Buying Mint

[PaulR]

I was going to reply here - http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....-you-have-paid - but decided to start my own thread.

The most I have paid (in relation to an example of a particular mark) was for a BSA Merlin. It was a reminder of the first rifle I had so bought from a nostalgic perspective. I paid top but reasonable price (you know who you are).

The trouble is that it was almost too good. I wanted to play with it for the nostalgic reasons mentioned but was wary as every time I loaded it it knocked off some value. In the event I have only fired it about 50 times in three years. I want to use it more but feel I am abusing it so don't.

I know this is daft - I am a collector who really loves using each one. My problem is that apart from the Merlin most are vgc but not mint and I have no problem (carefully) using them.

Does anyone else have this dilemma with mint examples?

[micky]

lf you have a mint one of any gun in my opion, is to buy a used one to shoot with, you then get the best of both worlds.

[harvey_s]

Nope, bought 'em all to use them, maybe not as often as I'd like - but enough to make me happy
Cannot see the point of buying something to dust...

[gingernut]

Absolutely

[DSidelever]

mind you few of my guns were in 100% or mint condition when I aquired them.

I recently chatted with a guy in the States about his 14 yr old Diana 54 (factory tuned, or summat) which he'd taken out of the safe, his safe, put on sale (about $480 IIRC) then was proposing to put back in the safe after no takers - he had all the original boxes & papers...he stated the gun had been fired 3 times since leaving the salesroom.

[Garvin]

I think Mick is right. Having mint or near mint examples of a model is a recipe for having at least two of the same one!

Partly through a shortage of funds and lack of opportunity, I have only rarely bought what I would call a 'mint' example and it's more or less where it was just after I bought it, unfired and in the same packaging it arrive in.

Where I have a superb original example of a gun, I always have an alternative, less good example, in case I get the chance to shoot.

It depends why you collect - to amass and preserve for future generations, or to have a 'working collection' that you use regularly. Most collectors I know have examples of both - and to my mind both motivations are just as respectable.

Cue the 'what's the point of having it if you can't shoot it?' brigade...

[gingernut]

For me it must shoot.
How often it is shot is different.
But all of mine get a workout now and then if only indoors.
Until Mrs Gingernut shouts Oi!

[hebhaggis]

I think Mick is right. Having mint or near mint examples of a model is a recipe for having at least two of the same one!

Partly through a shortage of funds and lack of opportunity, I have only rarely bought what I would call a 'mint' example and it's more or less where it was just after I bought it, unfired and in the same packaging it arrive in.

Where I have a superb original example of a gun, I always have an alternative, less good example, in case I get the chance to shoot.

It depends why you collect - to amass and preserve for future generations, or to have a 'working collection' that you use regularly. Most collectors I know have examples of both - and to my mind both motivations are just as respectable.

Cue the 'what's the point of having it if you can't shoot it?' brigade...

I once bought an airgun - after a long wait . The Seller said he thought I was mad at buying yet another example of this airgun ..when I told him I already had it . He could not understand the difference between using something and keeping something safe ....accidents happen all the time - even in the gun cabinet . Thats whay I now have 3 exampls of this airgun ...just in case .
My 'mint' airguns ....and very few airguns are truly 'mint' all stay in their original boxes , released to be oiled over occassionally . When I come to swop or sell - it will be the mint examples that go ...I like to use my airguns