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02-20-2005, 11:34 AM | #1 |
Lifer
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$2 Million dollar Gun
Thought you guys would enjoy this!
A local gun collector discovered he owns the luger George Eastman committed suicide with? He paid less then $500 bucks back in 1972. Very interesting article. I can scan and post the whole article if your interested. They say George Eastman owned 2 lugers (a matching set) and both are unaccounted for until this one turned up in Rochester. Although they don't give a clear description of the luger other than "it's an early 1900s model" it matches the one in the original police photos. It is marked under the barrel with a C/B, C/G, C/U, 172,28 and ser. 133 Better check your collections The owner no longer wants to keep the luger because of it's tragic history. Hmmmm, wonder if the $2 million price tag helped with that decision? Bob For some reason. I'm having trouble posting a PIC? |
02-20-2005, 12:15 PM | #2 |
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Suicide...???
Hi Robert,
1. Can you direct some of us (i.e. me) to some documenting article that states Geo. Sr. committed sucide ? This is "news" to me and I thought I read enough luger books (over 65) on the subjuect... 2. WOL's dealer, Ralph Shattuck, has the "Baby" 7-shot luger thought to have been Geo. personal sidearm. This one is photographed in several luger books and here is a photo taken by one of the LF members at a Luger Fest event at Ralph's house a couple of years back : Regards, Pete... |
02-20-2005, 12:32 PM | #3 |
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George Eastman
Hope this works
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02-20-2005, 12:33 PM | #4 |
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George Eastman
Another
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02-20-2005, 12:39 PM | #5 |
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Quote from article:
Weakened by illness, George Eastman the founder of the Eastman Kodak Co. lay down on March 14 1932 and put a bullet through his heart. He left behind a note saying "my work is done. Why wait?" |
02-20-2005, 12:46 PM | #6 |
Lifer
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Hey Pete,
Are we talking about the same "George"? |
02-20-2005, 01:10 PM | #7 |
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Sorry, Robert...my mistake...I thought I read Geo. Luger in your first posting...my mistake ! Gotta go get my first cup of Java...
Regards, Pete... |
02-20-2005, 02:20 PM | #8 |
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Bob,
Could you please post--or send me dwightg@pacifier.com --large-bitmap pictures of this article, particularly the photographs? It appears that there is enough information here for a good entry into my early Commercial database, but the resolution of the photos in the Forum are too low to make it all out, thanks very much. --Dwight |
02-20-2005, 06:24 PM | #9 |
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Democrat and Chronicle Luger Article
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02-20-2005, 06:35 PM | #10 |
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Dwight,
If that isn't good enough for you I will gladly mail you the article. Bob |
02-20-2005, 08:08 PM | #11 |
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Bob
I forgot to say Thank You for letting everybody know about the newspaper article. very interesting. Thanks again Ed |
02-21-2005, 12:13 PM | #12 |
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Article says Ralph Shattuck did the $ 2M valuation...
Another sentence in the article reads as : "...If you could document it's George Eastman's, there's people out there who would pay some stupid money..." |
02-21-2005, 12:36 PM | #13 |
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They should have put "stupid" in bold letters.
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02-21-2005, 12:42 PM | #14 |
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I am not sure that George Eastman is a significant enough historical or cultural figure that the pistol that he used to commit suicide would fetch $2 mil.
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02-21-2005, 12:46 PM | #15 |
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I think George Eastman's Brownie might be worth more money.
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02-21-2005, 06:26 PM | #16 |
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Even if it was documented, what do you think it would bring?
But being realistic and assuming it will never be documented and just a curiosity piece, then how much? |
02-21-2005, 06:57 PM | #17 |
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I would guess it might add a couple thousand? More if some idiot wants to display it at a store to bring people in, but not that much. As Geo said, something used by him might be worth more, but something with a gruesome history, more maybe but not to most folks...
Ed
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02-21-2005, 08:22 PM | #18 |
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The Luger appears to be in very good condition and has a very early serial number. Assuming that it is in about 98% condition, if it has the early flat button magazine and unrelieved frame: a)if it is Swiss - approximately $9000-$10000; b) if it is commercial - approximately $10000-$12000. With that as a baseline, you could add anywhere from $2500 to $5000 for its role in a high profile newsworthy event. Working in the P.T. Barnum factor, someone might drop $25,000 into it if they really wanted it. Anything over that is insanity...$2M is somewhere out there on the fringes of the universe.
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02-21-2005, 08:54 PM | #19 |
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If Teddy Roosevelt's M1902 carbine showed up, that one might just fetch $ 2M...especially with documentation that is impeccable...
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02-22-2005, 01:55 PM | #20 |
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Ron's figures are right, with the addition of $ for auction madness (Ron hit it with the "P.T. Barnum factor"). Pete has zeroed in on THE pistol and historical figure, but $2 mil is still unthinkable.
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