Nice gun Bruce! I'd recommend a few more coats of Behr Liquid Rawhide log house finish for that beauty.

I've seen and heard that said for many, many years now from Charlie Price, Austin, and a number of others and I think the order, as I remember, is Condition, Gauge, and Grade - but there may from time to time be overriding factors that skew that order. A low condition CHE 8 gauge, or a AHE .410 in very used condition (auctioned at something like $119k) would certainly skew the order.





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Dean makes excellent points. Rarity certainly plays a role in desirability as does some provenance. Weird rarity (4"drop, 12"LOP etc) kills value even if condition is high. Just one friendly piece of investing advice-----large bore large frame waterfowl guns with damascus barrels are a very poor investment stay away from them at all costs.:rotf::rotf::rotf:

8 gauges are bad investments too :rolleyes:

Much as I like my Parkers can't say any are investments. About the only way I can see to make money on guns is buy low and sell high. Might have done that twice after 50 years enjoying fine vintage firearms. Enjoyment they have given me is priceless.

William

i agree with william....charlie

A pocketful of Benjamins are probably better in this day an age rather then a personal check .

The learning curve in buying collectable Parkers is steep and expensive. I was lucky and was befriended by a long time collector and received some great advise from an honest dealer. It is really easy to make a very expensive mistake that can cost you half of the price paid for a gun.
If you just want an interesting investment there are several available without the hazards of Parkers. I love the guns, owning and shooting, and am happy to just get my initial investment back when I sell. Good Luck
David

While most of us could probably sell our guns for more than we paid, I wouldn't call it a good investment. Compare the annual increase in value to a passbook savings account, and you might not be very far ahead. Advantage of selling guns is that if it is done privately, your rich uncle in Washington need not know. The problem is the awkward problem of dying with a safe full of guns. Unless she is a very involved wifey, she will have to wholesale out the guns, and there goes your appreciation.
From a non-financial standpoint, our guns are more fun that stock certificates, and have led many of us to meet a great new group of friends

If you are looking for an investment, look to real estate, the stock market or something more traditional.