Final Update on Roy Rogers' auction

I've been posting a bit on this, but Melissa McCracken gave me an update on other items that sold, most for more than expected, but some for less. With her permission, I'm posting her email on the subject:

I've attached a post auction report/press release that talks about the big sellers - Gilmore rig $103,500; Nudies' rig $97,750; and Clark Gable's Winchester $71,300. It also covers art, parties, etc., but thought I'd send it along anyway. The official "Prices Realized" is now up on our website.

The Lincoln, my favorite, sold for only $19,550, which is about what it's worth if it belonged to just anybody. Brian believes, and it appears to be true, that items that were accompanied by photos of Roy with said item, sold far better than items that did not have that personal connection. Believe it or not, we never could find a picture of Roy in the Lincoln. If we had, it probably would have brought far more money.

If you look at lot 184 in the catalog (Roy Rogers Corral sign) there is a black and white photo of Roy and his 2 boys in Roy's workshop with the sign hanging behind them. We estimated the sign at $500-800. It brought $13,800. Lot 336, a Winchester mdl 1400, estimated at $600-1200 brought $5,175, presumably because of the accompanying photo.

That's the auction business for ya! You think you'll get 60 grand for a fabulous Lincoln and instead you get 14 grand for a plastic sign. There's just no telling.

So each of his pairs of six shooters went for around a hundred grand. His rag top Lincoln, not so much. Auctions are funny things.