Mark,
we would really have to know more about the gun to advise you. With matching mags (if they are original), the price is in the ball bark. It also suggests that the gun may be all original and possibly collectible. Sometimes you can get lucky at an auction and get a real deal. But sometimes you can get carried away and get burned. I once got real lucky at an old farm auction that had mostly farmers there and one gun dealer that had the audacity to bid against me. That dealer didn't know squat about Lugers and I picked up a mint 1900 American Eagle with Ideal grips and holster/stock for $1600. All the farmers at the auction nearly fainted when they saw a slight bidding war going on over a pistol. The auctioneer told me after the auction, I got a real good deal and that the gun dealer thought the gun was worth $2200. Yea, the gun alone was worth that much. But with a nice Ideal stock/holster and grips, the price went up dramatically. When I told the dealer that I thought that it was worth $3500-$4500 (at the time, that was a little exagerated, but I was having fun), the dealer almost fainted along side all those farmers. So, you see, there are deals out there. When the time comes to sell off my collection, that will be the last Luger that I will sell.
Another time when I went to a farm auction, I saw a whole bunch of Luger holsters that were being auctioned off. I lost out on the holsters, but there was one good sized box of miscellaneous grips and stuff there. But, inside that box, there was one nice set of Erfurt marked and numbered grips. I was standing next to some guy from Germany and he suggested that I let the whole box go and try to buy the grips after the auction. Sounded good and I didn't bid on the whole box. The box went for $200. While the winning bidder was still in state of euphoria over his treasure, I made a quick bee line for him and explained that I wanted to buy one set of grips out of the box from him. He said yes and I got the grips for $25. Later, he came back to me and he was REALLY hot under the collar. Somebody did the same thing that I did but took their good old sweet time getting to the winning bidder. (You snooze, you lose. Hee! Hee!). My timing couldn't have been better. The second guys offer was much higher than mine. That set of grips will be the second to last thing that I sell when my time comes.
Anyway, you can win at auctions, but you have to establish a price in your mind beforehand and stick to it. Even a little bit of give on your part will get you burned. I've seen that happen too. I am now waiting for something on an internet auction site and trying to establish a price in my mind. But its something that people could get carried way with, so I am biding my time for now. There are also other variables involved so I will keep the rest of this a secret for now. (Hee! Hee! I'm having fun with you, and maybe Ed, now).
Big Norm
