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

[John Allen]

You got it.The best thing to do is for the younger guys to take advantage of the great buys coming their way and us older guys enjoy the guns we have and be able to say when you get to the end "I had some great guns,great dogs,great friends, and killed a hell of a lot of birds"

[Copper John]

I was just discussing this with someone less than an hour ago, funny to see there is a thread started here...

I am a millennial. I'm 27 and I dont know anyone else my age who is into these guns. I have one very dear friend who is a fellow grouser who hunts exclusively with a D grade 16 and a repro 28 but he is 10 years older than me. We have both discussed whether we should stop buying parkers because they may drop sharply in value as we get older and maybe we would be able to pick up really nice guns for less money down the road.

I dont know what to tell you guys, I'm embarressed to say that the majority of my generation isnt at all interested in hunting. Also most of my friends look at me like a grew a second head when they find out what I have paid for relatively inexpensive Parkers.. And most of my friends are young professionals who could probably afford Parker guns if they were interested in them..

A good friend of mine who is a well paid attorney hunts exclusively with a franchi over and under. Its quite sad that I have to look over at that when I am out in the field with him..

Just 2 cents from a millennial.

[J.B. Books]

I am curious, what were the prices on Parker's after WWII and prior to Johnson's first book on them? Did his book help to create a mystique and improve the market for them? What were the prices and market for composite barrel double guns prior to Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal? Same thing for 2 7/8" 10ga guns prior to his articles vs. today. What role and effect do outdoor writers have in this situation?

People don't get their information from books and magazines much anymore. Even web pages like this are becoming passe. Social media is how younger people connect and get information, how do classic double guns and hunting fit into that world?

[Dean Romig]

Fear not John, tha vast majority of our generation are not interested in hunting either. Though some of us grew up hunting on our own land, most never had that opportunity... and far, far fewer today are able to enjoy it. 'Urban sprawl' is as much the culprit, coupled with the ignorance of the folks who move from urban areas to the former farmlands which ,now, are the 'No Discharge' suburbs.





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[Dean Freeman]

My name is Dean. And I'm a Parkaholic.
You tube is my television now and I'm depressed by the lack of Parker Gun content found there. Larry Potterfield has a fantastic series where he completely rebuilds an old lifter. Aside from that there's little else. I'm not saying that more content on YouTube would be a panacea, but it would be a start. Imagine watching Brian Dudley at work, or seeing some nice collector pieces go afield. There's no reason our members, or even the PGCA couldn't have a channel on YouTube spreading the good word.

[DoubleOframe]

Has the PGCA ever considered a group page on Facebook to attract new members? The American Custom Gunmakers Guild and other similar organizations have group pages. There are options to create both private and secret groups. There are younger hunters like http://www.northwoodsr.com and http://uplandlowlife.com who share their passion for hunting and double guns on Facebook, Twitter, etc you just have to be on these sites or you may never hear about them. They also work with RGS and Orvis to promote hunting.

[Spin Drift]

Ok, I was at the vegas show. Tried to buy a project b grade hammer gun from a large dealer in the upper midwest. Gun was all there but needed to be unpolished and tightend and a good cleaning. I offered 11% less than asking and didn't even get a counter offer to where we would have ended up as a good deal. Nope it was take it or leave it. Now I've dealt with the young man's Dad and God rest his soul things would have been different. I was able to acquire a nice 16ga and a 12 ga CH project for more than the B grade. I left the show happy but slightly confused on the market.

As to girls joining the Parker afflicted, count my daughter as one. I plan to infect her boyfriend also. We control this aspect. Now that the political pendulum is swinging back talk up your affliction to your coworkers. Take them to the range if interested. If we each got two in our lifetime to become Parker fans then we double our numbers.

[Victor Wasylyna]

Consider this thirty-eight-year-old's opinion: Some shotguns are collected because they are "fine," while others are collected because they are "nostalgic." In my opinion, firearm nostalgia is dead. The next generation does not have memories of running home from school to grab the old gun and hit the woods. They did not grow up with guns. Sell your Model 12 while you still can. (I, personally, have no interest whatsoever in an old pump. My first duck gun was a cheap pump and I hated it!) Fine guns, however, will always be in demand, but the market for fine guns is small. Is your Parker "fine," or just "nostalgic"?

[Dean Romig]

Victor, would you kindly tell us your definition of "fine"?

Descriptive 'words' are subjective.





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[Victor Wasylyna]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Victor, would you kindly tell us your definition of "fine"?

Descriptive 'words' are subjective.





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Dean:

Of course everyone is entitled to their subjective opinion as to what is a "fine" gun. However, there are (objective?) factors to be considered, such as brand (e.g., Parker), quality/condition, and perhaps rarity. A "wow" gun, not an everyday shooter. A high condition, high grade gun. A pristine VHE (like the one JLoew just sold me) versus a beat-up DHE.

-Victor