Quote Originally Posted by Jim McArthur View Post
I consider myself a wannabe or maybe-someday collector. I do have a pinfire revolver, and a Bulldog revolver.

I would want to learn more before I start investing much money into it: for one thing, learn what type interests me the most, since I'd want to specialize. Just haven't hit on THE specialty yet!

Jim
Hi Jim
People collect for several reasons from enjoying owning and in some cases using the peice, tracing the history of it this is pretty straight forward with military weapons as they are very often marked with the regiments initials and dated by the store keeper unless somebody has tried to enhance! the value and have cleaned the the lot off, the real effect is that they have reduced the value as every mark and ding is part of its history.
Some are purchased for pure investment which is risky as they tend to know little about what they are purchasing if you follow a antique gun through the system which I have done on several occasions when I have been beaten at an auction you will find that the retail price will be made up from the price paid plus the auctioners commission, the sum total is then doubled to make up the retail price.
What a shock the invester gets when they are trying to sell it five years later when the best offer is less than 75% of the original purchase price.
A word of warning if you are going to use an antique gun get it reproofed no matter how good it looks.
Earlier this year I got a Martini Henry carbine which looked in very good condition with a very good bore so I thought I would put it on my ticket and use it.
A gunsmith friend checked it over and found it visually sound in in both bore and action so it was sent to the proof house where it passed the view but failed proof when the barrel was blown completely off and in half two inches beyond the chamber the forend wouldn't have held the pressure so I would been injured was it worth the £30-00 cost to proof test it?
How much value do you put on your hand or fingers say for arguments sake £10-00 a finger or £30-00 a hand?
Jeff