA]

While guns reportedly belonging to the famous outlaw Jesse James and legendary gun fighter Wild Bill Hickok recently failed to sell at auction, Annie Oakley's shotgun sold Sunday for $293,000.

Despite a $1.6 million estimated value, Jesse James' .45 Colt didn't sell at an auction in Dallas on Sunday, November 24th, 2013. After James' death, the gun changed owners several times over and ultimately landed in the hands of a collector in 1975, but according to the Daily Mail, the gun came with an incredibly strong provenance, including letters from three generations of the James family confirming its history.

At the same Dallas auction, Annie Oakley's 16-gauge Parker Brothers Hammer shotgun sold for $293,000.

"If you wanted to own an Annie Oakley artifact this is as good as it gets," Tom Slater, director of the Americana department at Heritage Auctions, told NBC News.

[Nifster]

Ah Little Sure Shot wins again….. quite a lady and a legend

[GeronL]

She wasn’t a murderer

[Red in Blue PA]

I am surprised that the gun from Jesse James did not sell.

http://www.guns.com/2013/11/15/wild-west-outlaw-jesse-james-colt-45-revolver-expected-auction-1-6-million/

[MountainYankee]

I’d rather have Jesse’s .45.

[Red in Blue PA]

The gun didn’t kill. He did. You sound like a liberal.

[fso301]

I am surprised that the gun from Jesse James did not sell.

Did you notice that the gun being auctioned doesn't match the gun in the photo of Jessie James?

[yarddog]

The provenance doesn’t sound as good as they are saying to me.

There probably is no doubt that Jesse’s Son owned it but he could have bought a bunch of guns and claimed they were his Father’s.

[Red in Blue PA]

He also has 2 holstered in that photo.

[shibumi]

If the “estimate” was $1.6MM and it didn’t sell,
then *obviously* the “estimate” is incorrect.

A thing’s true value is what someone will pay for it.
Not what an owner or auctioneer wishes they could get.

Now, maybe if Rick Harrison has a buddy who knows all about these things.....

[John S Mosby]

Matches the one in the photo of authentic items of the gang autographed by his son, Jesse, Jr. The first photo is of James as a quite young Confederate partisan.

[Dr. Sivana]

I had read that when Bat Masterson was short of money, he would buy a used gun and sell it as “the gun owned by Bat Masterson”.

[PowderMonkey]

It's what makes the collector's market so much fun. What's hot today is not tomorrow. And, it's all about finding that particular buyer willing to pay the price. My father once owned the personal side arm, original ammo, and dress holster of a former Central American Dictator, deposed in the 1950s. It was a Beretta semi-auto in .25 cal. Established provenance. He parted with it for a song. Sometime in the future, there may be a surge of interest in obscure Cold War era Latin American dictatorship memorabilia. It will be worth a fortune. Our loss. Somebody else’s gain. All part of the fun.

[Red in Blue PA]

Of late I have taken a great interest in all topics relating to the Old West. True West magazine is a must read for anyone interested:

https://www.facebook.com/TrueWestMag

[Red in Blue PA]

Robbing the Yankees
The James brothers and their gang were the right bandits for their time.

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/history/history/history-features/3377-robbing-the-yankees

[Fightin Whitey]

Yes, he would bring in that chubby bearded guy with the straw hat...

And then Rick would offer a bid of 1/3 whatever chubby said.

[GeronL]

I didn’t say the gun killed them, lol.

[BenLurkin]

“I would like to see every woman know how to handle firearms as naturally as they know how to handle a baby.”—Annie Oakley

[al baby]

Even i read that correctly