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

[davidboyles]

It seems like when I go hunting these days I am the odd Duck with a gun that is nearly twice my age and I just turned 70. I agree with what you are saying the new hunters are more interested in horsepower and glitz not beauty or patina that was borne through caring hands. Everytime I'm in the field these days and I'm not with fellow SS hunters I am surrounded by plastic , carbon fiber and stamped metal if it even has any real metal on it. When I show up with a classic double like we all share passion for it takes a person pushing 50 to even ask "What's That" and then they may perk up to a response of it's a Parker, Model 21 ,LC or Ithaca. Something about shooting these old guns that hell most of the time don't even fit us modern frames makes me feel special and privileged to own and carry on the life of that fine piece of equipment. My last trip abroad was purposely made to do what the old explorers did and that I read about as a kid. that was to carry around a double barreled 12 pound 125 year old gun with hammers and shoot a 2000lb Cape Buffalo. Done just as dead as with a plastic stocked 416 Remington. As I preached in the article "American Heritage My Parker " I hope we can reach enough young hunters to carry the torch and handoff to the next generation. Too long winded I know but it's been on my mind as well as the rest of the readership. Thanks

[Eric Ross]

Hi, First post and first day on the form as a member. I want to put a few of you to ease by saying that I'm 28 years of age and an avid SxS collector with a special passion for Parkers. Im sure that I'm a small section of my age range to have this passion but fortunately my generation has become a large part of the firearm society and with the hope of less gun bans and regulations maybe it will give them a chance to appreciate the finer firearms.
Thanks for the years of good reading on this form!

[jay shachter]

Hey Guys,

It is a concern of someone like myself who has chosen this as a business and a means of support for my family and retirement. I ask these question often, and others have asked me a lot over the last few years. What I see is that there are replacements for the older gents that are no longer shooting and are therefore selling there guns. The replacements are the 45-55 year olds who have a better than average income, some time to have a dog and read the sporting journals that tout our style of guns, have killed their fair share of game with modern guns, and have become nostalgic with their middle age sanctum. They want a car like they had in college, a motorcycle like they had in high school, and a gun that they just read about or maybe their uncle had. They are our new buyers. The problem is that we, the baby boomers, outnumber the newcomers by a substantial number. The replacements are not coming in at the rate the older gents are going out, but I believe "nostalgia" will always occur. Many experienced shooters decide that the romance is better than the technology, the history is more interesting than modern, and as some other writer said, "it is now how many you kill, by how you kill them" or something like that, becomes the thoughts of the hunter when they wake up to go afield.

There are fewer buyers, no doubt. But I don't see it falling away, just balancing out. Keep in mind, there are fewer good guns out there as time goes by, and that will help keep prices close to what they are now.

Jay Shachter, President
Vintage Firearms, Inc.
www.vfiguns.com

[todd allen]

I think it really requires a certain level of maturity to develop a passion for Parkers.
Most are not there yet, at 30 years of age.

[Hammer Gun]

This is an interesting topic, The "aging out" of folks that appreciate quality doubles has something to do with it, I myself have a few guns consigned, just because I needed to make room for new acquisitions, I have a certain price that I will sell at and no less, else I will keep them for a few more years God willing, There comes a time when you go into that gun room and stop and realize that most of what you see is not being used, or have been shown at many shows, and it is time to move on. In my case just rare and high grade guns from now on. I have to wear blinders like the old mule, concentrate on what to collect or the collection ends up just a lot of guns. Some of our group are in their late seventies or early eighties, and just want to be rid of them so they are not tied up in an estate. We need to come up with an idea, that will attract younger folks and keep them in the fold, this is needed by all the groups Smith ,Lefever,Fox etc. I have an idea and will put it out at a later date. If we are to survive, we must do like businesses do, start readying the next generation, Gary

[Kirk Potter]

I think it goes hand in hand with the declining popularity of hunting. I'm 30, I started upland hunting in 2011 when my cousin invited me to go out with him and his English setter.. In 2012 I bought my first double gun, a Ruger red label.. 2013 bought my first dog an English setter.. 2016 first Parker. I think that if you fall in love with upland hunting eventually the road leads to Parkers. But one thing that I have noticed as someone who really hasn't hunted that many years, is that every year I run into less and less people. When I do they tend to be in their 60's or 70's.

[SXS OHIO]

Loss of the working middle class!!!!! Big culprit. I will say we are in a soft marker for all firearms unless they are special.... in demand and hard to find. If anyone finds a sleeper deal on a un-molested O-frame DHE-16....please let me know, I will up the bid...(-: I see the nuts and bolts gun selling under value or at a real good price these days, a buyer can pick and choose and wait till he finds the sweet spot. But guns like the one I mentioned are few and have more than several people who want it...maybe the only one available for some time.....good ones never sell ''cheap'' if properly marketed! that's my take...SXS Ohio

[John Liles]

I don't want to be an alarmist either, and hope that Dean is correct in his prognosis that values will rise again.
I think we have a bigger problem looming. As we age we'll hit a point where suddenly we don't need another Parker or LC Smith, and if we haven't somehow garnered the interest of the next generation of vintage gun enthusiasts, then the value of our prized doubles will die of old age as we do.
When is the last time that Team Parker fielded a Junior Shooter at either the Spring or Fall Southern SXS shoots? Team Elsie usually has one or two, and that is nearly as pathetic as none, but my point is that if we don't do something to bring along the next generation.....we WILL be the end of the line as far as interest in our guns, and interest is what drives price. Even if the economic times get better, if there's no interest there is no sale. Our un-intersted grand-churrins will clean up at the Pawn Shop for Pennies on our well spent Dollars.
It's up to us.
John

[Dean Romig]

This is getting depressing... but I agree with you John. I think we owe it to our hobby, to these great old guns, to the young folks who could really get a lot from collecting, shooting, and hunting with them, and to ourselves to try to get the kids off the couch, off their electronic games and out to the Skeet, trap, and SC ranges. Our future and the future of collecting will be in the hands of today's youth.





.

[Kensal Rise]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Our future and the future of collecting will be in the hands of today's youth.

.

Agreed, Dean. But is the PGCA planning to do anything about some of it? About a year ago there was some talk of a youth program. But I've heard nothing more for 12 months. Anybody have an update?

As others have said, the value of any classic gun is a combination of history, heritage, romance, nostalgia, tradition and taste. Without those aspects handed down to young people, tomorrow's market for any classic double gun will fade to oblivion.

Sorry if I sound pessimistic...