I live in the Rochester, NY area. Within 6 hours I can drive to 8 gun restorers many of them well known to this forum. Two of the owners have personally expressed there concerns about the average age of there clientele and the future of there vocation. I found my own way to the hobby as did everyone whose story I know did. In 45 years I have never met a person who credits another person for leading them to the hobby. In the early 1960's my village was surrounded by farmland and pheasants. The vacant farmland is filled with housing tracts and the pheasants you see can only be found in pictures today.

I have been in the high grade gun business in one form or another for 40 years.What I have seen is a separation of the market for fine guns.When I started most nice doubles were bought by shooters who also collected.The last 10 years there are fewer shooters and more pure "collectors".Really pristine guns of any kind now bring more that they ever have. However,nice guns with any wear at all are dropping in price.Another factor that has not been mentioned is the large number of guns that are coming on the market now.As we baby boomers downsize or pass away more and more collections are coming out.Economics 101,high supply means lower prices.

Ok...how to address this...Another topic on another gun forum about young people not collecting or buying classic guns. These things are cyclical like all things. Part of it I am quite certain has to do with the fact that the guns have in my opinion become too valuable too quickly. As a member of that group below the age of 40, it is hard enough at this point in our lives to buy a house for our family, we don't have disposable income to currently go investing in guns at prices that are at an exorbitantly high value. You all must remember that yall got into buying these guns when they were pennies on the dollar compared to what these guns are selling for now. Combination of older collectors falling off and younger collectors lacking the finances to pick it up at the high (see inflated (my word)) prices that they currently are at. Hey, I absolutely love love love parkers, colts, winchesters, brownings, mustangs, remington/russel art, Henry rifles, etc etc etc. I do not mean to be insulting but some of you lose context of how you started collecting these toys and what prices/stage in life you were at. People always say it's because we don't appreciate it, true but also, at our stage in life we also aren't in the position to have the disposable income to pay the large sums of money that all these guns and vehicles and art and other brick a brack that we collect. The market is currently down though I am certain it will indeed recover. And yes, sorry to disappoint but the younger generations will continue to collect and value. It is just in a trough at the moment. I will say that to me at least I am not seeing cheaper prices. 4 years ago when I got into this, damascus D's could be had for less than 2k....not really seeing those at the moment. Higher grade guns I have no clue about as I will never own one...but don't worry others my age will.

Regarding interest in shooting.... at least in my small part of the world, with a county population of less than 15k, we have a 4-H Trap and 22 teams that each have between 20 and 30 members paricipating. Ranging in age from 8-18.

As a Parker enthusiast in his 20's, yes if only for another 4 months, I have done my best to interest people my age in vintage doubles even if I have literally had to give them away, no joke. I have never had anyone that I have taken shooting not immediately fall in love with these guns. You just can not compare a modern gun to a vintage side by side, but every time I ask why they do not get into vintage side by sides the answer is always the same.. money.

Import Tarifs
 

If the new administration passes the proposed import tariffs of up to 35%, Would it greatly increase the value of imported guns if included in such regulations. Also would it give a small spike in value to all Parkers and USA made guns? Just wondering, and waiting for pundit replies and guidance.

i thought the 35% was to items that were made in the USA and were moved out of the country-

in that case Purdys and H&Hs would not be affected, nor would CZs or Spanish guns

I doubt new gun prices ever have much affect on vintage gun sales anyway, a different group of buyers

I must mention that the lack of financial knowledge is rampant among young people today. They don't have any money because they spend what they have on crap and pay interest on every purchase, skewing the sale price. In 1969,I came out of the Army after making from $78.00 to $214.00 a month for two years. I left a pair of Model 21s and a couple of Parkers at home while I was gone. I bought a two year old Chevrolet and a Westley Richards shotgun the month I got out of the service. I was poor, raising kids, going to school, and trying to start a career. However, I never stopped buying guns, whether they were in decline or going up in price. That is what you are supposed to do, whether it is your 401K or your stock portfolio. Maybe a little education on the use of the dollar would help to get younger people into our hobby.

But that is what a lot of those in my generation are doing Mr. Murphy. We saw our parents get caught unprepared for retirement and rather then spending money on guns we are paying off our homes, avoiding debt on cars, and investing heavily in our retirement. Sure, there are plenty my age who are loose with their money, just as there were when you were this age, but those were never the people who would invest in classic guns anyway.

I was watching a gun control debate not long ago and the person arguing in favor of tougher laws was lamenting the fact that although gun ownership is down among young people, support for tougher gun control was about the same as other generations.. In fact, in some cases people aged 50+ were more likely to support new regulations.