Age vs price on Parkers

[Jeff Elder]

Does age affect the price on Parkers? Would a 1906 Dh be less than one made in the 1920's? The bluing and case color look the same, matter of fact I can't tell much difference

Thank you in advance for your input.

[Rick Losey]

my opinion--I doubt it- for a hundred year old gun- what's 15 years

[Reggie Bishop]

I have never considered age when buying a Parker. But what do I know!

[Robin Lewis]

condition, condition and condition are the biggest things that affect on price. Followed by gauge and grade.

[Randy G Roberts]

I know a few folks that would pay more for a newer Remington era gun as compared to the exact same gun made 20-30 years earlier. I do not know of a situation where someone would pay more for a gun just because of an older age but there's probably a collector out there with some reasoning to do so but I would venture it's isolated and not the norm.

[Reggie Bishop]

Randy I am just the opposite. The Remington era guns don't appeal to me as much as those made in Meriden. Not because of age, but because I think the fit/finish is more appealing. They just feel better in hand to me.

[Randy G Roberts]

I'm sure there are a lot more folks that share your opinion Reggie vs the folks that like the Remington era guns.

[Garry L Gordon]

Randy I am just the opposite. The Remington era guns don't appeal to me as much as those made in Meriden. Not because of age, but because I think the fit/finish is more appealing. They just feel better in hand to me.

YES! And the engraving is often of a higher quality during some of those early years.

[Kirk Potter]

Personally, I can’t stand some of the dogs on the later Meriden and Remington guns. Just too cartoony looking.. Just my opinion though. I’d pay more for a setter that doesn’t look like it was drawn by Walt Disney.

[Daniel G Rainey]

It appears to me that the Remington guns in the lower grades like the V have better wood than V guns from Meriden. On the other hand many of the G and P grades from the turn of the century or before have great wood. I think that was because of a better supply of good walnut at favorable price then than in later years.

[Dean Romig]

YES! And the engraving is often of a higher quality during some of those early years.


BINGO!! In Jeff's initial post he made reference to a DH as an example. Call me an "engraving snob" and I will fully agree with you. I appreciate the work of one engraver over that of another and will unashamedly admit it every time. In fact, there is one engraver who's work I wouldn't have in my collection... remember, we're talking DH here. On Grade 5 and higher Parkers his work is exemplary. Nevertheless, I am drawn to the engraving more than some other aspects of a Parker and this can be broken down into year-periods. So, the snob in me dictates that I will not own a DH or DHE from the late teens to about 1931..... sorry If I have offended anyone. :duck:





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[Randy G Roberts]

BINGO!! In Jeff's initial post he made reference to a DH as an example. Call me an "engraving snob" and I will fully agree with you. I appreciate the work of one engraver over that of another and will unashamedly admit it every time. In fact, there is one engraver who's work I wouldn't have in my collection... remember, we're talking DH here. On Grade 5 and higher Parkers his work is exemplary. Nevertheless, I am drawn to the engraving more than some other aspects of a Parker and this can be broken down into year-periods. So, the snob in me dictates that I will not own a DH or DHE from the late teens to about 1931..... sorry If I have offended anyone. :duck:.

Dean you should refer to yourself as a "sophisticated buyer" vs the "snob". Sounds so much more professional don't you think ? Means basically the same thing though in some instances :)

[Dean Romig]

:biglaugh: That made me laugh Randy.... me "sophisticated"...:rotf:


Okay, I'll be a sophisticated buy:rotf:er.... see, I can't even say it without laughing.





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[Mark Ray]

It is a veritable "Rubics Cube" matrix of condition, engravers, features, provenance etc...In my opinion undefinable as a rule..

[Greg Baehman]

Speaking of age vs. value . . . wouldn't a Parker that was built with the replaceable wear plate in ~1905 and later have a little more added value than those built previous to the wear plate?

[Mark Ray]

Speaking of age vs. value . . . wouldn't a Parker that was built with the replaceable wear plate in ~1905 and later have a little more added value than those built previous to the wear plate?

That is what I mean by the impossibility to define any single characteristic such as age as a rule.

I will ask this question. If presented with two Parker guns, new in the box, exact same age and configuration, would they still have absolutely equal value?

[Reggie Bishop]

Depends on which one has the nicest box! :cool:

[Mark Ray]

Depends on which one has the nicest box! :cool:

or the nicest wood, or three dogs instead of four birds on the bottom, or who engraved the gun, or one has darker case colors, and on and on and on....including which has the nicest box!

[Dean Romig]

I will ask this question. If presented with two Parker guns, new in the box, exact same age and configuration, would they still have absolutely equal value?


There's the BIG question. You said nothing about condition Mark and that particular factor is and has always been the most deciding factor on a Parker's value.... Condition, condition, and of course, condition.





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[John Knobelsdorf II]

I will ask this question. If presented with two Parker guns, new in the box, exact same age and configuration, would they still have absolutely equal value?

Two thoughts come to mind:

1.) Notice first, Parker Bros. got the same price for them. So yes (then and now [for me]), they have equal value in the market place (in general).

2.) I would still want to get to examine them to pick out which one I get to buy and keep. I have seen three (3) from 1926 that are all Grade 3 and appear on the same page in Price & Fjestad. The journeyman engravers’ work (not the dogs and birds) are in the same patterns, but different enough to notice and I have preferences there. I might even pay a little more to get the one I liked the best. So, not “absolutely equal value” to me.

[Bill Holcombe]

As always it depends...

I can think of one example where an older gun in original condition would be worth far more then a newer gun in similar condition.

An early CH with original Bernard barrels would go for much more on this forum at least then a similar 20s or 30s era CH or CHE that might have arguably better or should we say more appealing engraving?

Likewise I would rather own a DH from about 1919 or whenever prior for the same reasons as Dean. Plus, I am always a sucker for a nice damascus DH or CH with a dog on the floor.

I think on the open market you see the appearance of higher prices for newer guns for 2 reasons. Guns from the 20s on tend to be in better condition and for the shooting public at least, there is still a premium/discount going on in relation to fluid steel vs. Damascus barrels. Not nearly as muchas there once was, but it is still present.

Heck I even talked to one of the guys at Puglisis a bit back about a Damascus gun and he lamented it not having fluid steel barrels as they would probably be asking a grand more for it.

[Rich Anderson]

It appears to me that the Remington guns in the lower grades like the V have better wood than V guns from Meriden. On the other hand many of the G and P grades from the turn of the century or before have great wood. I think that was because of a better supply of good walnut at favorable price then than in later years.

A Damascus GHE 20 from 1907. I don't see how it could get any better for this grade. I do think that the Remington era guns have better dimensions in some cases

[Craig Budgeon]

Rarity, condition, additional features, and sometimes provenance will establish a guns value. Personal preferences and age have little to do with a guns value. If a gun has enough desirable features and is priced fairly it will sell. Many of the desirable features offered by PARKER BROS. did not exist until later half of there history.

[Bill Murphy]

Mark Ray's post #14 says it all. It is a rubic's cube situation with so many variables that no one can figure out value based on one, two, or three different features. There are dozens of factors and features that determine value and desire to own. Age is only one of them. Think about it. When shopping .410s, age is irrelevant. When shopping 10s, age is very relevant. The gun itself is the selling point. Age is not often more important than condition, although an old gun with condition often trumps a newer gun with condition. When the condition gets higher, age becomes less important.

[Dean Romig]

I wonder how Fjestad does it....?






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[Dave Noreen]

I'd give a slight edge to guns fitted with the 1910 bolt and bolt plate over earlier guns without, all other things being equal. Unlike several above, I've been looking to ensconce a late Remington era gun in my gun room. Would prefer 26- or 28-inch barrels and open bores.

[Bill Murphy]

Fjestad doesn't have to worry about it. He doesn't do it alone. He herds experts into his corral and tries to get them to work together to come up with a good result. In some cases, he relies on one expert to write up one brand. I can't believe his Parker corral only includes one person. Hopefully, at least a half dozen writers get together to come up with the end result. I don't know who they are in the Parker group, but I hope it isn't one person.

[edgarspencer]

The vignettes on earlier guns were defined in a nice oval, but later guns that definition is less clear.

[Garry L Gordon]

The vignettes on earlier guns were defined in a nice oval, but later guns that definition is less clear.

Love the heads on those setters!!