General question about Parker value

[Ron Scott]

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!

[Phil Yearout]

Originally Posted by Ronald Scott

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!

I don't, but then I don't have any for sale; sorry . My wife and kids may care at some point; then again, they don't know what I paid, so...

[Bill Murphy]

Those of us who got a good head start on today's depressed market for Parkers will still sell for a bunch more than they paid. However, guns we buy today will not appreciate and will bring down our average. Remember, profit is determined on the buy, not on the sell. Try to buy intelligently, and make sure the seller understands the market he is participating in.

[mobirdhunter]

When we bought our house in 1981, the interest rate was 18%. Conventional wisdom at the time predicted rates would never be in the single digits again.

Live long enough and you never know what you might see.

Collecting as a way to make money is an “iffy” proposition at best. Collecting as a means of joy and fulfillment is easier to achieve.