Peters Target shell box brings $2,966 at SoldUSA.com A fully sealed box of Peters Target 20-gage shotgun shells in near perfect condition sold for a new world auction record price of $2,966 in an online auction that ended January 23-24 by SoldUSA.com.
NEW WORLD RECORD PRICE OF $2,966 REALIZED FOR PETERS TARGET 20-GAGE
FULLY SEALED BOX OF SHELLS IN SOLDUSA.COM'S ONLINE CATALOG AUCTION
(Matthews. N.C.) - A fully sealed box of Peters Target 20-gage shotgun shells in near perfect condition sold for a new world auction record price of $2,966 in SoldUSA.com's online catalog sale that ended January 23-24. The auction saw many high prices paid and more than a few new world records set, for ammunition and sporting collectibles. SoldUSA.com's next catalog sale will be in May.
“If we are in a recession, as many people want to believe, there was no evidence of that in this auction,” said Chris Roberts of SoldUSA.com. “Quality collectibles will always sell for top dollar, even in a down economy.” Of the 562 lots offered, Mr. Roberts added, 482 sold. The website registered 800,000 hits per day in the last two days of the sale. And over 15,000 registered bidders participated.
The Peters Target box was bright and clean and showed only a little wear. “It is a fantastic box that will display well in any collection,” remarked Mr. Roberts. Light soiling, plus a small tear to the non-load information end label were the only blemishes in an otherwise perfect box. The end panel reads, “Load No. 3738 Chilled – 2-1/4 Drams – 7/8 ounces – No. 8 Shot – Dead – Shot Smokeless.”
Following are additional highlights from the sale. Prices include a 13% buyer's premium.
A Blatchford Cartridges 10-gage, Load 608 empty shell box – the very box pictured on page 11 of The Encyclopedia of Shotgun Shell Boxes – hit the mark at $2,260, a new SoldUSA.com record. The shells at one time had been loaded by the Chicago Shot Tower Company, which was not in business for long, making this item that much more desirable to collectors. The box showed little wear.
A very unusual Peters New Victor 12-gage shotgun shell box – an un-cataloged variation that does not appear at all in The Encyclopedia of Shotgun Shell Boxes – crossed the block at $2,203. The variation is subtle but nonetheless important to collectors. On the top label, the word “Kings” is blacked out in the Encyclopedia. But “Kings” does appear in the example from the SoldUSA.com sale.
In the May 2000 edition of the Encyclopedia, the Peters New Victor box had a listed value of $2,000-$3,000. The box sold was nice and clean, with sound construction. Imperfections included lightly soiled labels;very slight fading; shell protrusions, top and bottom; and a seam split along the bottom right side. The shell box was filled with correct New Victor blue-green fired empty shells.
A rare and hard-to-find Winchester case insert counter-top die-cut sign, model 12, from October 1931, achieved $1,305. The small die-cut was routinely packed into cases of shotgun shell ammunition. This piece featured a rising pheasant and model 12 Winchester rifle on the front, with the Winchester logo on the bottom, in purple
