At what point does common sense out weigh obsession?

[Old Time Hunter]

Ok...rarely do I personally, ever...EVER want to get rid of anything. I MEAN NEVER. Feel as though if I put the effort into acquiring an item, after all the possible negative vetting has been overcome, I generally feel that I acquired it for life.

Granted, there are some items that had to be acquired in order to accomplish procuring the prize. Do not have an issue dispensing with those ancillary items.

And some I have let go because they were worn out and could not be used in the fashion as intended (my '95 F150 for example, thought, I mean hoped it would be with me forever, and even though it was well past the 250k mile on the odometer, mechanically it was still viable. Unfortunately, upper Midwest winters are unkind to metal and rust had become the predominate material. The radiator was sitting on top of 2 X 4's.), but that is the exception to the rule. I am still in the same house I built in '78 (mostly with my own hands) even though most people I know have traded up even though they could not afford to, I could...instead of buying more house...I bought more land. Can always live in a tent.

Which brings me to this dilemma...rummaging through my closet the other day, I pulled out a bunch of boxes (those used to ship guns in) and realized that some still had the rifles in them. Which means that, if not safe queens, they have been "closet" queens for at least ten years!

So here is the question...should I part with them or keep them. A couple are brand new, still in the box like a Winchester 1895 takedown chambered for the .405 and a still brand new Browning 71. There is even a Dodge Ram commemorative '94 with the original bill of sale...still in the box it was delivered in. There are also a few more...used ones, but not by me, that I have acquired some how or way that at the time it meant something to me. So what should I do...sell and thin the herd...or just save for posterity?

[Grizz]

You have a take-down .405 and your question is . . . what?



You have a Browning 71 and your question is . . . what?

maybe the question is should you get rid of everything else . . . what?

[jdad]

Once reality takes hold you'll realize they are just "things". I went from "the hoarder", to "the collector", to "the shooter". i just got rid of the "things" I really didn't "need".

To each their own. You will survive.

[AJMD429]

If you don't need the money KEEP them, because money will have less value with time and those guns will have more value with time.

[tman]

The Browning 71 is a pure work of art. It will take on the biggest Kodiak bear and harvest deer with the same 200grn factory loading along with Anything in North America out to 250yds. The 348 cartridge in conjunction the Winchester 71 was designed to function in dirty, rusted guns. I'd hang on to it.

[2571]

Sell it all & reinvest in something that will give a better return on the money. Guns are a poor financial invesstment.

[Old Time Hunter]

Sell it all & reinvest in something that will give a better return on the money. Guns are a poor financial invesstment.

Not really worried about any return on what I paid for them originally, hobbies ain't supposed to be revenue creating...that is what jobs are for. Have enough stocks and other financial vehicles to help out when I do retire...still five years or so from that. So it isn't about the money, just if I forgot about 'em for ten years this time...will I do it again?

Still have more than a few dozen other rifles that aren't getting enough attention too...heck, have not shot my pristine '73 Winchester (made in 1881) in more than a year...or my High Wall, or '86, or thirty or forty other ones.

Maybe if and when I do retire there will be enough time...wife figured it out once, generally average three guns at a time when I go shooting. Normally spend at least eight hours when I do, not including any logistics (if I am at my cabin, it is only thirty feet from doorstep to shooting bench. From home...its about a mile) or refreshment breaks. She says I would have to shoot for 400 hours to be able to shoot them all...before starting all over again and not using the same one twice in the entire cycle.

Would maybe just having enough to shoot 200 hours more than suffice?

[Old Savage]

Guns are a poor return. Wow? Let's see in 1966 I paid $85 for a K22, give me a minute to do the math.

[Pete44ru]

Guns are a poor return. Wow? Let's see in 1966 I paid $85 for a K22, give me a minute to do the math.

+1 - All the firearms I sold, starting a few years prior to my retirement, had made enough pure profit to fund my EARLY (@ age 62) retirement (paying off ALL of my outstanding debt - mortgage, credit card & vehicle loans, etc).


.

[Grizz]

Guns are a poor return. Wow? Let's see in 1966 I paid $85 for a K22, give me a minute to do the math.

$622.92 will break even:

http://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/in ... &year=1966

so what's mark to market?

[Old Savage]

Probably about what it us worth. Better than most investments I have made.

[Griff]

At what point does common sense out weigh obsession?

When you take one out of the closet and find it rusted. I have a coupla guns I haven't fired for over 30 years. But, they mean something to me... and therefore they're staying.

[EdinCT]

My Father would say they don't eat anything so keep them. I am at the point where I realize that they are just things, if they aren't your thing. Rust and moth will destroy them. You decide, they could be someone else's thing. I always wanted a 71 but most likely will never own one.

[rjohns94]

My opinion isn't worth much. I have other ways to generate income then yo hold onto something for decades. Guns have always been trading fodder for me. I sold my collection to get down to a few that serve my shooting needs or perceived needs. No guarantees for tomorrow. I took care of getting rid of firearms I just wouldn't use while I was capable of doing so. In some cases it funded many missions trips that leave me with more memories than the guns fave. In other cases they helped pay for my son to regain a full mouth if teeth after his mountain bike accident took 6teeth. In other cases I gifted firearms to members here and to family. All in all, guns were a barter system for me. I'm down to 3 handguns, 3 rifles, one shotgun, one pellet rifle and 2 flintlocks. I'm considering one more rifle, a levergun. If I were you, I would sell, or gift those that won't get used, and use and enjoy a few. Takes less room, allows you to clear away some clutter, minimize calibers and appreciate more those you keep. I know its blasphemy to others here and that's fine but in the end, you will take none of them with you, and all that is left behind is stuff for others to have to deal with. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do.

[Old Savage]

Guess I just don't see the onerous burden of owning the guns. The value is going to go into something you will own. At least it would seem they keep pace with inflation. And that K22 I mentioned if unfired would likely go for more than new. Interest in the bank us almost non-existent. Stocks are hit and miss.

[rjohns94]

Guess I don't see a reason to keep a gun unfired and unseen for 10 years. No real enjoyment of that. They are meant to be shot. Once you do, the value goes away. Invest in the stock market. Take the money for that k-22 invest in ford, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Harley , Exxon, gold, and your investment yields higher than most firearms we come across. There are many exceptions for the rare but you still can't shoot them. I've earned on more in the stock investment than all the guns I've ever owned by being on the leading edge of stocks in oil and natural gas, then shifted to gold and silver then into some technology stocks. Anyway, to each his own. Biggest profits I made on gun sales was selling my H& K collection once they were banned or selling off rifles I won in military competitions that I didn't pay anything for. Other than that, I have used the firearms and let my money grow in other ways.

[sore shoulder]

At the very least get rid of the Dodge rifle.

[Old Savage]

Guns are meant for what ever you want to do with them. They are a commodity just like gold and silver which you can't shoot. There is a tendency to tell other people what things are for and the conditions under which you should keep them. Bottom line make up your own mind. Never regretted selling an investment but I have changed my mind later about guns that you can't just go out and get. Two Colt New Frontiers are a good example. If something comes along at a good price due to circumstance it is already worth more.

[wecsoger]

Something to consider...

In the last two years, I've had to clean out two different homes of relatives.

So, so much stuff to sell, give away, put on the curb for the craigslist vultures or just bag up for trash.

If it's not bringing you joy right now, get rid of it.

[Old Time Hunter]

Gave the Dodge Ram Winchester to my son...we are now on a mission to find the Dodge Ram truck that went with it. Already found that it was last titled in FIB-Land back in the '90's near Freeport. Farm is now 1/3 the size to make room for a subdivision, streaming county data base on property owner and the possible decedents as I type this.

If we can find the truck...hopefully not crushed, and even if it is just the frame and cab, my oldest son and I will restore it from the ground up. Not a Mopar fan by any means, but my son is...he just finished up on his '65 383 Satellite.

rjohns...already have positions in most of the stocks you mentioned. Bought Harley when they came out back in the '80's...bought Ford when they were down to a little over a buck a share back in '08 or '09. My broker was livid I wanted Ford and would not let up unless I bought some GM....lost $40k on GM as BO locked down the market on individual stock holders with less than 2% of the outstanding stock. Part of his bailout...steal my stock and give it to the UAW...guess he thought that their retirement funds are more important than mine. My Ford stock is X15...unfortunately did not put enough into it to make much difference due to the brain dead broker that sold me on the story about GM. Guess I was too gullible.

Always hated GM...will never, EVER purchase anything pertaining to GM again. Arrogant ***'s. Steal from the individuals that worked for their money and give it to the communists...

Have given away thirteen guns in the last five-six years...to friends going on special hunting trips, to my sons, to my grandsons. Interestingly...all levers, except for a couple of M95's.

Notes in my spread sheet show that the reason I purchase the M71 was because it was a consecutive serial number to my Browning 1886 (bought the entire family, four guns, two grade 1's and two high grade's all numbers in a row). Figured the grade 1's would be useable in the field...the high grades are on the wall behind me. Because of the "light" firing pin strike on the grade 1 1886, which I occasionally put a round in and get a disappointing "click", figured the 71 would be too questionable in the field and put it into the closet ten years ago. The Win 405 TD was supposed to go with me on a Brown Bear hunt (that was also the M71 gr 1's supposed fate also), but my wife shipped four of the 444's instead. My fault, should have pulled them out before my business trip that ended up getting extended to where I had to meet my sons at the destination instead of coming home first. So that one stayed in the closet too.

[mikld]

Well, I can't give you a good answer, but, I have a cabinet in my shed that takes up mebbe 6 sq. ft. of floor space, and a strong box in my bedroom closet that uses about that. This is where I keep most of my guns. It costs nothing to keep them there and if they weren't there some other junk would be taking up the space. But, even when I don't shoot them, my guns give me pleasure. I'll drag an old, non-collectable Enfield or a Handi-Rifle, or my .44 Mag. Levergun out and inspect/clean it. No big deal either way, good or bad. My "collection" isn't worth much, I'm already retired, I have investments for emergencies, so as far as being quick cash, they ain't. I'll just hang on to them, just because.

[rjohns94]

OTH. You have done well. Good luck with your choices.

[barbarossa]

I went on a gun buying spree a few years ago and there a few I have yet to shoot.My reasoning is this I bought these guns using monies I made from working OT so that when I m retired and living on a fixed income I can enjoy my sport without it cutting into my retirement funds.

[Old Time Hunter]

At what point does common sense out weigh obsession?

When you take one out of the closet and find it rusted. I have a coupla guns I haven't fired for over 30 years. But, they mean something to me... and therefore they're staying.

Well guess they are stay'n then...they sure do not eat much. Except for the Dodge gun, think that will cost me now that I gave it away. Restoring a rust bucket is never cheap.

[1894c]

I've worked my way down to a few guns that I use allot, although I really enjoy hearing about or seeing the collections of many on this forum... :)

[TedH]

Common sense or obsession? Depends on who it is. What's common sense to me, won't make a lick of sense to someone else. You obviously enjoy keeping such jewels, so there really is no reason to part with them, unless you feel a real desire to do so. Me personally, I don't own or buy guns as "investments". There are much better ways to make money with my money. I buy guns to enjoy, I shoot them, but I take care of them. If they gain a little value while I have them, great. I've never lost money on a gun I've sold, some I've broke even, but only after I enjoyed them for a time. So, do as you wish, but IF you do decide to sell some of those beautys, be sure to post them here FIRST!

[vancelw]

Guess I don't see a reason to keep a gun unfired and unseen for 10 years. No real enjoyment of that. They are meant to be shot. Once you do, some of the collector value goes away. .

Fixed it for you

I won't own a gun and not shoot it. Intentionally, anyway. I'm ashamed to say I have a few I just haven't gotten around to, yet.
I still have time to fix that.

I've had plenty of guns that I shot, and still gotten more than I paid for them. Whether it was a good investment or not depends on how long I had them before selling. I figure it as a break-even hobby, as opposed to a money pit hobby.

I currently have two commemorative guns. I shoot them, and they both shoot quite well. I bought them cheaper than a comparable, non-commemorative gun would have been.

[Tycer]

If you don't need the money KEEP them, because money will have less value with time and those guns will have more value with time.

This.
Make sure they have a documented home to go to should you expire before you need the cash. I'll PM you my name and address.

[gamekeeper]

Being a "gun nut" in gun nut unfriendly country makes it hard to amass a large collection of firearms. I have over the years owned many and varied guns but due to our restrictive gun laws it has not been possible (without jumping through even more hoops) to keep them all, so when I see a gun I like I sell one or two that do not get a lot of use, to buy the new one. That way at least, I get to use as many types of firearm my licence and budget allow. I envy you guys who have so many guns in your safe to pick from but for me if it doesn't get used regularly it has to go.
However as my shooting/hunting circumstances have changed over the years I frequently find I have to buy similar guns to the ones I once owned, only to find that the price is now considerably more than than what I let my guns go for.

[Old Savage]

Well somebody is going to own them, might as well be me. A good steward as it were