valuation on inherited pistol

[lindabowkett]

Hi, looking for a little advice really ,i was offered £300 for this pistol by a well known dealer and he said it was a fair price ,but before i sell it i thought i would ask the people who know,you guys..see what you think ..
all i know is it is a de-lux model or thats what is on the box..

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/...psltbm1dex.jpg

[draitzer]

Although the Brown Pneumatic pistol in your picture is not in the best of shape, it is indeed the Deluxe version of an extremely scarce American air pistol from around 1939 (you might google "brown pneumatic pistol" for more info). A somewhat cleaner example of the standard version, also with its box, just sold at Holt's auction house for £3,000 before fees. If you were to sell it to a collector directly you will get far more than the dealer's £300; I'd expect a price of £1200 would bring a quick sale.

Please note that my frame of reference is here in the USA where there's not as much airgun collecting interest as in the UK, so my estimate may be LOW).

Don R.

[B&W FOX]

There is a current thread running on the forum titled Holts, and a Brown pistol was sold today at Holts auction and the hammer price was £3000, and it was purchased by a member of this forum.

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread.php?804959-Holts

[45flint]

You have the box as well! You have to be putting us on? That just can't come out of nowhere? Certainly my holy grail. How did all these Browns end up in England?

[Mark D]

You have an extremely rare pistol there. The box will add a lot of value if it's in nice shape.

You need not to rush into selling it, as it will most certainly be worth considerably more than the £300 a dealer offered you.

There are a number of collectors on here that will be able to advise you on value and best way to sell it.

Nice 1st post

[micky2]

The blue book of airguns by Robert Beeman 10th edition 2012 values it at $1,250 in about the same condition as your's and add 25% of that price for the box if in good condition.
A very rare pistol indeed. what a lucky find.

[DT Fletcher]

Indeed, rare pistol. Dealer is literally trying to steal it from you and should be called out for it.

to give a real valuation, we need more and better pictures of the gun and the box. Any other paper with it? Instructions were reproduced like a blue print and are worth a lot.

With better pics, can give a better estimate. Even as is, probably $2000 at a minimum in the US.

[Troubledshooter]

Indeed, rare pistol. Dealer is literally trying to steal it from you and should be called out for it.

Agreed, name and shame.

[Garvin]

It's a remarkable coincidence that this post is made on the very same day as a Brown pistol is sold for £3,000 hammer at auction in London...

Even allowing for the usual lowball offers from dealers, £300 is bordering on fraudulent. Maybe 'all's fair in love and war' when it comes to private collectors using their special knowledge to get a bargain, but a gun dealer asked for a valuation by a member of the public surely has a moral obligation to play fair - or at least not to offer 5-10 times less than its true worth. If he had offered, say, £500 or £600 you could just about make a case that he was factoring in his overheads/profit margin etc although even then he'd be making a killing.

So who was he? Please name and shame.

[lindabowkett]

thanks for the info guys ,i originally tried to post this last week but couldnt get the pictures to work..just managed yesterday,i had a sneaky suspicion the dealer thought i was pulling his leg because when i sent him some pictures he said last one he saw was in auction and he missed out ,it went for 300...or so he said..he has a website with lots of older rifles and pistols for sale.. micksguns !!

[T 20]

Ah

Now then Linda.

I would let the gentlemen of the collectors section guide you in the best way to sell this item.

It could be that you could sell it on Sunday at this event :-

http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....95#post7193995



All the best Mick

[Troubledshooter]

thanks for the info guys ,i originally tried to post this last week but couldnt get the pictures to work..just managed yesterday,i had a sneaky suspicion the dealer thought i was pulling his leg because when i sent him some pictures he said last one he saw was in auction and he missed out ,it went for 300...or so he said..he has a website with lots of older rifles and pistols for sale.. micksguns !!

Thanks for that Linda.
I know absolutely nothing about the pistol you have, apart from the fact it is quite a rarity, so I would not be in too much of a hurry to part with it until you can establish it's true value, particularly considering the similar item just sold at Holt's auction, and you also have a box for yours as well.
There are some dealers out there who will offer you a fair price, always remembering they like to make a profit, and there are also some private collectors who will do the same without the profit motive coming in to it.
Good luck with the sale.

[Abasmajor]

While browsing in a dealers shop some time ago, I noticed a very rare Anson's Star air pistol among the used items either taken in part exchange or rarely for cash. The asking price was around £300 which was ridiculously low had they known what they were actually selling. The pistol was in good, fully working condition, so without seeming too keen, I happily paid the full asking price. Although I initially felt a bit guilty, this soon changed with the realisation that if he let me have it for this low price, what miserly low price had he paid to the original owner who was the real loser in this particular transaction.

Regards
Brian

[lindabowkett]

Thanks for the advice on this pistol guys its appreciated,i know now its a rather valuable pistol,but if i were to sell it would i need to have it re-finished to bring it back to all its glory or leave well alone, trying to gauge wether collectors prefer an original condition gun or one that looks like new,but refinished..or would it even de value the pistol if it was refinished..any advice appreciated ,thanks ..picture below of pistol

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/...psltbm1dex.jpg

[T 20]

Whatever you do, Linda.

leave it just as it is or you could devalue it by hundreds of pound.




All the best Mick