To what criteria do collectors collect?

[harvey_s]

I have quite a few areas of interest, but the 2 largest groups are Webley pistols and 'Golden era' Crosmans.

Rifles are of far lesser interest and the whole box, accessory, period ephemera thing largely passes me by unless its sensibly priced or included with the gun a little or no extra cost.

I might add that all my 'collectables' come out from time to time otherwise I don't see where the pleasure of ownership comes in.
Likewise having having multiple examples of the same thing - by that I mean I can get collecting all the different variants of a model...just not multiple examples of exactly the same thing... Isn't that just hoarding?

[45flint]

I can relate to many of the collecting paths talked about. But I was reading a post by DT Flecther the other day which resinated with me and I think can be part of my criteria. He said this gun we were talking about tells part of a “story”. I think this can be a powerful enriching criteria. Gun aren’t produced in a vacuum, it’s people at one point in time adding their input into a story. In England Lincoln Jeffries rifles are a perfect example; bell ringing etc. My current find of a Crosman Town & Country Senior has a story. Made in 1949 first gun designed by Crosman mastermind Rudy Mertz, influenced by a Brigidier Army General Hinds. Post war influences are so evident and it was a failure, made just one year. Love the story.