I don't want to be an alarmist, but....

[Eric Ross]

Thanks for the welcome.

[JLoew]

Guys- for what it's worth, I see Parker guns every single day of the week in my work with Julias. The biggest difference I see right now is at the very top of the market. Markets are lead by leading buyers - whether it's real estate, cars, guns, etc. For a while we had a steady stream of very very wealthy people that would reach quite deep to own a great Parker. We still have them but not in quite as great a quantity of NEW deep pocketed buyers as we had 7-10 years ago. If the top end of the market is a tad softer so is the rest of the market.

The Parker market is alive and well- just last week a 38 year old PGCA member sold to another 38 yr old PGCA member a great VHE at a fair price. The difference in today's market and the market of several years back is that to sell anything it has to be fairly priced/within reason. If it's in the stratosphere your leading buyers won't stretch as far today as they once did, but I feel those days can return if we continue to create interest in these guns and have folks join the PGCA. In my opinion this current market is a great buying opportunity for smart and discerning aficionados!!!

[Spin Drift]

Do any of my fellow afflicted follow the car auctions? I jsut watched the Scottsdale auction and most of the cars were from the 60's and prices have retreated about 35% since the Zero was elected. In 2009 restored number matching big block '60 era Chevelles were in 90 to 100K neighborhood. Now same cars stretch to reach 65k. Big block Corvettes were 150k now bring about 100K. Early classics from the twenties have retreated even more. Cars from the 50's are also falling. But classic Ferrari's have shot way up. Any Ferrari less tahn 30 years old is treated like a used car. I saw a low mileage 360 Cabriolet go for 75K. The announcers said it was well bought.

What does this have to do with us? Well Parker prices are about the same or a little lower over the last 5 years. Our hobby has held up a little better than other classic pass times. I foresee a steady but small slope rise in prices in the next few years as Baby boomers finally retire to other pursuits.

The Gen x are just getting into their accumulation years with the Y's behind them. I see the big jump happening with the Millennial's as they are more likely to discern and appreciate real things versus the fad toy of the minute that they have been raised on their entire lives. This sort of explains the Steam Punk genre. Real iron, wood and leather you can grasp with your hands. The future is ok and does anyone want to buy some beenie baby's?

[Kensal Rise]

Your point on classic cars - especially muscle cars - is well noted. And in my humble opinion, they will never bounce back. Why? Because later generations have NO personal and nostalgic connection to these commodities.

They don't dislike them. They simply don't have any affection or romance connected to them. Thus, they aren't going to pay Big Money for something that Dad went street racing in.

The same ethos exists with SxS double guns. Younger generations do not have a personal connection to them. If anything, it's the O/U that they are familiar with. They have to be "convinced" through some means that an SxS has values. Even then, they are unlikely to pay big money for one. Especially one made by a company thats been defunct for over a century.

On the brighter side, I'm still having fun with my own doubles. For what that's worth.

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

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Yes Dean, but if you started 16 years ago, you weren't the young crowd which I was explaining not having the discretionary income to buy these guns at the moment. You were at a later stage in life and felt like you had some money.

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Many of the serious collectors I know did not start collecting when Parkers were "pennies on the dollar". They started when guys like Kevin McCormack and I showed them our guns, let them shoot our guns, and gave them a way to get into one of these guns. It tickles me when someone asks me questions about my guns. The disappointment sets in when they don't ask. I have taken a really hot single trap to my club twice lately for a show and tell and a shoot and tell. Both trips to the club, different members asked me what "such a gun" would be used for. They had no idea what a single barrel trap gun was or what it was used for. These were experienced shooters past 50 years old. We need to tackle these guys and educate them, and then locate their checkbooks.

Again, my comments were in regards to why so few people in their 20s or 30s are into parkers. Guys in their 40s or 50s or 60s are a different question.

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

There is a DH being offered for sale right here on our Members Only section at a very low figure, for what it is. I'm shocked it is still for sale. Some of this makes no sense to me these days.






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Dean,

I could be wrong, I am currently scratching an itch for pre 64 model 70s and I will admit prices are a little more affordable currently. The really high end ones are still a little over priced in my opinion, but the actual shooter condition guns are being more realistic.

[Dean Romig]

It's all about "supply & demand" today.

The "high end" ones are in pretty short supply (outside of collections) and consequently command a much higher price.... Why? Because people (few that they are) will pay that higher price. A well-used Damascus GH 12 gauge, on the other hand, isn't and consequently, doesn't.






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[Craig Larter]

Dean is correct in his last post. But personally I am enjoying the period of soft prices. As they say nothing solves low prices like low prices, it always balances out the supply and demand.

[King Cobb]

I just got back from my first trip to the wichita falls gun show....Not a lot of collectibles period. 3 colt SAAs-2 1st gen, 3 pre 64 model 70s but one had the checkering completely gone, a savage fox and some British maker side x side hammer gun I didn't recognize, a nitro coach gun, and a bunch of 1903 springfields, mausers, and mossin nagants. Other than that a lot of Remmys, savages, Rugers, kimbers, and black guns..and knives, and parts, and such. Wasn't a bad show, I just had expected a little more collectible type guns in this part of the world. I didn't have anything to spend anyway.