General question about Parker value

[GH-16]

When looking at Parkers in the blue book. I pretty much ignore the prices they have listed simply because they are not up date with the current market. The book can be of use to a degree for determining values for insurance purposes.

The restoration/refinished thing is a touchy subject. Generally speaking a fairly high condition all original finishes gun will bring more than a refinished gun. With that said; There's one heck of a lot of re-done guns that are well worth the money & IMO should bring more money than a similar gun with the finishes worn off or have alterations & defects to the wood. If you want proof of this, try getting a Parker refinished or restored by one of the top name go to Parker gunsmiths right now, they all have a back log of guy's wanting their guns restored/re-finished.

We Americans are really hung up on originality & are constantly chasing the unicorn high condition untouched, unused, pristine gun. There's many levels of collectors/gun lovers. There's the true collector which collects the best of the best & is constantly looking to find that next gem. Then there's the collector/shooter/hunter who has several guns in many forms of condition, some original, some refinished, but overall nice & in useable condition. Then there's the guys that simply want a Parker in good mechanical condition that intends on using it rather than worrying about the finishes on it.

My suggestion is first decide which category you fall in the closest and then watch the internet including gun broker to get a baseline on what the current market is for the type of gun your looking at. Then when you find the right gun you'll know if your comfortable with the asking price. Keep in mind that most of the advertised guns "especially with some dealers" are priced on the high side trying to find that one buyer who just has to have that gun.

IMO; Unless a gun is in extremely high condition or has a unique provenance you shouldn't be looking at it as an investment in the current market with the aging baby boomers. Buy the gun because you like it & it makes you happy keeping in mind that you may not get back what you paid for it down the road. Buy it, enjoy it & use it, life is short, live it up!!!

[Ron Scott]

Originally Posted by Paul Ehlers

IMO; Unless a gun is in extremely high condition or has a unique provenance you shouldn't be looking at it as an investment in the current market with the aging baby boomers.

I've heard that argument before and I think it's basically true in the short term (1-5 years) but I wonder if in the long term (10+ years), as the younger shooters get older, if they might have an interest in classic hand fitted wood and metal guns. There is also normal economic inflation to consider. The Fed has pumped enormous amounts of money into the system through monetary easing over the past 10 years. Stocks have been in one of the longest bull markets in history, yet inflation otherwise has remained low. That can change overnight and hard assets like collectible guns can be an excellent store of value when the stock market turns bearish.

I actually think good collectible guns can be an excellent way to diversify a portfolio -- it's what we call in the investment world a "non-correlating asset." So I'm not ready to throw up my hands and say, "I don't care if my guns go up in value, I just want to enjoy them for what they are." I want both -- I want an appreciating asset, or at least one that doesn't depreciate, and I want to enjoy my investment.

Think about it, you get close to zero percent interest in the bank, the only enjoyment you get is looking at the account statement, and the little you make is taxed! Buy a gun, enjoy using it, and hopefully when and if you sell it you make a little money. And, by the way, you get a very favorable tax treatment on the profit.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Paul Ehlers

...Buy the gun because you like it & it makes you happy keeping in mind that you may not get back what you paid for it down the road. Buy it, enjoy it & use it, life is short, live it up!!!

Amen. And know that no one can put a value on the years you use it other than you. What's your life's time worth?

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Amen. And know that no one can put a value on the years you use it other than you. What's your life's time worth?

Why is it that when we buy a new car, we don't worry about how much it will deprecate in two years but when we buy a gun and enjoy it for how many years we have to break even or sell at a profit Enjoy the gun and have fun.

[Ron Scott]

Originally Posted by Eric Eis

Why is it that when we buy a new car, we don't worry about how much it will deprecate in two years but when we buy a gun and enjoy it for how many years we have to break even or sell at a profit Enjoy the gun and have fun.

Send me a PM for a list of overpriced guns i have for sale, I’m sure you’d enjoy owning a couple of them.