Varying Prices on a VH

[David Fishley]

I really know very little about Parker guns and wasn't overly interested in them until I stumbled on a DHe at a very affordable price. Since then I've been visiting this forum and looking at the various Parkers for sale.

One thing I don't understand is the great variance in the prices I see especially for a VH. I have seen them listed from $800 to over $3000. When I look at the pictures provided and the write up in the ads I don't think I am seeing $2200 in difference.

Looking at a chart, as below, I certainly don't understand how they get priced over $1500. I have a Remington BEO and a Smith OE and can't see a great deal of difference in the VH. I purchased both the Remington and Smith together for under $1000.

...................Parker..................L.C. Smith................Remington
$70...............VH........................No. 0E ($60)............BO ($75)
$80...............GH........................No. 2......................BEO
$100.............DH........................No. 3......................CE ($95)
$150.............CH........................No. 4.......................D
$200.............BH........................No. 5.......................E ($225)

What am I not seeing or understanding?

[Kevin McCormack]

Condition, condition, condition....a NIB (with the original box) Trojan bounced around 'Parkerdom' starting about 10 years ago; started out selling at $2000. It went from their a few years later to sell at $4000, then languished in a private collection for 4 or 5 years. When the owner decided to send it to auction, I think 2 or 3 years ago now, it brought around $10K. When people decide they have to have a Parker, a lot of logic and reason goes out the window!

[David Noble]

First of all, listing price and actual value are not usually the same. Second, it depends on the gauge and condition of the gun what the value may be. Thirdly, Parkers tend to be valued higher than other American made doubles of similar grade in a lot of cases.
Study all the for sale forums, auctions etc for a while, and try to look at completed sale prices when possible. After a while you'll become better at establishing fair market value of the various firearms you see for sale. It just takes due diligence.

[David Fishley]

Let me ask the question another way since I have been doing a lot of what Mr. Noble recommends. What should I expect to pay for a normal, well used VH but in good condition? No case colour left, blueing on barrels has some rub marks, checkering well worn, no cracks in stock, no pitting in barrels, not off face or loose. A range in price would be nice. Thank you.

Let me add, in 12 ga., 30" barrels and #2 frame.

[charlie cleveland]

i would say the gun would be about the 1000 dollar range...charlie

[Brian Hornacek]

Let me ask the question another way since I have been doing a lot of what Mr. Noble recommends. What should I expect to pay for a normal, well used VH but in good condition? No case colour left, blueing on barrels has some rub marks, checkering well worn, no cracks in stock, no pitting in barrels, not off face or loose. A range in price would be nice. Thank you.

Let me add, in 12 ga., 30" barrels and #2 frame.

In canada where you are that gun can be bought all day long for $700 CAD, they will be sitting on tables at the shows for $650-800.

[David Fishley]

"In canada where you are that gun can be bought all day long for $700 CAD, they will be sitting on tables at the shows for $650-800."

That's if you don't beat me to table first.:rotf:

[John Allen]

I just sold a VH identical to the description for $1500.

[David Fishley]

I just sold a VH identical to the description for $1500.

My point exactly. There does not seem t be a stable selling point for Parker guns
and Mr. McCormack's point of out of reason or logic seems to be quite reasonable.

[David Fishley]

And what jumps in my face as I leave this forum?

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1511270-Parker-bros-vh-2-1906-12-gauge-30-inch-side-x-side-650-shipped

[Brian Hornacek]

The Canadian market has no correlation with the US market.

[Bill Murphy]

Maybe 25 or 30 years ago, I was at a local auction house, sitting in the audience, when a high condition VH was put on the podium. The bidding was ferocious among the gun buyers. When the final bid came in, it was $1500. The audience broke into applause since the normal price of a VH at that time was about $300.00 and they were astounded at the selling price. Today, I wouldn't take $4000 for that gun. When a high condition gun comes up for sale, think about when you will see another one like it.

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

Well put Bill. We must establish our own minimum prices...stick to them...and remove from the market any gun that is priced at a level that may diminish the value we place on our own guns.

[John Allen]

The internet has made what you describe almost impossible.There are too many individuals who have guns to actually maintain a base price.That is essentially what is happening now.When a gun comes up on the internet or at a show that is too cheap a dealer will pick it up quickly and mark it up for resale.The problem is that there is not enough demand for "average" guns to justify a high price.As I said before mint,rare,or special order guns are bringing more than I have seen in the last 40 years.But the guns with a little wear are going down in price quickly.

[Craig Larter]

A started my Parker collection with the goal of acquiring a representative example of every grade from V to A pre WW I in 12 or 10ga . The only grade missing is the V. There are many offered for sale but finding a clean example has been more difficult than expected. Prices are all over the map. My dream V would be a straight grip 12ga on a 3 frame with 30" barrels.

[chris dawe]

Other than the interest of conversation , the answers to the question are pretty straight forward and obvious ...and i'm;) no expert .

-condition
-configuration
-gauge
- last but not least is the simple fact that my friends across the border are quite fond of the Parker gun and rightfully so .... prices up here do not reflect the same interest,one of my biggest pet peeves is having fellow Canadians quote Gunbroker ...my answer is usually "Full your boots!" we all want to find buried treasure or a pot at the end of a rainbow ,but if we're totally honest with ourselves these things are quite the fantasy .

So,at the risk of going slightly off topic .......

I've had the opportunity to have a few guns in pieces on the bench ,from shit to diamonds , in regard to the American made double guns ( and keep in mind I have a soft spot for Lefever sideplate guns ) the Parker is hands down the best made ,fitted and machined of them all ,and we all know how they shoot ...but it smacks of masochistic engineering .

The Lefever is wonderfully simple and ingenious in design, quite well finished inside, can shoot like a house afire but anyone who's been in there can tell you -the stock design is a weak point.

The Fox is quite a simple design and a very attractive frame profile, but the lower grades lack the polish that could be there ,not much bearing surface on the stock head .

The Lc .Smith is a overly complicated and poor design ,the lower grades are poorly finished inside ,the stock head is a nightmare ,but the few that i've shot have been absolute death on tall birds ,they knew something about boring thats for sure .

The Ithaca gun can be pretty, but it lacks the refinement that could've been ,and again poorly finished guns internally .

The 21 I think, is one of the most overrated double guns in history,"the strongest double gun" they claimed ,but almost every 12 gauge that comes across the bench is loose on face and has cracks in the head ...what gives ?

The Remington guns are very well made ,very simple and wonderfully bored ,the stock head is unfortunately weak ,they don't get the recognition they deserve .

There are a dozen more makers,each has their own merits and following but i've made the point with the most obvious

These thoughts are my experince
& opinions and not meant to offend any owners ,each maker made some absolutely beautiful guns that defy description in hand and in the field - so no need to get hot, we can like what we like but what ever tickles our individual fancy ,there's no way in hell we'll shoot a gun today to wear them out hunting like or forefathers did...but the point of all of this was to try and explain why there is such a following for Parker guns ,it's the inherent quality ...and there's lots of them out there from shit to diamonds

Pick apart a few linder Daly guns , Prussian Sauer or any of the big name English guns and your eyes will look at sxs guns in a whole new light

[Dean Romig]

What, no Trojan Craig?





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[Craig Larter]

Dean many of my buddies own Trojans and they love them. Personally think they are ugly.

[Dean Romig]

There is an inherent 'beauty' in ugliness. I like the streamlined 'art deco' look of the frame.





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[Craig Larter]

Kinda like a Volvo

[Dean Romig]

That made me smile.





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[charlie cleveland]

my grandfather was in the hospital at 92 years old a nurse ask him how he stayed looking so young at his age..this was his exact words...beauty fades away but ugly just gets better....charlie

[Russell E. Cleary]

Trojan partisans aver that by the 1920s it was the Trojan, with its Art Deco frame configuration, that was the more period-correct, compared with the graded Parkers, given their anachronistic, Art Nouveau styling.

[todd allen]

I picked up a pretty clean, un-messed with little Trojan 20 way back, maybe 25 or 30 years ago, just to kind of round off the bottom end of my humble little collection. It just sat in the back of the safe, never fired for maybe 20 years.
One day, just for the heck of it, I get it out to chase some desert quail. The little gun carries like a cue stick, and kills like a hammer!
The simplicity of the exterior, for cost cutting sake, it is a no-nonsense, and historically significant product. the Parker Bros knew what they needed to do to put their gun into the hands of people who could not afford even a VH, and would otherwise go elsewhere.
They knew what they were doing when they designed the Trojan.

[Dean Romig]

Unlike the people at Fox who were a bit ashamed to put the AH Fox name on their lowest priced offering, the Sterlingworth.... Parker engraved Parker Bros. on the Trojan, just like they did with their very highest priced offering.





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