POLL - What is your gun "collection" worth?

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:06 am

You need not post or comment specifically on the value, etc. but you can vote and anonymously weigh in. I got this idea from a comment made on the "I Want" topic. I also wondered how many of us KNOW how much we have tied up in our hobby. I don't know if anyone remembers but a couple of years ago I went through my house and gathered all my knives in one spot. I found that they more than fill a 19 quart container. That really did surprise me. Remember to post in general terms no matter how you vote for security sake.

So, how much have you got invested in your guns? In your reloading stuff? In your accessories like holsters? All together? Have you calculated prior to this? Were you surprised to see how much you have in this hobby? How do you view your expenditures now that you know? How does your spouse view it? I think this is an interesting subject.

PS - I added a category for those who have an interest but for one reason or another can't own a firearm. Also, I'd like to point out that this is the perfect participatory topic for lurkers as we can't track the votes. So, you can vote but still lurk. How cool is that?

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:31 am

I have only been at this gun thing for a few years and am sort of surprised at the money I have dropped little by little. Not so much in that is cost this much but that i was able to afford it.

I have many more years, and dollars, to go before I come close to catching upto where some of you guys are.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:33 am

'Course this is percieved value, sometimes I am surprised by low values and then again by high values.

rafter-7 · Post by **rafter-7** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:44 am

Arjunky and I have offen sat and wondered this question... But they are not for sale so what is the point of adding?

Ammo??? reloading??? assessories??? other gun/shooting items/// and the guns of coarse.. its more than a hobby its a habbit!

rafter-7 .. contagious/addictiong.... Rehab anyone?

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:49 am

My value wasn't perceived or estimated - rather, it was value received when I sold 95% of my accumulation to fund retirement, over the few years prior to my early retirement in 2004.

I cashed in all those $200 Model 52's, $300 Parker's, and the other desireables that some of us seem to accumulate over 45 years of being a gun nut.

Quality-made guns are the best investment made - bar none - AND you can actually use/enjoy them while they become more valuable,

The only trouble is - I STILL can't seem to get the "inventory" much below a couple-dozen, or so.

.

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:52 am

Rehab!?!?

No way! I LIKE my addiction and I ain't givin it up!

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:53 am

Tough to answer. It largely depends on the "value" of one gun wich could skew things significantly...

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:56 am

Hobie, in these times, you need another choice in your list..."What collection?"

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:58 am

alnitak wrote:Hobie, in these times, you need another choice in your list..."What collection?"

I'll add something similar.

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:02 am

Ok, so the darn thing makes us re-cast our votes....

Sorry about that.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:29 am

The value of my collection nearly doubled when I added the Krieghoff.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:51 am

TedH wrote:The value of my collection nearly doubled when I added the Krieghoff.

Word up. Ditto the Drilling I was given... even before getting it worked on.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:56 am

Honestly, I haven't paid attention that much. What I do know is that I constantly remind my Daughter that when I kick off to get some good advise from one of you as to the value and sell them one at a time and not 4 grand for the lot of 'em

I marked a value on the poll, but didn't consider handguns and loading supplies/ammo on hand......I'm breathing a little hard now

mod71alaska · Post by **mod71alaska** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:22 am

I'm not a long time collector. I lived in Alaska for almost 30 years and for the most part had 2 hunting rifles: A Winchester 71 and a .338 Win Mag. When I moved to Maine several years ago, I needed a deer rifle and acquired my first minty pre-64 Model 94. Boy, are those old 94s addictive! Then I bought a minty pre-64 Model 64...and just like with the Model 94s another and another. Then came the lever action 22s. So, today I have more Winchesters and Browning/Winchesters than I need or can shoot. I guess that's called a "collection" never mind obsession or addiction! I have a deep feeling of satisfaction and gratitude. I am grateful because (while I didn't acquire my collection over a life time as many of you have) I started just early enough a few years ago that for the most part my rifles have doubled and tripled in price and I couldn't even begin to buy all the rifles I have if I started today. I'm sure there will be another rifle purchase here and there, but for the most part I'm done. I have what I want, I don't have any extras to trade, and I can't afford most of today's prices to buy any more. Oh, did I say I'm looking for an excellent condition original Winchester 63 with a grooved receiver? ...but thats my "Last One!"

Spring finally has arrived on the mid coast of Maine. It's going to be in the mid 60s today and boat moorings are going in all over the harbor in anticipation of summer!

I just want to add that I thoroughly have enjoyed being a part of LeverGuns Forum over the years and consider many of you among my trusted friends even though we have not had the pleasure to meet in person. I pray God's Blessings will be with all of you!

Post by **Old Savage** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:34 am

A million five.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:49 am

I own only one single solitary gun that may be in current production. All the rest are either discontinued models, or out of business companies. I can add up what I paid for them. But how in the world do I get a value as they sit? Many of the handguns have been modified from stock, others are so used (mil-surps) or screwed up ( Marlin MR-7 ) that I would have no idea of how to value them.
How about I say they are probably worth more than I think, but less than I'd like and leave it go at that?

The accessories, reloading equipment? I'd need an accountant to figure that nightmare out.

Joe

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:57 am

For insurance purposes I keep a running total based on each years value as best I can. It was time to adjust a few weeks back. Some went up some went down. I also keep serial numbers and descriptions listed. I run copies and send them to my kids in case of tornado or fire damage. I don't buy much anymore and it is time to downsize. It's hard.

alnitak · Post by **alnitak** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:25 am

Hobie wrote:
alnitak wrote:Hobie, in these times, you need another choice in your list..."What collection?"
I'll add something similar.

Hobie, that was really meant in jest. Given the current political environment, we all might be safer choosing that one, rather than anything else. I really didn't mean for you to change your poll.

BTW, is the poll feature working for all of us now, or just admins still?

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:26 am

Mine actually added up to be less than i thought, when i really took a cold hard look at the real value of each piece. My wife was not really disturbed until recently, when i have shown up with black rifles and started bringing home mass quantities (for me) of reloading supplies.

Now she wants me to scale back on the intensity, and i agree (except for the reloading supplies -- i'll take all i can get)

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:33 am

All of my guns are working guns. No shiny, show, guns. None of them were particularly valuable and then Winchester stopped making the Model 70 and Model 94 and the worth of my Model 94s basically doubled over the span of the next year.

I'm 65 and not trying to be morbid but who knows how much time I've got left on the planet or how much time I've got left to hunt and shoot. Soooooooo, I've been selling off and trading my guns.

Looks like I'm pretty much done buying guns but I wouldn't mind having another .444 Marlin. Other than that, I think I'll just do some light hunting (hogs/pigs, coyotes, racoons, ground squirels) and maybe some paper punching and plinking.

71fan · Post by **71fan** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:58 am

I keep a detailed inventory with up to date estimated values and details about each firearm. It is very handy for insurance purposes, and will come in handy should I meet my demise prematurely. My wife wouldn't have a clue without it.

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:43 am

Man, for some reason now I feel REALLY POOR!

Its all good, I have more than I need and probably more than I can afford to shoot these days!

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:54 am

71fan wrote:I keep a detailed inventory with up to date estimated values and details about each firearm. It is very handy for insurance purposes, and will come in handy should I meet my demise prematurely. My wife wouldn't have a clue without it.

Dittos. She also wouldn't know which were family heirlooms and which were not.

JustaJeepGuy · Post by **JustaJeepGuy** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:06 pm

I don't "collect", I merely accumulate.

Kansas Ed · Post by **Kansas Ed** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:40 pm

About once a year, I go through and update my "list". Which leads me to run a tally of a realistic value. My buddy and I have both instructed our wives that if anything happens to one of us, to get the other one to handle the liquidation of the guns. That should avoid big mistakes by the widow(s) . I have a pretty up to date idea of what I have. My wife has never questioned gun buying...cause she knows that all it takes is to run a few through the local auction, or Gunbroker and we can make money on what I've invested in. She's just glad I quit buying dragster parts....that's a no win situation

..

Ed

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:58 pm

Kansas Ed wrote:About once a year, I go through and update my "list". Which leads me to run a tally of a realistic value. My buddy and I have both instructed our wives that if anything happens to one of us, to get the other one to handle the liquidation of the guns. That should avoid big mistakes by the widow(s) . I have a pretty up to date idea of what I have. My wife has never questioned gun buying...cause she knows that all it takes is to run a few through the local auction, or Gunbroker and we can make money on what I've invested in. She's just glad I quit buying dragster parts....that's a no win situation ..

Ed

Dragsters, boats...

Kansas Ed · Post by **Kansas Ed** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:13 pm

I'm selling dragster parts now....trying to recoup my 15 years of losses in that sport...but the proceeds are going to guns. That's what funded my 9422 and the 1895 in 40-72 last month

I figure the transmission, converter, and alcohol injection setup should be worth another 3-4 nice rifles at least....

Ed

Mike D. · Post by **Mike D.** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:33 pm

I have a detailed inventory of each model, caliber, configuration, and serial number, but no assigned values. They fluctuate so much that the values change almost weekly, and sometimes weakly.

Post by **David** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:02 pm

I knew it would be a lot but last year, an original cardboard box for a 1st model 1st type Remington Double Derringer went for over $50,000.- at auction! Your going to think I'm nuts but I actually bid a bit north of 10K on it myself... It opened over my bid

Post by **Hobie** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:58 pm

I was kind of waiting for that one person to say something like, "the enjoyment I've gotten from it is absolutely priceless." I think that would be true for all of us!

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:22 pm

I also keep a detailed list of what I have. Just last month I had a flood in the basement and all of the long guns got wet. had to go online and get ideas on the values on the off chance that I wouldn't be able to save them. My wife saw my guesstimates and couldn't believe how much money I have sitting down there in a safe. My kids are gonna be happy campers when I split them up and hand them over when I get to old to shoot.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:53 pm

With no heirs, this is a HARD road for me to travel.
I have no regrets about how I have conducted myself, but my guns deserve better treatment than I have provided for , after my demise.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:17 am

mescalero1 wrote:With no heirs, this is a HARD road for me to travel.
I have no regrets about how I have conducted myself, but my guns deserve better treatment than I have provided for , after my demise.

You could adopt me...!

Seriously, you might want to consider willing them to trusted friends, or even allow a Boy Scout troop or some decent organization to auction them for a good cause, under the watchful eyes of a friend or gunsmith.

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:07 am

Lemme see... I have purchased five new levers, a new 12g and two new revolvers since February. Add in a couple of Lee presses, dies, melting pot, etc. etc... stuff... need to buy a calculator... not enough toes.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:25 am

Better than any 401K plan--I know my investment will be there and when its time to sell, no stinkin g-men are gonna grab a part of it for taxes to fund new school books that the inner city kids throw out the window. Its cash and carry.

Never did worry about some joker trying to rip me off. I've got more security around here than Carter has liver pills, and......the will to use them

(hear that lurkers?)----------------Sixgun

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:19 am

mescalero1 wrote:With no heirs, this is a HARD road for me to travel.
I have no regrets about how I have conducted myself, but my guns deserve better treatment than I have provided for , after my demise.

What about me?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:34 am

Hobie wrote:
71fan wrote:I keep a detailed inventory with up to date estimated values and details about each firearm. It is very handy for insurance purposes, and will come in handy should I meet my demise prematurely. My wife wouldn't have a clue without it.
Dittos. She also wouldn't know which were family heirlooms and which were not.

+ another. That way the wife and kids will know what everything is worth. If something happens to me, Y2K gets the guns anyway, so hopefully my wife will hold everything for him until he is old enough to take care of them all - which is actually just around the bend. Of course, when my wife sees what I've spend on guns the last 10 years, I had better already be dead - because I will be right afterwards!!!

OJ · Post by OJ » Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:15 am

Hobie wrote:I was kind of waiting for that one person to say something like, "the enjoyment I've gotten from it is absolutely priceless." I think that would be true for all of us!

Yep - I agree 100%. I sold a gun back in 1940 and have regretted it ever since - and I will never do that again.

I keep a list on the computer with estimates of market value but not for any thought of a sale - mostly for insurance purposes and, if I fail to pass the "wake-up test" first, the list would be convenient for my widow.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:43 pm

Hobie wrote:...how much have you got invested in your guns? In your reloading stuff? In your accessories like holsters? All together?...

OK - I'm a semi-retired State employee, so you have to make it doubly simple for me.

Is this a compound question, or is it a series of questions?

Is this poll about the gun collection, only, implying that there might be a separate poll on reloading stuff, accessories, etc? Or is this the "All together" question?

Simple minds need help; I answered only to the guns themselves; just the ammo components for reloading would change the answer considerably. Crayons and pictures, please!

pokey · Post by **pokey** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:54 pm

Hobie wrote:I was kind of waiting for that one person to say something like, "the enjoyment I've gotten from it is absolutely priceless." I think that would be true for all of us!

the enjoyment i've gotten from it is absolutely priceless. there you go, you can stop waiting.
but, didn't you here about the tragic boating accident? all guns gone.

Post by **Hobie** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:08 pm

pokey wrote:
Hobie wrote:I was kind of waiting for that one person to say something like, "the enjoyment I've gotten from it is absolutely priceless." I think that would be true for all of us!

the enjoyment i've gotten from it is absolutely priceless. there you go, you can stop waiting.
but, didn't you here about the tragic boating accident? all guns gone.

YOURS, too!?! Omygosh! What a coincidence.

Post by **Hobie** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:12 pm

JohndeFresno wrote:
Hobie wrote:...how much have you got invested in your guns? In your reloading stuff? In your accessories like holsters? All together?...
OK - I'm a semi-retired State employee, so you have to make it doubly simple for me.

Is this a compound question, or is it a series of questions?

Is this poll about the gun collection, only, implying that there might be a separate poll on reloading stuff, accessories, etc? Or is this the "All together" question?

Simple minds need help; I answered only to the guns themselves; just the ammo components for reloading would change the answer considerably. Crayons and pictures, please!

My original thought was EVERYTHING. It seems that the accessories and add-ons are at least half-again as much as the guns but close to the cost (if not value) of the guns. A heck of a lot of money through the years...

So here's another question, how much is too much? A year's income worth? A set figure? A count of firearms? The better half's tolerance level?

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:30 pm

Hobie wrote:
JohndeFresno wrote:
Hobie wrote: So here's another question, how much is too much? A year's income worth? A set figure? A count of firearms? The better half's tolerance level?

Hobie,
How much is too much, you ask? Money is irreverent.

You buy to your heart's content. I prioritize by keeping my vehicles a long time, doing all of my own repairs on the car/house and many other cost cutting measures. My wife and I battled a lot about this in the early years, but, in time, she knew what meant more to me. Not to be taken the wrong way about my better half, as she has a circus of animals. We decided not to infringe on each others happiness.

I'm here on God's Green Earth one time and upon reaching old age, you don't regret what you did, you regret what you didn't do.

Me? I'm gonna get my dirty hands on every antique levergun and SA Colt I can, and then let those guns know whats its like to have several hundred pounds of lead pushed down their bores

---------------------------------Sixgun

What is the estimated value of your firearms collection?