jimmyraythomason
Member
And if that's the way THEY feel about it they have lost much more than the "collector's value" of the gun.Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
And if that's the way THEY feel about it they have lost much more than the "collector's value" of the gun.Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
Lots of "what if's" and "maybes" and such there.That's just the way the market it, and there's not much you can do about it. And even there, it's not as cut and dried as you might think. With cars, an unrestored original that's in extremely good condition, will be more valuable than an example that has been restored to the same condition. Also, if the car has been restored to original condition, it will be worth far more than one that has been customized. All those '32 Fords and '53 Studebakers that have been chopped and customized into street rods really are worth surprisingly little on the collector car market, because collectors want original, or at least original looking cars, rather than customized stuff (that may be truly awful -- some people have really crappy taste, and their cars reflect this).
With firearms, collectors are, like it or not, even more particular. It has to be ALL original to hold its value. Everybody is perfectly entitled to do what he likes with his own property, but for myself, personally, the only gun I'd restore is one that has deteriorated enough to have lost most if not all of its collector value already, but is still good mechanically. There are guns like that out there and they make great candidates for restoration. Otherwise, I'd genuinely prefer it the way it is, showing all the wear and history its racked up over the years; such guns have character. I have an old Winchester Model 1911 that my grandad left me. It has no finish left to speak of, but it's in great mechanical shape. I'll leave it the way it is, because that's how grandad left it to me, and this way, it's still his gun, and it reminds me of him every time I pick it up. And there's also the practical consideration: after all, you may not ever intend to sell it now, but things change. You may find, ten years down the road, that you are no longer so attached to the gun, and you could use the money (only now you can't get any for it). Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
Uh, no, there's pretty much nothing at all in the "what if" and "maybe" category about refinishing. If it has any value at all, and you refinish it, you will reduce its monetary value. Period.Lots of "what if's" and "maybes" and such there.
That's great for you. You can certainly do whatever you like with your property. But guns, if they are well cared for, outlive their owners. With any model, there were only a finite number made. And every one that gets customized is one less authentic historical firearm out there. Given enough time, that makes a difference. One reason there are so few good M1917 Enfields out there, in good shootable condition, with good bores, is because so many people sporterized them once upon a time, back when they were cheap. Now, if you want one, you'll have a hard time finding a really nice example. I like classic cars, I own a Studebaker Avanti, and I've always wanted a good '53 Commander, but you can hardly ever find a good one anymore, because they're like '32 Fords -- most of the ones that haven't rusted halfway to the scrapyard yet, have been chopped up into street rods. Now those of us who would love to have one, can't get our hands on a decent example at any price we could afford.The gun now looks pretty much like it did when George bought it new, and that makes me happy.
It's nice to inherent anything; it's a gift, and gifts are always nice. But isn't it nicer to inherit something that's actually worth some real money? Especially when you find out your forbear didn't just neglect the item so that it's worth less, but actually took active steps to decrease its value?As to my heirs, well, if the fact that it's restored hurts them, that's just hard beans. I haven't bitched about ANYTHING that I've inherited, but maybe that's just me.
And I guess, once again, that nothing can be posted without someone, somewhere misconstruing or misreading it. In case you missed it (though I don't see how, since I put in both my posts on this thread) I am not bothered by all restoration jobs, and even stated explicitly that there are some guns that are great candidates for restoration. (I have learned how easy it is, on this board and others, how incredibly easy it is to post clear, declarative statements that somehow people seem unable to read, as if they are written in Sanskrit.)I guess folks just didn't read the thread title or simply insist on interjecting their opinions.
So, I should have done it to some gun that doesn't mean a rats ass to me, rather than something I treasure. Gotcha.Depends on what condition it was in before the work was done. Even if it was in good condition, "bugs" is the wrong word; it's your property, you can do what you like with it. But if you are going to do that sort of work, I do wonder why people have it done to valuable collector pieces rather than old, worn, guns whose value won't be affected -- it's not as though there is any shortage of guns in that category.
So, I should have done it to some gun that doesn't mean a rats ass to me, rather than something I treasure. Gotcha.
Given the snarkiness of Zilmo's response, I'd have to say no, he didn't get it. And since snide comments generally provoke a response, if you want the other guy to "leave it and move on" you ought to realize that the way to get him to do that is not to be snide. Try saying: "fine, you're entitled to your opinion, and I've got mine, and we'll just have to agree to disagree."Billy, you did cross the line with your comments, ignoring what the OP stated.
We got what you said, why don't you leave it and move on....
Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
Given the fact that I said not only in the thread title, but several times in the first and following posts, that I was not interested in NAYSAYERS, that I had HEARD IT ALL BEFORE, and that I SIMPLY DON"T CARE about "perceived value", you still felt it necessary to grace us with your wisdom on the subject, not only once, but in multiple follow up posts. For that Billy Shears, I will be eternally grateful. My life is now complete, and I can die happy. You sir, are a treasure. Thanks for being here for all of us, and steering us in the RIGHT direction.Given the snarkiness of Zilmo's response, I'd have to say no, he didn't get it. And since snide comments generally provoke a response, if you want the other guy to "leave it and move on" you ought to realize that the way to get him to do that is not to be snide. Try saying: "fine, you're entitled to your opinion, and I've got mine, and we'll just have to agree to disagree."
And beyond that, no, posting comments on a public forum does not constitute "crossing a line." He expressed an opinion, and anyone else is free to express one also. It may not be one he particularly likes, agrees with, or wants to hear, but when you post comments for public view, you just have to be grown up enough to accept that not everyone is going to agree with you.
It was a gun shop in Bullhead City Arizona, but the name escapes me at the moment.So who did the work?