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RoninPA

RoninPA

Hawkeye
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
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5,886
City & State/Province
Lemont, PA, USA 16851
I have Rugers, but am now going to concentrate on one type rather than to have a little bit of everything. My collection is for me at this time but will ultimately go to my Grandson (Mr. James is almost 5).

People have said to me "Why have more than 1 shotgun, rifle, handgun, etc." I reply "Why would someone have more that one oil painting, charcoal, watercolor, etc."

I have my shooters. But I also see the art in a finely made firearm, I marvel at the what the thought processes might have been to design one (ever see the internal workings of a Remington Model 8?). IMO, gun designers are just as much artists as someone that works in any other "art" medium.

I have always liked Ruger DA revolvers and will probably stay in this genre. Although if I come across a prime 3 screw and can get it at a good price I'll buy it :) .

Now for the questions:

When you see a Ruger DA (Six series or GP) on an auction site, what do you look at first? Buy it now, starting price, reserve, pictures (condition) etc.? Do you immediately send an email to the seller asking the serial number and if not seen in the description ask about box, papers, shipper, etc.?

Do you gather all the info you can, then check the Reference of Ruger Firearms to try to decide what the max is that you will bid.

Where else do you get information that will help in the decision making process?

What about a very desireable gun that is not even in good condition?

I already know that I may be competing against some big boys out there (weaselmeatgravy comes to mind) but I also understand that you don't build a collection overnight (unless you have a lot of disposable funds, which I don't). So, my collection may be small, but I'll add to it little by little as guns become available as well as the money.

FYI, I am now a member of RCA and subscribe to RENE. Contender has talked me into doing a display at next years Harrisburg show (Thanks Tyrone, I think :roll:) . I travel a lot so I carry the compact version of the Reference with me. In my travels I will almost always stop into a pawn shop to see what may be there, just in case.

Thanks for any input you may have.
 
wow, lot you're asking for and not enough time to tell or say it all, after it is taking over 45 years to get where I am at now, and I understand, know a lot, and can be of help but I cannot type worth a $#it, all thumbs,but I've told most of the folks over the years to go to the shows, or shops , ask questions, you'll get 10 different answers and YOU gotta learn to separate the truth, fact and good stuff , from the 'BS' too many are living out there in the "ozone", so unless you have LOTS of money ( hit the lottery, or got an inheritance) take your time, you're doing good by hitting any and all the shops you can,I tell folks look around the shows, watch the auctions, and OFTEN< lots of these guys get a "hit" on a 'buy it now" casue they are in the right palce at the right time ( and LOTS of luck OR they have software on their computers that tell them when ANY thing of interest ( key words) hits the site and they are on it , in an instant.....practice, patience, shop the deals, donlt buy it just cause it rare or scarce and its "got issues" see too many guys buy something that is a pure piece of crap and they spend MORE moeny fixing it up , trying to "make it right", and then pass it off on someone else down the road.....be selective, be picky, be friends with LOTS of the "other" Ruger collectors and eventually when they get to KNOW you and TRUST you, then you may get onto some of the deals that are behind "closed doors" and many never come to the surface, they go behind the door, under the table, or some other shenanigans....yes, there are many 'cliques' in this game, small circles of influence and they ONLY deal with one another...look out for each other and screw the regulars...........
me I do most all of it at the local gun shows and have a GOOD following and folks often ask me to be on the look out for this or that, most of MY guns ( finds) are already in others collections, and at very very GOOD, fair bargain prices.......I keep an eye out for the very few , and little that my wife still concerns herself with these day, and have upgraded over the years, yes, we too bought what came along back in the beginning only to find out that "crap is crap".....be selective, shop the deals, and do NOT get into any bidding frenzies,set a price ( goal ) and stick to it, as my wife says, "good things comes to those that wait........"
send me an e-mail and I;ll be more than happy to talk with you over the phone if need be........................
as to "what to collect" only YOU can decide that one, very subjective and we all have our likes,me, I did (do ) the older fixed choke red labels, got about all of them to cover all the variations, and know what ? they have gone no where, not worth a whole lot and now maybe that Ruger is "stopping" the Red Label line, they may escalate, but I aint holding my breathe though......
 
Excellent advice from Dan.

Here's what's worked for me and in the past I've collected a lot of different things from depression glass to pedal tractors.

When my son was in grade school we started hitting local antique stores (this was before eBay), pawn shops and flea markets for toy tractors, Tonka toys, Hot Wheels, etc. We had a blast together, strengthened our relationship and made many nice memories. For me, the absolute BEST part of collecting is the relationship part. We made many friends in the region that we still see today.

With guns ..... just like the other stuff ..... we collect what we LIKE and what we can AFFORD. To heck with what others think. I've seen many of our "collections" begin with rough or shooter grade stuff that may get sold or traded-up for a near mint or new-in-box item. So, not only do we add NEW stuff ...... we're on the lookout to improve the quality of what we already have.

It's a process and there is no hurry. For us it's very much the thrill of the chase. It's a rare occasion we buy anything new or off the internet ~ just no fun but ..... everyone is different.

Good luck in your searches ...... enjoy.
 
Read and re-read what rugerguy says. He's been there and done that. Pay attention to not buying junk. If a gun is rare, it needs to be in collectible shape. If you buy a rare gun that the finish is only 60%. Then it's only good as a shooter. Then something better comes along then you have your money tied up and it's hard to sell this shooter. Follow rugerguy's advice. BE PATIENT AND WAIT FOR THE GOOD STUFF TO COME TO YOU. Remember if you ever want to sell your collection, then the good stuff sell fast and at top dollar. Better to have one great piece then 3 so-so guns.
 
Excellent advice all the way around! While I've been involved in 'Rugermania' for many years as an accumulator, I'm fairly new to the 'collector' world and have fallen into some of the traps that the experienced members have warned about here. Thanks to RugerForum.com & the RCA site, as well as several of these good folks who've generously mentored me in private, I've gotten my head focused in the right direction in terms of what 'collector-grade' really means. (Even if I do still step in a pothole occasionally!) ;)
 
Ron asked me to combine his duplicate topics. The other copy of this topic only had one entry, from Terry T as follows:

Terry T said:
Dang, another DA collector. :shock:
For me, the first step was reading, re-reading, and reading again Chad's reference work.

The next step was watching for the less common or more rare peices. I've passed up the very common figuring that I am likely to find more of them and save my limited resources for the less common to start with.

Normally, in collecting, condition is everything so the better condition, including matching box, the better.
I have picked up some odd ones that were 'well enjoyed' rather than pass them up waiting for a perfect example. One might be able to upgrade at some point in the future and in the mean time, one has a rare piece in the collection. (A GS-83 comes to my mind. Chad wonders if there were more than 75 produced. I gave a 'shooter' price for one that had been used as a hammer.)

Finally, we've been finding examples that are not in Chad's book. Of course everyone is excited when a new model surfaces.

Prices range from a couple of hundred to more than $1,500 or more for rare odd DAs.

Might make Harrisburg with my DAs next year - we'll have to see.
Hope this helps.
Terry T
Click to expand...

Sorry Ron, I don't have a more elegant way of combining posts.
 
All the above info & advice is spot on.
If I can be blamed for you doing a display, then, I'll shoulder the load. :D
As I said, do what YOU want to do. Fix it the way YOU want it to be. Find the stuff YOU want. And spend the time studying & asking questions. A collection, a display, or just an accumilation doesn't happen easily or overnight. I like to think of myself as an accumilator with a few good collectables in my bunch! :D

One other piece of advice. If you focus on one thing, such as DA's, that's fine. BUT if you are out looking, and someone offers you a SA, make sure you have enough knowledge, (& the book) to make an informed decision about buying it. If you get a steal in a good SA, you can always sell/swap it for something else. What I'm saying is to learn enough to know when to buy other items as well. Trade fodder or whatever.
And Terry & you can have a blast with the DA's in H'burg next year.
 
street had the "key words" in his reply..."better to have one great piece, than 3 so-so guns..." very true
but also remeber YOU have to set YOUR goals & limits...there are from time to time some really great pieces, BUT you cannot "hock the farm or the family jewels" to outbid someone based on a "pucker factor" as there may NOT be any return later on...what ? inflated dollars?? LOTS of them that are worth little or nothing???
If I told you ( and the rest of the free world) what I have paid for some awesome guns,that have come to me or in the right place at the right time, you would NOT believe me...flatgate, knows and teases us as to "paying Ohio prices" and this is very true...I have NEVER ( and yes have used the no-no word 'NEVER") paid the high, out of sight, in another galaxy price for ANY Ruger I ever bought at any given time, and I've bought some doozies.......MOST I ever paid and this was a "gift" to my bride ,now of 45 plus years, were TWO RSSE guns, one all blue and the other a two tone, and I paid LESS than the price of ONE of them.........AND she told me that I had paid "too much",said she'd wait.......... and yes, missed out on two others one for $1600 and one for $1800 yes, RSSE guns....so it does pay to be patient, picky and selective, NOT a "sucker"..... :wink:
 
Well I was going to comment,,,,,but after reading and re-reading the above posts,,I'm not qualified! I wish you well in your collecting interests,
always nice to have another D/A collector out there in the hunt.

As far as the D/A six's you would be hard pressed to find anyone with more facts or data than WMG!!!
Terry
 
You have to decide why you're doing this, is it for your own enjoyment and minimal monetary rewards, or do you expect your collection to appreciate over time.

That in itself may drive you to decide to collect another group or Rugers or not...

I've found the information in RENE to be invaluable, subscribe to it and join the RCA as well.

Visit this site often, the members here are a great help and will pass on invaluable information via PMs.

Figure out what you are willing to spend, and as others have said, buy the best you can afford and then upgrade if and when possible.

If you travel hit the gun and pawn shops, real treasures at an fantastic price can at times be found, even really rare stuff they do not understand due to subtle variations within a model type.

Use GunBroker's advanced search tool to determine what guns actually sell for, and if you bid there, the maximum price you are willing to pay. You'll loose a lot of guns you bid on... but you will win some important ones as well.

Most of all do it because it brings you joy :D

Also be patient and wait for the good ones...
 
Hey I must be a SUCKER :lol: :lol: :lol: sure I have paid too much so what.....I am NOT doing this to get rich cause it sure ain't never going to happen buying guns.....I just can't believe we keep telling NEW guys NOT TO GET EXCITED......wait and you shall get all the good stuff CHEAP.....that is a bunch of BS......I have lost more on the price of a single new car depreciating than I will ever lose on all the guns I have over paid for.....I would buy all the 1500 dollar RSSE's I could find.....which has been absolutely NONE......I know Dan finds good stuff for fair prices BUT I also believe he sets up at maybe 40 shows a year....most do not have this ability or time.....even I can't and don't hit that many shows and I only spend maybe 2 hours at the most.....this is a hobby for me NOT a money making enterprise.....I derive pleasure in collecting and am not really chasing monetary gains....sure I hope I may make a buck or two if I sell but it certainly isn't my MAIN GOAL.....I do it because the THRILL OF THE HUNT and subsequent discovery of a GREAT GUN makes me extremely HAPPY......

Sure buy the best you can afford but me I will buy a really RARE gun no matter the condition as long a I feel the price reflects the condition...just do your own thing and don't worry what the "EXPERTS" say....including me :shock: :shock: :shock: Just remember it is about friends, fun and guns and I follow that order......JMO....YMMV....see ya RR.
 
I remember a Comment from one of the collectors I look up too, "He told me to have fun". I try to keep that in the fore front of my collecting 'Fine Arms'. Enjoy the old & new friends along the way!
One thing you will learn & that is if you are Displaying 'DA's' you will have People walk up to you & ask questions about No.3's or Red Eagles,etc., so I suggest you learn alittle about everything because the Public will ask questions! You don't need to be an expert but knowing the different between a No1 & a No3 helps. It makes the show go better. J/S
 
Steve, you're right. Have fun. Rod I am with you all the way, if you have a chance to buy an item you want and you can afford it then jump on it, it may not come along again and if it does it is going to cost more. Also provenance effects the price. Would you pay top dollar for a shooter grade gun if it once belonged to Bill Ruger or A. Sturm or anyone else with name recognition. Or even a prototype. But the bottomline in my opinion is to collect what you like and if you have to pay a little more to add to your collection then do it. Some times you get lucky but in most cases if it is rare then it is more desireable to you and everyone else. And when it comes to collecting anything, i.e., glass, furniture, knives, books, fossels, guns it all comes down to the three Cs. COLLECTABILITY COLOR CONDITION In other words some things are in terrific condition but have no collectability. Some things may be in terrible condition but have tremendous collectability, like the gun that shot A. Lincoln. Or even Lincolns pocket knife that he used for years to clean his finger nails etc. auctioned off a few years ago for 100 k.
 
WMG, That is fine how you did it.

To all, great advice, thank you very much. I know I'll reread these posts more than once. As for the display Tyrone, I think I had made the decision to do it after seeing the ones at Harrisburg and having a chance to just sit and talk with you and the others. Don't know what it will look like yet, but I'll start out small and work my way up. Oh, and don't worry, I won't let a good three screw sit in a pawn case, especially if unconverted. If I don't buy it, at least I'll jot the s/n down and pass it to Chad, amd pass the location on to the forum. My main focus will probably be DA's but again, I'm not adverse to buying a good SA to put away (if for nothing else but trading fodder). I did this 2 weeks ago when I got an unconverted 1970 .357 Blackhawk in terrific shape.

SteveRuger, I know what you are saying about questions. I'm a part time gunsmith and FFL holder and I get a lot of oddball questions about guns. I bought my first Ruger (Security Six) in 1973. I now have Ruger centerfire and rimfire rifles, Ruger centerfire and rimfire revolvers (SA and DA), Ruger semi auto centerfire and rimfire pistols, A Red Label and other brand handguns, rifles and shotguns also (which may go on the selling/trading block if need be). So I think I can keep up my side of a conversation about Rugers in general and I'm learning a lot from reading the RENE reference manual and reading the RCA magazine. I do realize that I have a long way to go to become completely fluent in "Rugerspeak".

Again, thank you all for the advice and hopefully I'll be able to add intelligently to future conversations here.
 
One thing that, in my opinion, you might want to do is to read this book:

Cover_Photo_lo-res-for-web.jpg


Unfortunately, it has not yet been completely written! I got 4 chapters done, which only covered the old frame guns, then got sidetracked (and admittedly, a little overwhelmed with the scope of the revised frame task). Need to get back in gear and git 'er done.
 
Bob,
I would like to reserve the first 10 copies for me and the kinfolk (ur new cuzzins) and we are serious! :wink:

I applaud you on the effort,,no small undertaking I might add. Just hope I don't kick the bucket before you "git'er done" :D Like the cover design also.
Terry
 
This post couldn't have come about at a better time. I have been buying Talo & Lipsey's limited run stuff as well as good old shooters which has led me to looking at the possibility of getting into collecting Ruger SA's.

I was recently talking with one of the members here who suggested joining Rene which the annual fee was sent last week. I'm waiting to receive that information and eager get started.

Looks like there are a lot of great helpful experienced guys here. I've been a member at Ruger Forum a couple years and find myself gaining more knowledge and friends as time goes on.

Tom
 
weaselmeatgravy said:
One thing that, in my opinion, you might want to do is to read this book:

Cover_Photo_lo-res-for-web.jpg


Unfortunately, it has not yet been completely written! I got 4 chapters done, which only covered the old frame guns, then got sidetracked (and admittedly, a little overwhelmed with the scope of the revised frame task). Need to get back in gear and git 'er done.
Click to expand...

You can/could count me in for @ least two copies, as well! :D

I, too, like the specifics of this thread, and those Six Series guns...I'll be a "collector" too, someday, of them, if ever I am able to buy in that vein...
 
Hey Bob, I would even buy one and keep it in the reading room with the rest of my reference books......can you sign it Weaslemeatgravy aka Bob L........that will be awesome when you getter done.....make sure to save 5 copies for your mother :roll: :roll: :roll: see ya RR.
 
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