Older readers likely remember that anxious wait for the Sears “Wish Book” to arrive. With hundreds of pages filled with the latest toys and games it was the perfect way for boys and girls to update their letters to Santa. The holiday annual was first published in 1933, although it wasn’t until 1968 that management officially labeled it the “Wish Book.” Families had been calling it that for decades. By the turn of the century it grew thin and it ended in 2011. An attempt to revive it with a mailing to select shoppers in 2017 drew mixed reviews and little fanfare.
The book flourished in a simpler time, though, long before social media and influencers drove buying frenzies. Under the flickering lights of the Christmas tree, and in the privacy of their own home, children and their parents studied those pages and decided what they wanted most. Not all those dreams came true, but there was magic in those shared wishes.
New Wish Book
Younger readers missed out on something special, although Rock Island Auction—perhaps without knowing it—recaptured some of that spirit for gun owners when it published full-color catalogs, three in all, jam packed with guns, gear and accoutrements up for sale during its Dec. 9 to 11 auctions. The photography is exquisite, writeups detailed and it’s enough to make any enthusiast wish they could afford everything. Those of us on a budget, however, get to savor each firearm’s history, drool over the craftmanship and marvel at the engraving.
Like the Sears “Wish Book” there are still plenty offered to fit most budgets, but it’s those big-ticket items that get the headlines. One noteworthy in the three-day sales is the Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 Single Action Revolver shipped to President Theodore Roosevelt on May 12, 1898, there very day he left for San Antonio, Texas, to train his Rough Riders. You know, the same ragged bunch of cowboys who fought their way up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish American War under command of the man who would become the 26th President of the United States.
The revolver is finely engraved, preserved impeccably, and one of only a few chambered .38 Long Colt to still exist. Pre-auction estimates put it at going for anywhere between $800,000 and $1,400,000. If past Rock Island Auction sales are any indication, the high bidder will be paying more.
Still Affordable Items
In the meantime, Lot. No. 3687 is closer to my financial reality, maybe. It’s one of the 1,000 cased Colt Texas Ranger Commemorative Single Action Revolvers made. It includes a solid silver-Texas Ranger badge, a pictorial “History of the Texas Rangers” and more. The .45 Long Colt-chambered gun is expected to fetch between $1,600 and $2,500. I’m adding the Roy Rogers Commemorative SAA on the same page to my wish list, too—just in case Santa thinks I’ve been nice.
There’s a lot more available during this weekend’s sale, include more modern firearms. If nothing else, take the free online look at the catalog when you get a chance. Turn the holiday lights on if you do, just for old time’s sake.
Photo courtesy of Rock Island Auction