Bullmarket French Bulldog Breeders

The High Price of French Bulldogs – in 1909

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Note: This is a first in my re-introduction of the ‘Historical Frenchies’ series I did for the French Bullytin in the 1990’s.

We often hear complaints about how outrageously expensive French Bulldogs are. “$2,500 for a dog!” people cry. “That’s insane – who would pay a price like that?”.

Well, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose’, as this article from 1909 illustrates.

BULLDOG GAMIN II. SOLD FOR BIG PRICE;
William M. Van Norden Pays $2,500 for Champion at the Garden Show

February 13, 1909, Saturday

Nellcote GaminThe closing day of the Westminster Kennel Club’s thirty-third annual  show in Madison Square Garden yesterday, in addition to drawing the best attendance of the week, brought out a number of spectacular and sensational features, the cheif of which was the sale late in the afternoon of the champion French Bulldog of the exhibition, Gamin II, for $2,500, the biggest price that even a show dog has brough in a long time.

The purchaser of Gamin II, whish has won the blue ribbons in all his classes, was William M. Van Norden of Harrison, N.Y., president of the Van Norden Trust Company. The high priced dog was exhibited and sold by Joseph and Thomas Murphy of Dorchester, Mass., and is a son of another champion, Nellcote Gamin, the only dog that ever beat Gamin II.