Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Who thinks gun collections as investments is going to be a flop ?

My three sons like guns. They were never bought as an investment but they have done pretty well but will be little sold.

It's all in how you look at things. Some guys love nice fast cars and trucks. Other love well crafted guns. Me? I'm too practical, I guess. I look at both cars and guns as tools. I want one that will hold up and get the job done well but I'm not out for pretty.

I've never bought as an investment. I have bought quite a few with the idea that I'm buying at a price I know I can use the gun and sell it for what I paid at virtually any time. I'll have more leftover funds when I'm done vs. racing cars, drinking in bars, or following a college or pro sports team live.

I'd have to say your buddy will be in for a shock. He's bought into a bill of sale, that isn't true. I'd bet good money he couldn't get his investment out of them, much less having gone up in value. Very few guns have gone up in value and I can tell you for a fact they are good clean used guns that were manufactured better than they are being manufactured today. Apparently some of you have given up on gun shows, because those older guns people are trying to sell, and were counting on them having gone up in value to help with their retirement. I'm thinking that many of the older guns at those shows haven't even been shot in 10 years, yet they still aren't worth, what was anticipated.
I'd wager again, that the majority of folks at the gun shows can't get what they have into the majority of those guns. They will be lucky of they don't lose a lot. But the longer they wait, the harder it will be to get any money out of them. Especially the older Winchesters.
Guns that are priced substantially lower than people think they are worth, have a chance of selling because there are still guys out there that think they can make some money out of them. They will be surprised to find out they can't.
Young people not only don't know anything about guns, their taste in guns is the same as the amount of money they have and that's very little. Manufacturers have figured that out, and have adjusted. and are letting the accountants design the guns. Long guns are taking the biggest hit at this point, but handguns will be following soon. As time goes on, it's going to get worse. Count on it. I didn't buy my guns as investments, but I certainly didn't expect to take a big hit when it's time to down size, because I'm getting to old to use many of them.

It’s art. You by a Holland and Holland or Winchester or any great artisan gun creator and hold on it could be worth tremendous money worldwide.

I've never thought of a gun as an investment. In today's world, it could be a disaster to tie up you life's savings in guns if the wrong folks (read:idiots) get into power and start passing draconian gun laws worse than we already have. With a stroke of a pen they could make it almost impossible to transfer a weapon in a sale without huge read tape and huge transfer fees. They could also make guns too expensive to own for the average person unless you already own them. We know any market can be fickle and guns are no exception. I buy guns because I like them, and it pisses off Leftist pukes.

Only old guns that are in VERY GOOD condition will have much chance of going up in value. 😉

Historical value is placed on good specimens with provenance.

Old Colts and Winchester’s are never likely to be cheaper than they are today.

I suck at Capitalism, I’d not sell a gun to a fellow gun enthusiast for more than I thought it was worth.

Birdwatcher

Still broke and full of misplaced loyalties

Same here. I have a lot of custom guns that will sell for less than I have in them, but I invest elsewhere. My guns are for fun.

A gun enthusiast would already have the guns of his choice so would not have to buy in a seller's market. You do suck at capitalism.


mike r

Its a piss poor plan.


Especially if you are like me and will never sell anything.

Or, if you plan on buying and selling all the time....you have no soul and are probably a Mason.

Haha!!!

the highest value of a rifle or shotgun for me, is the hunts I've been on with it, the other hunters, and the places we went.

family guns go to the top.

just me. more power to folks who buy and sell, or sell and hold.

hope I can pass a few on to those who will care as much about them as I do/did.

Sycamore

Depends on what you want out of your investment.

Don’t know about long term investment for run of the mill guns. Maybe old Colt SA’s or high end doubles type stuff. I’d guess kids in 50’s were interested in the new shiny stuff at the store and not their grandads front stuffer.

I reckon as flips it’s not bad. There’s always somebody just tired of something that wants something else...and you can make a quick few bucks, which turns into another. Then another.

If you buy them right, turn them in less than 2 years...maybe a decent investment. But not an investment in the long run. I only buy a rifle if I can sell it for 20% more if I grow tired of it.

When it comes to guns, I'm more of a collector/user than an investor. But, I do notice that the guns I like to shoot and tend to collect have been going up in value. I guess that's just a lucky sidebar. Doesn't really affect me one way or the other, though.

I had a few because I loved them, but then, the boating accident, followed by the flooded basement, and that pesky wood boring worm that took up residence in the gunsafe. After the thieves got most of the rest of them the fire finished them off.

I invest in me getting the experience running the different guns to see what works for me and what doesn’t - does that count ?

Owned just about every automatic shotgun made over the years...

My 11 year old is a bit unusual in that he loves old traditional stuff. He would would much rather have and old smoke pole than a tactical gun. He looks past the plastic stuff to check out the older guns. He is already very familiar with our guns, and I expect that he will keep as many of them as he can.

My guess is, the old collectible stuff will decline in value. Younger folks don’t have an appreciation for them. In their defense, how can you appreciate something that you have no experience with? Young folks didn’t grow up with old bird hunters and their side by sides, like many if us did. Bummer for them!!!!