Rarity Vs Value Vs Demand in Parker Collecting

[Joel Hackett]

I’ve been collecting Parker’s for a couple years and are always intrigued by the factors in which some Parker models & variation carry more value or higher price tags than others.

High grade smaller calibers seem to carry the highest collectibility/ price tags but there seem to be other calibers and variations just as if not rarer that command very little interest or demand for one reason or another. It’s those niches to me that are pretty fun to research and search for in collecting.

A good example of this is a 1890 EH 10 gauge with 28” barrels that I purchased last year in descent unmolested condition with good shootable bores for $850. I spent some time this weekend going through the serialization book and it’s 1 of 40 (grade 2) EH 10 gauges with 28” barrels listed.

I’ll try to get a few good pictures of it to post.

[Bill Murphy]

28" EH grade guns are really neat gun, especially when they are built on #2 frames. They are purpose built bird guns, an unusual use for a ten gauge.

[CraigThompson]

I was watching the gun you bought on Invaluable with intentions of bidding . But I got busy with something and went to bid about thirty minutes after it sold . But luckily I already had one of the other 60+ , 28 inch guns :cool: The one in my possession is an 1891 gun that letters etc and it’s choked cylinder and modified . I’ve killed a pile of skeet birds with it as well as a poor unsuspecting whitetail doe at about 21 yards with homecast 730 grain slug . Oh yeah no one needs two of these things but I had thoughts of doing it just the same ! Incidently this one IS a 2 frame .

[Bill Murphy]

Very nice EH.

[Bill Murphy]

I have a pair of nice lifter 28" ten gauge light bird guns, but that is a subject for another thread.

[CraigThompson]

Very nice EH.

That one has broken several straight rounds of skeet but sad to say I've never done better than 49 out of 50 . I never shot more than two rounds of 10's at skeet in an evening . My skeet loads in this bad boy are 1 1/8 ounce pushed with 18.6 of Red Dot so pretty much cream puff loads .

[Dean Romig]

This subject has been discussed here a great many times and articles concerning this topic have appeared in Parker Pages as well. Austin Hogan authored at least one of these. Look it up on your digital Parker Pages link here from our home page.

The chief determining factors in Parker values are gauge, condition and grade… in that order I believe… and the trump card is the smaller gauges, 20, 28 and .410.






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[Bill Murphy]

Put these guns in order of value. 1. A-1 Special, any gauge, reasonable condition. 2. Mint condition, any reasonable grade and gauge, up to DHE and 20 gauge. 3. .410, any reasonable gauge, up to GHE. I have my idea of the progression of this list. What is yours?

[Dean Romig]

Okay Bill, I’ll bite…
Most valuable would be the A1S in extremely high condition in .410 or 28 gauge.(My choice would be 28 gauge)
Then anything else I would list in order of value or collectibility wouldn’t necessarily follow Austin’s logic…

It’s all very subjective.



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[Craig Larter]

I agree most rankings of valuation are subjective and different for every collector.
For me, a person with limited funds, niche collecting brings me the most satisfaction, I focus on vintage waterfowl guns. If a gun fits into my niche then it's about condition first, dimensions second, grade third and gauge last.

[John Davis]

Given my current interest, I would have to say dimensions first, condition second, grade third and only one gauge (12).

[Craig Larter]

For the sub-set of Parker collectors (or Fox, Lefever etc.) that are condition collectors that never plan to shoot there guns condition is first, grade and gauge are tied for second in my opinion. In the long run they will most likely make out best from a financial standpoint. They get their satisfaction from owning mint or near mint examples and keeping them locked up in a safe. It seems the majority of Parker enthusiasts are collector/users that get their satisfaction from harvesting game birds and breaking clays with guns from the golden era of fine craftsmanship and plentiful game. These folks have much different rankings of what is valuable.