Pity the poor Old Fuff, 'cuz I fear he is misunderstood...
While he has a few collectables, he isn't exactly a truly serious collector.
You might say he's a wheeler/dealer who plays both sides of the coin, and takes advantage of situations when he can.
By doing this he ends up with more, for less.
All to often many (mostly shooters) miss opportunities.
This is a mistake the Old Fuff seldom (hopefully never) makes. For example I seldom bid at auctions like the popular
Gunbroker, where for the most part shooters gather. Consequently he has literally made thousands of dollars over time buying collectable valued guns that were way underpriced and totally ignored by other bidders who didn't recognize a diamond in the rough.
This "all guns are made to be shot" is pure bunk. Shooting or not shooting a firearm is entirely up to the person that owns the gun. What is important from his perspective is to have more toys for the money spent.
What he has been doing on this thread - and some others - is try to explain to newbies and other interested parties, is that they're is an alternative to the "must shoot" ethic that may be a better way to go.
After that it's up to everyone to make their own choices, but don't think that collectors are sitting around with tears running out of their eyes because someone what out and shot a previously unfired collectable gun.
