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06-25-2019, 10:48 AM | #13 | ||||||
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My collection is based solely on the gun having the inscription Parker Bros on frame and barrels
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Hunt ethically. Eat heartily. |
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06-25-2019, 12:11 PM | #14 | ||||||
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I let a GH 20/28 combo get away and it is driving me nuts. The 28 barrels were aftermarket, so the price was reasonable. So it goes . . .
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The Following User Says Thank You to Mills Morrison For Your Post: |
06-25-2019, 12:43 PM | #15 | ||||||
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This is a great topic to ponder. As I do I think over the different phases I have gone through over the past decades – first I wanted guns of certain grade and condition regardless of fit and chokes. Then the pendulum swung completely the other way and my only concerns being choke, frame size, and fit for “hunt-ability.” Now I have landed somewhere close to the middle. Medium grades and hunt-ability reign supreme in my desires, but also enough condition to be considered a “sweet spot gun” (50% at minimum and hopefully better condition) – my allowances for gun fit have also widened as I have aged.
But my first thought with every gun I lift is still “where will I hunt this gun”? My modest collection will attest to this. I have just a few guns that I have not yet hunted but all of them could get the call on any given day if the circumstances are right. I wonder what my gun room will look like a decade from now?
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“I never wrote a poem in my life. But if I ever do, it will be about ducks.” – Gordon MacQuarrie, The Last Stories of the Old Duck Hunters, 1985 |
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The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to MARK KIRCHER For Your Post: |
06-25-2019, 12:49 PM | #16 | ||||||
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A cousin of mine said he did not have enough Parkers to be a member of PGCA which is not true at all. Actually one good Parker would be the great Parker collection for some
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06-25-2019, 01:20 PM | #17 | ||||||
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Mark, a decade from now is a completely different situation for me at 73 than it is for many Parker guys. Watch the obituaries.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Bill Murphy For Your Post: |
06-25-2019, 03:32 PM | #18 | ||||||
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In my work, I have probably seen as many Parker collections as anyone alive today. It really is a true privilege and I can say unequivocally, the great Parker collections of our time are are not the biggest. The biggest ones - typically over 100-150 guns often have a lot of mundane Parkers or parts guns.
Many of the collections I see are an amalgamation of guns the person thought were “cheap” when purchased. Buying on price alone, one typically ends up with a mish-mash of fair guns but usually very few desirable or collectible guns. Undoubtedly, the finest collections, in my opinion, are highly focused and refined. They are usually less than 75 guns and end up becoming the perfect product of years of passion, dedication, and some risk. It takes a passionate person to seek a focused collection - the focus could be something like long barreled guns, big bore guns, high original condition guns, etc. the list goes on. The best collections are constantly being refined each time a better example is able to be acquired. The collector buys the better example and sells the lesser one. Perhaps that means selling the very fine AAHE 12ga to make room for a 20ga AAHE if one comes along, or simply upgrading for better dimensions, configuration, or condition. The “risk” component comes in when buying. This collector usually “steps up” and buys the best. He is taking a risk by paying the price necessary to refine and improve existing holdings. Very few collections are so refined that buying another Parker of high original condition would water down existing holdings. There has certainly never been a better time in my lifetime to build a great Parker collection than today!!! |
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06-26-2019, 09:25 AM | #19 | ||||||
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Ed Murderlak had "Benchmark Parkers." As I recall him telling me, these guns were those of the highest factory condition he owned. If a new gun came along it must be equal to or better to even consider. I know some of you have one or more of Ed's benchmark Parkers.
On another note I've found that the pistols, rifles, and shotguns I've amassed over the years hold little to no interest by the grandchildren. They are into semi-autos. |
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06-26-2019, 10:27 AM | #20 | ||||||
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My collection would be much smaller if I sold lesser condition guns after finding a better one of the same grade and configuration. A "collection much smaller" is something I should be working on, but it is a rough ride.
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