Rarities at Antique Arms Show

[browningautorifle]

I opened my wallet to check how much I had

Mrs. would split the atom if you did that...

the seller asking me to see if anyone in the U.K. would be interested in buying the whole collection.

Of course he does. He paid big and sees payday if he sells all at once. That seldom works and usually the holder has to sell in pennybits. The price would be staggering I think...

[Jc5]

I have a DVD of the entire collection which was sent to me by the seller asking me to see if anyone in the U.K. would be interested in buying the whole collection. Obviously this limited the number of potential buyers! I certainly did not know any but someone I knew did. His friend gave it some careful thought and then declined. I can provide copies of the DVD in return for postage and cost of DVD.

Robert---is this the DVD catalog of the Faris collection that Ian put together...or something different?

[Frederick303]

I may be an outlier, but those really super nice one of a kind items do not appeal to me. Not that they are not nice, unique and I am glad there is somebody on the planet to preserve them, but if you own one, you really are not going to use it. If I had one I would be hostage to it, needing to ensure it did not deteriorate in my lifetime.

Some of my favorite guns are the ones I got for next to nothing because they were turds, and had to spend time and effort to make them into something worth having. Like my 25 dollar Maltby, destroyed forend, with a #3 bolt head and questionable bore/throat. Lapped the bore, re-crowned the bore, restocked, center bedded it, ball burnished it eventually and after a number of stock adjustments, I have a fine "regulated" No 4 that shoots well to 300 yards with most 303 ammo. Learned a lot I could not have done otherwise.

I have a few nice original rifles but as I get older they do not come out of the rack. When I am old and grey.....already there,.........well completely grey and really feeble , I think the arms I will muse over are those I used not those that I got in mint shape but have no memories. Perhaps my kids will get a few bucks out of them, but I doubt they will keep them, they might keep deal old dad's Maltby match rifle.

Something to ponder, rather than torture yourself over items outside of your price range.

[browningautorifle]

if you own one, you really are not going to use it. If I had one I would be hostage to it, needing to ensure it did not deteriorate in my lifetime.

No, you're right. I was that way with a couple of seriously nice pieces and am glad they sold well when they did. I don't regret owning them or selling them. One was a 1928 Thompson and the other a Lend Lease early number M1 rifle. At least I had them. Others too...

[Robert303]

jc5 at No 22 The DVD was sent to me by the guy put in charge of selling the collection, he was not called Ian, I do not know who put it all together but it was a fair bit of work.

[Jc5]

jc5 at No 22 The DVD was sent to me by the guy put in charge of selling the collection, he was not called Ian, I do not know who put it all together but it was a fair bit of work.

Sorry, I should have explained. I was referring to the professionally produced DVD that "Lee-Enfield" author Ian Skennerton put together (for sale on his web site, and recommended)---that DVD details the Bob Faris collection (many unique Lee Enfields from that collection were featured in Skennerton's books). It sounds like you received a different DVD. I didn't understand what you meant by "seller"....do you mean the James Julia auction house? The reason I'm asking is simply that I would love to see the pics on the disc---I'll send you a PM.

Regarding the comments by others about selling the house to buy rare firearms that will never be shot... yes, I can sympathize with that. If I had a best-grade $100k English side-lock SxS, I WOULD shoot it, despite its value, because that is its purpose. But a collectible historical firearm that was famous because of its owner or its part in a famous historical event (but not otherwise unique)...I can appreciate that too, but I would never spend the money on it, not on "collecting" in that way. That's just me.

But if the gun was historical because of some feature that is part of its design... such as a transitional model (an "1897" Mauser, for example), a trials or prototype model (a Lee Metford Trials carbine, or very early MkI)... now that is very interesting to me. The firearms from the Faris collection being auctioned by Julia's are not the kind of thing I would own and keep in a safe...I don't need to own them... but I would love to study them. That's why it was so much fun to see them at the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show... the auctioneers were kind enough to let me handle and inspect them, down to the smallest features...and take photos for future reference, more than is possible to get from a published book with limited space. It was a rare opportunity to check out these rare and important pieces during the brief window of time that they are on public view...unless some museum buys them, they will probably go back into the darkness of someone's safe for years, like the toys in "Toy Story." Who knows when they will emerge again? Hint to the buyer... consider putting up a "virtual museum" (e.g., a web site, or a detailed article here on this forum) where others can study and enjoy them. Owning rare stuff is more fun when you can share!

[S-A-M3]

I agree with what jc5 is saying!, I have quite a large collection of Lee Enfields acquired over the last 25 yrs,all bar 3 are fired . These 3 are considered to be unfired,so have relented and left them so. I also get more pleasure from sorting out some cheap piece of sh**.,than an accurate one!! I think Military rifles are designed to be fired,10-20 rounds a year isn`t going to wear it out ,or diminish its value, however it is a matter of personal opinion,lets leave it at that.
Stuart.

[Promo]

The James D. Julia Auctions catalogue containing the shown rifles is finally online. I however was surprised that there were only a very handful - the most experimental and rarest items - of the Faris collection were in the auction. Does anyone happen to know the whereabouts of the rest of the collection? Are the currently listed items just for testing the auction and being sold later, or were they already sold to someone else?

[Surpmil]

For what I know: they tried to sell the whole collection in one part or in larger groups, but everything was priced at Ian Skennertons estimates. Therefore everything added up to a number exceeding 7 digits. And the market for those who would buy everything at once is rather small, especially when considering that collecting is also about the hunt for every single piece where as buying a complete collection with every small gap filled is rather boring.

Mr. Faris had quite a lot of interesting parts and pieces of mounts, scopes etc. too.

[desperatedan]

The James D. Julia Auctions catalogue containing the shown rifles is finally online. I however was surprised that there were only a very handful - the most experimental and rarest items - of the Faris collection were in the auction. Does anyone happen to know the whereabouts of the rest of the collection? Are the currently listed items just for testing the auction and being sold later, or were they already sold to someone else?

There's more of the collection here - SESSION 2 - EXCEPTIONAL FIREARMS AUCTION! - Poulin Antiques Auctions

Some Longbranch 4T's, a couple of L42A1's (one Longbranch, and one BSA with an REL Mk3 scope) and other very interesting rifles. Oh to be in the USA!