The Custom $175K Shotgun Coveted by Pop Stars & Royalty
Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Sports
Recession or no, certain truly unique and exclusive handcrafted luxury items remain in very high demand. The Fall issue of WSJ., The Wall Street Journal's glossy magazine, reports that there's currently a five-year waiting list for the custom $175,000 shotguns made by Italian master Tullio Fabbri. Fabbri marries high-tech fabrication - the guns' locking mechanisms are coated in diamond dust to increase durability - with classic Brescian engraving on the metalwork that looks like embroidered lace. He has made guns for celebs like Steven Spielberg, Eric Clapton and King Juan Carlos of Spain, as well as Mexican-born pop singer Thalia, pictured above with her Fabbri 20-gauge. Fabbri's father began the business in 1965 in a small shop in the Valle Trompia, a legendary valley in northern Italy that has been home to gunmakers since the 16th century. Fabbri only makes 30 guns per year, hence the waiting list. Italian artisans spend 400 - 600 hours etching the metalwork on each gun, which can add $50,000 or more to the price. Thalia's husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola, tells the magazine that "Tullio's work is as good as a Picasso."
Charlie Sheen Gets Back To His Roots
The List #0147: Escape a Car Underwater
WHOOPS! Obama Makes Big Gaffe
Visit the Maldive Islands Before It's Too Late
Reptiles Make Home in UK Man's Cable Box
Mariah Carey Curses And Busts Out Of Dress On Live TV
Springtime Budget-Busters -- Savings Experiment
Is This Woman Too Pretty To Work?
Killed Soldier In London Attack Identified
Distraught Mom Becomes Face of Oklahoma Storm
Mariah Carey Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction on Good Morning America
What It's Like To Talk To A 2-Year-Old
The Story Behind Hairspray
H&M's Plus-Size Model Jennie Runk Says She Chose To Gain Weight
Luke Wilson Caught Staring At Fan's Chest
Amanda Bynes Arrested, Undergoes Psychiatric Evaluation--See the Shocking Mugshot!
Best Friends Reportedly Die Holding Each Other In Tornado
Rapper Accused Of Faking His Own Death To Escape Payments
Danny Tanner Is Fighting With Topanga
New Trayvon Martin Evidence Features Incriminating Photos, Texts From Teen
Jury Foreman: '18 Days Of Testimony Hurt' Jodi Arias
Teenager's 'Awww'-Inspiring Drawing Wins Big At Google
Brave Woman Stood Down Armed London Attackers
WATCH: Police Force Shows Up To Support 5-Year-Old Who Lost Her Dad
Jodi Arias Jury DEADLOCKED
LISTEN: Terror Inside Elementary School As Tornado Hits
Bridge Collapses In Washington State
Woman Pictured 'Praying For & Comforting' Dying Victim
Janet Jackson Joins The Billionaires' Club
Helen Flanagan Launches PETA Campaign As Only She Knows How
Mum-Of-Two Faces Down Woolwich Attack Suspects
Woolwich Attack Victim Named As Lee Rigby