“We saw this auction as a way to make something positive out of what was an unfortunate situation,” current Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said in a news release. “We’re pleased that we will be able to recoup some of the dollars spent on these items and put them toward an important agricultural project.”
Registration and viewing will open at 8 a.m. EDT, and the auction is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. All items will be sold as is. Paperwork and background checks must be completed onsite before the firearms can be released.
The specially engraved rifles and knives were intended as gifts for agriculture commissioners and their top aides from member states of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The 2008 SASDA Conference was held in Kentucky.
“I hope collectors around Kentucky will bid aggressively on these items knowing that their dollars will go toward something worthwhile,” Comer said. “The winning bidders can forever point to these items as their contribution toward changing the culture in Frankfort.”
