Do Ya Remember This
 

Remember I bought this awhile back, thinking it could be the GREATEST thing around. Well what a SAP I was. I took it down to the Beinfield Invitational Gun Show at the Riv yesterday. Showed to it to John Gangle (Little Johns in OC) to put in one of his auctions. Beofre he even got it out of the Gun Rug he said, "NOPE, BOGUS." He then refered me to a partner of his to put it into one of his auctions. He took a look and said, "You got that at a Lolli Brothers Auction in MO last March." I said, "Yep, you got that right, how did you know." He replied, "It helps to be from Missouri." He went on to say that it orginally came from Texas as there is a fellow down there that is blatantly making these things up. Some say Wells Fargo, others say Butterfields Stage Line and a host of other things. I said, "So its a wall hanger." So it is going to disappear from my life in August, win, lose or draw. One way or the other I had planned for that to happen when I bought it.

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Don't feel too badly Tabby...we've all been taken at one time or another...

I saw another one sell last month at an Old Barn Auction in Ohio for exactly what I paid for this one. I'm not so deep into it that I will cry myself to sleep tonight.

Thanks for the thought though PWD.

Forgeries are what keep me from shopping antiques. I wouldn't know a fake from the real thing regardless of the category.

I love the Antique Road Show though. They always spot fakes and put a few on the air. Civil war swords are one of the biggest fakes out there. I suppose guns of that era aren't far behind.

Antique Guns for the most part are pretty straight forward.

The guns that have been faked are Colt Walkers..there was a guy in the 50s who made copies not to fool but to recreat, that are now passed off as real.

Colt CalvarySingle Actions are faked or more often have had parts altered as repairs over the years

Engraved Colt Percussions or SAAs...many Italian guns are altered to fool.

1911 Colt Autos that have have been repaired with later parts, or restored and passed off as orginal.

1903 Springfield Marine Corp Sniper rifles..put togethers

Springfield 1903 Target guns...parts were sold by the DCM in the 30s so U could put together your own Target Rifle. SRS letter is highly desirable

Springfield Trapdoors in the Officers or Target variations. again put togehters.
Mauser WW2 Sniper Rifles. There is no way to tell a fake from orginal, except by years of experience with the things.

Again it just takes experience looking at the stuff. Doing your homework is highly recommended. Thats why I buy Books and more Books on anything I am interested in. I have been known to spend hundreds of $$ on a book so that I have that information.

I get it now...the real money to be made on antiques lies in writing books about antiques.

Kinda, but it goes like this, you collect something and beocme an expert. U write a book on the subject, then you sell your collection for boookoo buxs as the price has risen on your items because the book tells what to look for and what not to.

Frank Sellers wrote the definative book on Sharps rifles in the late 70s and is now going to sell his collection off at auction. Wana guess how high the sky is gona be on this one? There are 2 of the model Sharps I have been looking for for 10 years in the upcoming auction. I just don't have a spare $50,000 lying around to buy one of them thats all.

Tabby, it's only "stuff"....like Porsches, Ferraris, U name it...spoons? It's all just krap to brag about owning. Having fun in life should take priority over "stuff". Took me a spell to figure that one out.

That's why I prefer Porsches I can drive and guns I can shoot. I'll leave the "originals" for the collectors of both worlds to fuss and bother over. Neither group seems to understand or appreciate anything about the objects of their lusts, beyond what they cost and how rare they are. They are missing the true enjoyment they have to offer.

I appreciate History and Craftsmanship. There is nothing like shooting a piece of History.

Absolutely. I have an old Ballard Pacific that one of the Robinson brothers (there is a Robinson Pass up above Winthrop in our Okanogan County) carried up the Okanogan River Valley from Chelan to Oroville in the '80's. Got it from one of the Allards that haved owned orchards up there forever; descendants of the Robinsons by marriage. I hunt with it regularly, and have won some mid-range matches with it. The thing was a disaster when he gave it to me. I promised to fix it and hunt with it once again as a requiset to obtaining it. The guy I got it from, one of the Allards, also hunts with a rifle carried by the other Robinson brother, a Remington Hepburn. I fixed it up and got it shooting for him again, and worked up a hunting load for it. When we take to the hills up above Oroville together, I'm always toting the Ballard, and he is always toting the Hepburn. Somewhere, a couple of Robinson brothers are looking down and smiling. I like that.

Tabs,

Put it by the door with rock salt or 00 Buck in it. You may very well appreciate the purchase sometime!

Joe

I have a Knuckle Buster Riot Gun for that purpose.

Put one by the front door, and the other by the back. Ya never know where the perps are going to try to break in...

I understand where you're coming from, but history involves all aspects of antiques, wether it's popular, has 'provenance' or is just great to "use/look at". Parkers and Winchesters are more likely to be counterfeited than say, LeFevers or "Elsies". That does'nt mean that down the road the 'a-holes" aren't coming up with ways to falsify the 'less valuable' brands.

As has been said about art, I collect things that "speak to me", as opposed to something that I think will rise rapidly in value. Usable items are better than "Garage Queens or Gun Safe dwellers". Turning a buck is great, but enjoying the piece is greater IMO. Just my .02.

Oh, and by the way, I've done well. The ones that "speak", usually love cheap people, must be Karma, they know they'll get to have some fun instead of being "shut-ins";)

Its usually the Great pieces of Art that speak the loudest. Whether or not the Artist is recognized is another matter.

A good percentage of the stuff I bought was when it was still reasonably priced and has become the flavor of the month only in recent years.

However that is not to say that I don't lust after some known commodities much as someone might lust after a 73 RSR, a 56 Speedster Carrera or 550 Spyder.