What I have had with the Hessney Gun Company LTD has been nothing but a good time and mostly good deals on guns, ammo and other firearms related things. No disappointment of any type made this past Saturday's (yesterday's auction as I type) live auction my last one. No it was something else that did that and I must say it is disappointing to say it likely will be my last. The reason for that is my impending separation, divorce and move to a Arkansas.
Damn, I will miss the folks at Hessney. I have been attending live auctions there - just about 305 miles each way from my home - for just a month shy of a full 7 years. That first auction I attended there was on April 28, 2012; that was only a month and a couple of weeks after being declared cancer free. In fact, my trip to that auction was the first really enjoyable adventure I had since my cancer treatments had ended in November 2011. I still was pretty run down from it all but was at the point where if I did not get away from moping around the house I was going just stay miserable forever. So that's what I did, I went to the auction and I did pretty good for myself that day.
During that first auction, I purchased a Browning Citori Lightning unfired in the box (their code for new); a High Standard Dura-Matic M-101 with two (2) barrels, an Iver Johnson Hercules grade 16 gauge SXS shotgun, a Stevens Model 66-B .tube fed 22 Cal. take-down rifle, a New England Firearms SB1 Pardner 12 gauge single shot shotgun, an Eight Point Whitetail Trophy Mount, and a Moroccan Carved dagger with brass decorated scabbard. While I made out well overall, I learned some valuable lessons because I mad some mistakes at that first for me live gun auction.
The knife was a made for tourists piece of crap. That was okay, I got ride of it eventually for at least what I paid for it. The Hercules grade shotgun was a total failure on my part. I had thought I was bidding on another of the same make & model that was in good to very good shape but bid on the wrong one and wound up with a piece of junk. It is hiding in a corner in my basement somewhere - hiding from the junk heap that is! As for how I did well - there was that Stevens 66B and NEF Pardner. One in very good condition and the other was new respectively. Had fun with them and eventually sold them. Then I also got that Citori, I did very well on that one is all I will say - very well indeed.
That was the start of it all. I just kept returning and returning and over the years went more often each year. If the Hessneys and their crew were not as nice as they are I never would have kept going back again and again. Including that first auction I have attended a lot more of their live auctions, bid on one of their live auctions via the Internet because I was out of state for that one and also bid on one or two of their online only auctions. The breakdown of the live auctions I attended goes like this for 2012 and all the years since:
2012: April & October
2013: I don't have any receipt for that year so maybe none but my best bet is I attended at least one year but that is only an undocumented surmise.
2014: June
2015: June
2016: I started to get serious in 2016 and attended live auctions at Hessney during January, April, June, August and December.
2017: February, March, April, August, September, October and December.
2018: January, February, April, June, August, September, October, November. I also bid on a live auction in March but had to do so online as I was visiting my son in AR at the time; I picked up a new in the box High Standard M101 Derringer. I also bid in an online only auction in July.
2019: February and March
I am sure there would be many more to come if I was to stay here in NY.
So, what's the point in telling you how many times I have been to their auctions? It is not to impress you with how many times I've been there but rather to impress you with how much I was impressed by the Hessney Auction Company. The Hessney family are some of the nicest and warmest down to earth folks I have ever met. Joe is the lead auctioneer and his daughter Carrie also is an auctioneer. Both do a bang-up job of it and both have my unending respect and thanks for making each auction I attended delightful. I am a bit ashamed I cannot remember Joe's wife's name but she too is a sweetheart; yet, she is also a no nonsense kinda gal. In other words, she takes no crap from any wise arses who try to give their employees a tough time as she works the floor during the auctions. One other family member I have met is Carrie's daughter - now around 2 years old and a pretty little fireball of a lass.
Speaking of the employees the Hessney crew is an excellent bunch of folks too. I've got to give Don a hat tip as one of the best of the bunch and a hat tip to Megan too. As a matter of fact, Don got a warm handshake and Megan got a friendly hug from me when I left their yesterday. Gosh, my last auction there was only yesterday but somehow seems longer ago than that as I sing the tune nostalgic.
I am going to miss them all very, very much. If you ever have the chance to visit Geneva, NY - up in the Finger Lakes Region of NY - check to see if they are holding alive auction. It may well be worth your time and some cash to visit and do some bidding. While I attended only their firearms auctions, they also hold estate auctions, jewelry and coin auctions, comic book auctions and so on. As for those other auctions, I cannot say much since I am a gun guy and attended only those auctions. If you're into guns though, I can say this: I don't think you will be disappointed at all if you attend one or more of those auctions. If you do ever stop by there, tell them Glenn B from Long Island (the guy who moved to AR) says hi and misses them dearly (I do already and am sure I'll continue to do so). If I am lucky, I'll be able to visit them on a future trip to NY during yet another live gun auction.
All the best,
Glenn B
Damn, I will miss the folks at Hessney. I have been attending live auctions there - just about 305 miles each way from my home - for just a month shy of a full 7 years. That first auction I attended there was on April 28, 2012; that was only a month and a couple of weeks after being declared cancer free. In fact, my trip to that auction was the first really enjoyable adventure I had since my cancer treatments had ended in November 2011. I still was pretty run down from it all but was at the point where if I did not get away from moping around the house I was going just stay miserable forever. So that's what I did, I went to the auction and I did pretty good for myself that day.
During that first auction, I purchased a Browning Citori Lightning unfired in the box (their code for new); a High Standard Dura-Matic M-101 with two (2) barrels, an Iver Johnson Hercules grade 16 gauge SXS shotgun, a Stevens Model 66-B .tube fed 22 Cal. take-down rifle, a New England Firearms SB1 Pardner 12 gauge single shot shotgun, an Eight Point Whitetail Trophy Mount, and a Moroccan Carved dagger with brass decorated scabbard. While I made out well overall, I learned some valuable lessons because I mad some mistakes at that first for me live gun auction.
The knife was a made for tourists piece of crap. That was okay, I got ride of it eventually for at least what I paid for it. The Hercules grade shotgun was a total failure on my part. I had thought I was bidding on another of the same make & model that was in good to very good shape but bid on the wrong one and wound up with a piece of junk. It is hiding in a corner in my basement somewhere - hiding from the junk heap that is! As for how I did well - there was that Stevens 66B and NEF Pardner. One in very good condition and the other was new respectively. Had fun with them and eventually sold them. Then I also got that Citori, I did very well on that one is all I will say - very well indeed.
That was the start of it all. I just kept returning and returning and over the years went more often each year. If the Hessneys and their crew were not as nice as they are I never would have kept going back again and again. Including that first auction I have attended a lot more of their live auctions, bid on one of their live auctions via the Internet because I was out of state for that one and also bid on one or two of their online only auctions. The breakdown of the live auctions I attended goes like this for 2012 and all the years since:
2012: April & October
2013: I don't have any receipt for that year so maybe none but my best bet is I attended at least one year but that is only an undocumented surmise.
2014: June
2015: June
2016: I started to get serious in 2016 and attended live auctions at Hessney during January, April, June, August and December.
2017: February, March, April, August, September, October and December.
2018: January, February, April, June, August, September, October, November. I also bid on a live auction in March but had to do so online as I was visiting my son in AR at the time; I picked up a new in the box High Standard M101 Derringer. I also bid in an online only auction in July.
2019: February and March
I am sure there would be many more to come if I was to stay here in NY.
So, what's the point in telling you how many times I have been to their auctions? It is not to impress you with how many times I've been there but rather to impress you with how much I was impressed by the Hessney Auction Company. The Hessney family are some of the nicest and warmest down to earth folks I have ever met. Joe is the lead auctioneer and his daughter Carrie also is an auctioneer. Both do a bang-up job of it and both have my unending respect and thanks for making each auction I attended delightful. I am a bit ashamed I cannot remember Joe's wife's name but she too is a sweetheart; yet, she is also a no nonsense kinda gal. In other words, she takes no crap from any wise arses who try to give their employees a tough time as she works the floor during the auctions. One other family member I have met is Carrie's daughter - now around 2 years old and a pretty little fireball of a lass.
Speaking of the employees the Hessney crew is an excellent bunch of folks too. I've got to give Don a hat tip as one of the best of the bunch and a hat tip to Megan too. As a matter of fact, Don got a warm handshake and Megan got a friendly hug from me when I left their yesterday. Gosh, my last auction there was only yesterday but somehow seems longer ago than that as I sing the tune nostalgic.
I am going to miss them all very, very much. If you ever have the chance to visit Geneva, NY - up in the Finger Lakes Region of NY - check to see if they are holding alive auction. It may well be worth your time and some cash to visit and do some bidding. While I attended only their firearms auctions, they also hold estate auctions, jewelry and coin auctions, comic book auctions and so on. As for those other auctions, I cannot say much since I am a gun guy and attended only those auctions. If you're into guns though, I can say this: I don't think you will be disappointed at all if you attend one or more of those auctions. If you do ever stop by there, tell them Glenn B from Long Island (the guy who moved to AR) says hi and misses them dearly (I do already and am sure I'll continue to do so). If I am lucky, I'll be able to visit them on a future trip to NY during yet another live gun auction.
All the best,
Glenn B
