Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Elmer Keith's Auction

It is interesting that Elmer's guns brought big money. The realized prices of his guns were above the high estimate almost on every single gun. I wonder how many of his rifles will pop out of the wood work after the auction.
No. 5 went for $70,000- Jim Corbett Tiger Rifle 230,000. Hoffman Rifles from 10,000 to 20,000.

Pretty good haul for his heirs.

https://jamesdjulia.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=92818#Top

I was there and it was hectic bidding and very exciting.

How many neat new toys did you come home with?

Just one!

Kaboku68, I was there too. More than a few people on here (campfire) thought the handguns, went too cheap. But, as I told a few folks, you could pick out the guns being bought by Keith collectors, by the prices being paid, like his 333OKH for $11k, and the one Champlin for $52.5, But I suspect the Hoffman's went to someone who either collects them themselves, as a Hoffman, or going to turn them over. The handguns not just given to Elmer, were the ones who brought some heavy money, like the two Smiths with the double holster rig. And the #5. Didn't seem to me that more than a few out of all the folks, only about 50, were bidding. I think the heavy dollar stuff went over the phone, like Corbett's rifle. Wish I'd had the money to buy a piece to two, looking back. I thought the Pachmayr rifle went low, price wise. That is one beautiful rifle.

Did you see the stuff for day 2? A rifle, owned by Phil Sharpe, 03 Springfield, with a Pedersen device, went for $50k. There was some other great stuff in day 2's auction. I didn't stay for that one, but did look at the stuff. Jerry Fisher rifle, and one by Bisen, and several RG Owens guns, etc. One guy I know who collects doubles, said he thinks the doubles went too low. Right now a New, Jeffrey box lock is $71K and the side lock, is $98K. Holland said their Royal grade side lock is now a $162,500.00. The one there sold for $60K I think. But was a great auction, and an OLD Elmer fan got to see his stuff. Wish there had been a museum set up for his stuff like O'Connors. But seemed like once Elmer had his stroke, no one in the industry knew who he was any longer. El Numero, what did you buy if we may ask.

Which one did you get? Tell us about it

I thought the Handguns for the most part had a heafty
Elmer premium while the rifles seemed to bring a lower price, in some cases right around the low estimate. Did you mean $5250 on the Champlin?

I thought that they went for much more than Warren Page's rifles. There were even some JOC rifles that went for much less.

You are probably right that some of the doubles were bargains. I wonder who got the double that he leveled at the pos that tried to arrest him in Hell I was there?

I just wish that NRA could have diverted a bit of funds and captured up some of those for the national firearms museum.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Mike454, no, $52,500.00 .There were 3 Champlin rifles, one #1, in 458 brought $42,500, the one that was the 338/378, Serial #61 brought $52,500, and the one that was a 375, serial #27, completely dolled up rifle, with fancy wood, and engraving and gold inlays, only brought $20K. IF I had had the money, would have bought that one.

Jaboku64: Page only had a couple of rifles and less well known to most people (not me), than Elmer and JOC. The 257 of JOC's brought $10,700.00, and was sold by the estate of the guy who'd bought it from JOC (who died during the sale). Also, the 257 of JOCs, though a Pachmayr, is really plain, compared to the Pachmayr of Elmers. If you look up James Julia March 15th auction, you can see the pictures of the different guns.

I no longer have a copy of Hell I Was There, but I was under the impression he pointed a Sharps at the guy. But, like I said, haven't read it in a few years. His Sharps rifles were for sale too, and they went for nothing. One went for $20K, but the other three went for $3k-$7k. The higher priced one, one pictured in his book and shows him shooting a big Buffalo (American) with it. Recoil so heavy that even being heavy, would roll him over onto his elbow, from the setting position.

That 375 was super nice, just beautiful, and well worth the 20,000 if you consider the work that went into the engraving. If you look at the auction provenance for those guns Elmer valued the #27 gun at $5000 back in 1972 while the #61 gun he valued at $2000, the same as the #5 revolver. Interesting auction that was fun to follow online. Was surprised when the Corbett gun jumped from 180,000 straight to 230,000. Someone wanted that gun very badly.

I spent the money to go there just to see some of this stuff. Kind of a religious experience for me, lol. Mike notes gun #27 valued at 5k back in 72, but it not made till after that. Which one you talking about. also #61, in the catalog is the 333OKH, which I went there to buy, but didn't like it as much once I saw it. What's interesting is , a guy I knew here, was offered the one Jeffrey 476 for 5k back in the mid-late 70s, but wouldn't take it because Elmer wouldn't include ammo with it, and wanted an additional $100 for the ammo. Yeah, the Champlin one and the Pachmayr one worth what was paid. Everything on both top grade.

So, due to the big haul the family made; may be they thought Elmer's obsession wasn't so bad after all.

Just noticed in Julia's catalog, that the auction company next door, Prouls, I think the name is, and by next door, mean within 50 yds, sold several Keith guns the day before the auction at Julias. One was his Aya shotgun. I will see if I can find out what all was sold and what it brought, and report back, if anyone interested.

Okay, went and looked, it's Poulin auctions. Checked their list, and they had another 30 or so guns of Elmer's. But mostly stuff he'd been given, but not as famous or just not the "quality" of the stuff at Julia's. Do a search for Poulin auction results March 2015 sale. Actually some nice stuff on there. His AYA was there, but forget what it brought, as got to looking at the rest of the stuff. NO DR's, but single shots, bolt guns, and lever guns, and handguns. There were almost as many guns in this bunch as in the Julia one.

Reloader28, I think the family would much rather his stuff go to a museum type thing, like JOC's, but for some reason, after he had his stroke, Elmer pretty much forgotten by the industry. Not sure who all's behind the JOC center, but kinda sad that they didn't do one for Elmer too.

Sorry for the confusion, I was talking about the Champlin riles. #27 is the SN of the engraved 375 champlin. #61 is the SN of the 338/378.

Okay. BTW, next door to Julias, and I kinda think they own it, is Prouls. They sold almost as many MORE Keith guns as Julia's did. They had his AYA shotgun, and a number of others including Lorraine's personal handgun. If you do a search for , results of March 2015 auction at Proul auctions, then specify Keith guns, and get more specific, for rifle then shotgun, etc. and you can see what else they had there. These ones I guess Julia's didn't think were as snobby as the others.

OH back in the 70s, 5K was a bunch of money. I was making 6k a year, till 1973 and thought I had a pretty decent job. My wife was making another $4k or so. In 1978, just before he died, JOC sold his Pachmayr 257Roberts to a guy name McGreevy, I think is was for $3k. Elmer's one Jeffrey 476, was offered to a guy I knew for $5k, but the guy wouldn't pay Elmer another $100 for the ammo, which wasn't being made any longer, so let the rifle go. Go take a look , pictures there too, at the Keith guns at Proul or Prouls.

People get wrapped up at an auction and logic often goes out the window. Elmer Keith is a known personality now but I wonder what these guns will bring in 50 years when the new generation of shooters will bid on these guns.

Consider a parallel situation - 1920's and '30's autos. Today, they do not bring the prices they brought 30 years ago as new auto enthusiasts are into '60 muscle cars and that's what they will pay top dollar for.

These buyers have (either) a lot more money than I have or, a lot less sense.

Well thanks for posting the link, I enjoyed looking at them. The Custer stuff was also very interesting. I had no idea Cookes revolver had been recovered from the Indians when they were in Canada.

I think a lot of the guns in Elmer's collection went as much because they were "collectors" to begin with, as anything. FI: the Hoffman rifles. Those collectible and when you have the first one, well. Also, like his #5 revolver. That collectible because it was one of only two made. Some of the guns didn't go for what I thought they would. Like the double rifles. they went for the big name ones, $50-$60K, which SEEMS like a lot of money, till we see that Jeffrey now bring out doubles again, and their Box lock, one is $71,000.00 and their Side lock one $98,000.00. H&H told me their new base level side lock is priced at $120,000.00 and their Royal grade at $172,000.00, so, thought the ones Elmer had look kinda high, are top grade guns that probably won't decrease in value. Even the Pachmayr one, at $20K, is only about what it would cost to have made today. With a few exceptions, I think most of Elmer's stuff sold due to it's own collectability. Some years ago was at an auction, where Bill Jordan's stuff sold. His badge and hat brought more than any of his handguns did, and all of his special made for him with his own private serial number, and most of them had his signature engraved in them. They sold for about what they would have cost in the local gun shop. I don't think these guns will go out of style or become worth less.