Older S&W Revolvers as an Investment

[Val Cano]

I'd like to start collecting unfired, NIB, numbered 1999 and before revolvers manufactured by Smith & Wesson in .38, .32 and .22lr calibers. Have these superb handguns been priced as high as they will ever get? There seems to be quite a few still available but I'd only buy from a very reputable source.

[Church Key, SASS # 33713]

I suggest first spending your $$$ on a copy of The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas, published by Gun Digest Books, Iola, WI. It is the best reference for Smiths and can answer most of your questions. Also join the S&W Forum. Remember - No one can forcast the future accurately; they can just make informed opinions.

 

That said, Smiths make nice collectibles.

[Val Cano]

I suggest first spending your $$$ on a copy of The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas, published by Gun Digest Books, Iola, WI. It is the best reference for Smiths and can answer most of your questions. Also join the S&W Forum. Remember - No one can forcast the future accurately; they can just make informed opinions.

 

That said, Smiths make nice collectibles.

 

I've had this book for several years. My edition is from 2001. I see that there is a new one which I will order from Az today. Thanks much.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

It's your money, do what you enjoy with it. If you expect to make a windfall find something else.

[Boss Hoss Fly #63711]

Well, I doubt you'll ever lose money on a S&W as long as you buy rite -

But the prices these days from knowdgeable sellers (most are) seem to be at about what the market will bear

Gud luck to ya- kant go wrong with a buncha Smiths noway

[Val Cano]

My feeling is that significant increases in value are not to be expected. However prices will rise slowly due to increased scarcity. These would necessarily be a long-term hold. The usual financial instruments are boring and have low yields. I collect classic foreign sports cars. They were purchased for my personal use and pleasure but as an investment they yield about five to ten percent per year. Not bad for fun toys.

[DocDisaster # 45431]

I think you may do better with Colt D/A's than S&W.

 

Doc

[Wolfgang, SASS #53480]

If'n ya like old S&Ws . . . and you crave to have some . . . . then GREAT . . . start collectin' them . . . in any collection of anything the better the quality, the better the appreciation in value ( if and when any occurs ) . . . but collect for the joy of collecting . . and collect what you can afford to collect for the fun and pleasure of doing it . . . . if you have an appreciation in value of your collection later that is fine, . . . but don't collect to make money at it as you cannot count on that happening.

 

Just my $ .03 if of any value to ya, . . . .

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Somehow the advice I recieved when I was considering raising and training horses applies here.

 

If you want to make a small fortune raising horses start with a large one.

 

The best advice I have is specialize with pre-locks, one model and it's variations, such as N-frames.

[Bugs Bonney SASS # 10171]

Smith's are popular collectables as are Winchesters but, being popular they do bring as much as the market will bear and are a long term investment. If you want to invest with an eye to making money you have to antipate a trend not jump in on a long collected line of products. Nothin' wrong with collecting Smith's but a large rise in prices is not likely unless thwere is some outside influance. Anyone alive in the sixties can testify to what happened to Civil War stuff when the centeninal came around. They went from old Stuff to valuable collectables overnight. If I had the money I would be putting it into high quality WW1 items. Combime the coming centenal of WW1 with your Love of S&W's and I'd look for as many really good S&W 1917's as my budget could afford. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and may be worth just what you paid for it.

 

Bugs Bonney

[Iron Pony]

Crow I'd also think about how fast you might want or need to get your money back out of your investments. If something happened and you needed to "redeem" them in short order you'd have only a couple of options, a good gunstore or auction. The former will probably not pay the appreciated prices you would deserve or expect as they are resellers. The auction route is dicey and you are charged for the service The best deals I have ever gotten on guns is through auctions, almost all of those were bought to resell. Stuff can go high or low but you never know till the gavel drops.

 

Want to make money on guns? Buy class III.

[Val Cano]

DocDisaster said: "I think you may do better with Colt D/A's than S&W." Please elaborate.

 

Seldom said: "The best advice I have is specialize with pre-locks, one model and it's variations, such as N-frames." My preference would be the blued K-frames with adjustable sights specifically models 14-18. I also like the model 34 which is a I/J-frame in .22lr.. BTW your alias was my first choice back in 1999. Please leave it to my in your last will and testament.

 

Iron Pony said: "Crow I'd also think about how fast you might want or need to get your money back out of your investments. If something happened and you needed to "redeem" them in short order you'd have only a couple of options, a good gunstore or auction. The former will probably not pay the appreciated prices you would deserve or expect as they are resellers. The auction route is dicey and you are charged for the service The best deals I have ever gotten on guns is through auctions, almost all of those were bought to resell. Stuff can go high or low but you never know till the gavel drops.

 

If I were worried about liquidity I'd forget the guns and buy that 1967 Jaguar MKII 3.8 Sedan I've had my eye on.

 

All else: Some really good advise here.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

Sir

Insted of going with NIB unfired . I think I would look at 90%plus guns .

My reasoning here is that you can :

1 Get more of them

2 Play with them without losing value

 

It makes sence to me but what do I know ?

 

Guns are tools ,just like any tool a good one normaly will not lose value after the inetial loss after first use .

 

Think new truck vs used truck with 20 mi on it .

 

See ya down the trail

 

Chickasaw Bill

[shenny]

Somehow the advice I recieved when I was considering raising and training horses applies here.

 

If you want to make a small fortune raising horses start with a large one.

 

The best advice I have is specialize with pre-locks, one model and it's variations, such as N-frames.

 

 

How about some 29's or maybe 25's or maybe 95% 57, what else? How about Browning BDA in 38 super or 45 acp?

 

Shenny

[Iron Pony]

Crow if you can pop for that Mk II and wanted to spend the money on guns well then the way to go is class III

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

Colt Pythons and Diamondbacks have appreciated substantially more than S&W of the same time period but even they are slowing somewhat. I love old Smiths but with all there is resistance to prices about say $800. The people that appreciate them generally, not always, already have them. The average Joe of todays generation wants the newest stainless versions. Recently I had a 57-2 nickeled. It was without box and papers but a beautiful virtually unfired 41 mag with the scarcer 4 in barrel. I could have easily given it away to a dealer and the economy is tough as you know. Wound up trading it for a near mint Marlin 1894 in 22 magnum.

 

Take heed to the advice on WWI stuff and it wouldn't hurt to snatch up WWII rare variations either.

[Red Logan #12252]

Any that DONT have the Ralph Nader lock could be of interest...

 

I picked up a 629 that is pinned and recessed, I was unaware that these were even made..

[Val Cano]

Crow if you can pop for that Mk II and wanted to spend the money on guns well then the way to go is class III

 

What is "class III? I am not familiar with that term as it applies to firearms.

[Red Logan #12252]

What is "class III? I am not familiar with that term as it applies to firearms.

Black gunz, full auto etc,.... bar, thompson, greasegun, m2 carbine and a host of others...

noise pollution abatement device...(aka muffler)

[Iron Pony]

Red's right class III includes full auto, short bbl shotguns, destructive devices and suppressors. As the old saying goes "if I knew then what I know now" I'd have spent every spare cent I had on the wide selection of class III guns that were available. The value change between then and now would probably have allowed me to retire. $200 per transfer seems like a lot but not when the prices go as high as they have.

[Maurice Mo Lassess, SASS #65309L]

Any that DONT have the Ralph Nader lock could be of interest...

 

I picked up a 629 that is pinned and recessed, I was unaware that these were even made..

 

Just got one myself, with all the papers, tools, blue box, and presentation case. Santa said I was a good boy. Wife is not so sure......

[Val Cano]

Class III means firepower then. A Thompson would be fun. As far as old Colt DAs, my favorite is the Colt Detective Six. One of my carry guns follows the same idea - the no longer produced S&W 432PD. It holds six rounds (one more than the larger caliber J-frames) of .32 H&R and I can practice with lighter recoiling .32acp rounds.

 

My uncle has been collecting Civil War, WWII and Old West Guns for about sixty years now. Back in 1960 he picked up a near perfect original CW vintage Henry at a gun show in Detroit for $600.00. Doesn't that just take your breath away? He even received a box of .44 rimfires with the gun. He once told me that every morning when he wakes up and looks in the mirror his first words of the day are: "You dummy why didn't you buy the other five Henry's on that table?"

[Rye Miles #13621]

I think Colts would be a better investment also. A friend of mine had a collection of unfired, engraved S&W DA revolvers. He had about 20 or so different models and barrel lengths. He passed away a few years ago and his son got the collection. He told me he didn't think they were worth the money that his dad had into 'em. Rye

[Badlands Bob #61228]

For investment purposes, I'd have to agree on the Class III advise. I bought a silencer 2 years ago. It was the top of the line and I paid $850 for it. The same silencer is still made and available but is now over $1,200. No new machine guns have been available to the public since the mid 1980's. A new Colt M-16 was about $600 prior to the ban. Now your lucky to find a well used one in the $15,000 range. Since the supply is limited and time will naturally decrease the available guns further, I can't see how you could loose......as long as Obama or some future administration doesn't decide to confiscate them.

[Val Cano]

Based on the excellent advice and opinions above, here's the plan. The The Colorado Gun Collectors Annual Gun Show

2011 Show is May 14th & 15th. I will try to find a 90-98% S&W Model 15 K-38 Combat Masterpiece and a Model 17 K-22 Masterpiece. These will then be used for my own shooting pleasure. I may even look for the early pre-checkered Winchester 9422 that I've always wanted. As for collecting, there's that Jag or a nice MGA roadster.

 

Happy Holidays pards!

[Trigger Mike]

I've discovered that whenever I bought a gun because it would go up in value, I still am waiting for that value 15 years later. When ever I bought a gun just because I liked it, in short order I wish I had bought 2 of them as the value went up real well. I once bought a Czech Border Guyard pistol in 32 auto as I liked it. I paid $65. I came home to the states and discovered I could sell it for $250. I've bought Winchester Garands, thinking they would go higher, and sold them for pretty much what I paid with only a few dollars profit. The only time someone wants my guns is if I want it to. It's like having a job, no one will hire you unless you already have one and no girl likes you unless you already have a girl.