Shoot it and value drops

It’s all in what you love about it.

I know guys that have motorcycles they won’t ride very often because it’ll affect resale.
I knew a guy that collected “unturned” Smith&Wesson revolvers. Pulling the hammer back would turn the cylinder and harm “collector value”.

Personally, that stuff ain’t for me. I buy it to ride it or shoot it. Life is to short to save things for the next guy.

How much will collector firearms be worth after government approved disabling?
Assuming in 50 years people can even own firearms?

I have some high end firearms that I cherish condition and some high end firearms that I cherish condition but I shoot anyway. No rhyme nor reason for my shooting choices other than I enjoy shooting some and enjoy looking at others - the fickle of my hobby and they are all beautiful.

tuckerdog1 said:

This has always puzzled me. Ya have a nice gun, but won't shoot it because it will hurt it's resale value. I mean, just how much do you expect it to appreciate? Let it sit in the safe for years and maybe get an extra $1K or so for it. Doesn't make sense.
I have a friend out west. Self made multi millionaire ( $15-$20 million ). He owns the most fantastic gun collection I have ever seen. So last time I'm out for a visit, he's of course, showing off "some" of his collection. He pulls out a beauty that is no longer made & unfired. Probably valued $3K-$4K. Tells me he'd like to shoot it, but afraid it will hurt the value. I told him he makes more money during lunch than that gun will appreciate in the next several years, SHOOT IT!

Tuckerdog1

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It's like marrying a virgin, you don't want to consummate your marriage to protect her chastity and you are practicing self denial.

ms6852 said:

It's like marrying a virgin, you don't want to consummate your marriage to protect her chastity and you are practicing self denial.

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While she loathes you quietly at night…


I think excess comes in many forms.
I know I have many.

I've been perusing the offerings for a Colt SAA but all I see are "Like New In Box" with not even a turn line.

Something along those lines I would hesitate to shoot. All my revolvers, esp collectables, at least have turn lines.

But the Colt SAAs I'm seeing on GB have such shiny cylinders, I'd hate to shoot it. Pay collector's price but then destroy collector's value doesn't make sense.

I'll wait for a mint "shooter."

mcb said:

I am with you. My gun are tools and/or toys, NOT investments. I despise the idea of safe queens and guns too valuable to shoot. I have no interest in owning a firearm that would fall into that category. All my guns get shot.

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Imagine owning the only 1983 Corvette.

It was parked in a Corvette museum, the floor collapsed from a sinkhole that totaled 5 of 8 others, but it wasn't damaged. On the other hand, the first Shelby Cobra is sitting in it's museum with three coats of different colored paint, all chipped, with minor dents, worn upholstery (rotten leather and stuffing so bad the springs are exposed,) etc etc. The Shelby family will not restore it, and it's got some miles on it, full pedal to the metal.

This is a comparison of "best is the enemy of good." Some prefer the artificial glitz of a possession that has never done anything, others prefer the provenance and service of something that has performed it's job.

At least with a vehicle, there are no "unfired" ones - they all get started and put into gear for a few yards exiting the assembly line. Even that one of a kind defective model year example with two paint jobs Corvette. BTW, they destroyed the other 42., that year, it started pouring down rain and the last was saved by the guy crushing them not wanting his new boots soaked. The rental company came that night and took the crusher. The Vette was parked in the back lot. I'm reminded of the story of the Singer 1911's when I hear that, Army accepted just 500, and the other 20,000+ were not. At least those 500 Singers were issued and shot, proving they could work. The Vette is a museum piece, and actually an example of how government regulation made things difficult in that era, too.

Come to think of it, most guns get a round down the tube at the factory. Are we assuming the status of that virgin barrel?

Imagine what prices would be like on things like 03-A3's, Garands and K98's in their original configuration if it weren't for guys who collected and therefore preserved them. Would be even worse than it currently is.
People don't collect uncirculated coins to drop them in a Pepsi machine somewhere or rare stamps to mail Christmas cards with.

Everyone here enjoys firearms for some reason or another. Not my place to criticize anyone for their reasons.

There are very few truly unfired guns out there. The sooner folks realize that, the sooner we can all stop being so precious about it.

I shoot everything I own and that included an ANIB Model 10 snubby from the early 70s, my Model 17-2 ANIB also from the early 70s, and a first year production Marlin 1895CB, once again, ANIB.

Pretty sure the values were not hurt at all and I hope all the collectors got all wadded up about it. I personally, have no time for pure collectors. All they do is drive up the price of neat old guns that I want to shoot and hunt with.

tuckerdog1 said:

Let it sit in the safe for years and maybe get an extra $1K or so for it. Doesn't make sense.

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Stocks are an even more useless asset but can also be a better investment tool than firearms.

That said, I do own some firearms that I haven’t shot. Some I just haven’t gotten around to yet and others I got just for looking at.

I have never been a Van Gogh or Picasso fan, don’t wear expensive watches, don’t own an RV or a motor boat, quit collecting stamps when I became old enough to spend money on cars and girls. All things that don’t make a lot of sense to me, that others enjoy ownership of.

Acquire what makes sense to you and don’t worry about others likes/dislikes, we are all different with different tastes.

so long as the gun is not a historical piece or of significant provenance i think they should be shot( if they are safe of course).

it is amazing with the OPs friend who is a self made millionaire and therefore i assume financially savvy that he thinks this way. he could make more money investing in things with a better return. his business , stocks, real estate etc...these also have less attachment when you are liquidating to realize gains.

His gun collection or an individual gun from it is not going to move the needle on his net worth. if he wanted to shoot it , he should. now if he had no interest in shooting it that is different.

Jay Leno for me is the ideal high end collector of mechanical things. He fixes them, enjoys looking at them, knows a lot about them and more importantly uses them.

My money my choice, your money your choice.

I don't/won't own a gun I won't fire. Well I don't fire my Grandfather's old single shot 12 guage. He bought it in 1900 and looks like it was old then.

Dollars and cents? OK... Let's look at my uncle's "homemade" double muzzle loading rifle. Unfired would probably only add at most $200 to it's sale value. Fine... Every year that rifle has brought home 2 deer. Low balling the value of the meat at a $1 a pound how long does it take to make up that $200. I'm sure that if my Colt Commander was in an unfired condition it would bring a much higher dollar value than it would now. However, the carry weapon represents the safety of my children and myself saving me the cost of a personal bodyguard. What is the dollar and cents value of that kind of insurance?

There are a lot of yardsticks for value that go beyond resale value. Remember that the resale value of the human body broke down to it's elements is something like $2.50 yet the great white father in Washington insists everyone is worth $7.25 an hour.

Keeping a collectible gun in collectible condition is a virtue quite apart from the financial considerations. I'm not worried about my guns going up (or down) in value. I am worried about them rusting or suffering other abuse. Taking them out to the range introduces an element of uncertainty. Some careful firing might be appropriate, however.

When collecting for investment purposes you have to take into account the rate of inflation. For example: a gun, or anything for that matter, purchased in 1970 would have to bring 612.86% more than it cost if sold today just to break even. Investing is about making money, not breaking even.

I think too many people forget the effects of inflation with guns. They'll complain that a 10/22 used to cost $90 and now they're $200, but at the same time be happy that the Marlin 60 they bought for $70 sold for $150 30 years later.

A collection of anything is worth nothing until sold and I doubt most are never sold. Shooting will no doubt bring a smile to almost everyone which is worth a lot.

I have guns that I seldom shoot but it is because my interests and uses have changed, not because I think they are Significant Historical Artifacts and Valuable Collector's Items. I have been thinking about "thinning the herd."

There was a guy here who was determined to have his cake and eat it, too. When he saw an interesting gun (like about any new model S&W) he would buy two. One to shoot and the other to preserve in new condition so he could "turn a dollar."
He shot a Taurus to preserve his Beretta. He bought replacement SIG Sauer barrels so he could fire the guns without dirtying the matching numbered barrels.
I haven't seen him in a while, maybe his collection is paying his rent in an old folks home.

I have some guns I'll never shoot, and have bought some specifically as investment for future sale. And some guns I won't shoot any more because they have become collectors items and worth quite a bit.

Only had one gun, a limited edition Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP with the work being done at Colt's own Custom Shop. They were tuned and accurized, had a bright nickel finish, a Gold Cup trigger, and a MMC adjustable rear sight. The gun looked amazing with that bright nickel finish and the trigger was fantastic as well, every bit as good, if not better, than an actual Gold Cup trigger!

And therein laid a problem: as soon as I got it home I started thinking this gun was too beautiful and too perfectly put together that I couldn't bring myself to shoot it! And so it stayed all pristine and unfired for quite some time. Finally a friend of mine who really wanted the gun made me a great offer for it and since at the time I needed cash for another endeavor I was working on, I sold it to him but only if he gave me the Right of First Refusal. That meant if he ever entertained the idea of selling it, he would have to offer it to me first.

Years pass and my friend would let know every now and then that the gun was lights-out in terms of how sweet the trigger was and how accurate it was. When I returned home I was determined to get it back and eventually put together a two gun package that was to his liking and I got my Combat Commander back, none the worse for wear.

Had it lost value by my friend having used it? I have no doubt but it really didn't matter as I had my Colt back and it's still a real looker as well as being a real tack-driver!

"Collecting guns for investment" kinda has it backwards. You collect guns because you like them, and if you pick quality guns, any appreciation in value is just a nice side effect.

That said, the "investment" rationale could be a useful after-the-fact justification. Lots of us, I would guess, have spouses that would turn a blind eye to our acquisitions if they could be convinced that they would come out ahead financially.

I might add that for a collector, the gun's utility (shooting it) might not be the primary source of enjoyment. Just looking at the gun -- or even just knowing you have it -- might be enough. Remember that people don't collect stamps or coins in order to use them.

Having a gun and not shooting it is like ordering a steak and not eating it.

The guns following below are probably considered collectibles by most folks. I appreciate their accuracy and enjoy using them for their intended purpose, sport shooting, more than merely looking at them. Yet, I like looking at them, fondling them, and even cleaning them. It does not take long and the cost of ammo shot through a $4,000 gun is outweighing the purchase price.