mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-I routinely bookmark lots that are of interest to me and this one, sold by LS&B on GunBroker, was an easy choice. I've always been interested in early Italian auto pistols but reference work and online info on them is hard to come by. I purchased an Italian language reference on the 1910 Glisenti figuring even if all I got out of it was photos it was better than nothing. Listed in a couple of pages was an early competitor to the Glisenti from the Terni arsenal by Coronel Giuseppi Vitali. Never adopted, it apperars that only prototype quantities were built. If I'm reading the Italian text correctly about 50 examples in all. So extremely rare. Another example that I've never seen or knew much about.
-LS&Bs example of the Vitali pops up along with a 1910 Glisenti (which sells very weak at around $750) and the sale ended Sunday evening. I wasn't sure how strong the interest would be as the firing pin assembly was missing. The textbook definition of unobtanium. Something that would have to be reverse engineered and fabricated. But missing FP be damned! When I woke up this morning and looked at the closed lot it I fell out of my chair. The sale price was a whopping $25,750! I knew it would probably clear $5K but nothing approaching this.
-I've been seeing a weakening of the market for most "common" items as we enter a slowing economy and an approaching holiday season which competes for scarce dollars. But true and outstanding collector examples are still surging up in price.
-LS&Bs example of the Vitali pops up along with a 1910 Glisenti (which sells very weak at around $750) and the sale ended Sunday evening. I wasn't sure how strong the interest would be as the firing pin assembly was missing. The textbook definition of unobtanium. Something that would have to be reverse engineered and fabricated. But missing FP be damned! When I woke up this morning and looked at the closed lot it I fell out of my chair. The sale price was a whopping $25,750! I knew it would probably clear $5K but nothing approaching this.
-I've been seeing a weakening of the market for most "common" items as we enter a slowing economy and an approaching holiday season which competes for scarce dollars. But true and outstanding collector examples are still surging up in price.
