I'm not sure about that Bill. Some, perhaps many Parkers age gracefully if and when taken good care of. And there is certainly beauty and value in an 'aged' Parker that still retains it's proper conformation (to use a dog breeder's term). A Parker that has not aged well, been abused, rode hard and put away wet may be a candidate for cosmetic or more comprehensive surgery. At the end f the day though, isn't beauty and value in the eyes of the beholder. (I'm using the tem value in the broadest sense).
One of the Parkers that I have inherited is a 16 ga VH purchased by my grandfather in Boston sometime during the 1920's. Granddad hunted this 16 ga heavily in the coverts around Hooksett and Bow NH with his 4 sons, all of who carried Parkers. When he passed away, my dad inherited this little 16 and as it was his gun of choice he hunted it pretty hard. By the time I inherited it, the head of the stock was so oil soaked it felt like mush, The head had been pinned previously and there was way too much drop to the stock. Granddad had ordered it to his specs. Realizing that this 16 was not/had not aged gracefully I decided more for posterity and wanting one of my grandsons to inherit it, I had DelGrego re-stock it to modern dimensions and re-case color the frame and forend latch metal. As a family heirloom, value to me....Priceless.
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