I own a Fox gun, a like new I grade Lefever, an heirloom Knickerbacher (prolly a Crescent) sidelock of 1906, A Parker SC SBT, and a Parker GH, as well as a slew of Win Model 12s, a Superposed, two Ithaca 37's, and many others.
I just bought my GH and am now an official Parker collector, and as such am perusing the on line auction/sales sites. I paid $1500 for the SBT and $999 for the GH both in what I call excellent original condition. Just as in the Winchester Model 12 guns, I see a great many refurbished Parkers. Looks like someone takes a $1,000 Parker and then puts another grand in rework and asks $4,000 for the gun, pocketing a cool $2K - or more.
Sure like new Parkers are pretty things, but if the condition is fake how much of that non-authenticity transfers to the gun? The question is, concerning condition, how bad is so bad, that the gun isn't worth much and will benefit from a make-over? That is the sixty-four dollar question and frankly I don't have an answer. Does anyone? Okay, it's a matter of personal choice, but when taking about fine Parkers we are talking about guns that will be around long after we aren't, and we do have a responsibility not only to the Parker, but to history as well.
I have purchased like new refurbished guns and a few that were redone and not too well, but were also dirt cheap. Unless inexpensive, I would shy away from a highly redone Parker, but does everyone? The prices certainly don't support that premise.
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