Did This Hurt The Value?

It’s not a particularly rare pistol, so refinishing it, even with the restamp, certainly didn’t hurt its value.

Did not add a thing. Colt collectors are a finicky lot. Devalued because it isn’t original. Old, made before the reintro of Colt revolvers a few years ago, bring premiums these days, regardless of scarcity.

Naw, the condition was already so bad, it wasn't collector grade to begin with. If anything, making it prettier will appeal to those looking for a clean shooter-grade gun ( my personal favorites), and maybe added a little to the value.

The rounded edges at the seam of the side plate give away that it’s a heavily buffed refinish. Re-stamping the pony didn’t hurt the value any more than buffing the rest of the gun did. Usually refinishing the gun is done to make it look “better”. A washed out pony probably would look worse on a nice shiny pistol.

They are nice guns but not gold nuggets. Nor was that a collector grade gun. So maybe on resale it lost a few hundred but now it’s a nice looking gun. Not every gun is a collector nor should anyone be afraid to fix up a shooter grade gun.

The value was already at the bottom. The refinish job didn't hurt it. It probably added a little to the value, but likely not enough to cover the refinish costs.

I would say it depends on the buyer.

Original is always worth more....up to a point. Then you need to figure what you are doing to it how is that going to change it.

Like the other poster said, collectors are a strange lot, I have a feeling it would have been looked at harder when original, and now knowing it is "restored" it will get very little interest from that group of people. Now the "collector" that wants a shooter, yea, but past that nope.

If you really want to see it to the extreme look at vintage Rolex watches, here it really goes off the deep end. Open the case back and see new parts on that 5513 (watch model) and you can see the value of the watch cut by 1/3 easy. Have those replaced parts in a little baggie, and you get the value back. It really is a very odd world, and when dealing with 5 figure watches people get real picky.

Remington1911 said:

Like the other poster said, collectors are a strange lot, I have a feeling it would have been looked at harder when original, and now knowing it is "restored" it will get very little interest from that group of people.

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This gun was of the same degree of interest to collectors in its original state as it is now — none.

It's a Colt... No real value there to begin with! Cylinder release goes the wrong way. .

Honestly collector value is overvalued way t0o often. Guns are usually not a great investments compared to other long term money investments. I bought my revolvers to shoot and use. If I am lucky they will be worn out before I die.

Airedale1 said:

I was watching this show and they were “restoring” a 1972 Colt Detective Special for a customer.

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What was the name of the show? Do you know who did the work? Did this gunsmith also do action work?
If you don’t recall it’s no biggie.

Once it is all worn like that, it's just a shooter and of little value to a collector.

Once it's refinished, a collector won't touch it; it's just a prettier shooter.

As a prettier shooter, it might sell for a few more dollars than a worn-looking version, but not a significant amount.

Whoever refinished my 1903 did a nice job and replaced the grips and everything, and I still won it for a $330 bid.

AustinTX said:

This gun was of the same degree of interest to SOME collectors in its original state as it is now — none.

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Let me fix that for you.

Not everyone that collects....looking for the correct word.....enthusiastically I guess........ wants new unfired in the box. Yes that is what is the highest value. Some want something just like what the first photo was, a shooter, or project. Thing is THEY want to make the changes, they don't want to buy another persons......words again.....mistake, work, whatever. Key is they want it original, so they can do what they want, and would likely pay more for the unmolested rode hard and put away wet example over the shiny "restored" example.

Story time:

I have been on a hunt for a Winchester 1907 for quite some time now. I was at a little hole in the wall shop buying a nice first year 20G auto 5 and they had on the rack a 1907, however it had been "restored" perfect stock, great blue job, $450. That is cheap for any gun these days. And the buyers for that kind of thing don't come by every day. They offered as low as $400, I guess to move it, and I was tempted but passed. I don't want that, if I do want that I will do it myself.

Now that old gun is not hard to find, but a little less easy over the topic on this thread. I have a feeling if both guns are side by side the unrestored example would go nine times out of ten.

Tallball said:

Once it is all worn like that, it's just a shooter and of little value to a collector.

Once it's refinished, a collector won't touch it; it's just a prettier shooter.

As a prettier shooter, it might sell for a few more dollars than a worn-looking version, but not a significant amount.

Whoever refinished my 1903 did a nice job and replaced the grips and everything, and I still won it for a $330 bid.

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Right a collector will not touch it, and I would bet that most collectors that want a shooter would opt for the "unrestored" version. They see that as not a lie of a gun, it is speaking the truth and that means a great deal.

The pretty one will go to a "casual collector" a person that wants that specific make and model, but also wants something very pretty. This is how people like Mitchells Mausers made so much money. The collectors knew what was going on and would buy that X stamped mix master before one of those every day and twice on Sunday. And yet they sold very well, why.....because the casual person wanted what they offered, when that casual person gets tired of it they learn the real truth.

mcb said:

It's a Colt... No real value there to begin with! Cylinder release goes the wrong way. .

Honestly collector value is overvalued way to often. Guns are usually but a great investment compared to other long term money investments. I bought my revolvers to shoot and use. If I am lucky they will be worn out before I die.

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At least they never had an ugly hole in the side where you put a key in to make the thing work.

Remington1911 said:

At least they never had an ugly hole in the side where you put a key in to make the thing work.

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That ugly hole has not stopped be from putting nearly 10k through my 627 in competition going all the way to the USPSA Nationals. That cylinder release going the right way makes a whole lot bigger difference to my score than that silly little hole that is easily plugged.

If the OP gun was a good and proper S&W of similar configuration and finish I would give him a bit more for it after the refinish than before.

To some doing anything to alter it after creation lowers value.

To some a shiny new looking something is more valuable than a used something.

To some what it looks like doesn’t even matter, when assessing value.

Depends on what one of those types you ask.

Remington1911 said:

At least they never had an ugly hole in the side where you put a key in to make the thing work.

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I have a couple of them too, I’d pick the little hole, nothing ever goes into, over the paragraph of stuff Ruger stamps into their barrels.

In terms of a collectable... yup, value is pretty much gone. At least they did a nice job with it though. I would have had that baby hard chromed to mirror finish. I dont see this as some major sin unless people are doing it to firearms that have some sort of major historical value or are extremely rare. Better they did it to a used, somewhat abused colt than a realy nice one. There is not really a standard rule to follow for all this type of stuff. I have seen some really ratty and abused Mauser broomhandles and Lugers benefit from a restoration. I probably would have left that colt alone. Doesnt look that bad but the picture is blury. Revolvers for me also still look good with a honest wear. Thats the nice thing about polished blued firearms. A little honest/gentle wear on the finish still looks nice. Wear on painted firearms always looks terrible to me. Flaking nickle or chrome hurts my eyes as well.

Could be a lot worse. They could have painted it. I watched my local FFL paint bronze ceracoat a pristine original S&W 15 Combatmaster once for a customer and it kinda bummed me out that a modern day gun owner would do that to such a work of art and Iconic revolver in that condition.

mcb said:

That ugly hole has not stopped be from putting nearly 10k through my 627 in competition going all the way to the USPSA Nationals. That cylinder release going the right way makes a whole bigger difference to my score than that silly little hole that is easily plugged.

If the OP gun was a good and proper S&W of similar configuration and finish I would give him a bit more for it after the refinish than before.

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That is you, each person would be different. If I was on a game show and they surveyed 100 gun collectors and asked the question, would you want an 60% finish original or a restored to new looking what one would you buy given they are the exact same choice. I know what side I would put my bet on. And I would bet you do as well.

But then again I hang out on gunboards and am pretty anti-bubba.

Remington1911 said:

That is you, each person would be different. If I was on a game show and they surveyed 100 gun collectors and asked the question, would you want an 60% finish original or a restored to new looking what one would you buy given they are the exact same choice. I know what side I would put my bet on. And I would bet you do as well.

But then again I hang out on gunboards and am pretty anti-bubba.

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Sure, but I am not a collector, I am a user and made my assertions from that point of view. Collectors are strange to me. I would buy the refinished gun and try to make it look like the pre-refinished condition through honest hard use.

The only value of the restored version is the grips/stocks

At the LGS, 'Look it's an old Colt, it's rare, valuable and expensive but it now"!

It’s a Colt Detective Special folks, one of the most produced revolvers in the world. It’s not a unfired Python or Diamondback! Even at todays crazy prices it was a 500-700 gun depending on your market. The only collector value in that gun is it’s a nice old Colt revolver, it’s more mental and sentimental than financial.

I have always been fascinated, or annoyed, depending on the situation, by “collectors” or would be collectors that get all in a huff over what someone else does to their personal property.

I had.a guy on another board lose it over the “disparaging treatment” that I did to my Winchester 94 AE Carbine because I Cerakoted it. It is mine. It was rusty (long story - dipstick buddy involved). I had it Cerakoted. You’d have thought I called his mother a name…or worse.

Pat Riot said:

What was the name of the show? Do you know who did the work? Did this gunsmith also do action work?
If you don’t recall it’s no biggie.

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it was on the outdoor channel on wed nite, every wed nite its all gun shows sponsored my midwayusa nite at the range