HOME DEPOT GEORGE
Member
What kind of an investment would the vaquero consecutive serial number set or the john wayne vaquero make.
Rugers for investment purposes
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Brad Johnson
Member
Commemoratives and consecutive sets have some value for a small group of ardent collectors. For the rest of us they are just overpriced versions of the regular production guns.
Go to a show sometime and keep an eye out for how many "collectors edition" guns are on sale for the same (and sometimes less than) everyday guns.
I'd be on the lookout for some any decent buy on a garden variety Ruger (example: a tight, 95-100%, blued 4" GP100 that you know will sell for $350 but can buy cash for $325). Plan on holding them for a while.
Brad
Go to a show sometime and keep an eye out for how many "collectors edition" guns are on sale for the same (and sometimes less than) everyday guns.
I'd be on the lookout for some any decent buy on a garden variety Ruger (example: a tight, 95-100%, blued 4" GP100 that you know will sell for $350 but can buy cash for $325). Plan on holding them for a while.
Brad
Macmac
Member
IMO Older Red Eagle Rugers are just becoming collectable, and now maybe old Bear cats will be better selling than in years past. I have one with what seems to be factory antler grips.
I bought that in the early 70's as hardly used and it remains hardly used. I think I paid 125 bucko's for it, and what, today that same piece is worth maybe 175 , but everyone asked more? Not much return on what some might suppose was an investment. For me it wasn't.
If I had a pair with consecutive serial numbers, maybe there is a slight chance these would be worth more, most certainly if they had cardboard boxes, which to me is nuts.
You and I may not live long enough to see much collector value in Ruger's fine guns. The rest of Rugers that seem collectable are odd lots all pre bible. And of those pieces which haven't been converted by Ruger.
I bought that in the early 70's as hardly used and it remains hardly used. I think I paid 125 bucko's for it, and what, today that same piece is worth maybe 175 , but everyone asked more? Not much return on what some might suppose was an investment. For me it wasn't.
If I had a pair with consecutive serial numbers, maybe there is a slight chance these would be worth more, most certainly if they had cardboard boxes, which to me is nuts.
You and I may not live long enough to see much collector value in Ruger's fine guns. The rest of Rugers that seem collectable are odd lots all pre bible. And of those pieces which haven't been converted by Ruger.
Cosmoline
Member
The *real* collector's editions are never ever advertised as such. These include some of the early Rugers that only saw limited production runs.
The Lone Haranguer
Member
IMO you will not see your money back for about 30 years.
Rugers that are collectible are the "old model" unaltered (i.e., no safety conversion kit) single-actions. You might get a little better return then.
Rugers that are collectible are the "old model" unaltered (i.e., no safety conversion kit) single-actions. You might get a little better return then.
I'd be real careful with John Wayne memorabilia as an investment. Kids don't grow up watching cowboy movies the way they once did. I watched cowboy movies as a kid, but not for long - basically the early 1960s. The "spy" craze hit - James Bond, "Man from U.N.C.L.E" in the mid 1960s, and that was more or less the end of the cowboy hero era.
I'm 54, and I don't recall any of his movies - except "Hitari" and "The Green Berets". By the time saw his movies, he was well past his prime, and more of a political caricature than an actor. His real heyday was in the 40s and 50s. Kids my son's age have no clue about who he was.
I suspect that right now, his collectibles are very hot among the AARP crowd. But 10 years from now, he'll be mostly a vague memory to anyone under 65. 20 years from now, the people who are in their 60s now will be fading away, and he'll just be "some old guy who was in some cowboy movies."
My guess is that collectibles associated with a particular actor or musician lose value very quickly as that actor or musician's fan base dies out.
Mike
JesseL
Member
For really collectible Rugers, keep an eye here:
http://www.rugerauction.com/
If you look through the previously auctioned items you'll see some seriously rare treats. The Ruger XGI (experimental rifle, Mini-14 scaled up to 308 Win) really got my attention.
http://www.rugerauction.com/
If you look through the previously auctioned items you'll see some seriously rare treats. The Ruger XGI (experimental rifle, Mini-14 scaled up to 308 Win) really got my attention.
Sergeant Sabre
Member
Any firearm is likely to be a poor investment. Even the value of a mediocre-performing mutual fund will increase faster than a firearm.
What Sergeant Sabre said................
Generally speaking, if you can afford the firearm it will NOT be a good financial investment. Buy what you can afford and shoot them.
I can afford my firearms because my money has been in the stock market for years.
Generally speaking, if you can afford the firearm it will NOT be a good financial investment. Buy what you can afford and shoot them.
I can afford my firearms because my money has been in the stock market for years.
MachIVshooter
Member
And go to subsequent shows and see how many of the ones listed for more than "standard" counterparts keep showing up on the same tables show after show..............
Claude Clay
Member
Cu74
+1 so true it would hurt if i stopped laughing
+1 so true it would hurt if i stopped laughing
Dain Bramage
Member
I just bought the Flattop anniversary set from Ruger. My dealer commented on the nice wooden case that came with it, and asked if I was going to hang it on a wall. I said the guns would go in the safe, and I'd probably just throw the case in a closet somewhere. My kids can use the case after I'm done shooting the snot out of my guns.
HOME DEPOT GEORGE
Member
Thanks for the responses I kinda figured it wasn't a good investment but was hoping that guns would go up in value like some of the coins I collect. I've already doubled my investment on morgan silver dollars. There is one gun I own that I could use help with its been passed down in my family for generations now its mine. Its an ole 22 single shot with absolutely no markings hexagon barrel, all I could find out from a local gun dealer was its an old parlor gun pre 1900.
Joe Gunns
Member
I think that RYPCYemen has it exactly right on the John Wayne stuff. There os so much of it being produced that once the raised-on-westerns generation passes there will be an over-supply of Wayne guns, buckles, posters, etc. Already in my business, used and rare books, the demand for Old West connected stuff is declining and the supply is increasing as the retirees look to clean out their clutter or die.
Macmac
Member
The only gun I ever bought to use that became collectable wasn't when I bought it. This woukld be one Remington Rand in .45 acp, as issued in WW-2.
At the time I wasn't really interested in the gun, but the price was very right. The fact this gun which I swore couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if I was locked inside, before I shot it, turned out to be a great shooter, far better than I am, and it made me look good.
I hate when that happens. I am no pistolaerio!
Now look at the prices for a half decent Rand! it appears with no more than a fools judgement I tripped into a value which far and away exceeds what I paid!
Good thing that doesn't happen often as it gets expensive buying new guns to put other safe queens away. I often wonder how that Rand likes being called a safe queen?
My bet is if it could do what the anti's say a gun can do I would be dead.
Of course this is a pitance in collecting, and I can't afford real collecting.
If I could and I know a few guys who do, the deal they pull is buy something at auction for about 5 grand! Hang on to it till most forget what that piece wnt for, maybe 3 to 6 months and turn it over again. They seem to gain apx 2 grand each time, which in turn they again buy another piece for that 5 and wait and get 2.. That could work, but you have to work at it.
However it seems like fun work if you ask me.
At the time I wasn't really interested in the gun, but the price was very right. The fact this gun which I swore couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if I was locked inside, before I shot it, turned out to be a great shooter, far better than I am, and it made me look good.
I hate when that happens. I am no pistolaerio!
Now look at the prices for a half decent Rand! it appears with no more than a fools judgement I tripped into a value which far and away exceeds what I paid!
Good thing that doesn't happen often as it gets expensive buying new guns to put other safe queens away. I often wonder how that Rand likes being called a safe queen?
My bet is if it could do what the anti's say a gun can do I would be dead.
Of course this is a pitance in collecting, and I can't afford real collecting.
If I could and I know a few guys who do, the deal they pull is buy something at auction for about 5 grand! Hang on to it till most forget what that piece wnt for, maybe 3 to 6 months and turn it over again. They seem to gain apx 2 grand each time, which in turn they again buy another piece for that 5 and wait and get 2.. That could work, but you have to work at it.
However it seems like fun work if you ask me.
steveno
Member
if you had bought a Ruger Hawkeye (the revolver) back when a dealer couldn't give them away at $87 or there abouts. today they are well over $1,000 the last I seen you would have had a good return. I don't think any other Ruger since then will do that well
Cosmoline
Member
Well not all of us youngsters have turned away from Wayne. The boomers generally did, but I know quite a few in my own X-Gen that love his old stuff. That said, while I'd love to have a Colt SAA like the one he used in "The Searchers" or a real Winchester '92 like the one from "Rio Bravo," I have zero interest in some schmaltzy rifle from the 70's or later with his picture engraved on it.
Certain of the old model revolvers are quite sought after by Ruger collectors and bring some pretty good prices. I personally as a shooter couldn't care a less about collecting or a gun appreciating dollar wise. I buy guns to shoot. Let my sons or grandsons worry about what they are worth, if anything, after I'm gone!! 
JLelli
Member
The best Ruger investment you can make is to buy stock in the company. You'll get a much better ROI than with any gun.
Macmac
Member
BigBlock I didn't know that... Damn, so now I can't shoot my 72' vintage ROA either?
Citroen
Member
What JLelli said
Although they stopped paying dividends, Ruger stock is still a good investment - I think.
John
Although they stopped paying dividends, Ruger stock is still a good investment - I think.
John
SAWBONES
Member
Unless you own Teddy Roosevelt's SAA or John Wesley Hardin's Navy Colt or other antique guns of equivalent collector value, the provenance of which is known and authoritatively recorded, having guns for their "investment" value is a Will O' the Wisp.
(Unless of course TEOTWAWKI occurs, and any guns become valuable for the sake of what guns do!)
If you like to collect guns, fine, and if you have guns that will bring hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction at Sotheby's, and are continually increasing in value, that's good, but otherwise, you should put your money somewhere that you'll get a reliable combination of security and reasonable rate of return.
JMNSHO.
(Unless of course TEOTWAWKI occurs, and any guns become valuable for the sake of what guns do!)
If you like to collect guns, fine, and if you have guns that will bring hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction at Sotheby's, and are continually increasing in value, that's good, but otherwise, you should put your money somewhere that you'll get a reliable combination of security and reasonable rate of return.
JMNSHO.
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