If the price is right

I BLAME Jonathan Young, our illustrious Editor. Normally, I ‘off-piste’ (his expression) through the auction rooms, seeking out objects that interest me, invoke wonder or simply make me smile. Inevitably, temptation sometimes proves too strong and my finger flicks upright to the ‘I want it and I want it NOW’ bid position or, ever more frequently in these internet-driven days, stabs downwards onto the ‘Buy Now’ button. This time he plonked temptation right in my path: “Write about buying shotguns at auction.” What fun. How interesting to interview the experts, inspect and learn about the guns and, as I did so realise just what bargains these old British guns can be [see How to avoid a hammer horror, April issue]. My first opportunity to put my wallet where my mouth had just been came with Holts’ 19 March extravaganza of weaponry.

As I advised in my article, I went to the viewing. I told the Holts team that I was