Whitney for Big Money

whistlersmother · May 24, 2017

If I could have posted an icon for the thread title...

Whitney Wolverine, nickel plated (900 made), looks to be unfired, plus a bidding war...

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/648073611

:shocked:

Am I crazy or is this a lot of money? Just last year a similar Wolverine with the white grips went for a measly $2000 - without the box. I guess the box commands another $1500 by itself.

Oh well, 'twas not to be...

Oh, and if the winner is a member reading this, can I come over and drool?

somd_mustangs · May 24, 2017

That's a lot of juice for it that's for sure.
People do crazy things though, saw an AC/43 P38 sell a few weeks ago for $2500.

There was actually more like 500 nickel-plated guns, not 900.
This one is several hundred lower than the first in the range documented in the Wolverine book:
32159 vs. 32546-33099
The book does say that a few in the low 32000's have popped up but might not be factory finish ("The Whitney Wolverine" by Antonio Taglienti).
I believe the book is wrong, as there are several between 32000 and 32546 that look legit (one is in Don Findley's book).

I'm not gonna drop $4k to prove it though

(especially from a guy with 2 F's out of 6 feedbacks).

From 4 years ago at $2500, S/N 32132
http://www.icollector.com/Scarce-Ni...-Automatic-Pistol-with-Original-Box_i17059881

One just like it from 6 years ago, $2500
http://www.icollector.com/Very-Scar...erine-Semi-Automatic-Pistol-with-Box_i9752990
(gee the description looks familiar

)

BTW - There's a guy on GB that sells polished aluminum recreations so need to be careful.
He doesn't pass them off as original nickel guns, but someone that bought one from him might, or so on down the line.

whistlersmother · May 25, 2017

Always learn something here. Thanks very much.

Those white grips on nickel finish look prutty. I like the "space" look plus being one of the first alunimum cast helps make them unique.

Interesting that some sellers don't take pictures of the back of the frame where the hammer comes up...

Edit: Hammered at $3628 - we might be seeing this one again...

somd_mustangs · May 25, 2017

whistlersmother said:
Interesting that some sellers don't take pictures of the back of the frame where the hammer comes up...

the chip of death....
(not my Wolverine, thankfully)

mawkie · May 25, 2017

That is purty. Original box does help but I can't help but think this one went heavy. You do see nickel plated example come to market so I consider them uncommon but not rare.

tallen702 · May 25, 2017

mawkie said:
That is purty. Original box does help but I can't help but think this one went heavy.

I'm afraid we're going to start seeing inflated prices in the non-milsurp market before too much longer. As the younger guys with C&Rs start realizing that military arms aren't the end-all be-all of what they can buy, and start appreciating eligible civilian arms more, I think we're going to see prices start to go up.

Shoot, I know I've gone through that transition, and I see a lot of guys on the C&R group pages on Facebook doing the same thing. What used to be all Mosins, Enfields, and Garands is slowly having Model 8s, A5s, Savages, etc. added into the mix.

I doubt it'll take off like a rocket anytime soon, but I'd expect to start seeing more "newbies" overpay on auctions like this than we have in the past.

j_h_smith · May 25, 2017

That's a fine tribute to the space guns of the 50's and 60's. Not my cup of tea for the price, but I'm sure there are tons of folks that would pay up for a pistol like that.

Congrats to the buyer!

Cochise · May 25, 2017

I admit I dont really get it.
On the space gun thing, a High Standard 102 or 103 is at least as funky and more than 10 times the gun for the money and in this case less money

mawkie · May 25, 2017

For me it was just as much about a cool looking pistol that I saw in magazine ads as a kid but couldn't buy. We're talking pre 68 so you could purchase a Wolverine via mail for a whole $35. Just like with muscle cars when guys reach their peak collecting years and see something they've always wanted, Katie bar the door. Sometimes cost isn't an obstacle if you want it bad enough. Me, I'm a cheapskate. I opened my wallet just enough to get one for what I thought was a reasonable price that fit my budget. Had to hunt one down in a rinky dink PA auction to make it happen.

Jimbob2.0 · May 25, 2017

Some people have more money than brains.

j_h_smith · May 25, 2017

Jimbob2.0 said:
Some people have more money than brains.

I like to say they have more dollars than sense...

Doco Overboard · May 27, 2017

Model 8.s A5's and Savages were all used by the government, primarily in law enforcement roles though I guess for the most part.

somd_mustangs · May 27, 2017

Doco Overboard said:
Model 8.s A5's and Savages were all used by the government, primarily in law enforcement roles though I guess for the most part.

Arrrr Cap'n, the post has gone rogue....
:innocent0

somd_mustangs · May 27, 2017

somd_mustangs said:
BTW - There's a guy on GB that sells polished aluminum recreations so need to be careful.
He doesn't pass them off as original nickel guns, but someone that bought one from him might, or so on down the line.

speaking of which...
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/651022798

DutchV · May 27, 2017

I guess if you've always wanted something, and now you have the cash, it's gonna be yours. I knew a guy in high school (mid-80's) that had a '67 Camaro, with a built 327 and a PowerGlide. That thing was an absolute carnival ride. Super fast, and slightly risky. No doubt many virgins were converted in that back seat.

I don't have the money, but I do understand the itch.

zoostation · May 28, 2017

tallen702 said:
I'm afraid we're going to start seeing inflated prices in the non-milsurp market before too much longer. As the younger guys with C&Rs start realizing that military arms aren't the end-all be-all of what they can buy, and start appreciating eligible civilian arms more, I think we're going to see prices start to go up.

Shoot, I know I've gone through that transition, and I see a lot of guys on the C&R group pages on Facebook doing the same thing. What used to be all Mosins, Enfields, and Garands is slowly having Model 8s, A5s, Savages, etc. added into the mix.

I doubt it'll take off like a rocket anytime soon, but I'd expect to start seeing more "newbies" overpay on auctions like this than we have in the past.

I agree and another thing I think is happening is that more and more people new to collecting are starting to look for guns they can shoot at their local 25 yard indoor range and aren't really looking to join an outdoor range. And while a lot of modern indoor ranges these days have backstops that will let you shoot a Mosin or an Enfield it really isn't that much fun at such short distances indoors.

tallen702 · May 30, 2017

zoostation said:
I agree and another thing I think is happening is that more and more people new to collecting are starting to look for guns they can shoot at their local 25 yard indoor range and aren't really looking to join an outdoor range. And while a lot of modern indoor ranges these days have backstops that will let you shoot a Mosin or an Enfield it really isn't that much fun at such short distances indoors.

There are also a lot of guys who are waxing nostalgic over a "simpler" time where hunting didn't involve $2500 in scent-lok clothing and super-secret-squirrel-stealth blinds. This isn't older boomers remembering hunts in the 50s and 60s with dad or grandpa, but younger guys (late Gen X, early Millennials) who are inspired by the classic imagery of the golden-age of ourdoorsmanship.

I'm squarely in the late Gen-X camp myself and have a bunch of early millennial friends who just 3 years ago were all about M1 Carbines and whatever else they "used" in Call of Duty when they were in college. Now, they're discovering the beauty of the art-deco period of early pocket pistols, and the rugged imagery of double-guns and early auto-loaders. I see more and more young first-timers at the trap range when I get a chance to go these days. They're out there with a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 and doing just fine, but you can see that look they get when they see an old and interesting gun in the rack next to theirs. When they find out they can be had for a song with a C&R license, you can see the gears start turning. Shoot, even when I was at Engage picking up that Baker Batavia Leader the other week, guys were asking about it and what made it different/special that I'd buy it.

whistlersmother · Jul 7, 2017

And yet another one. This one seems to be in near mint condition - maybe uneven unfired...

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/659742060

That's a LOT of dolla for something I'll never shot...

somd_mustangs · Jul 7, 2017

There's also several listed in the $800 range ...

Use the advanced search / completed items... a couple sold recently in the $1800 range, another at $2100 (not the nickel one in OP).
and yet, another one for $500 and a few in $700-800 range....
crazy times

mawkie · Jul 8, 2017

There's a tiny number of gun lots in a midwest estate auction going off today and in it are two Wolverines including one with nickel finish. Too bad I don't have the coin to play in this one (just paid taxes, ugh).

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