You ever get tempted to sell off rare guns?

[Walt Sherrill]

...If you don't enjoy them, then they're an investment. Sell them freely. In the long run, none of us takes anything out of this world.

And, given the rate of inflation over the past 10-20 years, guns can be a pretty poor investment, at that. While some folks make good choices (or are just lucky), most of us just LOSE value when we buy and sell guns. On the other hand, if you Golf, you won't get much for your old golf clubs, either, and some of them might cost as much. And then there's cars... The guy who buys a NEW GUN as an investment (that he hopes will increase in value) is either 1) very, very canny/astute, 2) or is often just fooling himself. While some guns DO appreciate in value, most of them lose value. And the common, run of the mill guns (like your everyday Glock, SIG, Beretta, CZ, etc., aren't going to increase in "true" value. Rare models, perhaps.

Example: a gun you paid $600 for in 1980 would have to sell for more than $1700 today to buy something of comparable value. That's how much the dollar's value has eroded during that 35-year period: Inflation kicks everyone's butt!!

Here's a link to an Inflation Calculator that uses actual historical data for the period to show the effect of inflation. It's scary. http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

What I find amazing is just how much you CAN BUY, today, for $600-$800 dollars, either new or used. There are some outstanding values out there!

[PA32Mark]

From time to time, I do get tempted to sell off a rare or unusual gun, but in the past when I've done so, it seems I regret it in short order! However, now that my hair is all gray and my joints creak in the morning, I find myself looking in my safe and asking what I really need to keep, and what it is time to sell and let someone else enjoy. I think that selling off some of ones' guns - particularly the safe queens that never get shot - is really just another part of the natural aging process. The few that I shoot regularly, and the ones that have family heirloom value, will be the ones that are kept for my kids or grandkids.

[stephen426]

I was recently checking prices on gunbroker.com and was SHOCKED at what certain guns are fetching these days! How much do you guys feel these gun can appreciate? Makes me wish I bought a few more rather than the more common Les Baers. I guess the Sigs would be more as an investment and the Les Baers for shooting. I doubt high end 1911s would ever appreciate like the P210 or the P7M8. Thoughts?

Sig Sauer P210 Silver Legend

Heckler & Koch P7M8

[P5 Guy]

They are all gone now except the Garands.

[chaim]

I don't have anything truly rare, and my most valuable guns are revolvers (this is the auto subforum), but I do get tempted sometimes to sell my more valuable guns.

I did sell a few collectable/valuable guns that I probably will never replace due to the current prices...A S&W 57 .41mag revolver from the first year of production, a P&R S&W 19, an early S&W 586. I don't want to ever part with my S&W 65LS since it was my 1st .357mag and I love a 3" K-frame, but with the way prices are going on them (especially the Lady Smith variants), they almost definitely will reach a value where I can't really justify holding on to mine (i.e. the monetary value will supersede the value of the gun to me). Also, I love my 1st gen S&W 1911SC, but I no longer carry it. I just want a good 1911 for the range and an all steel 1911 makes more sense for that than the alloy 1911SC. So once the used value on my 1911SC is high enough to buy a new Ruger or RIA and a case of .45, I'll probably make the trade. I also may consider trading it plus cash in the future for something nicer (I've always wanted a Wilson or Les Baer). If neither of the above happen, it is probably a matter of time before it is traded for a steel 1911 of similar quality (I've long wanted a SA 1911 Loaded).

[stephen426]

Chaim,
Speaking of Springfield 1911 Loaded, I shot mine today on a practical pistol course. This isn't competition or anything, but it includes a lot of drills that are great for real world defense and allows for a lot of things you'll never get to do on a regular indoor range. This includes drawing from holster, rapid fire, engaging multiple targets, and shooting on the move. My Springfield Loaded is in 9mm and is a great shooter. 9mm is such a soft shooter in that gun and the such a joy to shoot. You'll love it. I have 3 Les Baers, but the Springfield Loaded is easily 85% as good.

[NWCP]

I've never sold any gun I've inherited, or purchased. With a Mat DelFatti holster the P7 and P7 M8 are a pleasure to carry and shoot. As with any great holster you need a great gun belt as well.

[rt11002003]

I've never purchased a gun with the thought it might be rare. I'm a target shooter, not a collector, nor an investor. Tried buying a SIG p210 Legend Super Target about the time SIG wound up with import problems. They jacked me around for a year; promising delivery at least two separate times. Never happened.

Finally picked up a LNIB p210 6 with the .22lr kit. Fired both a few times, less than a box of ammo. Nice gun, preferred my SIG X-Series for the shooting I do. Sold the p210, made a couple of dollars. Hope the purchaser enjoys it.

Did a similar exercise with the HK p7m8 and p7. Liked both guns, but found out I had other guns I preferred shooting. Put both on the market, the p7m8 moved quickly; the p7 is still listed.

Finally determined .45 ACP was really giving my old arthritic hands a bad time. Sold off some nice HK's and 1911's.

Purchased some 50 guns in less than two years, when I discovered they all weren't getting regular use; some were sold.

I appreciate that some folks buy for investment, and others just to collect. More power to them. But, it can make it difficult for other folks to get a gun they desire. However, that's life.

[Walt Sherrill]

I was recently checking prices on gunbroker.com and was SHOCKED at what certain guns are fetching these days! How much do you guys feel these gun can appreciate? Makes me wish I bought a few more rather than the more common Les Baers. I guess the Sigs would be more as an investment and the Les Baers for shooting. I doubt high end 1911s would ever appreciate like the P210 or the P7M8. Thoughts?

They're not all "fetching" those high prices. Some asking prices are up, but an awful lot of the guns being offered for sale stay out there a long time and are listed over and over again. Check completed sales when you do your search. Asking price isn't always sale price.

Gunbroker prices seem to be inflated -- higher even than you can find at places like Gander Mountain -- which are often notoriously high.

[smee78]

I have bought and sold many a gun over the years, sometimes I do miss a gun but most of the times not. I bought a gun I considered a "grail" gun but once I had it for about a year I ended up selling it off with no love loss. In the end I'm sure I will give a lot of them away to my two sons (I even went as far to buy two of certain guns). I just am at the point where I got more guns than room in the safe

[roscoe]

Other than inherited pieces, guns are tools to me. I sold my 1006 because the price had risen to the point where I could buy two good handguns for the sale price.

[Skans]

Is there ever a point where prices have climbed so high you guys feel tempted to sell of some of your rarer guns?

Yes. Just because a gun is rare doesn't mean that I still want it. I once sold off a rare gun (don't want to mention make for privacy reasons) with a very low serial number, one which I doubt many more than 30 were ever made. I received a considerable amount for this particular gun. I was going to use the funds toward the purchase a Sig AMT. I never did buy a Sig AMT with it, but I did use it to purchase two Colt Pythons; a pristine 1960 and a good-but-ugly 1957 that I had refinished by Colt. I could probably sell the two Pythons and almost fund that Sig AMT.....but it would be hard to part with the Pythons.

As long as I feel there is a more collectible gun that I want over the ones in my current collection, occasionally I am willing to trade up when the offer is too good to refuse.

[Big Shrek]

In my world, there are Heirlooms which shall never be sold...only passed down...

then there are Rarities which hold Honored Places,
and the children will be taught their song, as Safe Queens do not exist...
so that hopefully they will become their heirlooms

And then there are Tools, which are the solid backbone of a hunting family...

And then the Plastic Fantastic, which may be sold & traded without fear

[stephen426]

Big Shrek,

I love that picture! That is hilarious! STI already beat them to the polymer framed 1911 style guns though.

Thanks for all the input guys. I have 3 Sig P210s so I will probably part with 2 of them eventually. There is no reason to do so financially and I won't lose any money holding on to them so I will probably just keep them in the safe until I run out of space like smee78. Then again, i would probably just buy a bigger safe! LOL

[Skans]

Here's the problem I have with keeping too many guns around that I no longer have any interest in:

1. They take up room in my safe;
2. They take up room in my collection - i.e. I don't feel they really add anything whereas a nicer or rarer gun might.

Generally, I don't like having multiples of any gun. For example, I have 3 AR's right now. I really only want one, but for now I'm ok with having 3. If Hillary wins, I'll consider selling off one of them. If Trump wins, the one I want to sell probably won't be worth squat!....but, I'll be ok with that.

Yeah, I know, AR's are as rare as chicken poop. But, I have an early '80's SP1 Carbine that apparently increases in value because it has a pony on it.

[RickB]

Rare doesn't mean desirable, so sometimes it's a long haul, waiting for a rare person who wants a rare gun.
I've been trying to sell a very rare gun - 1500 examples made 35 years ago (
no, it's not a Bren Ten) - but it is not a valuable gun, and it might never be.
I'm trying to reduce the number of guns that I don't shoot, but I'm certainly not going to "dump" them, either.

[Lohman446]

I avoid this issue by not owning valuable guns. I have one of each of my grandfather's rifles that I would not part with. I have the first gun my father bought me which I would not part with. Other than that if I do not use something over the course of a year I figure it might as well be traded for something that I will use.

I currently am wrestling with selling / trading a German made Sig P232 (maybe they were all German made). I see it is at the pinnacle of that design but have not shot or carried it in over a year. The fact of the matter is though my safe is filled to capacity on the pistol side and I want a 1911 10MM. Oddly this one will probably trade towards a partially "evil black rifle" (I'm thinking Mini-30 All Weather) because I figure I probably should have one before they become harder to get and there is space on the rifle side