You can find good 20 for less than a grand if you wait and pounce when you come across one. You wont find a Parker but can find Ithacas, Fox and Smith doubles in decent to very good condition. They don't fall out of trees but if you wait and watch they are out there because I keep finding and buying them myself.
In the last year I have bought a LC Smith in like new condition, 20/28" that the seller and I both thought had been reconditioned. Upon close inspection it is not and is a honest 95%, (dealer 99%) condition gun for 800. I found a early Sterlingworth 20/28" with a beater stock for 800 and scooped it up because I had a nice take off stock for it. It is a decent gun with some case color left and decent barrel blue. Just has a "replacement" stock from another Fox on it. Or you might find a Ithaca Flues 20/30" for less than 250 dollars. Fair barrel blue and trace of color with a well worn stock. It should make a nice dove gun when restocked. I passed on a NID 20/28 in good condition for less than a grand, because I just bought the Flues the day before. Maybe I'll regret it but I have two other NIDs in the same configuration and almost have to agree with my wife that I can only shoot one of them at a time.
Now if you want a 20/30" double in Smith, Fox, Ithaca or Parker your watching and finding will be a lot longer and a lot fewer chances. I was looking for a NID or Flues 20/30" for several months before I found the one I bought at the price I wanted to pay. Funny thing is that three others came up within two or three weeks, all in decent condition and all under a grand. But you can not buy them all. Heck more than half the fun is searching.
