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  • pre64hunter

    Active Member
    Mar 19, 2010
    643
    Harford County
    I want to share my experience and thoughts to some of the new or younger gun enthusiast.
    My two main rules are #1 only buy what you really like or if it's really cheap and easy to sell. If you really like it you won't be in a hurry to sell it and you won't sell it cheap.
    #2 This is very important, keep your money in one pot. That means if you sell a gun buy another one. Don't sell a gun and use the money to buy a car or lawn mower. In a few short years you'll have nothing to show for your money. If you keep the gun or buy another one you'll always have the gun if you take care of it and it will be worth more money.
    In 50 years of buying and collecting I never lost money on a gun and YES I still have every penny plus a lot more in the pot than I ever spent on guns.

    The third rule I have is if its used and a fair price for the condition and if you like it, buy it! You can own it and if you get tired of it you can sell it and get your money back. If its a new gun you'll have to wait but eventually you'll get your money out of it.
    The biggest gun mistakes I've made was not buying the ones I passed on. Its not a rule but always buy quality and higher condition as it will go up in value at a higher percentage.

    The Final rule is my wife doesn't ask how many guns I have and I don't ask how many shoes she has:lol:
     

    Wangbadan

    Big Wang
    Jul 15, 2021
    85
    That’s a good list. I treat my guns like stocks (ha ha ha!) and put all my money into them. Then I sell when they go up in value and buy more!!

    -big Wang
     

    Mdeng

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Nov 13, 2009
    8,568
    Virginia
    My personal collection has grown and changed over the years. I always bought the best I could afford. As my available funds increased I purchased better quality and sold off the other stuff. Quantity does not equal Quality dont mistake the number of guns for a great collection. It is better to save your money and buy the best but buy less of it.

    I no longer collect as it is a poor financial choice to be a dealer and a collector. I will keep an piece to enjoy it, then sell it if the right offer is made.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,167
    Mt Airy
    The third rule I have is if its used and a fair price for the condition and if you like it, buy it! You can own it and if you get tired of it you can sell it and get your money back.

    The biggest gun mistakes I've made was not buying the ones I passed on.

    I'd modify the first sentence to more adapt to the last one...If you are even half considering the gun and you can afford it, buy it! I kick myself for all the purchases I DIDN'T make, but none of the ones I did.
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711
    My personal collection has grown and changed over the years. I always bought the best I could afford. As my available funds increased I purchased better quality and sold off the other stuff. Quantity does not equal Quality dont mistake the number of guns for a great collection. It is better to save your money and buy the best but buy less of it.

    I no longer collect as it is a poor financial choice to be a dealer and a collector. I will keep an piece to enjoy it, then sell it if the right offer is made.

    ^^^ There's a lot of wisdom in this post :)

    The quantity vs. quality is a trap many fall into (me included). Better to leave some gaps in the collection than fill them with crap.
     

    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,689
    There are those who say that you cannot overpay for "the best example in the world". This applies to every kind of collectible, and is quite true.

    On the other hand, while I have a few safe queens, I tend to look toward really clean examples that show signs of use, however slight. They're still saleable, and you don't feel as though you've ruined a pristine piece by using it for its designed purpose.

    I will say that good clean firearms are blue chip collectibles; you can always sell them for current market value, and that's almost always more than you paid for them.

    As for overpaying, some say you didn't overpay, you just bought a little early.
     

    Wangbadan

    Big Wang
    Jul 15, 2021
    85
    I’m always impressed by the amazing collections people post on this forum. What do you all think the fair market value of your collections are?

    -big Wang
     

    Straightbolt

    unindicted co-conspirator
    Apr 4, 2015
    2,502
    The 'Burbs
    Wish now I still had a few I sold.....bought a few the seller wish's now they hadn't sold.
    Just works that way over the long haul.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    The biggest gun mistakes I've made was not buying the ones I passed on. Its not a rule but always buy quality and higher condition as it will go up in value at a higher percentage.

    The Final rule is my wife doesn't ask how many guns I have and I don't ask how many shoes she has:lol:

    LOL, as you started your post, these were the 2 big ones I thought up myself before reading you already wrote them.

    If I find a good "value" in a milsurp, I'm never afraid to buy it cause I know I can sell it like you said. Its harder now withe MD laws on long guns but I expect more MD collectors to now have a C&R FFL03 or should already have applied for one.

    Collecting firearms gave me a new perspective on collecting to the point I was able to convert my wife from buying shoes on a whim to collecting on occasion antique jewelry. Her best find was actually at a gun show that was $950 and took it to our jeweler that we have used for 20 years. He instantly offered $2500 for it but she said no, It appraised for $5000. To this day she talks about here big gun show purchase. GO WITH YOUR GUT I told here which is my rule on buying. If you think you will leave a show thinking "I should have bought that" then YOU SHOULD BUY THAT.

    I'll also add, research MULTIPLE firearms you may be interested instead of just one at a time. That way you can opportunity buy when you see something you are knoweldgeable about and not get scammed on buying something you don't know the value on.

    BTW, I have far less guns than my wife has shoes.
     

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