Vintage airgun prices Vs inflation

[ptdunk]

how does it work?

Obviously the market's ruled by supply and demand, but at the same time prices must creep up to reflect inflation etc.
I naively assumed 'the going rate' for common collectibles shouldn't really change, (eg £120 for a nice Tempest or £150 for a light pattern) but in the last couple of years places like Protek have been putting their prices up. I guess they are adjusting to the various cost of living increases which is fair enough but then shouldn't everyone?

It can be hard to gauge from private sales...if someone is asking what I think is a lot more than 'the going rate' you don't know how much it sold for, if at all.
I never really sell anything so I'm looking at this from a buyer's point of view but I'm interested in what other collectors think.

Do airgun prices increase across the board in relation to living costs and inflation or do some stay the same for years while others jump up from time to time?

Cheers,
Matt

[Re01312]

Matt

I enjoy all your video very much. As wheelchair bound veteran the yotube stuff is great shorts. I am regugar buyer an prices are up here a lot.thanks Randall

[Maple]

When a precedent price is realised, it generally establishes that price as the value.
An extreme case is some of the hammer prices made at Holt's etc.
I've heard sellers say ' why should I sell it for less than it makes at auction ' which is a bit bizarre when the extra costs are not factored in.
There is certainly a have and have not aspect with collectors.

[45flint]

I don’t think inflation instantly kicks into collectables given there is no cost of production just a going price in the market. But they will adjust with time, it will take sales and a demand for that collectable. Demand is very important, collectables can go out of favor as younger buyers come into the market with different interests. Here in the US the value of a lot of antique furniture has actually gone down substantially in recent years as younger buyers seem to have little interest. Inflation will only affect price if there is continuing demand.

[Garvin]

This is clearly a very complex subject!

The value of collectable airguns has not risen evenly with inflation historically and the inflationary effects of cost of living type prices - rent, energy, labour, postage costs etc - affect businesses in a different way to casual consumers, collectors and the like. Also, the rise of the internet has given buyers a much wider marketplace than was true 20 years ago, which has probably had a downward pressure on prices.

Even the type of business matters, ie. high street shops, auction houses with city centre premises, dealers who only sell at fairs etc.

IMO you can only come to very general conclusions, such as 'common Webley air pistols in rough shape are unlikely ever to be in much demand/command high prices' or 'scarce examples in pristine condition will probably always be of interest to well-heeled collectors'.

[andrewM]

I think that inflation is less of an influence than the annual rise in wages, which creates competition for static supply.

There are other influences too: low interest rates in recent years have arguably raised the amount of available money for alternative investments. In the case of air rifles, I suspect some money has been diverted into PCPs, with less flowing into springers, even although PCPs probably would not be described as 'vintage'. One wonders whether the appearance of PCPs has diminished the overall demand for vintage air rifles, given that the latter belong to the springer class.

Flint makes an excellent point about ongoing demand.

One should really collect because it is a hobby rather than as an investment. The latter would be the icing on the cake. It is, perhaps, akin to buying a house to live in rather than to sell at a profit.

Rgds
A

[Unframed Dave]

I've never sold any collectibles at a profit.

Dave

[Muskett]

Collectable air rifles generally make a poor investment compared to other forms of investment. The return is the enjoyment of ownership. However, they aren't that bad as a holder of value, a bit better than cash under your bed. Mint, or exceptional, examples seem to hold value best. Most is about buying carefully.

The main driving force is rising prices of new products, which can take second hands prices up with them. We have just had a long unparalleled time of almost zero inflation with exceptionally low interest rates. Sadly the return of "normal" higher interest rates has been a bit of a shock. Prices have gone up. However, as Range Rover is finding out, just heaping up prices with no reflection to market forces has seen their market collapse with a vengeance. As Government needs to understand, borrowing by spending too much, can't be sustainable. High levels if taxation, bureaucracy, and endless legislation, are stifling the economies of Europe.

If you have the disposable income then it is a hobby and enjoy. You may well get most of your money back, and had a great time with it all. Beats football.

[slug-gun]

Whether any item is an 'investment' or not, rather depends on what you paid for the item in the first place!

I think the previous threads suppose that a buyer bought at the current 'market' price, when trying to evaluate any investment or growth potential? But the most important factor is the purchase price - eg if a near new boxed Westley Richards Highest Possible has ( for the sake of argument) a current value of £1500, and you paid that sum for it, then given the type of gun it is, you may well find that its worth keeps pace with inflation.

However if you paid £2500 for it, then it is probable that you would never see a return on it. BUT if you found it at a car boot sale for £100, then you are virtually guaranteed a healthy return from day one!

Ergo it is all about a) the initial cost, and b) the type and condition of the item itself - the rarer and 'mintier' the better!

Same principle exists when buying stocks & shares doesn't it? Buy low and sell high.

[Benelli B76]

Having done a lot of repairs for an RFD who sells the items on, I have noticed certain items have been fairly static in price due to numbers still available, like Cadets, Majors, Airsporters, Mercurys, that type of thing. Popular items like the Crosman 600 seemed to have had at least a 20% increase. Very rare items have jumped quite a lot, I sold a Diana Model 1 tinplate for 4 times my cost.

Baz

[45flint]

Whether any item is an 'investment' or not, rather depends on what you paid for the item in the first place!

I think the previous threads suppose that a buyer bought at the current 'market' price, when trying to evaluate any investment or growth potential? But the most important factor is the purchase price - eg if a near new boxed Westley Richards Highest Possible has ( for the sake of argument) a current value of £1500, and you paid that sum for it, then given the type of gun it is, you may well find that its worth keeps pace with inflation.

However if you paid £2500 for it, then it is probable that you would never see a return on it. BUT if you found it at a car boot sale for £100, then you are virtually guaranteed a healthy return from day one!

Ergo it is all about a) the initial cost, and b) the type and condition of the item itself - the rarer and 'mintier' the better!

Same principle exists when buying stocks & shares doesn't it? Buy low and sell high.

This is the most important factor for sure. Being in the markets and knowing when you’re getting a good buy. You have to know when to walk away. Sometimes as a collector you have to pay up for something you may never see again but I try not to make a habit of it. To me I enjoy the gun much more when I know I also got it at a good price. As above profit is almost always from a good buy rather than an inflationary increase.

[Abasmajor]

While I have never consciously bought anything as a future investment, it’s always comforting to know you should at least get your money back or even make a profit while you enjoy the benefits of being the custodian of something destined for a future collector.

Brian

[Evostu]

As more and more people seem to be into collecting the amount of stuff for sale seems harder and harder to find,I mainly collect pistols and now to find a mint pistol in original box is quite hard and when they come up people will pay more than its probably worth to get it,I'd say the past 6 ir 7 years prices have doubled for say a boxed webley senior from £200 back then to £350-400 now

[micky2]

I think that as a collector. it is all about the enjoyment of finding and owning the items of what ever type of things you collect, be it toys books ect. in the hope that they will increase in value in time, or at least get back the money you paid for them, which lucky for me most of my airguns have gone up in price, but when l look back, in reality most have just kept up with inflation. but for me l like to have something l can look at, hold shoot when l like, rather than have the money in the bank.

[Lakey]

With current record high household bills, the cost of living increases have definitely reduced peoples disposable income, so in time that is bound to affect demand of "none essential" collectables.

Also there does seem to be groups of "Quality" rifles and pistols coming onto the market in recent months, indicating that some extensive collections are coming back onto the market, and being offered for sale in various auction houses.

Quality always sells at good prices, but worn, and well used examples dont seem to be making good money at all.

As with all collectables, condition is everything, and it ALWAYS pays to buy the best condition guns that you can find.

The larger your collection, the harder they are to dispose of. Collections that have taken 30 or 40 years to build, shouldn't be dumped on mass to your local auction house, if you wish to achieve top prices on your items.

Difficult to know what to do for the best ??



Lakey