Holts sealed bid auctions - what do you know?

[Essexsussex]

Hi all

There's a rifle I'm interested in, but can't see where/when you are able to view, and if they have more than one photo?

A lot of what I have seen written here and elsewhere indicates it's all a bit of a hassle and not that great a place/way to buy.

Also is the lower of the 'range' of estimated sale price a reserve does anyone know?

Grateful for any info or to hear of experiences using Holts.

Does anyone know what they charge for RFD?

Many thanks

Will

 

[Pointer]

Hi all

There's a rifle I'm interested in, but can't see where/when you are able to view, and if they have more than one photo?

A lot of what I have seen written here and elsewhere indicates it's all a bit of a hassle and not that great a place/way to buy.

Also is the lower of the 'range' of estimated sale price a reserve does anyone know?

Grateful for any info or to hear of experiences using Holts.

Does anyone know what they charge for RFD?

Many thanks

Will

Will

I have found Holts to be very good, sometimes you get a bargain, other times you do not win [sealed bid]. If you call Holts they have a gunsmith working in the building next to the stored lots, he will often have a look at the gun for you and let you know if there are any major problems.

Take a look at the past sales, that will give you an idea of the realised prices in comparison with the reserves. If you have any other questions on this, send me a PM.

Give them a call, the girls in the office are very helpful...hope you are not bidding on the same rifle as me : )

Cheers

P

 

[Essexsussex]

Thanks Pointer

I have PMd you. Indeed I found them extremely helpful by phone.

Will

 

[Kalahari]

I think the law says that the reserve may not be higher than than the lower estmate. Sometimes it is lower than the lower estimate.

David.

 

[deerwarden]

Shame I didn't see this earlier as I've just picked up my new Berretta from Holts won from the London sale, I would have been happy to look at it for you, be aware what you bid will then have a 20% charge from them for selling it, and any VAT if applicable. I personally don't like the sealed bid auction as you have no idea of the other bidders want to pay, can get expensive for the buyer at times. Lots of guns there, also lots of crappie ones as well. deerwarden.

 

[Heym SR20]

All the items in both the main auction and the sealed bid are available for viewing at their preview which is for the three days before each sale. Well worth a visit as you can get the opportunity to look at lots of things. With the sealed bid factor in the 20% plus the VAT bit - read the small print because for UK sourced items you just pay VAT on the 20% Auction fees where as on imported items you have to pay VAT on the whole lot. And then spend what you thinkit is worth. If you don't get it, well somebody has been prepared to spend more than you thought it was worth.

For main auction items you can place a commissions bid, whereby you give the auctioneer the ability to bid for you up to a certain amount. Sometimes you can get lucky. I won an auction where I bought my 7x65r and I wrote a cheque to Holts for a total of £1,050 as nobody else bid. I spoke afterwards to Hambrusch who built and new cost is Euro 15,000 plus - and it was practicully unused.

But I have aslo seen Beretta Silver Pigeons go for more than the cost of buying a new one from the Beretta Gallery just becuase two people have bid for it.

I have put a number of sealed bids in for bits and pieces, including job lots of ammo and some single barrel 410's. They have gone mostly for more than I was prepared to pay, although its a bit galling when you lost something by a fiver.

 

[Essexsussex]

Thanks everyone, particularly for the couple of offers to look over a rifle another time. Just as a note it appears the sealed bid commission is 25pc plus vat. We'll see how it goes!

will

 

[M275]

Hi all


Does anyone know what they charge for RFD?


Will

Please be aware that Holts can't do RFD transfers for you. If you do buy an item then they must enter the details onto your FAC before they will release it to you. You can't ask an RFD to collect items from Holts that you have bought.

This is in accordance with the legislation and the wording on your FAC, although we all know that RFD-RFD-FAC transfers are standard practice for retail sales.

They will hold items for you until your variation comes through, but this should be reasonably soon after the sale.

 

[Pine Marten]

This is in accordance with the legislation and the wording on your FAC, although we all know that RFD-RFD-FAC transfers are standard practice for retail sales.

I'm a bit confused about this now. I have two rifles, one bought from an RFD, the other from an individual, and in both cases they were couriered to a gunshop near me. And in both cases, the shop staff filled in my FAC, notified the police that they'd done this, and I did the same. Some years ago, I bought a shotgun in the Holt's sealed bid sale, and they also couriered it to the same gunshop, same procedure. Now that said, I've noticed on my FAC that's not what it technically says should happen. Has this changed of late?

It's just I've never sent off my FAC for the seller to fill in and then return. In fact I think my FAC states that it all has to be face to face which can't always happen in practice.

Perhaps this is one for the nice people at BASC to clarify?

 

[M275]

I'm a bit confused about this now. I have two rifles, one bought from an RFD, the other from an individual, and in both cases they were couriered to a gunshop near me. And in both cases, the shop staff filled in my FAC, notified the police that they'd done this, and I did the same. Some years ago, I bought a shotgun in the Holt's sealed bid sale, and they also couriered it to the same gunshop, same procedure. Now that said, I've noticed on my FAC that's not what it technically says should happen. Has this changed of late?

It's just I've never sent off my FAC for the seller to fill in and then return. In fact I think my FAC states that it all has to be face to face which can't always happen in practice.

Perhaps this is one for the nice people at BASC to clarify?

There have been two threads covering this ground recently:

http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co....nd-FAC-requirements?highlight=strange+request

http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co....st-For-RFD-Transfer?highlight=strange+request

As far as Holts are concerned, if you bid and get it, then they have to enter it on your FAC. If you wish, you can send them your FAC to complete, then they will return it directly and send the item to an RFD to collect. This is the strictly Kosher way of doing it, so they have to work that way.

 

[Essexsussex]

They have offered to write the shooter on my certificate and hand it directly to me at my office in London for a fee - just under 2x normal RFD costs. Sounds pretty handy and on an expensive purchase a bargain. Adds a few more percent to my measley bid!

 

[Essexsussex]

Well I got it!

Not a complete bargain, a very very good condition Husqvarna in 6.5 x 55, which is exactly what I wanted. Just need the variation now...

 

[M275]

That's a co-incidence, I also bought a 6.5x55 Husqvarna from them as a left-over from their January sealed bid sale:

http://auctions.holtsauctioneers.co...salelot=S090114+3600+&refno=+++71806&saletype=

I've been trying it out and it all works well, feeds, extracts, ejects fine. The action's very smooth and the bore's good. It had a sales swing tag attached to it from a gunshop in southern Sweden for 6,500 Swedish Kroner, about £560, and it cost me £260 after the commission.

Accuracy is as good as my Sako L691 in the same calibre but I'm still fine-tuning the load. This is the best so far, 5 shots at 100yds off the bench:

 

[Essexsussex]

That's a co-incidence, I also bought a 6.5x55 Husqvarna from them as a left-over from their January sealed bid sale:

http://auctions.holtsauctioneers.co...salelot=S090114+3600+&refno=+++71806&saletype=

I've been trying it out and it all works well, feeds, extracts, ejects fine. The action's very smooth and the bore's good. It had a sales swing tag attached to it from a gunshop in southern Sweden for 6,500 Swedish Kroner, about £560, and it cost me £260 after the commission.

Accuracy is as good as my Sako L691 in the same calibre but I'm still fine-tuning the load. This is the best so far, 5 shots at 100yds off the bench:

View attachment 47483

i paid quite a bit more, but my 243 is husky and I have found it excellent. I looked at some modern guns around the same price and frankly only the sako seemed as good quality. So I got it! Can't wait for it to arrive, seems almost new if thirty years old!
Looks a good grouping. Is it the 1900 action, or the older Mauser? Mine is the 1900.

 

[Essexsussex]

Just saw the link - the lovely 1900!

 

[deerwarden]

I only won a bloody assegai. deerwarden

 

[M275]

I only won a bloody assegai. deerwarden

Well, that's the way the Zulus liked them

 

[deerwarden]

Trouble is it makes three I've bought from them, all antique, no Michael Caine jokes such as, "stop buying them bloody spears". deerwarden

 

[Essexsussex]

I just hope you got a better deal than me! Though I couldn't be happier to have the rifle I am a little bit perturbed that it was two and a half times the price of the same 243! But then maybe I'll have it forever...

 

[enfieldspares]

I bid on the Zeiss 7x42 binoculars £330 but didn't get them. Someone else bid £370. Plus 25% commission that takes them to just short of £500 but still a bargain. However I did get some books.