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Kevin's of Thomasville is kind of a special case. His brick and mortar store is located smack in the middle of the GA-FL quail plantation belt and he appeals to the very rich. His fine gun-room (s) are located on the top floor of his downtown store, accessed by a narrow winding street-front set of stairs. You have to ask downstairs to go up.

When I would be in town there for a hearing or something I would always try to make time to visit Kevin's. He has a huge consignment business as well as his own inventory.

I once noticed a nice looking gun in the racks and picked it up to inspect. The salesperson looked hopeful, likely because I was wearing my cleanest suit. Then I noticed that the gun was a Purdey and the price tag said 90K. I put it back in the rack very carefully...Geo

Geo's story about examining the $90,000 Purdey reminds me of the time I waltzed into a high dollar gun shop called London Guns in Santa Monica, California. I was in college, spending the summer working in California. I wasn't wearing a suit. It was worn, faded, cut off blue jeans, a Pink Floyd tee shirt, and running shoes.

The salesman was cordial, but I didn't get the impression he felt confident he'd be selling me any Purdeys or Hollands. I was just becoming interested in doubles at that time, and saw a lot of lovely shotguns. But I didn't know enough about them to really appreciate what I was seeing.

One of my closest friends went to England to visit his daughter a few years ago. He also went to Scotland while there. He wanted to visit gunshops, and did. He said the folks at Purdey and at Dickson were "out of the way nice", courteous and gracious. But, that the H & H shop was just the opposite. They sized him up as a non-buyer when he came in the door, and ignored him.

SRH

Once Louis Vuitton got involved, focus changed.
They are �Lifestyle� companies now.

It�s not like a car dealer where most prospects can be expected to buy within 30 days somewhere else if you can�t set the hook.

There is nowhere else for their products.

When you are ready to buy, you�ll be treated well, and they�ll take your order.

They really do understand a long selling cycle with aspirational buyers.

So why the 180 degree difference between the companies I mentioned? Or are you only referring to H & H? He was "treated well" by Purdey and Dickson, why not by H & H?

SRH

IDK
Last time I was in H&H It was a bit of a surprise to be greeted by such youthful representatives.
The other makers I visited had the requisite old guy that seemed as though he had been there since before the Great War.

But, the conversations were similar.

There�s a certain peculiarity in the selling cycle for items that have no constraints.
They can literally do anything, so the march to specifications is hard to get started on without a guide you are comfortable with, and willing to be led by.
And of course in the realm of self made men, the entire dynamic between gunmaker and patron can be complicated.
The representative could easily have been talking with a king the previous appointment.
To help provide a framework.

I can understand the complexities of speaking with a king one moment and a peon the next. Purdey's and Dickson's did too ............. and took steps to overcome it.

SRH

I�d like to know how Kevin prices his guns. He�s quite proud of them.

Stan, I went to H&H and Purdey in the same afternoon this past September. H&H was a smidgen cold at first, but not bad at all. I ended up getting invited to see and hold their private collection downstairs and spent 30 minutes educating the sales gentleman on the history of H&H and of the transition from m.l's to pinfires to center fires. He readily admitted he knew the current guns very well, but not as much on the history. It was an amazing visit! The folks at Purdey were extremely polite and friendly, but no offers to examine their collection were made lol. Of course, at H&H the guy's eyes opened wide when I mentioned I go duck hunting with a 1866 centerfire H. Holland! Both were very friendly and very enjoyable visits

Glad you had a good visit, CC. I had often wondered if my friend's experience was the norm, or if he just caught them on a bad day.

SRH