Baltimore Antique Arms Show March 17-18
 

The Baltimore Show is this weekend. Kevin McCormack and Bill Murphy will be in our normal location, tables B-4 and B-5. Others normally in attendance are PGCA guys Bill Mullins, Charlie Price, James Baker, Ken Waite, father and son, Jim Hall, Mark Conrad and others. If you want to meet our leaders, this is the place. Show opens at 9:00 AM Saturday.

give us a report on the parkers when you get done BILL... hope you see a 8 ga or two... have fun.... ill be thinking about the gun show tommorrow while im listening for a big tom... charlie

Nothing in Parkers really rang my bell, but there were a few nice hammer guns for shooters. Come on down.

I was informed this week by two fellows that atteneded a SxS Clays shoot somewhere last weekend that a hammerless Parker 8 gauge they saw at the shoot would be in Baltimore this weekend for sale . I got this info because both these guys know I want one .

Unfortunately I will not be attending this year . Anyway as the saying goes .

"I was told it would be there" !

It was there. Add our former leader, Art Wheaton, to the attendance list, as well as my neighbors, George Blair and Jerry Smith.

Might you elaborate a bit as to the grade . condition and the sellers asking price ?

GH, 36", a little on the brown side, way too high last time I heard.

We had some interesting sightings today, but I didn't get around the show to look at guns much. Mr. Tony paid us a visit.

Still don't know how to post pictures? You are one of the first to ask for pictures when other people do posts.

Yup, that's me. I am a student of our language, very little a scientist or engineer. If I ever learn how to install a computer or take a picture, it will be because my lovely wife is threatening to take up residence elsewhere unless I get myself situated in the twenty first century. Today was a bit more interesting with a high condition VHE28 gauge skeet surfacing and a great CHE 12 offered for sale. Of course, there are probably hundreds of C grades out there with geese on the floorplate, but I had never seen one. The best early back action lifter I have ever seen or heard of went home with the owner because I forgot to check back with him today about my offer. Or should I say "about adjusting my offer".

While you may or may not agree with what I'm about to say , this is what was relayed to me about an hour ago .

I have one friend thats a civil war collector that gets a table there every year and he is rather astute in the things dealing in that time period . Also had a gunsmith buddy and another friend up there buying parts and trying to move a couple items .

Anyway the consensus from the 3 was everything was a bit overly inflated pricewise this year . And buyers were a bit more price deflated then usual .

Now I suppose that can be said about most anything . But thats what they told me . I think my gunsmith buddy took no less then 12 items up for sale and they came back with those 12 and a Hepburn . As well as a pocketfull of parts for variouse things at the shop .

The two years previouse to this we typically take about 10-20 items and generally move 75% of them . And our prices are what I would call relatively the same each year . By that I mean we set our needed profit the same each year . Of the stuff we take usually 60-75% is consignment stuff . So we are kinda handcuffed on what we can do with those pieces .

Bill, please tell us about the geese on the floorplate... flying, standing or swimming?

I had a CHE with one goose flying on the floorplate... sold it... no regrets... I'm not a fan of Anschutz.

Flying in bright colors.

Nice!

If I had gone with the idea of looking for just Parkers, I would have been disappointed, however I also love nice Winchesters, and there was an over-abundance of those (note to self: Don't break Dean's heart telling him about the pistol gripped 1890). I'm really out of touch with the market prices of these guns, but still managed to find a few nice ones to bring home, in addition to nearly all the guns I took. I did sell a large assortment of collector ammo; enough to pay for one of the Winchesters, and sights for some I had at home.
I think what I enjoyed the most was visiting with new and old Parker friends, especially the banter and joking at Bill Murphy's table.

Oh yes I was informed today tha the overly inflated price on the 8 gauge was $35,000 .

Again thats what I was told from folks who were there .

Different 8 gauge. J.D. Shank's eight gauge GH is probably sitting on a $12000 price tag. Maybe there was another eight gauge at the show but I didn't see it.

No I expect you're correct as my gunsmith buddy is dislexic . He may have misread or inadvertantly seen a price on something else . Or he may very well have exagerated a bit .

Just outta vuriosity what would you say a fair market price would be for the Shank GH 8 gauge . Don't mean a steal or whatever but a fair market price for both buyer and seller ?

Did either 8 gauge gun have steel barrels? Steel versus damascus or twist make at least a 100 percent difference, pricewise.

I have not closely examined J.D. Shank's eight gauge and wouldn't discuss its value here anyhow. Sorry. If someone is interested in an eight gauge Parker, the contact information is in our Journal.

If you are looking for an 8 gauge, there is a nice 40 inch damascus 8 gauge coming to auction next week....... http://www.rockislandauction.com/vie...id/55/lid/3599

There is also one at Wildwood Guns in China, ME

Thanks, Jent. That's a pretty nice looking gun.

Don't think that would be the same lifter, Jent. I have never seen a pinned on forend fall off. What was the serial number of the lifter you are referring to?

At the height of his fame, some Hollywood reporter asked Robert Mitchum where he had studied acting. Mitchum replied that he had never had any formal training in the craft. Incredulous, the reporter asked "Why in heavens' name not?" Mitchum replied, "Going to school to learn how to act is like studying to be tall."

Like Mitchum's quip, potshotting and speculating from the sidelines after the fact about the quallity, price, and availability of desireable guns at a show like Baltimore, arguably the finest antique arms show in the country, speaks volumes about the true motivation of those who would be 'movers' in the gun market, or just want to own a gun they deem special.

JD Shank's 8-gauge, first shown at the Vintagers at Pintail Point in September, was an honest gun and a fair deal in the sense that JD actively solicited good guns in trade (not necessarily Parkers) against his asking price. The fact that he sold it at Baltimore should be prima facia evidence to anyone that either: A; somebody had the wherewithall to negotiate him down for cash, or B: put some decent guns in a pile and paid the difference in cash against the agreed-upon price.

Hauling the same merchandise to gun shows year after year is a stagnant reminder that sooner or later, something's got to give - either the price of the merchandise or acceptance of goods in trade against same. Continuing the status quo qualifies for applying Mitchum's famous quip above.

Word had it from at least a half-dozen high-end dealers at Baltimore that the logjam in availability and pricing of desireable guns is slowly breaking; better prices are being paid for guns and better guns are being traded against high-priced pieces that people had finally decided they really want instead of hoping that wishing would make it so.

You can't have it both ways; the best pieces in any collection always go last and, by definition of value over time, always bring the best money. So stop whining, throw some guns in the trunk, get out there, and SPEND!!!

Very well said IMO.

Mr. McCormack's table partner certainly subscribes to that philosophy. I have a bucket full of money, a few guns I didn't own last year, and more room in the safe. Never bitch about the price of a gun unless you have made an offer in cash.

I just wanted to say what an idiot I am.
A great old gent had a dozen Johnson Mallard decoys, with the bag, for $200. They were the fold out ones, wax covered cardboard. I had every intention of buying them and forgot.
If anyone knows who he was, could they please let me know. I think he was in row O or Q, about table 28-30, or thereabouts.
As soon as I'm fully well, I'm going to kick my A$$

Edgar, you have plenty of friends here... no need to wait until you're fully well - we are always eager to help out a PGCA Member just about any time.
We provide many member services.... even A$$-Kickin' parties.

Can I see a show of hands???

Edgar, I also saw the decoys. Many Baltimore exhibitors go only to the Baltimore Show. You may see those decoys next year.