[ithacaartist]

Rich,

Here's my take: legacy firearm auction houses = long-established operations

Not unlike the Big-Box effect. The mom & pop garden centers, hardware stores, lumber yards, etc. all took a heavy hit when WalMart, Lowe's, and Home Depot came to town. But it didn't work like that in this case. These fairly centralized arenas of firearms exchange remain, and thrive--to the extent that all the buyers' premiums are sky high! I think what changed most is the way individuals can more easily buy and sell. The internet has almost eliminated the need for long, hard work in establishing connections for buying/selling/collecting.

I am glad it is this way. It would have taken me a lot longer to find what I now have, in terms of a collection. This pales in comparison to the information I've obtained just by being a member of this forum. I'm an extremely late bloomer in this interest, and at my vintage, I appreciate this opportunity. I guess nothing remains the same as much as the fact that things will change!