Always amazing how this subject (and especially Echols rifles) always ends up in a discussion of the meaning of "worth." Especially when so many Campfire members claim to be firm believers in capitalism, yet apparently don't believe in charging whatever price the market will bear.
If we want to limit everything to "inherent" worth, then a bushel of wheat is worth more than a Holland & Holland shotgun without any ammo, because if things get desperate and we can't trade or sell the H&H we'll starve. But we can eat the wheat.
My customers sometimes say a gun "isn't worth that much". It's an old argument. But in reality. D'arcy's guns or anyone else's are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them.
I had an Echols gun once. I bought it for a couple hundred bucks IIRC. It was a muzzle loading pistol he made while in gunsmithing school in Colorado. I Got it from an instructor there. Incredibly well made, but that's what it was worth (to me and the seller) and I traded it off for something of equal value @ 30 yers ago.
"Worth" isn't really a very arguable concept, as it's easily established.
