I know this thread is a little older, so I am not sure if anyone will see my $0.02 worth, but here goes -
The Savage collector's forum on 24 hour campfire is very active. There are several very knowledgeable collectors there, and they seem to have a lot of fun. They definitely avoid arguing with one another and try to keep it light. They also post hunting pictures, which everyone likes, and they have an annual get together.
Overall though, one thing that seems to really have stimulated Savage 99 collecting is the recent David Royal book, with lots of color photos, a welcome addition to the Doug Murray book which for years was the only resource for 99 collectors.
For my part, I love Michael Petrov's book on the custom makers, but the biggest shortcoming is that it is small, black and white, and not many detail photos - kind of like the Murray book.
Before some of you very knowledgeable and advanced collectors move on to the great gun show in the sky, you should open your safes and allow someone to put together a really great full color photo book. I also guarantee that it will increase the value of your pieces, which has been the case with 99 Savages since the Royal book came out because it spurs interest and help define variations etc. Perhaps you all can use this forum as a way to bring people together toward a significant and beautiful book project?
