How Do You Justify, In Your Mind, Large Gun Collections?

Years ago I stopped trying to justify a gun purchase.
"I want it" is all the justification that's needed.

I have guns that I haven't fired in years but I wouldn't think of getting rid of them, because "I want them".

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This is close. I would add only that this sort of purchasing, in which I often indulge too, is 'justifiable' only when all other financial obligations and needs are met. Those who are scraping money together to buy a gun may need to reorder their priorities. Except for those cases, no one should care and it's no one else's business.

How do you justify large tool collections? Or stamp or coin collections? Or sea shell collections or shot glass collections or car collections or yard gnome collections?

Human beings are users of tools, collectors or things of value, and admirers of shiny things. Guns fit all sorts of categories. They are practical tools for protecting ones self, family, and property to putting food on the table and providing nourishment. They are valuable items that we can buy and sell. Things that store value that we can then later use to acquire other things of value. And some of them are pretty. Humans are lovers or beauty... completely irrational, but beauty seldom is.

There is a point where if you have more than 2 of the exact same rifle then you should cut back imho.

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The serial numbers are different, that's good enough for me!

Thanx, Russ

The whole "collection" thing is a bit nebulous. I've got 6 handguns and 6 long guns. The closest thing I have to a collection is my 3 .22 rifles. A semi, a lever action and a bolt action. All different makes. Still looking for a decent cheap pump action.

So I guess I have a "collection" of thoroughly mundane firearms.

A collection the size of 1500 guns blows my mind. Something about taking 25 hours to handle each one for a minute just seems a little daunting.

As far as justification goes, I have no personal experience with large collections but I can understand it simply as a hobby. Many times the hunt is more satisfying than the kill. I can certainly understand collecting in a genre sense. For example, every known variation of a particular gun like one of each GI 1911. Once you get them all, you begin to try to upgrade each example.

As far as investments go, there's risk in that too. You've still got to pick the winner. Just like the stock market, buy low, sell high. There's a bubble going on right now for a lot of different guns. If you sell your NIB 1975 Python today that you paid 500 bucks for in '75 you can easily knock down 12-1300 bucks. But just be happy and don't go doing any figuring on annual percentage yield. You might be disappointed.

I just bought a TC Encore in 204 Ruger. Justification? I wanted one.

As close to the concept of justifing as I get on aquiring another firearm is:
"Because I want it", or, "Gosh Honey, I don't have one of those yet".

Why does anyone have to justify a collection? Who's need to know? I only wish I had a collection, I wouldn't need to justify it, just enjoy it. There are those of us who have to save even for the little things like a new set of reloading dies. (Thank Obama for that, but that's another story)). So, if anyone feels they can't justify all their guns, well, let's just say all donations accepted.

I've never had to "justify" buying a gun...

But I do sometimes have trouble deciding which one to buy...

I would dare say my collection would make the news...since I have seen smaller collections called "arsenals".

I have way more than I'll ever shoot...but many of them were bought knowing full well I'd never pull the trigger on them.

They are an investment...I try to buy the ones that I think will be rare.

An example is the 350 and 6.5 Rem Mag rifles (the original "short mags"), 222's and 222 Rem mag, the Remington 700 "Classic" line, stuff like that mostly...but anything else that tickles my fancy is fair game too.

I've run out of room though...no room for anymore safes (gonna have to build on to the house)

When purchasing a new firearm, I take into account many aspects of what and why I am buying it. Ultimately, I know that it is a financial investment and there is opportunity cost involved. I usually don't buy ordinary guns to begin with but if I do, I usually consider its purpose over collector's value. Vintage or historic firearms I justify mainly by the facts that I plan to take care of it and it will usually appreciate in value. Sometimes I want a gun because it is just damn cool looking and it has features that other guns in my collection do not have; same goes for historical aspects. I bought my She rifle because in its condition they were rare and it had extra value by being a bring-home from the war; the price was also right and it came with extras.

work hard for my money, and so long as the family is provided for and such, if I want it I'll buy it. I want to enjoy my money, that's all the justification I need.

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Yup!

I now have more guns than I will shoot regularly, if at all, but I'm always looking.

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I am not one of those religiously clinging to my CURRENT guns. If I am not going to shoot it, I am going to sell it & buy something new & interesting. My only personal rule is this; sell a gun, buy a gun.

Gun collecting and shooting are two different games altogether. I've owned some for many years that I've never shot and likely never will. But that certainly doesn't mean I'm not enjoying them. To me, guns are machines and history rolled together. They also represent freedom.

The wife will actually be framing the guns I don't shoot in my absence, since she's a historian I have been historically (pun intended) free of the need to have to justify owning any particular gun for any reason other than "Look it has a new concept!"

I never set out to amass a large collection. Though I have several, it will never qualify as "large". Also, there isn't any direction to speak of...just a little of this and a few of that. They all go bang and I like them in MY safe!

Mark

How Do You Justify, In Your Mind, Large Gun Collections?

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Since I only have a few and shoot them all I don't need to justify anything, I sleep well at night.

Then again, I met a guy when I went buffalo hunting, and he had an unissued Trapdoor Springfield. It looked brand new, despite being 125 years old. He used it with black powder handloads on that hunt. I'm not sure if he planned to use it again, but he figured it had to be used for something, at least once.

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Old or new guns are made to shoot.To shoot or hunt with a gun from the past is like using a time machine, I don’t know how some collectors never get the urge to fire some of those classics.

I had a buddy who worked at the local S&W plant back in the 70’s and because he was an employee he got good deals.

One gun he bought was a Model 25 commemortive in a walnut presentation case, really beautiful blue job with gold inlay.

It took all of about 6 weeks till he broke down and shot the thing, and we shot it so much the gold leaf was falling out.

It was still a really sweet gun just not the looker it once was.

There are two kinds of guns in this world. The ones that I have, and the ones that I want.

My justification is... Because I can.

I buy low and don't sell, only buy what interests me, the house and cars are already paid for, I don't have any other expensive habits, and I'm single.

What am I going to do, put the money in some shaky bank? Or maybe the stock market??

Naah, better to buy yet another gun safe and fill it up.

Because you need the right tool for the right job.
1 firearm can't do all things.

If ya don't want to buy anymore, then don't!
If you want to buy more, yet keep the collection manageable, then maybe trade one, or sell 2 and buy 1. Pick out the one you shoot the least, and are the least attached to.

Same way people justify buying jewelery and designer clothing and all that other crap I couldn't care less about having, because they like them and they can. The way I see it you only live once and your posessions and money don't mean a thing once your gone. I do whatever I want when I want to within reason. So I guess the justification would be.....because I want to

Much of my income goes into guns and ammo, which either appreciate or at least don't lose much money, except the expendable ammo, which goes directly into building my shooting skills, and is also part of my profession. Cost of business/profession.

However, look at most of the oblivions in your neighborhood and work surroundings. They spend much of their disposable income on brand new fancy clothes, trendy shoes, tanning packages, movies, music, silly artwork, jewelry, 20" chrome rims, stereo systems, Iphones, and other overpriced gadgets that depreciate quickly. Heck, I've dated girls that had $150 monthly phone contracts on their $400 Iphones, spent hundreds of dollars every few months for cosmetic reasons, and wouldn't blink to spend $300 on a pair of shoes! A male officer I worked with spend $8,000 on an in-home movie/stereo system!!!!! Crazy. So I look at my gun collection and thank the Lord I have some sense...

I'm a youngster with a paltry collection, but I believe that I can say something everyone can get behind: if there's another gun that you want, then that's enough of a reason to buy it.

There's nothing stopping you from selling off a couple that you don't use often, especially if it means getting them in the hands of someone who will more appreciate them AND put more money in your pocket for more new guns.

I have several fairly expensive hobbies, including guns. Guns are easily the most justifiable, since they really don't lose much, if any value over time. My other hobbies: Computers, R/C, ham radio don't have the value retention guns have.

My late neighbor had hundreds of rifles, along with over a hundred handguns, many WWII vintage. His two sons split the collection 50/50 when he died. I don't know if they sold most of them or kept them. He had a few that I would love to be able to get hold of now, but I couldn't afford them anyway.

I too am single and have thought about what a burden it would be on my family to have to try to do something with all of my guns, but I haven't stopped buying guns. Instead, I created a catalog of all of my guns, I took two pictures of each gun (one close up of the serial number and one of the overall gun) I then created a form in Microsoft publisher. I included the two pictures, where I acquired the gun, the amount I paid for the gun, and an approximate value of the gun (which I try to keep updated), and anything particularly interesting about the gun (the ones handed down for instance) this way if something should happen to me my family has a general idea of what each gun is worth and some of the history of the gun. I look at buying guns the way many of you here do, I buy them because I want to and it is something I enjoy. As long as the bills are paid I will continue to buy them. For those of you with wives, let me share this story about an older guy (probably late 60s) who was in a gun shop one day when I went in and he was looking at a used rifle. He told the owner that he would have to go home and get a gun to trade in. The owner said you don't need to do that and the guy replied Oh yes I do. He said that he learned a long time ago that his wife did not know one gun from another, but she could dang sure count, so if a new one came in an old one had to leave!