Anyone Ever Think "What A Waste"?

[OARNGESI]

Its a hobby. Hobbies are fun but expensive. If your concerned of the money you spent sell off the excess put the money werever you see fit. I often feel the same way about a old truck ive been building for the last few years 20k into it and i never even driven it.

 

[thefamcnaj]

I look at my gun collection and see something completely different. I see freedom and sobriety. My late teens and early 20's are all just a blur of drunken stupers and waste:time,money, life. When I crawled out of the bottle for good bout a year ago and got a good job I was turned onto guns, and found a good clean hobby that I'm passionate at. Now instead of bar hopping , clubbing, and passing out couch to couch, I go to the range, shoot, clean my guns, and gun shop hop on my days off. When I look at my collection, I see where I've come from. I see a life time of teaching my son how to shoot and reload. I see how God blesses even a sorry guy like me. Funny what u see looking at a bunch of guns.

 

[ccsniper]

Does anyone else question the utility/morality/insanity/intelligence of dumping thousands and thousands into their collection?

Yes. In fact to prove to myself that I was not idolizing guns, I sold all of them inluding more than 12,000 rounds of accumulated ammo. I am slowly building my collection up again, but I am going no farther than

A) carry gun (Kel tec p11)
B) hunting shotgun (Mossy 500)
C) .22 rifle (remy 512)
D) home defense rifle (carbine of some sort haven't decided)
E) Center fire rifle for hogs (paratrooper sks)

I am a Christian and living for myself is no longer an option, to many in this world dying not knowing that someone somewhere loves them enough to sacrifice things of pleasure for them.

 

[Sav .250]

Sounds like your going through the ....change of life..

 

[hso]

It isn't a collection if you're just buying guns without a focus.

If you have a house full of antique cobalt blue glass or German steins, that's a collection. If it's It it's a mix of florist and CheapMart random colored glass that you compulsively buy, it is approaches "hoarding".

The only time acquiring things becomes a moral or ethical issue is when spending the time/money on them begins to hurt someone else or yourself. If you can afford to pay all the bills, keep an emergency fund and future needs covered while making the donations to charity you believe in and you're spending the rest on what you enjoy, no harm, no foul. Even if you're buying "stupid" things. But if you begin to think that you're just wasting your time and money, you probably are.

Most gun owners reach a point where they look into their safe(s) and think, "Wow, why did I spend the money on that?!". This is the point where they become disillusioned and sell off most if not all of the guns and accessories and ammunition or they keep a sense of humor about all the "cheap junk" they bought when they started out and "weed" the field, keeping what they think are special and then going forward more slowly to find what has become special.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Does anyone else question the utility/morality/insanity/intelligence of dumping thousands and thousands into their collection?

Yes I do.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Sometimes I look at all my guns and think it was a waste of money.

Hey, many--even here on this board--will be happy to help you get some money back if you want to sell!

Does anyone else question the utility/morality/insanity/intelligence of dumping thousands and thousands into their collection?

I actually think I was obsessed. I'm talking dropping $20k/year on guns (not collector's guns either).

If that's more than you can afford, then yes, it's a problem. Fortunately, guns retain a lot of their value, so that sale will recover most of your money (not all) if you decide you've gone too far.

Getting money back doesn't work so well with money spent on booze, drugs or gambling: went that money's gone, it's gone. So, I'd rather have you collecting guns than doing that stuff.

Some dump thousands into boats, or golf, or whatever. If you can afford it, and it brings you joy...where's the morality problem?

(Unless all our leisure purchases should be foregone in favor of donating to the hungry. I do understand that moral question--a very valid one.)

 

[JoeskiLove]

So, what I'm gathering is that you are somehow feeling guilty about having the money to be able to buy whatever you want. You had a 2008 M3, and you were dumping 20,000 dollars a year into a firearms "collection"? Now you feel guilty about it. I wish more people that had your kind of money would feel bad about the luxurious lives they live. I bet that there are people that live in your area that wish they had 20 grand to spend on things like surviving. Instead of whining about it on a forum, do somethin about it. Sell off your guns and donate the money to charity. Volunteer in your neighborhood. I hope you weren't looking for sympathy on the internet. First world problems.

 

[Sam1911]

Very interesting question. I have a pretty utilitarian view of firearms at this point in my life, and tend to focus on filling niches that meet some need or direct interest. That seems to be what you're saying in your second and third lines. What do I need? What do I have a use for? Considering the relative costs of most firearms and related accessories, spending $20,000 a year could turn into quite a large pile of ... "stuff." Collecting things just to have a pile of things does strike me as a bit hollow -- that's just my own aesthetic.

I'd be likely to spend the money less on durable items and more on things that improve me personally. I like shooting and enjoy trying to learn and perfect it. I'd be likely to spend a large portion of that money on the costs of training and competition opportunities. A quest or challenge is much more compelling and fulfilling than an object.

Even in shifting your focus to personal development you may find the limits of the appeal. "Burnout" if you will.

That's often when folks begin to look at giving back. And not just generic "check-writing" forms of giving back, but personal involvement where money and items become tools to promote goals and enrich others. How is your local shooting or sportsmen's club doing? Can you convert some of your gun-buying budget into time to volunteer and/or fiscal support for their projects? If you've been trained to be a skilled shooter in one or more disciplines, can you teach others? Even just 4-H or Scouts? If the group is really worthy but limited (due to skills and/or funds), can you become more of a patron or possibly take on a leadership role to promote the goals of firearms, marksmanship, and RKBA education?

Lots of folks may get to a point in life where they're staring into their gun cabinet(s) (or garage, boat slip, etc.) at many thousands of dollars worth of "stuff" and just realize "so what?" and feel like they've wasted something valuable (time, money, effort). I believe far fewer look back on the efforts and funds they expended to share and made a difference to their fellow sportsmen and the next generation in the same way.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Wasted money? No. But every so often, I'll look them all over and think about whether or not I should sell a few that I never use. Sometimes I don't, sometimes I do. I took 4 down to the LGS the other day. I was going to reinvest the proceeds into an M-4gery for the wife......until I found out we'll be having another rug rat come May.

If you enjoy your guns-looking at, handling, shooting, etc., then it's not a waste at all.

 

[JohnBT]

I believe the only regret I have is spending all that money on neckties.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Yeah, neckties are a real waste.

Right now money is tight in my household, but over the years 1965-2008 I have bought guns, shot up ammo, bought hundreds of LP records (lost in a flood in 1998), hundreds of books, etc. and yeah, when times are hard, the money spendt on these hobby pursuits can seem like a waste.

But that money went to the makers and sellers of the goods, and I like to think that spending money is a force multiplier in economics, stimulating the creation of wealth by increasing demand for other goods and services.

Would we all be better off if everyone sat in their little shack on their personal Walden Pond contemplating their navels? Or would we all end up poorer for it?

 

[Remllez]

Mr. Blue,

Your heart is in the right place....give it some time and it will guide you!

 

[22-rimfire]

I think most of us will ask ourselves the same question at some point unless you simply buy and when the next widgit catches your eye, you sell something and go for the new widgit.

The dollar amount is totally relative to your income and your interests. So, I won't comment on what $20K a year outlay could acquire over a period of years in the firearm area. But it could buy a LOT of guns over time.

So if you want to continue buying firearms, I suggest you begin gun collecting to give your self a sense of focus to future purchases and perhaps thin the herd a bit of things that you look at now and consider a "waste". The collection should have a focus as HSO said. Even collections can begin to get out of hand at some point.

Interests change. Mine did. I purchased all the firearms I thought I needed in my 20's. I stopped buying due to a sense of fairness to my wife and the family. Why do my interests take priorty in terms of spending available "cash" over my wife's? The fact is they shouldn't for the most part.

As I got a bit older, I pondered what I was actually acquiring and if it made sense. Many of my early firearms were in fact pretty sound choices. There was no junk. I dumped the shotguns and some of the centerfire rifles over a period of a couple years as my shifting interests simply didn't include shooting them.

I saw shooting costs rising and decided I could not afford $2-$3 a pop just to hear or see something go bang unless there was a reason to have it. For example, the 300 win mag may make sense if you hunt or for long range target shooting to me. It especially makes sense if you hunt in the West where longer shots are not uncommon relative to the East. But I decided I wanted to live in the green part of the US, so a 300 win mag has little purpose for me. But my 270 win retains a lot of purpose and for the most part accomplishes the same thing at less cost and recoil. But I only have one, not ten of them.

I have shifted my dominant target shooting (hole punching) to rimfire mostly. I still like to unwind a bit a rattle off some 223's for the fun of it, but that is not the basis of my shooting anymore. I only shoot my 270 just prior to deer season the check my sight alignment. I retain my shooting form by shooting 22 rifles. Certainly I would be a better shot with the 270 if I shot it a lot, but what is the point? .... maybe getting on target a little faster or slightly better shot placement perhaps, but I won't take a 300 yd shot other than on a groundhog or I suppose a coyote.

My advice is to keep all things in perspective. If you truly consider many of your firearms a "waste", it's time to sell some or just park them for a while. They don't spoil if you don't keep them in the frig. Focus on what you like. If interests change, you seem to have the means to fullfill your whims as they come up later.

Enjoy life. You only get one chance.

 

[natman]

It depends. Once you've gotten the essential bases covered, buying guns is pretty much a hobby in its own right. If you have the money, what else are you going to do with it? Leave it in the bank at .5%?

Taken on their own guns can be a fair to middling investment. Taken as hobby gear they are a great investment. (how much are you going to get for the skis you bought 15 years ago compared to that Python you stashed away?)

After a while your interests may change or you just feel like enough is enough. Then perhaps it's time to thin them out a bit. I do that every five or ten years.

 

[Hardware]

The only things you own that will be worth money in a hundred years are; hand tools, jewelry and guns. You could make a more successful argument that money spent on that new big screen TV is wasted. Electronics become obsolescent much faster than guns. How many times have movies changed format in your lifetime? For me it is at least 4.

As far as your argument that you need only one of each type of firearm, I'd like to qualify that. You only need one until the one you have breaks. Then you need another. If we're talking about a CCW or home defense arm, if you use it, the police will confiscate it. Leaving you with none.

But if it isn't causing you financial hardship, then by all means, do as you please.

 

[youngda9]

I sold my 2008 BMW M3 last year, as I over analyzed the utility of such a car. I miss the car, but not the $1000 I had to drop every 8,000 miles for new rear tires.

Wait...what...why would you change tires every 8,000 miles? They should be good for 40k.

Take up re-loading...saves on cost(especially something expensive like shooting $2-$3 300 mag rounds) and will get you to focus on something else besides just acquiring stuff.

 

[gym]

The only thing I worry about is how I am going to get the money for my next purchase, being retired, it gives me some creative ways to make a buck when I want a new rifle over a thousand dollars.

 

[MrWesson]

I buy cheap guns so not really .

 

[Legionnaire]

My collection would be considered modest by the standards of many on this forum, extensive by some. Everything fits in one safe. Nevertheless, I have reached the point of no longer wanting to add just for the sake of having. I consider guns tools, and each has an application. And one can have more tools than one needs. If you're obsessing, time to take a break. A hobby shouldn't take over your life. So yes, I consider the moral aspect.

 

[bannockburn]

No never thought of my gun collection in terms of "what a waste of money". For most of my gun buying life, I have bought quality pieces at what were then low prices. When I decided to sell or trade anything years later, it was always for current market value, and usually for something else that I wanted for my collection. In the end, it's your time and your money; spend it as you see best.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I have certainly thought about ways in which I could better devote time and money. Within the last year I have probably sold 80% of my guns, and it feels great to have less material stuff around. Also it makes moving a heck of a lot easier.

 

[mgmorden]

Hobbies - by definition - are not about what you NEED. They're about having what you want so you can have fun.

If you try to whittle down everything other than what you need you'll rationalize every bit of joy out of life. Living with only what you NEED is a terribly depressing existence.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

In most societies "need" is relative. It is relative to what those around you have. Some of the happiest, most content people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing were living in a dirt poor olive grove in Morocco. Those folks truly enjoyed life, and I'm sre it was partly due to the fact that nearly everyone in that society was at roughly the same socioeconomic status.

 

[Plan2Live]

Uh, no.