Collectables of the future - Which ones????

[Lakey]

Following on from Johnzina's thread where he asked the question about which guns may become future collectables in a few years time? I will re-post my answer here and invite any other peoples ideas on the subject..

Maybe we can all make investments which may make us thousands in the future who knows...


Here is my answer again..

question for collectors - what guns made in the past 20 years will be most collectable in say 100 years from now? Has anyone any ideas?


I think that Webley Pistols will continue to be collected so the last of the overlever designs will be very sought after (ie Hurricane, Tempest and Typhoon models) also Good BSA Scorpions and BSA 240 magnum models are getting increasingly hard to find.
My own thoughts as to what will be collected tend to go towards standard production models made by the major makers such as Webley,BSA,Diana, Gamo etc rather than one offs or customised "Bling Bling" specials.
I would also say that springers would be worth investing in rather than PCP's or gas guns as the seals often let these down over time, and I think springers would probably be inherently longer lived than their more modern gas or compressed air counterparts.

Querky designs will also be collectable in time as these tend to be less popular than more mainstream models so will be scarcer in twenty,thirty forty years time than the others. A classic example of this will be the Cometa Indian Airpistol. Get yours soon if you want to make money
You heard it here first !!!!!
Lakey

[Gareth W-B]

My own thoughts as to what will be collected tend to go towards standard production models made by the major makers such as Webley, BSA, Diana, Gamo etc rather than one offs or customised "Bling Bling" specials.

First, thanks Andy for starting such a thought provoking and fun thread (and for helping me formulate my shopping list for 2008 ). I agree completely with your quote as above, and already consider all Diana, BSF, FWB, HW, Webley and BSA rifles from the 1970s/80s & 1990s to be collectable. Therefore, I will try and forecast which air guns from 2000 to the present will become future classics to be collected and coveted, and have come up with the following four (and in each instance recommend .177 ).

1) the last of the old-style walnut stocked Air Arms TX200HC & TX200 rifles from 2006/7 (not the new computer etched stock models which imho just don't cut it);

2) the last of the walnut stocked Longbow rifles to leave the Birmingham manufacturer of Webley & Scott as was from 2005/6 (not the new AGS imported models);

3) the BSA (Gamo) walnut stocked Lightning XLs as are currently available via any air gun shop in Gt.Britain (and beyond ), and finally ...

4) a pre-charged rifle namely the BSA Hornet carbine single shot that was replaced by the Scorpion carbine due to cheaper unit production cost earlier this year.

[Garvin]

Interesting unbiased thoughts above from within the BSA/Webley fan club.

I'm not sure there'll be any guns at all 100 years from now, but putting that aside () I think there will be a sort of cut off point going backwards from now, or soon to come in the future, when production guns have/will have lost all traces of the gunmaking arts of the 19th and 20th centuries.

IMO the further you get from hand-finished steel (blued) and real wood (walnut), the further you get from future collectability, save the fabulous top end modern FT and 10m guns which will have the cache of being state of the art for their time.

Then again, as Andy said, there will always be people fond of quirky designs. Also I think lots of people will want to collect whatever guns they shot when they were kids or teenagers, however rubbish they really were compared to the previous generation's guns.

[boxman]

I'm hoping my Air Arms TX200SR will provide me with a nice little pension and a holiday home in France. (As long as I live to be 150years old)

[elliot_rowley]

All of the ones I own, hopefully........

Manufacturers in the UK, may have issues keeping afloat, since sales are hindered locally, after the ban.....might be worth buying some of them.

Some of the quirkier Chinese ones might be tempting. I think they have a fairly short manufacturing run (before they turn their factories back to making fake goods).

[Garvin]

Where are my manners Lakey? I clean forgot to ask, how are you getting on with shifting the job lot of new old stock Cometa Indians you bought at auction?

[gedfinn 2]

Hi, An intresting Thread from Lakey, ( And other,s comment,s )
I see any of the modern gun,s " Really " being collectible, What was mentioned earlier has a ring of truth ,

When the Blued steel & Wood disappear from a gun, so does desireability !I think the collectible gun,s will be the same as now ! All breakdown,s ,
Stutzen,s, Older Sheridan,s , Sharp,s ( Ace & other,s ) CR 600, & of course anything " Hand Made " One off,s Quirky item,s Etc, The less there are about, the more they are Desired !

I would have liked to include, Webley,s Mk111,s, Vulcan,s, Falcon,s & Other,s ? Bsa Airsporter,s Merlin,s, And other,s Etc, but I , think they will ever gain more Status, !

A couple I think are becoming Collectible, Bsa Scorpion Pistol,s, Bsa bucanneer, Older crossman 1300, 1322, Single pumper,s, Jb1, Parker Hale Dragon, Setra, ( Yes just got one, )Titan Mohawk, Etc,
Im going to start buying now to beat the RUSH ! Cheer,s

[kram245]

Anything un-used, boxed with any accesories , literature etc.I tend to agree about springers, particularly the last of the 'real' Webleys. Dont practice what i preach though, i'd have to have a little shoot with them!

[Wally Ferris]

To cite a very modern example, the RWS Series 500.

The walnut stocked .177 model is already rather scarce. All .177 models were special order.

The synthetic stocks that survive the ages would also likely be valued.

It was quickly replaced by the Air Ranger, and comparatively few exist.

Many Skan's, particularly early models are now very rare.

.177 again are unusual.

Custom built, and unique cocking mechanisms, plus the fact they were quite ahead of their time at early production. Small production too.

Mine is now twelve years old, and still functions well if you understand it's mechanism. Complicated, and you have to see the precision it uses, really amazing watching how it loads.

Many People marvel at the rapid fire, and take down capability's of mine, but that's not the real genius in it.

[Sam Vimes]

Hi, An intresting Thread from Lakey, ( And other,s comment,s )
I see any of the modern gun,s " Really " being collectible, What was mentioned earlier has a ring of truth ,

It probably does have a ring of truth, however, I bet people said the same thing about some of the early 10m match guns that are already pretty collectable

When the Blued steel & Wood disappear from a gun, so does desireability !I think the collectible gun,s will be the same as now ! All breakdown,s ,
Stutzen,s, Older Sheridan,s , Sharp,s ( Ace & other,s ) CR 600.

Which just goes to show that it's all down to a personal perspective. I wouldn't give any of the above, bar BSA Stutzens, house space!

I would have liked to include, Webley,s Mk111,s, Vulcan,s, Falcon,s & Other,s ? Bsa Airsporter,s Merlin,s, And other,s Etc, but I , think they will ever gain more Status, !

Again shows perspective as I would already deem the above collectable.

A couple I think are becoming Collectible, Bsa Scorpion Pistol,s, Bsa bucanneer, Older crossman 1300, 1322, Single pumper,s, Jb1, Parker Hale Dragon, Setra, ( Yes just got one, )Titan Mohawk, Etc,
Im going to start buying now to beat the RUSH ! Cheer,s

And again. I already consider the above collectable although you can keep the Crosmans and the Setra.

Any old junk can be collectable if someone thinks it is. It doesn't matter if it's ten minutes or a hundred years old. There are a few on here that could be deemed to be collecting modern Theobens, gasram and PCP. To them they are collectable. Likewise, Pad.E and a few others collect Jackals and the like. To them they must be collectable. Good luck to them, no matter what I think.

[Lakey]

The question from Johnzina in his thread about his Haenel 312, was about which guns produced in the last 20 years (or so...) are likely to become highly sought after in the future, and therefore the collectables of the future.

Form this I think he means collectables that most people would deem popular.

If you look hard enough you will find that almost anything is collected by someone, however if you are talking "really popular" then that norrows down the field somewhat.

I agree whith a lot of what has been said here........

I also feel that any of the original Webleys will become collectable (they are already). Good stuff by Theoben, Air Arms, etc will all come good (as long as it has a spring in it)BSA standard production models will always have a following, however I dont believe that customised guns will be very widely collected.

If you look at todays market, say in webley pistols for example...

Most people want (so therefore collect) good condition original classic webleys ideally with original boxes and accessories. There are some very highly engraved guns which come onto the market from time to time. Whilst they do have their devotees, I think the market for these guns is hugely smaller than the market for standard production guns?

(a) they are usually a lot more expensive, and (b) a lot less practical to use etc

I for one would not collect these "bling bling" guns however much work has gone into them.

I feel that top end german guns will always have a good following as you can only marvel at the workmanship and engineering. Guns by Whishcombe and Park etc are already widely collected.

What do you think?

Lakey

PS Sadly Garvin I do not have a stock of Cometa Indians to sell on, although I have to say that they have my vote as a collectable of the future..
Put it this way.... Do you know anyone that has one??

[Wally Ferris]

Put it this way.... Do you know anyone that has one??

Yes, I know of a new boxed nickel .177 model for sale currently .

[gedfinn 2]

Of course All thing,s ! Can be collectible, But here is where we define the word, ! Collected/Bought by other,s ( If they weren,t , they would never have sold in the first place )

I think the word collectible, ( In this instance ) Has to be attached to the word " Desireable "
A test of this, can be seen on the Forum every day, ! IE some gun,s are much sought after ! And other,s sell, give an Example !
Advertise for a Stutzen,Sharp Ace, Older Sheridan, Crossman 600, & see if you get one ?

On the other hand Advertise for an Airsporter, Webley Mk111, Falcon, Mercury ,Vulcan Etc, Yes you will in Double Quick time !
Some are MORE Desireable than other,s, That doesn,t make them less collectible, Its obvious that the more there are, The Less they will cost !

Then again, Because it costs more, Is it More collectible ! Probably the " Inverse " is true,Because there are more available,
I think though " If " you have an opinion Collectible/Desireable you should tell us all, & not highlight what other,s say !

I have another " Advantage " I have in my year,s seen them All come & Go, There is no Change There then !

[Garvin]

Lots of good points to agree with above.

Of course the point about collectability being subjective is a very good one, although I would add that there is nearly always a lower ceiling to the value/desirability of the 'any old junk' guns compared to the products of quality gunmaking.

I feel that top end german guns will always have a good following as you can only marvel at the workmanship and engineering.

I particularly agree with this because it's what motivates my own collecting. It also raises another question which is about longevity where cheaper or experimental materials are used. Steel and walnut, if looked after, can last almost indefinitely. Will that be true of some of the materials used in recent years and years to come?

[Lakey]

Yes, I know of a new boxed nickel .177 model for sale currently .

Where....... How much.......... I must buy it to stop anyone else cornering the market

Seriously this could be a good investment for the future, well worth a punt for a seriously quirky design.....

Lakey