Blue Book Price Check

[MD*GSP]

Originally Posted by Jay Gardner

Not being boastful but you’ll be hard pressed to find a 28 Repro as nice as the one that I just sold. 2-barrel set; double triggers; btfe, straight stock. Case coloring by Bachelder, wood refinished with an original type Parker finish. It looked as close to an original DHE as possible. It sold for what I paid for it before I had any of the work done. A friend who is a prominent dealer if very high end firearms told me the ONLY reports that are commanding premiums are those unfired and in completely NIB condition. He warned me no one would pay extra for the work that I had done. Think about it this way: why would anyone pay a $1000 premium for work that they could have done for less than that.

Why not acquire an original DHE, or one that's got honest wear and can be re-habbed if that's what one wants? A PR will always be a PR, no matter the enhancements, no?

(no judgment here or opining on someone else's choices w/their own property - just playing devil's advocate, and curious to hear opinions)

[Setter Man]

Originally Posted by Scot Cardillo

Why not acquire an original DHE, or one that's got honest wear and can be re-habbed if that's what one wants? A PR will always be a PR, no matter the enhancements, no?

(no judgment here or opining on someone else's choices w/their own property - just playing devil's advocate, and curious to hear opinions)

If it were only that simple. What's an original 28 ga DHE, BTFE, straight stock, with a second set of barrels going to sell for, IF one could even find one for sale? $20k-$25K? And even if you bought one who would hunt it as hard as you would a Reproduction? The mistake I made was trying to age the repro's spray on case color with Semi-chrome. The result was a nickel bright receiver. Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets. My point is thinking that having Bachelder, Turnbull, do work on a repro will result in a dramatic increase in value is wishful thinking. I should also mention that I didn't lose much money having what work done. I paid $6k for it in 2004, had the work done in 2011(?) for less than $500, sold it in 2013(?) for $6,500, and bought it back in 2018 for $6,000. As has been discussed in multiple threads, Repos, like every other double, are not selling for what they did even a few years ago. The gentleman who bought my Repro paid a very fair price and I am glad it is in good hands.

[Bill Murphy]

Now I have my answer to my original statement. Jay doesn't think that aftermarket changes to a Repro will increase the value of the gun. I have to refresh my memory, but I think that's what I thought, maybe a small increase in value, but not much. I have the greatest Repros I could ever imagine, other than a .410, and I won't send them anywhere to have them upgraded. I have a 28 gauge, streaked English Walnut, straight grip stock, two barrel set, double triggers, beavertail forend. I also have a 12 gauge, wonderful wood, 28" one barrel set, improved cylinder and modified, straight grip, splinter forend. I would hate to have to duplicate those two guns today. I don't prefer the case colors, but am willing to put up with them rather than paying DT thousands of dollars to improve them. By the way, my 12 gauge came from Scot Cardillo, and I am more than happy with it.