Size of Collectors' Market in the UK

[Geezer]

I would guess (guess) that the number of serious (however defined) collectors with large (say twenty plus?) collections is something like 500. Maybe 2000. I base that on things like active and passive membership of relevant web forums, FB groups, etc.

Binners might have a view - attendance at Kempton fair, divide by two given it also had militaria and stuff, then multiply by some factor as I guess few people more than three hours drive from London (which I guess is something between a quarter and a third of the U.K. population?) would have made the trip.

There are of course a much larger number of airgunners who own an old rifle or pistol from their youth, or inherited from a relative, or that they bought because it was interesting, but would never visit this section of the BBS, or consider themselves "collectors".

I'm not even sure if I'm a real collector. I do own a fair few airguns, almost all of them are old, many are definitely collectable, but I think I have accumulated them because they are interesting, not because I wanted to collect things.

Oh, alright, I guess that means I'm a collector.

[Garvin]

I would guess (guess) that the number of serious (however defined) collectors with large (say twenty plus?) collections is something like 500. Maybe 2000. I base that on things like active and passive membership of relevant web forums, FB groups, etc.

Truth is, it's impossible to know. There may be a relatively small number of active collectors who visit fairs, bid in auctions etc, but there may be hundreds or thousands of people with collections of some description who are no longer active, but read magazines or browse the internet.

I suspect quite a lot of people who would consider themselves airgun collectors are getting on a bit and are not 'digital-friendly'...

I've seen 60,000+ page views per month regularly in my online galleries, but it seems to be only a few individuals worldwide who spend a lot of their time looking at pics of old airguns! Unique visitors are in the low hundreds.

[45flint]

I've seen 60,000+ page views per month regularly in my online galleries, but it seems to be only a few individuals worldwide who spend a lot of their time looking at pics of old airguns! Unique visitors are in the low hundreds.

I think your online gallery would be a pretty good view into the new collectors. As a new collector I have found your gallery the best one stop info on the internet for vintage airguns. When I’m looking at a new acquisition I almost always go there to compare. However for the advanced or old time collector I would think visits may be far less? Wonder if you can tell the number of visiting members outside the UK?

[andrewM]

The comments here continue to be interesting. I looked, Garvin, at your link and the comments within relating to the age profile of collectors, which I found to be of equal interest.

A good friend's son is 16 and recently bought a new HW97, with telescope. I showed him my early '20s BSA Standard, with open sights. As with so many youngsters, he will go to university and then to work but he might - like others - become a collector in middle age or later. This might account for the age profile of collectors. One thing the new springers do not have, of course, is the old leather washers and resulting dieseling habit, which is so traditional and peculiar to many of the collectors here.

Your wonderful galleries and posts, Garvin, are a great inspiration and do much to enthuse many newcomers and old collectors alike.

It would be pleasing to hear from Edbear; he is a most decent fellow and showed me great courtesy when I joined this site. His old collection of pre-War BSAs has reached near legendary status with some of us, I imagine. One could have spent a day looking at these magnificent items.

[gingernut]

I knew that Collectors were peculiar but not that they dieseled!

We need to defend our sport and encourage youngsters to shoot as a sport.
If we only get bad publicity and more laws Airgunning could fade away and collecting with it.

At the moment collecting seems quite healthy and collectable airguns are good at holding or increasing value.

Kempton has been a great boost and we do see younger collectors/shooters there who are very keen.