Diary of a Collector
It never fails to inspire me when I make an exciting find at an arms fair,I often trawl the internet and scrutinize the auction catalogues but somehow miss the buzz of handling and appreciating the actual item for sale
Condition is impossible to evaluate from a photo or a website.
There were a lot of fresh collectables at the last Newark fair,one collector was searching for a Colt rimfire revolver , by 10.30 he had scoured all the tables,no luck! at 12.30 on his second look around he noticed a mint Colt Cloverleaf on a table, apparently it had just been left by an old friend of the dealer to sell on the collectors behalf, it had been in his collection for over 25 years, the colt had only been on display for 25 minutes and had found a new highly delighted owner. this epitimizes the true joy of collecting.
Over the last few fairs we have had reports of a high demand for quality cased sets ,it is becoming increasingley difficult to find these items especially Flintlocks
This year we know of 26 cased sets sold at Northern Arms Fairs most of them first time shown to include a superb pair of Rigby duellers near mint with all orig. accessories & trade label , a very rare mint cased Rigby pepperbox & a pair of Manton duellers actually illustrated in the book of Mantons.
Collecting antique firearms is more than a hobby, more like a passion. It is hard to define why some of us make a lifetime study of these finely crafted works of art painstakingly created by our ancestors. Perhaps it is because they represent part of the genius of engineering past. If only they could tell us where they had been and what they saw.
I have had a deep interest in antique guns since the age of eleven, "it must be a passing phase" said my parents but not so – in my school lunch hours I regularly made the ten minute walk to the antique shop across the moor – where hanging in the window was a fine array of pistols – English duellers, Sea Service flintlocks, endless examples of fascinating items. Old Jack used to peer at me over his half rimmed spectacles. "Strange boy" he must have thought.
After many visits I plucked up courage and entered the inner-sanctum of Jack's shop – the door bell rang and suddenly I was inside this heavenly emporium. I could smell the aged items, gun oil and gunpowder. I froze as Jack appeared from behind the curtain covering his hallway. "Hello" he said, "I see you like old guns".
I confessed my keen interest and to my delight Jack handed me the Sea Service pistol and to this day I can remember excitement and pleasure in actually handling such a fine antique pistol. "How much is it?" I asked, "Nine pounds, ten shillings" was the reply – in 1958 this was two weeks wages for some people, well out of my reach.
After many visits to the antique shop and having amassed a library of gun books, by the age of fourteen I had saved hard, storing paper round, Christmas and birthday money to buy my first gun. On a sunny spring day in 1960 I gladly parted with ten pounds ten shillings at the antique shop and became the proud owner of a Sea Service Tower Flintlock. I seem to remember staying in for a week to look at it and seeing Jack smile for the first time.
By the age of fifteen I had met other keen collectors at the rifle club – they were bemused by someone my age showing such an interest in their collections.
In the days before Arms Fairs I was taken to the first "gun convention" in Pendlebury, Lancashire. I couldn't believe my eyes – cased duelling pistols, Colts, pepperboxes – to actually touch and examine so many fine items was a revelation – meeting experts, collectors and connoisseurs set me on the road to a lifetime's enjoyment of collecting.
The gun convention was the forerunner to today's Arms Fairs; a whole day could be spent at the prestigious Leeds Astoria Ballroom, Stockport Town Hall and Commodore Rooms, Nottingham. The very best of collectors' items were on display together with the cheaper bargains, anything from a Manton to a muff pistol. The atmosphere was electric, the fairs were supported by all the dealers from across the country and most of my collection of 45 years was purchased here.
Sadly many of these great fairs have ceased and now some of the dealers with the best stock only attend the London fairs, difficult for many of us to attend.
One dealer explained: "I sell a lot of my stock on the internet." We can't stop technology but I will only buy what I can see and enjoy the buzz of negotiating the purchase or even a part exchange.
I miss the good old fashioned arms fairs, fortunately there are still some to visit with enthusiastic dealers attending but we need more quality dealers to bring their stock, the collecting industry needs this support – the collector needs to be encouraged to return to the arms fairs knowing he will see the kind of stock and display he is seeking to add to his collection.
Now retired I sped more time pursuing my collecting passion of over 45 years, venturing as far as Las Vegas and the Continent, to my surprise I still find the best bargains at UK arms fairs, especially in the North of England. Many items have been held in old private collections often seen for the first time in many years; the real bargains are often sold by 10.00am and cherished by their new owners for many decades – not just giving pleasure of ownership but frequently sharing a major financial reward; outperforming the stock market and other traditional investment institutions.