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Hey folks just wondering who has a story they might want to share about the one that got away. I know you all have one. Let’s hear about it.
I have a few but most recently it’s a 52D Target that was listed without photos for $500. This store has an online website & the photos often don’t get posted until the next day. I deal with this seller occasionally and have had no bad experiences or purchases but no photo’s just doesn’t sit right for seasoned collectors. It was against my better judgement to purchase on description with no pics so I held off.
It bugged me for a couple hours and I decided to go against my better judgement and just buy it where I had good luck with this seller in the past. When I returned to the website I found the gun to be sold and the photos posted. It was a mint 52D in 98% condition. Needless to say it bothered me & still does. No lesson to be learned on this one, but was “one that got away”. ?
RickC
Rick C
Rick, I have had a few get away, although usually as it was priced too high for my wallet. I learned the lesson a lot of years ago that the pain of paying too much for a rifle that really fit a niche in my collection went away quicker than the regret of not getting it. I can still see a table at the Tucson gun show with two or three used, but decent 1886 SRC’s for about $400 each in the 1975 or 6 time frame. No way could I afford that much! Currently we had the story of the 27 inch barrel 1873. Now, I can see me passing on it unless I was provided the letter or able to get a quick confirmation of it being correct! Glad I didn’t have the chance to outsmart myself! Tim
tim tomlinson said
Rick, I can still see a table at the Tucson gun show with two or three used, but decent 1886 SRC’s for about $400 each in the 1975 or 6 time frame. No way could I afford that much! Tim
Tim that was a lot of money back then and totally understand. My wallet would’ve been very thin in those days. Now those 86 SRC’s are worth 20x that or more.
I showed a WInchester 22 collector the 52D I missed out on and he said he would’ve bought it for 3x what it sold for. Collecting can be a rush & a downer both but still enjoy the chase, just not as often as I use too.
RickC
Rick C
Online
RickC said
I have a few but most recently it’s a 52D Target that was listed without photos for $500.
RickC
Yes, that’s about half what it’s worth, depending on sights. But what would you DO with it, assuming you didn’t resell it for a profit? That same money would buy a 69A Match, which would provide a LOT more shooting pleasure.
clarence said
Yes, that’s about half what it’s worth, depending on sights. But what would you DO with it, assuming you didn’t resell it for a profit? That same money would buy a 69A Match, which would provide a LOT more shooting pleasure.
Clarence that’s a little light on price…imo. The entire gun was mint condition & it had the Olympic globe front sight. I deleted the photos because I couldn’t bare to see them again lol.
I can’t disagree with you about the 69A Match. Always looking.
Rick C
In about 1968 a older co-worker of mine asked me if I wanted to buy an 1894 rifle he owned. I went to see it and was in awe. It was in excellent condition and with so many special order features I lost count. Price was $150 or about two weeks pay. I passed on it and he found another buyer who had a very large collection of Hudson’s Bay Company trade guns.
I also worked for a fur trader in the James Bay region in 1964-65. He had a like new Model 12 Trench gun. At the time I never thought to ask if he would sell because I didn’t have a need for another 12 guage and wasn’t even considering collector item since it was just a Model 12. . He sold it to a Cree trapper for $50. A few years later after I had left the “Bay” I wrote to the owner of the gun and asked if he would sell it to me. He replied that he took it out to the trap line and left it there because ” it didn’t work no more.”
Dave K. said
In about 1968 a older co-worker of mine asked me if I wanted to buy an 1894 rifle he owned. I went to see it and was in awe. It was in excellent condition and with so many special order features I lost count. Price was $150 or about two weeks pay. I passed on it and he found another buyer who had a very large collection of Hudson’s Bay Company trade guns.
Dave that’s definitely a regret but in 1968 that’s just not doable for the working family man without deep pockets. If we only knew where the Winchester collector world would end up in the 21st century we would’ve made it work, beg borrow or steal.
Rick C
RickC said
Dave K. said
In about 1968 a older co-worker of mine asked me if I wanted to buy an 1894 rifle he owned. I went to see it and was in awe. It was in excellent condition and with so many special order features I lost count. Price was $150 or about two weeks pay. I passed on it and he found another buyer who had a very large collection of Hudson’s Bay Company trade guns.Dave that’s definitely a regret but in 1968 that’s just not doable for the working family man without deep pockets. If we only knew where the Winchester collector world would end up in the 21st century we would’ve made it work, beg borrow or steal.
Rick, I agree. At the time I was finding used but nice plain grade 1894’s and 1892’s in the $30-50 range.
I’m a modest collector of vintage Winchester 94’s. I currently have 7 pre 64’s in the safe in varying conditions and ALL Loved equally. I have one made in my birth year 1953 because it’s as old as I and in a lot better shape. One that was made the end of 1929 at the start of the great depression with labor rates at about $80 a Month and cost $53 at your local hardware store.
The one shown below is “The One that Got Away” , but how far would you go? This one was serial# 150 and the serial # was applied on Oct 22nd 1894 according to the Cody Letter . My birthday is Oct 22nd!! What are the odds?
The bidding was around $1,700 the last day of the auction. My limit was $2,600 and at the time there were only two bidders that were bidding 10 to $20 at a time. With 30 minutes left I bid my $2,600 max and had it for 15 minutes and was outbid by a new bidder.
I’m retired and on a fixed income but because of it’s birth date I bid it up to $5,500 which was $2,900 more than my self proposed max. My last bid was $5,600 and I was outbid. It ended at $5,625 but I knew that if I had the means and bid $10,000 they would have outbid me.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or in the Vintage 94 collectors!
George – great story. What would have been really cool is if your birthday had been 10-22-94! 
I’ve been thinking about this thread on and off since Rick posted it. I haven’t responded because it’s a long list. Some, I’ve let go (with regret) and some, I could have pursued and for a variety of reasons (e.g. money), didn’t.
Of those that were out there and could have been mine, what flashes to mind:
Winchester M1886 SRC .33 WCF
Winchester M1886 rifle, .50-105
Winchester M1876 rifle, .45-75 (“high velocity” – lettered this way).
Winchester M71 in .45-70 and .33 WCF
Winchester Single-Shot in .500 and .577 Eley. Also, this model in .33 WCF is very appealing to me. I don’t recall passing on one.
Steve and others, I “lost” another one this Friday at Rock Island Auction. I missed getting it a few years ago at RIA because I was unwilling to pay the price, and it was the same again Friday. It was the Model 1873 Spanish model musket. That one will haunt me for a while yet again, but I just plain felt it was going for too much money that I have a hard time putting together. What really adds to the overall cost is the buyer’s premium plus the sales tax of 8.5%. It has come around previously, maybe will do so yet again at an affordable (to me) price. Such is the way of collecting. Tim
steve004 said
I’ve been thinking about this thread on and off since Rick posted it. I haven’t responded because it’s a long list. Some, I’ve let go (with regret) and some, I could have pursued and for a variety of reasons (e.g. money), didn’t.Of those that were out there and could have been mine, what flashes to mind:
Winchester M1886 SRC .33 WCF
Winchester M1886 rifle, .50-105
Winchester M1876 rifle, .45-75 (“high velocity” – lettered this way).
Winchester M71 in .45-70 and .33 WCF
Winchester Single-Shot in .500 and .577 Eley. Also, this model in .33 WCF is very appealing to me. I don’t recall passing on one.
Steve those 86’s would leave me with some regrets as well. There’s no way a person could not have regrets if they’ve been at this for any amount of time at all. I just attended a gun show as a vendor yesterday and made my rounds prior to opening. I left behind a 32-40 rd bl rifle in 95% condition, a Winchester 8x scope for my 75 Target, and a 95% m64. Prices were top dollar but not ridiculous imo but I was there to sell at this show, not buy. Regrets started as I was leaving the parking lot, especially the 8x scope. At least I got the sellers info this time.
RickC
Rick C
RickC said Regrets started as I was leaving the parking lot, especially the 8x scope.
Rick, What was the leave-behind price on this?
About 1960 while in an old grocery store in Wisconsin I was talking to old owner. I asked about old guns and he said a fellow came in and traded him a new 22 rifle for an old hogsleg. He seemed happy with this trade. THEN he brought out a Henry used by his grandfather in the civil war. It may have been the iron frame model or really dirty brass. I at that time had no money but was going to go back next time and try to deal. Illness set in and I never made it back. If anybody out there has a Henry from PETES COUNTRY STORE in Wisconsin it might be the one. Don
clarence said
RickC said Regrets started as I was leaving the parking lot, especially the 8x scope.
Rick, What was the leave-behind price on this?
It was $450
Rick C
I have some regrets but have learned that things often work out in the long run. If you keep looking many guns can be found eventually and you can get a second chance to buy a similar gun. If the gun is really unique we can only bid what we can afford. There is not much you can do about this. The ones I didn’t make an honest attempt to buy bother me the most.
RickC said It was $450
Rick, You’re not likely to find one at a lower price. Also, they’re hard to search for on ebay, the most likely place to find them, because they’re unmarked, & usually just listed as “unknown antique scope,” unless the seller knows they were sold by Win.
clarence said
RickC said It was $450
Rick, You’re not likely to find one at a lower price. Also, they’re hard to search for on ebay, the most likely place to find them, because they’re unmarked, & usually just listed as “unknown antique scope,” unless the seller knows they were sold by Win.
It had a lot of wear on the tube but still functional.
Rick C
RickC said
clarence said
RickC said Regrets started as I was leaving the parking lot, especially the 8x scope.
Rick, What was the leave-behind price on this?
It was $450
Rick,
They actually do come up for sale surprisingly often, I bought 2 this month alone. Like Clarence stated, it takes a tricky Boolean search string to find them. Last month at Tulsa I purchased one with the original box for $500, guy walked past my table with it in his hand. I was happy with that deal!
I have a few extra if you really need one. I can bring some up to Cody if you are going to be there.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
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