Tim,
I have gotten long in tooth a few times myself. So I can't complain when someone else does it. You are absolutely correct when describing dealers. Nothing against them. But as I mentioned in my earlier post, I was salivating when I found that 1937 S/42. The guy had two Lugers and was gripping the blue book with white knuckles. Somebody beat me to the 1915 DWM w/matching mag. But I still got something. I couldn't put my new Luger in my carrying case because it would crush my lunch donuts. It tickled me when all the dealers who saw me asked what I had in my Luger holster.
I go to estate auctions all over sounthern Michigan because I know that I can beat dealers. But a lot of times I get beat out because some other bidders go irrationally crazy.
I have not scored yet with a Luger but I go to a lot of garage sales. Try to meet those little old ladies who are selling their deceased husbands collections. Scored good on a CZ-27 and a Mauser Model-1934 but no Lugers. Scored good on an estate sale and got a mint 1900 AE w/Ideal stock for $1600. A dealer there had the Luger priced right for him but he totally ignored the Ideal rig.
Right now I have been watching one dealer at OGCA for over a year. He has a skunky Kreighoff that he has over priced for the condition. Some day he is going to give up on the gun and I may pick it up cheap. Anyway, thats the plan.
But bargains sometimes pop out of nowhere. I picked up two chamber dated 1914 DWM artilleries for $3500. While I was bragging, one came out of nowhere for $1500. I never moved so fast in my life.
Big Norm
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