Cleveland Gun Auction Friday 6/27 - Anyone Else Go?

[Guest Spuds]

Attended the "inventory reduction" auction at Volunteer Ordnance Works yesterday. Came away with everything I went to get and then some, but it was a strange auction.

I heard from several folks that the owner of VOW had been at Legends going out of business sale buying items for the auction, and had been contacting local folks known to have guns for sale to try to buy them for this auction. It appears this was simply a marketing event, not the "inventory reduction" sale it was billed as. Much of their normal inventory wasn't included in the auction listing.

I got the idea the event didn't go as planned. It wasn't that well advertised IMO, but I'm no expert. The rain undoubtably kept attendance down. The time, Friday at 3 p.m., seemed odd also. All seemed to make it a "buyer's auction" in my mind.

One thing I didn't care for is the abrupt ending of the auction. I know several items listed on the billing never came up for bid, both high dollar items and more common ones. It was advertised as an absolute auction, no reserves, so what gives with that? Also the owner was bidding on the safes and perhaps other items. It wasn't made clear if those were absentee bids or what, if so, someone besides the owner should have made them, if for no other reason, just for the appearance it gave.

I would really feel screwed had not everything I was there for come up for bid, but all the items I was interested in did. I had to control myself from buying more, as many items went for a deal in my mind, even considering the 10% buyers premium.

[BrandonTN]

I had no idea about this...

[skipsfirearms]

I liked the shop when Dan owned it.

I had some customers who went. One of them bought a bunch of Browning shotguns, I think. He can't help buying every Browning he finds.

[BimmerFreak]

Dan is good people, and will be missed in the community.

[Guest abailey362]

I hadn't seen anything about thi either....probably good for the wallet though

[Guest Spuds]

Dan has been very, very good to me. The store sucks now that it isn't his.

Here are some the prices I wrote down, couldn't get them all. I don't know commerical guns that well being a milsurp guy, but the following looked cheap to me.

9 Stoeger Turkey Semi Shotgun 12 Ga $190

14 Remington 870 Pump 12 ga $150

20 Savage 24 Over/Under .22/20 ga $200

25 Rossi R17YS 17 HMR Youth rifle $100

41 Weatherby Mark XXII .22lr $250

39 Remington 700LH 30.06 w/scop left hand rifle $375

60, 62-64, 66-67 Stoeger Over/Under shotguns in 12 and 20 ga, went for $125-$175

76 Rossi S.A. Combo (.22 and 20 ga) $100

91 Mossberg 930 12 ga 2 barrels $200

97 Dan Wesson 357 Max $220

114 Beretta NEOS U22 $190

115 High Standard Plinker M101 $125

117 Mauser Broomhandle $500

128 Ruger GP100 .357 $305

130 Baikal Makarov .380 $160

143 Mossberg 46B .22 $125

148 British Enfield #1 Mk III* $100 (it had been humped)

180 Browning BPS 12 ga $250

198 25 sq ft safe $1400*

199 35 sq ft safe $1750*

*VOW's new owner bid these--maybe he was bidding for an absentee bidder? Or maybe he didn't like the low bids.

10% buyers premium and 9.25% sales tax was added, but still made for some good deals.

[Warbird]

I really wanted to make that, but was out of town. Was hoping to find a nice O/U sporting clays gun.