Mark at Born Again Bird Guns has a couple of NIB Merkel 8s and they are indeed at 2k but have only appreciated $300 over final year suggested retail in the decade plus they've been out of production. I agree that the market for the Japanese Browning "double club" in it's pedestrian configurations has outpaced my interest in it. I wasn't present when the foundations stones of Parkermania were laid but have watched and even participated in the Fox Frenzy as it pumped iron and bulked up. Incredible. As for subtlety, one guy's rare variation is frequently a suspect deviation from type for the rest of us. They all need the buzz to create demand and the "out the door" stuff seems to do just as well as guns with rare features and little-known provenance. This was brought home to me by seeing a Becker-bored Fox "packaged" with a pedestrian CE and the resultant selling price for both. I'm still kicking myself. A rising tide etc.--usually rather higher for the tubs than for the dreamboats. So we're back to King Brown's comment. We're all looking but for what exactly. Specialized knowledge is the way to something special and that's not the BB.
jack
