My dad told me the story of when you were auctioning guns at the gallery and talking in depth about the pieces. Everyone was sitting on their hands and listening, but not bidding. He said the auction was dying, he grabbed the mic from you and took over knowing nothing about what he was selling and said things like, “this pistol is lot 26 and how much will you pay for it?” and people started bidding.He claimed the whole thing was a mystery to him.

Oftentimes when I was auctioning, he would walk by me and say, “the people know what it is, stop talking and just sell it!”

It was always great to work with you J.R., I have been very happy to see you rise to the position you have through utilizing your vast knowledge of firearms.

Martin

Thanks for remembering me. I began working part time for Morgan about the time he began selling, in 1978 or 1979. Once I retired from the Air Force in December 1979 I worked full time for him, until about May 1980. I sort of helped him build the Seaboard Gallery and he taught me to auction, just as he did several other novice auctioneers, some of whom became recognized names in the seacoast area. He taught me so much about the auction game and one lesson has stuck throughout all these years “always let the customer be smarter and more knowledgeable than the auctioneer”. It was a lesson hard-learned and like most of that type has stuck with me throughout my life. I haven’t sold much since I left Morgan but still work in the auction industry. I am the Chief Firearms Consultant and catalogue writer for the James D. Julia Auction Company of Fairfield, ME, the number one firearms auction house in the world for high-value firearms.

J.R. La Rue

Martin