Norm et al,
I agree very strongly with you all on the requirement to be super cautious on rare pieces. I have made it a point the last several years to know the provenance of each ava raris I acquire. The '04 I purchased last year was a known gun that I had been after for 10 years; the seller was a well known and well respected COLLECTOR with whom I had many very satisfactory dealings-a mint 02 Carbine for example.
However, in the final analysis, it all comes down to who do you trust more with your money: yourself or a committee?
I have gotten to the point, (and perhaps I am letting arrogance show) that I think my "eye" and expertise within a *narrow* range of Lugers is equal to that of anyones. Consequently, I tend to trust my own judgment more than others. We all make mistakes and, hopefully, we learn from them. I know I have and did. And I hope all my mistakes are in the past!
Tom A.
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