Fairground Cadets for sale..What would you have done?

[edbear2]

At Malvern today I spotted a row of rifles on a table, and on getting closer realised they were ex-fair Cadets, An interesting chat with the lady selling, and a look around showed she had quite a bit of fairground stuff, all apparently from the same source, a retired guy in Southend.

The Cadets were all the same prefix (BC) and were rough as hell, having obviously had hard lives, and been used till they packed up, not one would stay cocked and all had various stock damage and splits etc. Amazingly all had the original sights, and all had the brazed on brass cork attachment, and original chain to the stock with a huge wing nut at the other end, and looked for all the world as if they had been chucked in the van at the end of the last fair they were used at back in gawd knows when.

Besides these were the original, nicely sign written but a bit tatty around the edges boards, maybe 3 x 2 feet with "The packet must be knocked clean off the shelf to win a prize!" written on them, apparently the "targets" were empty packets of Wild Will's or whatever brand cigarettes which were shot at with corks, these guns had not shot pellets, and a glance up a few bores later I could not even say if they were smooth or rifled as all were filthy and full of cobwebs.

I ummed and ahhhed...One rifle and sign would have made a nice display but the guns were in dire straights, and the asking price (£50 per gun / £35 per sign) meant that in the end I walked away.

Thing is though, I will probably never see the like again, so now am wondering if I did the right thing

Please re-assure me

Also saw a heavily patinated highest possible (£500), Mk1 target Webley pistol (£?) and the usual suspects, came home just £5 poorer but with a nice 1950's bakelite and glass cased engineering inspector's head band type binocular magnifying viewer.

ATB, ED

[Muskett]

If they had have been your kind of thing then you would have bought them. They may well find a home as people do collect fairground stuff. However, nothing there that has great importance by the sound of it. Better to invest in a very original and best condition Cadet.

Other peoples tat can be someone else's joy; but most tat is just that: tat. Amazing what price can be put on some old tat.

[lodmoor]

Sorry, can't reassure you, a once in a lifetime chance missed.

[Peter Dunkley]

Bad decision, expensive yes, but there aren't ever going to be anymore once they are gone.

[Troubledshooter]

Didn't someone else mention in another recent thread about seeing these cork firing Cadets elsewhere ?
I suppose if you are into fairground memorabilia or just wanted one to use indoors for fun, then they might be worth a punt, but wouldn't float my boat.

[Josie & John]

Must admit, I'd have been tempted Ed. Fairground stuff attracts a fair amount of interest and despite the condition, if the rifles had provenance and the sign, I'd probably have walked away with one. Sorry mate, can't reassure you but do wish I had attended the fair today.

John

[silva]

I would have had to have bought them all, otherwise I know I would just be setting myself up to spend years and valuable mental energy looking for the rest of them to reunite the grouping !

[gedfinn 2]

[QUOTE=edbear2;6419929]At Malvern today I spotted a row of rifles on a table, and on getting closer realised they were ex-fair Cadets, An interesting chat with the lady selling, and a look around showed she had quite a bit of fairground stuff, all apparently from the same source, a retired guy in Southend.

The Cadets were all the same prefix (BC) and were rough as hell, having obviously had hard lives, and been used till they packed up, not one would stay cocked and all had various stock damage and splits etc. Amazingly all had the original sights, and all had the brazed on brass cork attachment, and original chain to the stock with a
Thing is though, I will probably never see the like again, so now am wondering if I did the right thing



The Bsa Cadets " Once again "
Hi, I thought they were too expensive , Especially as they were cork firing,

About 10 years ago, I was in York & called at a gun shop ( Not airguns ) & We had a chat , I asked him if he had any older airguns , As you do, His reply was, I have a couple of old Meteors in the loft,
I said how much are they ! He said How many do you want , Ha ha, These were from the York cadets which closed down, They were a mix of solid & Articulated cocking arms,

To cut a long story short , I bought 19, for £300 , 15, were working & In decent condition & 4, were complete or almost , & Some spare sights,
All were .177 with the sights mounted on the rear chamber, 50% had the Diopter fitting & the others the blade, Most had the plastic risers, None of the barrels were drilled for sights,
I sold the 15, on here or another forum & Have about 8 rear sights left, ( I had to buy a diopter for a Bucanneer a year ago ) Only the bit with the hole & Screw, £9 ?
Ged.
Pics-

[Muskett]

A fairground stall with all the paraphernalia could be worth £500, nice ones £2-3k, but this one I doubt. There are those who pay good money for best examples.

Its value is whatever its worth to you, same goes for any collecting. Some collections hold or gain value, some are worthless. This one didn't, by the sound of it, float my boat.

[ggggr]

At Malvern today I spotted a row of rifles on a table, and on getting closer realised they were ex-fair Cadets, An interesting chat with the lady selling, and a look around showed she had quite a bit of fairground stuff, all apparently from the same source, a retired guy in Southend.

The Cadets were all the same prefix (BC) and were rough as hell, having obviously had hard lives, and been used till they packed up, not one would stay cocked and all had various stock damage and splits etc. Amazingly all had the original sights, and all had the brazed on brass cork attachment, and original chain to the stock with a huge wing nut at the other end, and looked for all the world as if they had been chucked in the van at the end of the last fair they were used at back in gawd knows when.

Besides these were the original, nicely sign written but a bit tatty around the edges boards, maybe 3 x 2 feet with "The packet must be knocked clean off the shelf to win a prize!" written on them, apparently the "targets" were empty packets of Wild Will's or whatever brand cigarettes which were shot at with corks, these guns had not shot pellets, and a glance up a few bores later I could not even say if they were smooth or rifled as all were filthy and full of cobwebs.

I ummed and ahhhed...One rifle and sign would have made a nice display but the guns were in dire straights, and the asking price (£50 per gun / £35 per sign) meant that in the end I walked away.

Thing is though, I will probably never see the like again, so now am wondering if I did the right thing

Please re-assure me

Also saw a heavily patinated highest possible (£500), Mk1 target Webley pistol (£?) and the usual suspects, came home just £5 poorer but with a nice 1950's bakelite and glass cased engineering inspector's head band type binocular magnifying viewer.

ATB, ED

I dont think you did the wrong thing Ed. I could understand a punt on one at maybe £35, but it would not be cheap after sorting it out. If you were really lucky, maybe the trigger was just so bunged up with dry grease that it was not moving freely enough to engage? More likely, the thing had had so much abuse that the piston was worn where the cocking arm pushed, which I know you could weld (I've never seen this on a cadet but it could happen) or the piston rod was buggered. Throw in a new piston washer, mainspring and breech seal, and it is definitely not cheap. I know what you mean about maybe not seeing one again though. I have an ASI paratrooper that came from a fair and has a length of chain on it. They are not my favourite guns but it was cheap and I have decided to keep it.

For someone of your obvious engineering talents, I would look out for a rough cadet that you could not really spoil, and then make an adapter for the barrel and fit a chain to the stock. Should come in at about £30 ish. Not original but at least it would be working.

[harry mac]

I'd lay money on these being the same cadets I saw in Norwich. Anyone saying "missed opportunity" just didn't see the state these guns were in. "Dire" doesn't even begin to describe them. As gggr says above, If you really must have a fairground cadet, just make one. It's not like they were a specially orderable, factory variant.

[harry mac]

Norwich last week, Malvern this week. Where next? (See "Rob dog" thread)

[edbear2]

Norwich last week, Malvern this week. Where next? (See "Rob dog" thread)

Blimey! ...I actually posted on that thread as well, the missus has just told me the sellers were from Cambridge, and there were two ASI's as well, so it seems the little fellas are still traveling around the country in their retirement years

As Harry says, they were rough as!

ATB, Ed

[micky]

Hi Ed l think you did the right thing by keeping your money, as it's been said just weld a cork firing part from an old Gat, and buy some chain and put it on a taty old Cadet.

[mel h]

Hi Ed, Some of the shooting range bits may have been worth having but I think you did the right thing leaving the guns at that money, I had four ex fairground cadets a couple of years ago, all dog rough but still shootable, two with cork ends, two as original. I had no interest in them but took them with a mixed lot to get two decent Airsporters, I got rid of them eventually in a swap at little value, no one I offered them to was interested in their fairground history, all they could see was worn out junk.
Mel.