dblfever..........who'd you get to relay ribs for 400?
From his 2006 price list....
"RESOLDERING:
Price includes bore and choke measurements, slow heat disassembly, regulation, reassembly, hand polish and slow rust blue. We are not responsible for barrels that are unsafe to be soldered once disassembled. There will will be additional charges for ribs that need to replaced."
Resolder and reblue ...$385
After a famous SxS guy butchered my barrels, I contacted another famous SxS shop and asked them if they could relay the ribs. They said "Why don't you take them to Giacomo?...that's where we'll send them."
OK. The fact is, the purchase price for each of those projects really was <$1500. Maybe I didn't play fair, but the rules really weren't spelled out very well. Bill Soverns seems to be talking about making a decent wage at it. I don't. I do my own stockwork. These are personal guns I can use and enjoy and if I sold them for a pittance someday, I'd still think it was money well spent. I never buy a gun with the intention of reselling it for more, but I'm pretty sure I will on these.
Craig said it well....
I think there is a market for refinished/restored American doubles.If well done, who would not want and Original Elsie compared to the new one. People want a piece of history for their family. With the limited supply of old Quality American doubles, it is also a charitable endevor. The key is it must be Well Done. If the Quality is there, the buyer will be also, and if he perseives value, the prices will continue to rise.
Craig
The first gun I completed 5 yrs ago. The Fox cost me $900, the blank $350, $135 to turn it, $135 for colors and I slow rust blued the barrels. Actually, I lied already....invested $1520. But it's a 30" 16ga...I was ahead of the curve
The second is a 20ga Fox I bought 15yrs ago for $800; the metal had been freshly 100% recolored. I put $400 into the turned blank.
The third one is a current work in progress. Being a 12ga Fox, I picked it up for $400....they're out there. This blank was $450, but you can have xtrafancy feathercroth black walnut for $250. You can stll get them turned for $150. You can have all the metal professionally polished and refinished (including disassembly/reassembly) as I will, for $650. It's a 32" 12 ga.....laugh if you want, but I'm still ahead of the curve
I only wish I'd bought that new Hemi 'Cuda in 1970 for <$5000.....you know, the one that just sold for $2 million.
