Diggory Hadoke remembers the life and times of one of the gun trade’s legendary, larger-than-life figures, Cyril Adams My first encounter with Cyril Adams came at Holts. It must have been around 2000 or 2001. I was bidding on an…
diggory hadoke
Cyril Adams, 1938-2020
Tagged with: back action locks, cyril adams, diggory hadoke, gun, gun trade, holts, Purdey
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The latest on gun auctions during Covid-19
Diggory Hadoke takes a virtual tour of the month’s sales, and finds that the gun trade is booming. Many industries have suffered catastrophic damage during the turbulent summer of COVID-19. However, it seems that auctions are weathering the unsettled period…
Tagged with: auction, bids, covid-19, diggory hadoke, Gavin Gardiner, gun trade, Holt's, rifle
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Auction view: Lots more to come!
Diggory Hadoke reviews the latest sales across the popular auctioneers and shares his expectations for upcoming auctions Southams kicked off September with a sale on the 12th at their spiffy new location in Bedford. The catalogue extended to 168 pages…
Tagged with: air rifles, ammunition, auction, basc, bayonets, diggory hadoke, gun market, military rifles, rifles, shotguns, southams, vintage pistols
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Trading places
We look back on a summer of deals, and with business deals signed, sealed and delivered at the Game Fair, Diggory Hadoke shares a refreshing take on the industry The Game Fair The weather was varied, the crowds reasonable and…
Tagged with: bonhams, British Game Alliance, business, deals, diggory hadoke, fieldsports, game fair, Gavin Gardiner, gta, gun trade, guns, Holt's, industry, Purdey, shooting, southams, sporting guns
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‘Hidden gems’ are no longer so hidden, says Diggory Hadoke
‘Hidden gems’ are no longer as elusive as they once were and, as Diggory Hadoke explains, lots from the provincial auctions may be worth the gamble A surprising number of people seem to be buying guns unseen from provincial auctions…
Tagged with: auction, diggory hadoke, Gavin Gardiner, guns, Holt's, kensington, london, luger, Purdey, sale, sothams, sporting guns
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Reaping the rewards with Diggory Hadoke
With the first auctions of the year looming, Diggory Hadoke reflects on the frustrations, tribulations and ultimate rewards of the auction circuit. As I write this in February is beginning to fade into memory, the weather is feeling pretty wintery…
Tagged with: auctions, bonhams, diggory hadoke, Holt's, j-p daeschler, perugini & visini, the army reserve centre, watson bros
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The Viennese faults
Diggory Hadoke explores the possibility of European auction houses usurping classic British sales. An interesting letter appeared on my desk recently. It was from a European auction house and it was asking for consignments from the UK. The auction house…
Watch This Space
AUCTIONS ALWAYS CONTAIN ONE OR TWO SURPRISES. Holt’s this summer had a cracker. The item in question was a round action, non-ejector gun by Dickson, the renowned Edinburgh gunmaker. It has to be said, it was not the best one…
Big Guns Come Out
Diggory Hadoke reports on Southams’s Bedford debut and the latest fare on offer at Holts. Southams started May with a sale at their new premises near Bedford. I was curious to see how it looked. After an early start, and…
Tagged with: Auction View, Cogswell & Harrison, diggory hadoke, gtn, gun trade, holland&holland, Holt's, southams
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Auction news and big game issues
Diggory Hadoke explores auction trends and the public threats that can impact big game industries. Recently, Gavin Gardiner put up a significant collection of air rifles for sale by internet bidding, prior to his 1 May London auction at Sotheby’s…
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