To be fair, Morphy’s does a great job assembling an exceptional group of firearms for auction. Would I pay that premium? I haven’t so far and probably not. But if the price is low enough that, including the 26%, the gun is still about 70-80% of retail, I would consider it. Morphy’s and Rock Island also do a very good job describing the gun. Others, not so much. But all those beautiful catalogs and advertising, that you pay for, brings more interested potential buyers, thus bringing a higher hammer price. Good for the seller and good for the auction house, but not good for the buyer. And if they can further offset cost by getting guys to purchase their advertising material, even better. Again, Morphy’s offers some really fantastic guns, but you will pay. Another positive for Morphy’s, they have a relationship with Dewey Vicknair. For a small fee, I think it’s $125, he will inspect the gun for you prior to the auction. If you’re bidding on a higher end gun, it may be worth the cost.
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