Todd, you would need to know this "collector of 'as new' guns" before denigrating his uncontested experience in the field of rating a gun's condition. He is probably without peer.





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Here are a couple shots of my "sweet spot" J.A. HANNAH gun courtesy of Steve C.
1913 1 Frame 32" 20 bore DHE
I embrace the scars!

Mark that is a really nice 20!

What a dandy duck gun!!





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Was not denigrating the statement nor impugning the nameless collector. Sure they know their stuff, was just amazed by it on such a narrow marginal difference as described by the suggested guideline. If doing the math is perceived as a slight to someones sensibilities, then I apologize.

I am also amazed on some prices people pay for collector cars. How many times do you hear about some rare piece sold at record price at Sothebys and the pre-auction estimates are blown away. Its probably a pretty good description of a niche market of limited participants that plays at tip top end of values that might not have a ceiling.

It just goes to show that there is range of values on things depending on perspective. Mentality of some collectors/investors is a no holds barred wrestling match on price as opposed to someone that is maybe a user/investor more grounded to market. Two different mentalities with different motivations. My point is that it just hard to reconcile between the two approaches. They are two distinct markets and was amazed by the metric as presented.

All that I have learned about collecting anything is that the value of an item is determined by what someone is willing to pay for it, and that only takes one person to shell out the cash and when he sells the item it could be for a loss or a profit.
-Brett

The best way to learn about Parkers is to become a PGCA member, read the Parker Pages, obtain and study The Parker Story and attend Parker meetings. After several years of listening and asking questions a person starts to have some credibility in Parker knowledge .

There is truth in that. Market transactions are typically defined as prudent actions of well informed buyers and sellers acting in their best interest. Throw in an element of passion into that definition/discussion and things get spun off into an alternate reality of a different market and participants. I think that is what amazed me. Some collect guns they cherish to shoot, others collect just to cherish.

Dare say we are all hunters on this site. I am passionate about duck hunting just as much as the the next avid duck hunter, but if you calculated all the money spent in pursuit on a cost per duck harvested.... Do yourself a favor and don't. Wife is a CPA got shown that once.

Todd
I also was amazed but his estimate of value between 95% and 98% but have immense respect for his opinion as that is the area he plays in.
Rich
You are a braver man than I am! I took a $20K Italian 28ga gun shooting, tripped and snapped the stock. That cost me $10,000 . Th reason I am selling some guns is I do not shoot them because of their high condition ,as with the CHE 12 LBG I just listed
David

David I like to use them albeit carefully. I have had NIB guns before and sold them. In January while riding in the hunting buggy during our quail hunt Gunner's Gun suffered a deep scratch from a latch on the gun box. It really pissed me off but as soon as I got home it went to the smith and he made it good as new.
A couple of years ago I took a bad spill in the grouse woods with a CHE 20. According to TPS it's one of eight produced with 26 inch Damascus barrels. I bent my glasses and had a bruise on my arm from wrist to elbow but the gun didn't get hurt.

I'll have a couple of high condition guns to shoot at Drakes. Why save them for the next guy? Some heir might get less for them but ask me if I care:whistle: