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Value of Collectible Firearms


Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L

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We all know the old adage that refinishing an old firearm, especially one with some collector value, usually destroys the collector value. Especially if alot of metal polishing and buffing has been done.

But what if you have a firearm that was merely reblued over the existing finish so no metal was damaged. What if you removed the bluing and now have the original firearm with no finish at all. Of course any patina would also be lost, but would it be worth more without the blueing?

 

Turnbull and other professional restorations not included, they are in a category of their own.

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No  matter what you do, it's only original once. If the gun has collector value, any change, rebluing or stripping the finish included, will lower the value to the collecting world. Will there be someone that wants it regardless? Maybe. Guns are not cars. Refinishing them will most likely not increase the value of the gun to a point that it's worth the total cost or the gun plus the cost of the refinish. You are better off selling it with what is left of the original bluing intact. Watch the high dollar auctions. They list how much of the original blue is left. If someone has reblued, experts, the guys with the real money, can tell. Gun manufacturers have their own distinct bluing colors and finishes. If it's not what the collectors expect, good luck getting top dollar. Can you find that inexperienced collector that is just starting out that doesn't know the difference? Yes. Gunbroker is proof of that.

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You can shop for expert refinishers that closely match the original finish. They take the time and techniques that was originally used to get it as close as possible. But, the really good ones are going to put their mark somewhere to indicate that they worked on it. Those that know will see the mark and know this or that expert refinished it.

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once you mess with the finish the collector value is gone 0 collectors want original , but , there are others that want good looking guns that are as original as possible without that price tag for their own purposes , just dont expect to get "original" prices for it , you wont , better to leave it in its beat up/worn state to get the better prices 

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It's like a seesaw, there's give and take. The condition can be bad enough to make the gun worth more refinished. Usually only a lack of finish won't make the value seesaw back up with refinishing but if there's other stuff to do it can. It depends on the condition and the gun, and more importantly how and to some extent who does the refinishing. 

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On 9/22/2022 at 6:54 PM, Cholla said:

No  matter what you do, it's only original once. If the gun has collector value, any change, rebluing or stripping the finish included, will lower the value to the collecting world. Will there be someone that wants it regardless? Maybe. Guns are not cars. Refinishing them will most likely not increase the value of the gun to a point that it's worth the total cost or the gun plus the cost of the refinish. You are better off selling it with what is left of the original bluing intact. Watch the high dollar auctions. They list how much of the original blue is left. If someone has reblued, experts, the guys with the real money, can tell. Gun manufacturers have their own distinct bluing colors and finishes. If it's not what the collectors expect, good luck getting top dollar. Can you find that inexperienced collector that is just starting out that doesn't know the difference? Yes. Gunbroker is proof of that.

 

Cholla's first sentence here says it all.  "No matter what you do, it's only original once."

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Original Win 1873s run $1000 to infinity.  Refinishing an 1873 that has no finish and no other collectible factor, like belonging to a known person, will not hurt the potential value.  The value of these non-collectibles really depends on what an average-Joe will pay for them.  There is a Win 1873 in .32 WCF at a LGS that has not moved in over two months for $995.

None of this applies to a Win 1873, 80+% condition, one of a thousand.  

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This is my .32-20 Lightning.
 

2104348349_Lightning32-20.thumb.JPG.2113c1f3082e0a5cdb11ed6097e7dd7e.JPG

I have had people say to me, "Wow!  That looks beautiful!   Must have cost you a lot of money!"  (Or words to that effect.)   Then I tell them, no, it's been, according to the person I bought it from, "Lovingly restored with an expert action job."  

It is a very beautiful gun, and it runs like a Swiss watch.  And I probably was able to buy it for the price I got it because it has been redone.  If course, there is a difference between just rebluing something, and going to the effort to have something as close as possible to the original finish recreated.  I have no idea what this gun was like before it was redone, I just know it's nice now, and I bought it to shoot it.   If you find a gun that just barely functions, or even doesn't, has lotsa rust and other really ugly looking stuff about it, repairing and having the finish restored probably won't hurt its value and may even enhance it, as it had no value to begin with.   On the other hand, if you've got a gun that's in excellent shape mechancialwise, but has an appearance that leaves much to be desired, it could go either way.   For example...

902271812_457-12Colt.thumb.JPG.805d4dd49be479587e097486d600489c.JPG

 

This second generation Colt works great, and it has no finish left whatsoever.  I got it for $700 about 7 years ago.  Not much value, but I think I got it for a bargain.  Having this gun restored would probably hurt its value.  

On the other hand...

904929125_44-405.5ChromeColt.thumb.JPG.e79d94a2af898c0afb51f8b95ee8263f.JPG

 

This 1st Gen Colt I got for $500 about a year before Covid.  As you can see, its grips are worn, it has a "bad chrome refinish," and the trigger, hammer, cylinder pin and ejector housing have been gold plated.   This gun has no collector value whatsoever.   Someone suggested to me that it was a prime candidate for a Turnbull restoration.  Maybe someone like that could make it look like new again.   It would certainly be worth more than the $500 I paid for it if I did that, but having it done would in and of itself be very expensive, and even then it would not be worth anywhere near as much as a pistol made the same year that still has all it's original finish intact.   I could probably get back what I paid to have it restored, but not more.   Is it worth it?  Eh...   Maybe.  If you want to have a vintage gun like this that looks like new, finding one beat up like this and having it "fixed" will cost you less than finding one in pristine original condition, but it's not an investment.   

So when it comes down restoring old guns, it's entirely up to you.   As to how they affect the "value" of the piece, much of it depends on what you started out with.   I am sure some of those guns we've seen videos of here on the wire that look like solid bars of rust that get brought back to life and are made to look pretty good are worth more than when they started, but those are extreme examples.    And sometimes, a gun that has had it it's "value ruined" can be a good thing.   Someone like me can then afford it!   And over time, who knows?  Maybe never as much as a true original, but as long as it's shootable, a restored gun will be able to be sold, and will likely see its value go, slowly, up over time.

 

Happy shooting!

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On 9/22/2022 at 6:37 PM, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

We all know the old adage that refinishing an old firearm, especially one with some collector value, usually destroys the collector value. Especially if alot of metal polishing and buffing has been done.

 

 

If a gun is of collector value, leave it alone.  If you want to shoot it, you could clean out the 140+ years of collected gunk from the insides so that it functions properly again.  

However, just because a gun is "old" does not mean it is sought after by collectors.   For instance, I bought a beater old Marlin off the Classifieds that I knew would have to be a reclamation project.  It sat there in the Classified Forum for quite some time, price drop after price drop.  So, I bought it at 600.   I simply wanted a 19th century .44W Marlin in an original configuration.   No, it probably wasn't worth what I paid for it.

 

Restoration and repair was the cost of a new Uberti '73.  But, to me, it was worth it, and that's all that matters.  I could care less what I can get back out of it when my shooting days are done.  What matters is the amount of enjoyment I got from it while I was here,

 

If you have a gun with true collector value, you might opt for "conservation" instead of "restoration".   Where any further rusting is stopped and any remaining original colors are brought to the fore.  Junk is removed from the innards and bore, screws unbuggered, and the gun put back into fully-functioning condition.

 

This is my Marlin, before and after.  All original factory stamping is preserved.  Fully functional.  Rust bluing process was used.

Again, to me, it was worth getting this old girl out of the recycle bin and back into the fight.

 

283834894_2328793597258673_254118583214897025_n.thumb.jpg.a720bd2a96e061ee3f1a4b4dc7e1e6c9.jpg

 

283826078_2328793357258697_7084423946956390433_n.thumb.jpg.96a1f72cc5909f1bf7db94237c01ece1.jpg

 

283848415_2328794800591886_5771297224609772179_n.thumb.jpg.e5ee8cd88f917e08262a5e65f89270d9.jpg

 

286083450_2339270559544310_4450064322142805514_n.jpg.b5b6c347915583568f615804f869ddb1.jpg

 

DSC_0029.thumb.JPG.e1e6274a378fc6589c9ce3c50cb61a1c.JPG

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On 9/26/2022 at 1:17 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

This is my .32-20 Lightning.
 

2104348349_Lightning32-20.thumb.JPG.2113c1f3082e0a5cdb11ed6097e7dd7e.JPG

I have had people say to me, "Wow!  That looks beautiful!   Must have cost you a lot of money!"  (Or words to that effect.)   Then I tell them, no, it's been, according to the person I bought it from, "Lovingly restored with an expert action job."  

It is a very beautiful gun, and it runs like a Swiss watch.  And I probably was able to buy it for the price I got it because it has been redone.  If course, there is a difference between just rebluing something, and going to the effort to have something as close as possible to the original finish recreated.  I have no idea what this gun was like before it was redone, I just know it's nice now, and I bought it to shoot it.   If you find a gun that just barely functions, or even doesn't, has lotsa rust and other really ugly looking stuff about it, repairing and having the finish restored probably won't hurt its value and may even enhance it, as it had no value to begin with.   On the other hand, if you've got a gun that's in excellent shape mechancialwise, but has an appearance that leaves much to be desired, it could go either way.   For example...

902271812_457-12Colt.thumb.JPG.805d4dd49be479587e097486d600489c.JPG

 

This second generation Colt works great, and it has no finish left whatsoever.  I got it for $700 about 7 years ago.  Not much value, but I think I got it for a bargain.  Having this gun restored would probably hurt its value.  

On the other hand...

904929125_44-405.5ChromeColt.thumb.JPG.e79d94a2af898c0afb51f8b95ee8263f.JPG

 

This 1st Gen Colt I got for $500 about a year before Covid.  As you can see, its grips are worn, it has a "bad chrome refinish," and the trigger, hammer, cylinder pin and ejector housing have been gold plated.   This gun has no collector value whatsoever.   Someone suggested to me that it was a prime candidate for a Turnbull restoration.  Maybe someone like that could make it look like new again.   It would certainly be worth more than the $500 I paid for it if I did that, but having it done would in and of itself be very expensive, and even then it would not be worth anywhere near as much as a pistol made the same year that still has all it's original finish intact.   I could probably get back what I paid to have it restored, but not more.   Is it worth it?  Eh...   Maybe.  If you want to have a vintage gun like this that looks like new, finding one beat up like this and having it "fixed" will cost you less than finding one in pristine original condition, but it's not an investment.   

So when it comes down restoring old guns, it's entirely up to you.   As to how they affect the "value" of the piece, much of it depends on what you started out with.   I am sure some of those guns we've seen videos of here on the wire that look like solid bars of rust that get brought back to life and are made to look pretty good are worth more than when they started, but those are extreme examples.    And sometimes, a gun that has had it it's "value ruined" can be a good thing.   Someone like me can then afford it!   And over time, who knows?  Maybe never as much as a true original, but as long as it's shootable, a restored gun will be able to be sold, and will likely see its value go, slowly, up over time.

 

Happy shooting!

With brand new Colts being around $2,000 and above and used ones being well above $1,500, I can’t see a “restored” Colt from even Turnbull not be worth the purchase and restore price. But I like Colts and I like refinished guns as well. I have picked up a 1887 shotgun, 1876 and 1895 original Winchesters and plan to have them all refinished. I want to make sure they work well and depending upon how much, ha be them look like they just came to me from the factory. Am I doing the refinish for “investment” purposes?  Hell no!  If my son sells them after I am gone, who cares, like HK I like the looks and k ow that the shotgun and rifles will function correctly. HK, if I had bought those 2 Colts at the price you got them for they would also be candidates for refinishing as they to me are history and should look the best they can, but that’s me!  

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4 hours ago, McCandless said:

 

If a gun is of collector value, leave it alone.  If you want to shoot it, you could clean out the 140+ years of collected gunk from the insides so that it functions properly again.  

However, just because a gun is "old" does not mean it is sought after by collectors.   For instance, I bought a beater old Marlin off the Classifieds that I knew would have to be a reclamation project.  It sat there in the Classified Forum for quite some time, price drop after price drop.  So, I bought it at 600.   I simply wanted a 19th century .44W Marlin in an original configuration.   No, it probably wasn't worth what I paid for it.

 

Restoration and repair was the cost of a new Uberti '73.  But, to me, it was worth it, and that's all that matters.  I could care less what I can get back out of it when my shooting days are done.  What matters is the amount of enjoyment I got from it while I was here,

 

If you have a gun with true collector value, you might opt for "conservation" instead of "restoration".   Where any further rusting is stopped and any remaining original colors are brought to the fore.  Junk is removed from the innards and bore, screws unbuggered, and the gun put back into fully-functioning condition.

 

This is my Marlin, before and after.  All original factory stamping is preserved.  Fully functional.  Rust bluing process was used.

Again, to me, it was worth getting this old girl out of the recycle bin and back into the fight.

 

283834894_2328793597258673_254118583214897025_n.thumb.jpg.a720bd2a96e061ee3f1a4b4dc7e1e6c9.jpg

 

283826078_2328793357258697_7084423946956390433_n.thumb.jpg.96a1f72cc5909f1bf7db94237c01ece1.jpg

 

283848415_2328794800591886_5771297224609772179_n.thumb.jpg.e5ee8cd88f917e08262a5e65f89270d9.jpg

 

286083450_2339270559544310_4450064322142805514_n.jpg.b5b6c347915583568f615804f869ddb1.jpg

 

DSC_0029.thumb.JPG.e1e6274a378fc6589c9ce3c50cb61a1c.JPG

EXACTLY!

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Just dropped off two Colt SAA at Spring Creek Armory this morning.  One to blue and color case. The other to repair hammer. :lol:

 

Bill showed us a Winchester Miroku 92 he had color cased.  Including buttplate,  foreend cap, lever, etc. Absolutely beautiful.  My picture doesn't do it just.

 

408510098_WinchesterMiroku92722.jpg.35857347eee6f607129d1c766fc9bad8.jpg

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1 hour ago, Warden Callaway said:

Just dropped off two Colt SAA at Spring Creek Armory this morning.  One to blue and color case. The other to repair hammer. :lol:

 

Bill showed us a Winchester Miroku 92 he had color cased.  Including buttplate,  foreend cap, lever, etc. Absolutely beautiful.  My picture doesn't do it just.

 

408510098_WinchesterMiroku92722.jpg.35857347eee6f607129d1c766fc9bad8.jpg

Who cares about the case colors, I'm drooling over the wood! :)

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7 hours ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Who cares about the case colors, I'm drooling over the wood! :)

He said the owner was a cowboy action shooter so maybe someone will claim it and post more pictures.    Looks to beautiful too trash around with our kind.  P.S.  I don't think he did the wood.

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18 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

Just dropped off two Colt SAA at Spring Creek Armory this morning.  One to blue and color case. The other to repair hammer. :lol:

 

Bill showed us a Winchester Miroku 92 he had color cased.  Including buttplate,  foreend cap, lever, etc. Absolutely beautiful.  My picture doesn't do it just.

 

408510098_WinchesterMiroku92722.jpg.35857347eee6f607129d1c766fc9bad8.jpg

I have  a Winchester (Moriku) 1886 that i wouldn’t mind him doing the same to mine, along with the checkering. Does someone have his contact information?  

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4 hours ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

I have  a Winchester (Moriku) 1886 that i wouldn’t mind him doing the same to mine, along with the checkering. Does someone have his contact information?  

 

Spring Creek Armory. 

 

 

https://springcreekarmory.com/

 

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