I never buy new cars -- they depreciate a few thousand $$ as soon as you drive off the lot. I buy one year old low mileage cars and avoid that loss. But guns are different than cars because it's actually possible not to lose money.
I own three types of guns: Collectibles i.e., "safe queens" -- on average they are up in value over the past 10 years. Shooters are for shooting. They are either semi-collectible i.e., high value but not pristine NIB stuff that a little more wear won't depreciate the value or they are guns I don't care if they lose value--guns I bought to shoot and don't care about resale value.
The Parker I am looking for will be a "collectible shooter." I think (and I may be totally delusional) that it's possible to buy a nice 50-60% original Parker, hunt with it and shoot clays with it for the next 10 years and it will be worth more than I paid for it. But if I buy a brand new Browning Citori and shoot it for 10 years I think I'd be lucky to get my money back. Mass produced guns are mass produced guns -- they have zero collector value. Regardless of the whole "end of the baby boomer" argument they aren't making any more Parkers.
Show me a guy who doesn't care if he gets his money back on a Parker and I'll show you a guy I want to buy my next Parker from!
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