Richmond Auctions focuses on bringing high-quality and rare items to market, and they started with a bang. After bursting on the scene just three years ago and setting a new world record for the most expensive antique advertising sign ever sold for a whopping $1.5 million, they’re bringing that same dedication and focus on quality and authenticity to the gun world with their first-ever firearms auction to be held on November 18th.
Company founder Jordan Richmond was a collector long before he was a dealer or an auctioneer, so he understands what’s really important to collectors. That’s why the company’s 2023 Premier Firearm & Sportsman Auction features an astonishing array of more than 165 guns, focusing on what you might call “safe queens,” appealing to collectors of guns with a focus on long-term investments in today’s unsure world.
There are first-generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers, Belgian Browning shotguns, Winchester rifles, and plenty of other guns that have long been considered to be “blue chip” investments in the gun world.
Some of the guns that will cross the auction block include ones that belonged to John Wayne’s son Patrick and the rest of the Wayne family (including ones with special custom serial numbers), lavishly engraved guns by timeless masters such as Alvin White and Angelo Bee, and other firearms from big name collections such as Frank Pachmayr, Robert M. Lee, Viscount Sir Robert Horne, Jack S. Parker of General Electric, and more.
Equally as outstanding as the guns are the firearm-related advertising pieces being offered, which have become their own category of collectibles. Cardboard advertisements are rare today because they were meant to be disposable. The fact that there are more than 175 lots of vintage ads, counter displays, calendars, posters, and more from companies such as Winchester, Remington, Peters, DuPont, and others is incredibly impressive.
Like the unfired, new-in-box guns in this sale, the gun advertisements look just as good as the day they were made 75-100 years ago, with vibrant colors that still jump out at you. They hark back to an era when firearms were a proud, public tradition in this country, and stores weren’t afraid to make that known in their front windows. While you won’t see ads like these being made today, they make the perfect addition to a gun collection or to a man cave.
Many hunters, shooters, and collectors also enjoy fishing, and this sale also has something for anglers, too. There are more than 30 antique, investment-grade fishing lures being offered, many of which rarely, if ever come up for sale, and some of them are still in their original picture boxes.
To see the entire catalog with tons of detailed photos and to register to bid in the sale, visit www.richmondfirearms.com. You can also reach out directly to Seth Meredith, VP at Richmond Auctions, if you have any questions. His email is [email protected].
About Logan Metesh
Logan Metesh is a historian with a focus on firearms history and development. He runs High Caliber History LLC and has more than a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, and the NRA Museums. His ability to present history and research in an engaging manner has made him a sought-after consultant, writer, and museum professional. The ease with which he can recall obscure historical facts and figures makes him very good at Jeopardy!, but exceptionally bad at geometry.
