I don't want to be an alarmist, but....

[King Cobb]

I just got back from my first trip to the wichita falls gun show....Not a lot of collectibles period. 3 colt SAAs-2 1st gen, 3 pre 64 model 70s but one had the checkering completely gone, a savage fox and some British maker side x side hammer gun I didn't recognize, a nitro coach gun, and a bunch of 1903 springfields, mausers, and mossin nagants. Other than that a lot of Remmys, savages, Rugers, kimbers, and black guns..and knives, and parts, and such. Wasn't a bad show, I just had expected a little more collectible type guns in this part of the world. I didn't have anything to spend anyway.

[King Cobb]

People were buying though, I can say that.

[Keavin Nelson]

I am fortunate in having a son who greatly enjoys the Parkers, but in early 30s, not much disposable income to buy his own, so my guns get regular use which is nice. He has one I built for him on his 16th birthday.

As to price, I attended a show yesterday, and inquired on the price for a 16Ga VH on an O frame, with a badly fixed broken stock and forend checkering that looked like a beaver did it, thinking I could buy it reasonably to restock. The elderly gentlemen told me $4000. I put it back on the rack!

I take my son's friends out to shoot sporting clays with my doubles every chance I get. And at least two of them have expressed an interest in acquiring a vintage double.

[PML]

I think we can say that the Parker Ephemera market is alive and well.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...dmd=1&_ipg=200


PML

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Patrick Lien

I think we can say that the Parker Ephemera market is alive and well.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...dmd=1&_ipg=200


PML

or hope springs eternal

[Kensal Rise]

For what it's worth:
I just spent some time at a noted "antique arms" show in the Great Lakes area. As a result a few things were glaringly obvious to me:

1) At least 80% of those attending were old men. With grey hair, canes, walkers, limps, and AARP memberships.

2) Same for the table holders.

3) The show tables were strewn with old guns with wooden stocks, surface blemishes and varying patina. Old dudes weren't buying them. And the few attendees under 60 didn't want them.

4) It appeared to me as though the "Boomers" were finally unloading their collections. en masse. But the market had passed them by. And prices were generally low. But still, very little was being scooped up.

This may be an anomaly, but I don't think so. I've had at least half a dozen good English doubles on consignment at a VERY well known midwest shop. Exactly ONE has sold in the last 11 months.

But I'm not worried. I've got a plastic-stocked, black-anodized AR-10 that my son can make a tidy profit on when he retires.

[C.O.B.]

With "collector quality" firearms weather they are shotguns or rifles condition determines most of the price. Rarity as in a small bore Parker or a Pre64 M70 in say 7MM or 300 Savage raises the price bar but without condition you won't realize top dollar.

[Big D]

The OP observed that Parkers seemed to be getting cheaper. Economics 101 tells you that the only way a commodity declines in price is either an increase in supply (That ain't happening with old Parkers) or a decline in demand. For all the reasons discussed above, the answer is - The envelope please - Tah Dah - "decline in demand" - and IMHO will only get worse as us oldies stop buying and our wives sell off our stuff to a shrinking crowd of folks who want these guns

[John Allen]

Actually there are more Parkers on the market now than I have seen in 40+ years in the gun business.This morning on Gunsinternational there are 471 Parkers listed.You cannot judge the market by what you see at shows now.Shows are now the wholesale supplier for out of production guns of all kinds.The retail sales take place on the internet.I know of several dealers who only go to shows to buy and then post the guns on the internet.That is the new successsful business model for modern gun dealers.I do agree that the demand is down for the average "shooter"grade guns.High condition and rare guns are bringing more than they ever have in my experience.

[Bill Murphy]

Jay knows the market and knows that the market for above average guns will never go away. Average guns will flood the market and be sold at lower prices, but scarce guns in minty condition will always be sold at high prices if properly marketed. Remember when we were kids, surplus guns were sold at ridiculous low prices, $9.95 and up for great military collector guns that are now sold for thousands. The same thing will happen with average bird guns in the next 20 years, except that they will not appreciate at the same rate as the $9.95 guns did, or maybe they will. It is not a great loss to those of us who chose wisely in our purchases over the last few decades.