MISSED LUGER PURCHASE

ONE PONDERS THE QUESTION, "WHERE DO I START WITH REGARDS TO COLLECTING?" THE SENSIBLE ANSWER IS HEARD OVER AND OVER. "READ THE BOOK" IN FACT READ ALL THE BOOKS OVER AND OVER. THIS IS A WISE ANSWER FOR MANY REASONS, THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THAT YOU MAY GET TAKEN DOWN THE LINE AND LOOSE HARD EARNED MONEY IN THE PROCESS. THIS IS A TRUE STORY AND YES THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT! I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING GUNS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAVE PURCHASED SOME GOOD DEALS AND SOME NOT SO GOOD DEALS, THAT I CHALK UP TO EXPERIENCE. BUT TODAY WAS ONE I WILL ALLWAYS REMEMBER. AN OLDER FRIEND AND FELLOW COLLECTOR OF MINE CALLED ME LAST NIGHT WITH A GREAT DEAL. HE STATED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY BOUGHT A LUGER AT THE GUN SHOW IN DES MOINES. HE DESCRIBED IT AS A 1918 DATED DWM LUGER IN APROXIMATELY 98% CONDITION. NOT BY ANY MEANS A RARE GUN BUT IN THAT CONDITION ONE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN MY COLLECTION. OF COURSE MY ANTISIPATION TOOK OVER AND THIS LUGER OCCUPIED MY THOUGHTS UNTIL I COULD DRIVE THE HALF HOUR TODAY TO SEE IT. I DON'T HAVE A POKER FACE WHEN IT COMES TO LUGERS! AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A WEEK OF SUNDAYS, I FINALLY ARRIVED AT HIS HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY. HE WAS ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATE. HIS WIFE KEPT ME BUSY WITH SMALL TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER. FINALLY THE TIME HAD ARRIVED. MY FRIEND CAME IN THE ROOM CARRYING A LONG GUN CASE AND TWO SMALLER HANDGUN CASES. HE TOOK OUT A WINCHESTER MODEL 42, IN GREAT CONDITION, GRANTED BUT I CAME TO SEE MY QUARRY. AFTER VIEWING TWO MORE RECENT PURCHASES, HE WENT TO GET THE LUGER! HE OPENED THE CASE EVER SO SLOWLY AND HANDED THE PISTOL TO ME. I LOOKED IT OVER VERY CAREFULLY TO ASSESS IT'S CONDITION....... AND YOU GUESSED IT, THE GUN WAS RE-BLUED WITH AN EVER SO SLIGHT ROUNDING OF THE PROOF MARKS. I OPENED THE TOGGLE AND FOUND THE ENTIRE GUN HAD BEEN RE-BLUED(SAVE THE SMALL STRAWED PARTS) NATURALLY MY HEART SANK! ON THE WAY HOME I DID'NT KNOW WHETHER TO BE DISAPPOINTED AT THE MISSED LUGER PURCHASE(EACH PURCHASE IS A SLICE OF PURE NERVANA TO ME)OR THANKFULL THAT I HAD READ AND RE-READ ALL OF MY LUGER BOOKS SEVERAL TIMES AND NOW HAD THE EXPERIENCE TO MAKE A WISE AND THOUGHTFULL DECISSION? NOW SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I THINK THE LATTER IS TRUE! MY ADVICE TO NEW COLLECTORS IS READ THE BOOKS AVAILABLE BEFORE YOU PURCHASE EVEN YOUR FIRST LUGER. SOME DAY YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID! ALSO HANDLE AS MANY LUGERS AS YOU CAN TO BRING SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE TO YOUR COLLECTING. I'M FORTUNATE, I HAVE SIMPSONS IN GALESBURG ILLINOIS(2 HOURS AWAY) THEY ARE KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME BROWSE AT MY LEISUER THEIR LUGER ROOM.(OK, I USUALLY BUY SOMETHING EVERY TIME I GO THERE) JUST MY THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES.


BEST REGARDS FRIENDS,


TIMOTHY CANNEY