St. Michaels, Maryland – Guyette and Deeter held their much anticipated Spring Fine Sporting Arms and Art Auction on Thursday February 26. The sale was a resounding success! Buyers from around the world gathered to celebrate The Sporting Life. The sale included nearly 600 lots of fine quality objects including some wondrous firearms, fine watches, beautiful art & advertising and collectible duck decoys.

The sale started with a fundraising auction which was in support of the American Civil War Museum. Painted by John Morton Barber, the painting spectacularly depicted "The Battle Of Hampton Roads." The painting carried a presale estimate of $40,000-$60,000 and ended up selling right at the high estimate! Guyette and Deeter is proud to support The American Civil War Museum in marketing this incredible work on their behalf!

American Sporting Shotguns have been at the epicenter of Guyette and Deeter's offering for the past several years. This particular auction was chock full of superb examples by all of the important makers. The top lots in the auction were Parker Brothers Shotguns with three selling for more than $100,000! Top honors of the sale went to a very rare Parker VHE .410 bore skeet shotgun. Made in the late 1930's, the gun remained in original condition and sold for a world record price of $132,000, far exceeding its $35-$55,000 estimate! A very rare Parker DHE Grade .410 bore, the very first one made by the company and ordered by Lt. Governor Roy Wilcox sold for $114,000 against a $60-$90,000 estimate. Another very rare and collectible Parker earning top honors in the sale was a CHE Grade gun made in 28ga. The gun was a very rare original example and settled comfortably at $108,000 well above its $50-$80,000 estimate. Other Parker shotguns were quite strong with more than 20 bringing over $10,000 in this auction! Other makers were strong as well with A.H. Fox Shotguns being well represented. The top A.H. Fox was a spectacular DE Grade Gun which crossed the block at $54,000 against a high estimate of $50,000. Another DE Grade in 20ga, Lot 79, sold above its high estimate at $45,000. A very rare Lefever made at the very end of production was a Grade "5B" in 16ga which landed in the middle of its estimate range and sold at $10,800. A very rare and special Ithaca Model 37 which was gold inlaid sold at an astounding $14,400 against its high estimate of $4000! A very fine Browning Superposed "Diana Grade" sold for $30,000 against a $27,500 high estimate. Other Brownings were strong as well!

No fine gun room is complete without fine sporting art and great paintings have a special place in the passion for the sporting life. The sale featured a wonderful Lynn Bogue Hunt oil on canvas with spectacular color and subject matter of a Setter and Pointer. Bidding went around the room with several seriously interested parties taking the painting well above its high estimate of $27,500 settling at $54,000!

English and European Sporting Arms were well represented in the sale with some spectacular results achieved. A wonderful Krieghoff K-20 Model 20ga & 28ga with its case sold at the high end of its estimate range landing at $19,200. A superb Blaser "F3 Grand Luxe" printed $13,200 against a high estimate of $14,500. A gorgeous Perazzi model SCO/C went out at $20,400 against a high estimate of $14,000! Another strong Perazzi was a model "SC3", this one a 28ga two barrel set, printed $16,800 against its high estimate of $10,000. A beautiful Purdey 20ga model with "Hand Detachable" locks sold for $42,000 and a very fine 12ga Purdey sold right at its high estimate of $27,000!

Realized prices on antique and contemporary decoys remain strong with many selling above estimate. Decoys by Elmer Crowell of East Harwich, Massachusetts were in strong demand with a merganser hen at $18,000, a mallard drake with relief carved wing tips at $19,200, and a classic black duck originally retailed by the Iver Johnson Company at $10,800, all above their repective high estimates. A brant in excellent condition by Chauncey Wheeler of Alexandria Bay, New York finished at $18,000 and a very rare black duck by William Heverin brought $5,100.