About 4:30 yesterday afternoon my wife asked me to go with her to an estate sale preview. I really didn't want to go, but she told me we would take a short look and then go out to the Catfish House afterwards. We loaded in the old Ford and headed out. When we arrived there were a number of people there so I told her to look and I would check the things out that were displayed outdoors. While looking a man came up to me and identified himself as the son of the elderly couple that owned the estate. In our conversation he informed me that he has an old pistol for sale, told him I might be a buyer. He brought the pistol out, a Colt Woodsman, 4 1/2 inch barrel, with a custom set of Elk horn grips, (I also got the factory grips) it was in excellent shape with only a small amount of blue gone near the muzzle. I asked how much, he said $150. He took a check, so I took the pistol, complete with box and all the orginal papers home with me. I cleaned it after getting home and was amazed at the condition. After checking the serial number, I learned it is a second generation, made sometine in 1954.
The point. I have known this for a long while, and have always recommended estate sales/auctions as a source for finding quality guns at a good price. Now, take my advice, when the wife asks you to tag along to these sales, don't prop your feet up aand refuse. Get out there and see what you can find. (And the Catfish dinner was excellent!)