2002 Luger get-together
 

This was the only get together I have been too - specifically called that. Since that time, I have gotten together at a yearly shoot that a friend has, at Chattanooga they have a yearly AutoMag get-together, and of course at Allentown and Louisville.
Made a lot of friends. But this was my first time where I met a lot of collectors and probably doomed me to collecting!

This shared album is taken with a very old (new then) camera in 2002, and probably a shaky hand :D

Kind of out of order, the first group of pictures was the last night, when we had a dinner sponsored by Ralph Shattuck - was nice - then there are pictures of Friday night when we went to GT's house and some folks showed guns and we talked, maybe 20 people?
The this is Ralph's collection (since sold at auction) and some of his stock. We could look and touch anything, as long as we wore white gloves, hey, why not. Lots of interesting items. Some probably questionable, some excellent, all I knew was that I was a brand new collector!

http://forum.lugerforum.com/album.php?albumid=626

ED

Ed, nice story about luger aficionado fellowship. Nice pics of the event. Thanks for sharing.

I'm the guy on the far right in the group pictures. I had a lot less gray hair back then... it's been a long time.

Tracy

good to hear from you!

Brown or Black hair, long gone, been gray, almost white for a number of years :)

Thanks for sharing.

Are there any collectors around now that could compete in number/ variety of Mr. Ralph Shattucks collection?

Collection or sales stock? or either or both.

Probably Simpson.

Of course most would have fewer boosted lugers(JMHO).:(

Actually, there are.

I met a collector earlier this year that specializes in one area and period of handguns. He has what i would consider to be a "World Reference Collection" beyond anything in publicly accessible museums.

Where a museum might have one very rare example, he has one of every known major variation.

His collection is also not that of a dealer, and it's not for sale.

Marc

I have seen a couple of collections that were as big as Ralphs. Ralphs was also set up as a 'display' to help him sell I am sure. He invited people in, the room was supposedly a big vault, never looked at it that close but he had two entrances with doors to it and it was in the center of his house. Anyway, I saw Joops collection before he sold it and it was very nice and displayed. Two friends in the west have world class collections, one has them displayed, the other doesn't.
A friend in Illinois had the entire progression of Lugers, from the early ones, each manufacturer and up to the Stoeger lugers, he had about 50-60 pieces, but all nicely displayed in cases.

ed

You can see the round stickers on the right side frame ears of the Lugers, the shadows of which still turn up in auction pictures. Thanks for sharing, Ed.

I used to put post its on books, since they come off so easy. but i have found out that after a few months, they become almost permanent and could leave a marking. So leaving actual stickers would not be good. I have heard that about Ralphs guns being noticed that way, I would guess there are other dealers who do the same type of thing and if it sticks around long enough (hah, didn't even mean for it to say that), if you leave it long enough, then i would guess it'd leave a mark on a stock or metal...

Ed,
Thank you for posting this thread.

I envy you having seen Ralph Shattuck's collection.

Years ago Ralph and Sam Costanza would come to the Houston Gun Collectors Shows. Ralph always wore his trademark red jacket. I always enjoyed talking with them. It was always interesting but sometimes I wondered how much to believe.

A red jacket always reminds me of a real estate of used car salesman.

Here's another pic...recognize any of these faces?????
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps4umw71zr.jpg

A Life Time Of Lugers~ http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...f-luger-mania/