1. Dinner was fun with 18 luger nuts and some spouses joining us. The Hilton family gave up their private dinner room for us. We heard that the Baron Hilton family was due and had reserved the room; then cancelled at the last minute. Lost our chance to see "Paris" in person...
Feedback from several members about dinner was that the portions were small, pricey, some food dry, etc. Only bargin was the elk plate...Dwight was the only smart one. So much meat on the plate that he was still eating while dessert was being offered up...I had a piece of salmon that looked more like a fat fish stick...
Maybe next time we should try another place, maybe with several smaller parties...as a large group prevents some folks from chatting with others.
2. The luger highlight of the trip for me was a very nice and very honest 1906 Unaltered Navy rig (pistol, holster, ammo pouch, 3 magazines (not matching). My guess would be in the $ 7500 to $ 8000 price range...??? There was also a nice and honest 1906 Navy altered, a lone gun, for $ 4500 asking. Both were still in the selling case when I left the show mid-day on Saturday.
3. Seemed all artillery lugers on the tables were priced very high. 95% or so 1917 LP-08's with selling prices of over $ 2800.
4. Lodi Jim; you are not alone about your frustrations with that particular luger seller. Most have the same experience. Notice how all/most lugers on the table spanning over 60-80 years have that identical "blackish" finish...no variations between DWM and Erfurt finishes even...
5. No real bargins at the show. Dwight and I spotted a 1914 DWM (mixed parts as Dwight found out) that had been black chromed with a sticker price of $ 550.
6. Jan Still was there with a table meeting folks and selling a few remaining books. Got to meet and chat with Jan as well as did others during the show.
7. Lots of nice luger holster on the tables at both Bob Young's and Ralph Shattuck's places. Prices a bit too rich for this fella, though...
8. Tried to hunt down a decent, honest M1900 AE (non-test) in my price range. One was located but with a steep price of over $ 3600 asking and it had a number "2" stamped on the rear of the frame, just above the landyard staple. Passed mainly on price. Several others were there, also pricey...passed on them as well.
9. It was great that Russ Withem and his friend Ken allowed many of us LF members to use their tables as our base, again...giving a few a chance to sit down when our feet ached. Offered some nice red wines to LF members for free as well. Thanks to Russ and Ken !!! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />
10. Tables with lugers included San Jose Gun Exchange, Krausewerks, WOL, Bill Christensen, Randy Bessler, and a few other tables scattered about with 1-2 lugers here and there...
11. Always a good show to see a variety of lugers, both original finish and not...spanning many years, makers, and models. Good educational tool even if one is not planning to buy...once you see a number of original finish pieces, some of the more-expertly refinished ones begin to stand out more easily...
Regards,
Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />