Louis Luttrell said
FWIW… EVERY auction house I’ve dealt with will answer your questions and provide any additional photos on request. This includes Amoskeag, CWOCO, Julia/Morphy, RIA, and Ward’s, at minimum. Don’t be shy… So as long as you know what to ask, they ALL seem more than happy to oblige…
Sure, but that’s not the problem, if you’re hoping to buy something that isn’t quite “right” for a price that accurately reflects its shortcomings & true value, because you’ll probably be bidding against some (actually, it only takes one) blind to those shortcomings! Something I’ve seen happen dozens of times on ebay! If the same gun were offered by a fair-minded dealer, it’s at least possible the price might be negotiated in consideration of its “problems”–impossible in an auction.
Actually Louis & Clarence, whether speaking of Winchesters, precious gems, automobiles or equity stocks… You’ve just described a “seller’s market”. If a buyer, a lot of patience or just plain disposable cash perhaps to play in such environs! On the other hand, if the “unsophisticated buyer” aka “X factor”, occurs with sufficient frequency, perhaps such patterns ‘are’ the market. Unsophisticated players in sufficient force and numbers, part of making “market value”. So as the claim “distorting the market”, perhaps not at all. Just the evolved market base including such elements!
Another ‘whew’ and… Where do I get all this BS??? 🙂
Best to all who’ve contributed to a very interesting Thread here.
John
November 5, 2014

Here you go Clarence…
Check out this 2014 Julia’s auction lot: https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/2357-369/
Sold to Metal Masters, Inc. by Olin Corporation on 04/12/1978. Circa the USRA buy-out… Note that the parts lot included three (!!!) “new” pre-64 Super Grade floor plates. The Julia’s consignor, Bill Pfifer, (to his credit) evidently did not use these to manufacture “new” pre-64 SGs, but what about the guy who bought them off Julia’s for $2012.50????
Stocks were sold off too… I have two such, a SG FWT stock and a SG Standard stock. Both mint… No documentation to prove their origins as I pulled them off obviously fake SGs (that my Dad had bought in the 1990s) that subsequently I “decomissioned”… Those stocks won’t be back on the market in my lifetime…
Scary…
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
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