Invincibles

[ForrestArmstrong]

I hope the complete & true stories of all 3 from their beginnings to Petersen Gallery can be gathered, written up, published in Parker Pages or DGJ. Fascinating.

[Kevin McCormack]

Reread the earlier posts in this thread and you'll find pretty much all that's factually worth knowing about the Invincibles.

The conundrum of the Czar's Parker is a perfect example of creative/revisionist history which resulted in a popular mystery (e.g., "where is it and who has it?) that became self-perpetuating until records and documentation burst the bubble, so to speak.

The "wealthy gentleman from the Northeast" who shelved #230329 was A.C. Middleton, President of the Victor Talking Machine Co. The storage on the "slanted shelf" and subsequent disposition of the gun is well documented in TPS,

The individual advertising to buy a 20-gauge Invincible reminds me of a similar character who called me up in the middle of the night (literally) to tell me that he had found an Amish farmer who owned a (the) 4th Invincible and didn't know what to do with it.

"If you wait by the window long enough, they all come by."
- Lyn Nofziger, Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan

[Bruce Day]

I am no expert but I am aware that there are some knowledgeable collectors who contend that there are some Grade 8 guns that are every bit as finely done as the known Invincibles. Just keep an open mind.

But the 20ga Invincibles are probably better.

[Dean Romig]

No question about that!

[ForrestArmstrong]

I'm certainly no expert either and I don't have access to the references above, the reasons I asked. Some of the A & AA grades shown in Parker Story look about as good as the Invincibles too. I have a Spanish double that comes pretty damn close too.

[Dean Romig]

Saying that there may be some Grade-8 Parkers that would compare favorably with the Invincibles in no way detracts from the "finest Parkers ever made" but would elevate the quality of the artistry and craftsmanship of such a Grade-8 to that of the Grade-9, Invincible.

[Mike Franzen]

I always thought it odd that the way Henry Lymans initial were engraved didn't appear to be of very high quality. Any comments on that?

[Bill Murphy]

Shelly Gitman was a very private person regarding his Parkers. Those who knew that he owned the two Invincibles and how he got them agreed in their own minds to keep his story under wraps until his death. Shelly never asked anyone to keep quiet, but he only shared his secrets with those he trusted to be gentlemen. He must have been a good judge of character, because none of this information made it into print until today. Now that Shelly is gone, someone may tell his story and the stories of the Invincibles.

[Double Lab]

Threads like this are the reason I became a life member. I could read this stuff all day. Thanks to all the previous posters for the fascinating info.

[Kevin McCormack]

This not-in-the-best-focus shot shows Shelly on the left holding Invincible #200000 and myself on the right holding the Middleton gun, SN 230329 after the photo shoot at Del Grego's.