Current collecting market?????

[tommygun]

As a relative "newbie" to Ruger collecting, I am looking for input from this great forum braintrust. When the stock market took a dump, I decided to move into gun collecting/investing. Colts, Winchesters and the like were out of my sphere of affordability so I decided that my love for single action revolvers and Ruger seemed to be a good fit. I now question the future of this market. I have watched values continue to decline. I know it has a lot to do with the economy and our political environment. In addition, as with many things that us "good ole boys" are interested in and may collect, I don't see a lot of younger folks interested. Couple that with the fact that many of us old guys are fading away, I am concerned about the future of Ruger collecting. Just thinking out loud!!! I know there are no hard and fast answers to these issues. If there were, we would all be rich eh? Looking for justification/rationalization to continue what I fear has become an irrational obsession.

May you all have a healthy and prosperous new year. TG

 

[timnc]

You don't collect as an investment. If you want to profit from collecting, you become a dealer. You collect because you LIKE it.

 

[contender]

Well, I'm a bit of a collector and a shooter.
Just as buying anything for an investment,, you must get the most product for the least money. That means careful shopping, buying indemand items at a fiar price, and be williong to hold them until YOU feel the profit margin is where you want to sell.
Yes,, many good Rugers have stabilized or come down in price. But the truly good pieces will hold value.
The best way to get "younger" folks into collecting is to have them go to the display shows & see what they can do. And no matter how meager or limited their collection is,, have them do a display. THAT will generate interest in becoming more interested in getting a better collection.
Most of the better collections have always seemed to be in the hands of the older collectors. Why? It takes time and money to get there. Younger folks have to grow into it.

 

[AJGUNNER]

As a relative "newbie" to Ruger collecting, I am looking for input from this great forum braintrust. When the stock market took a dump, I decided to move into gun collecting/investing. Colts, Winchesters and the like were out of my sphere of affordability so I decided that my love for single action revolvers and Ruger seemed to be a good fit. I now question the future of this market. I have watched values continue to decline. I know it has a lot to do with the economy and our political environment. In addition, as with many things that us "good ole boys" are interested in and may collect, I don't see a lot of younger folks interested. Couple that with the fact that many of us old guys are fading away, I am concerned about the future of Ruger collecting. Just thinking out loud!!! I know there are no hard and fast answers to these issues. If there were, we would all be rich eh? Looking for justification/rationalization to continue what I fear has become an irrational obsession.

May you all have a healthy and prosperous new year. TG

I have never sold a single firearm (Ruger or other) for less than I paid for it. Wish I could say the same about some of the stocks I have bought. I have also had the pleasure of actually using and having fun with most of my firearms. Guess I would classify myself as a collector and user.

 

[rugerguy]

Sorry TG, but ther is NO "justification or realization" in ANY collectibles, they are what they are to those who DO ( collect , use, buy or sell...) unless you get anything "cheap" orhave anything that is really scarce and rare, to those who "may " collect, you'll never find nirvana...it is ONLY in the satisfaction , thrill of the hunt, finding that which is usually unattainable, and you then "succeed" ( at least in your own mind) I've been hauling around a few "collectibles", for some time now and at all the shows, MOST folks do NOT even look at them,such as a 3 digit 44 flatop, for about HALF of RENE price??? go figure, sold a MINT boxed 5 digit BKH34 for under $600 !! and on and on, 2 digit anniversary guns?? No go...... Right now the "buying frenzy" is Hi capacity , black guns, bottom line......... :roll:

 

[willk]

Firearms are a lot like the stock market, only better. You purchase firearms to use and to keep for the long run. They are durable goods.

Purchase good quality firearms, take care of them and if used, use them wisely and they will gain in value as time passes. However, they never loose value, like a bankrupt company can. One can speculate in firearms but unlike gold, the firearm value may not raise quickly it will rarely decline over the longrun.

So, purchase firearms and you can expect a profit, in ten, twenty or thirty years.

 

[SteveRuger]

Education is the best way to start an investment! IMHO!

 

[radicalrod]

My only problem is I buy high and sell low :lol: :lol: :lol:

Heck sometimes 20 years isn't enough time for me to break even :roll: :roll: :roll:

TG, you have been "FAST AND FURIOUS" .....slow down and enjoy the show.....someday you will wake up and find you have all the RUGERS you need.......NAH just messing with you....there is always just one more....thank goodness....I might be the poster child for irrational obsessions :!: :!: :!: RR.

 

[rugerguy]

My only problem is I buy high and sell low :lol: :lol: :lol:
....there is always just one more....thank goodness....I might be the poster child for irrational obsessions :!: :!: :!: RR.

:shock: 8) :wink:


"....we rest our case............"

 

[1gunsnotenough]

Well I consider myself a newbie to Ruger Collecting. Only been collecting Rugers for about 4 tears. But years ago I collected Colts and stupidly sold them early 1990s. Now most of their values have doubled or tripled. If you want something to go up in value let me sell it. It will triple in the next week. Collecting for me is the thrill of the hunt and the research in collecting. But it is nice to have a hobby that is an investment. I have a friend who is an older gentleman and over the years he has put his money in S&W revolvers. He has done better than the market on his investments. If collecting as a side to investing look for an up and coming collectible ( I really hate calling firearms collectibles). But I started buying Ruger Mark IIs because I enjoy them. I know they don't get a lot of respect compared to the older and scarcer Ruger Revolvers but over the past couple of years several of the models have increased around 50% in value. So it is fun to see a hobby potentially be profitable. But then again you have to sell them to achive a profit. So my kids will probably reap the benefits in the future. As I hate to sell any of my collection.

 

[willk]

My only problem is I buy high and sell low :lol: :lol: :lol:

:!: :!: :!: RR.

Sounds like my experience in the cattle business. Want to get Rockafeller weathy in the cattle business. Buy when I am selling, sell when I am buying. :x :x :x

 

[Ale-8(1)]

How to make a million bucks in the gun bidness?????

Start with two million bucks . . .

 

[chet15]

I always figured collecting Rugers was an investment. There are far too many rare guns still out there not not think you are ever going to make a profit. And besides, somebody's going to make a profit anyway whether you are still here or not.
Today's state of the economy though has really sent prices down on a lot of stuff in my opinion. The internet really dragged the price of most memorabilia down except for the really rare and well-known stuff. And I've also noticed as generations move along, some of the stuff the old time collectors really got excited and felt worth a very good investment, doesn't even get much of a 2nd look today (example....1975 issue KBN36X).
Chet15

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Trouble is, when the latest, greatest, shiny new thing that everybody has been screaming for finally does show up, they rarely sell as well as might have been expected. The SR1911 proves the exception to the rule, of course.

Ya just don't know how the community will value anything until it has been around a loooong time . . . usually.

I guess the only way to be sure you get the good stuff is to buy one of everything the minute they come out and then let time sort out the winners from the losers. Wonder if ya can pick enough winners to make the effort worthwhile when ya can't sell the losers for anywhere near the original price, even "NIB".

All JMHO, and worth the asking price.

 

[JohnW]

Like some others have said, collecting what you enjoy is key to me. I don't look at it as a business venture - I believe combining them is a good way to do poorly at both. I don't have the means to play in the high-dollar guns, so I don't expect to ever be here showing off my NIB Hawkeye. I can deal in a few nice OM single actions, especially the later protected sight guns. I refuse to give top dollar for anything, no matter how nice it is. If you are playing in the realm of the really rare stuff, you cannot always be so choosy.

I look at it that I have time to build a collection - I don't have to go get it all at once. I will hang onto them as well, only selling to make room for something better, or that more closely fits my interests. A good example is that I just sold a nice Liberty BN36 complete package locally for $450. I had purchased it over 12 years ago for $250. That was a little under market then, probably right on market today. However, that $450 got me about 80% of the way to a nice BKH45 that I just bought at what I consider to be under current market. The BN36 was a very nice gun, but it was my only New Model. It just didn't "speak" to me, but the BKH45 does.

To sum it all up, I believe I can make intelligent decisions (& keep my emotions out of it) and greatly minimize my chances of losing money, while still enjoying the hobby. That's what works for me, YMMV.

 

[BearStopper]

Just think of it as a buyers market. While everyone is stocking up on high capacity semi auto stuff I have noticed great prices slipping through on guns that would normally go for collector prices. How bout the 10" Maxi that just sold here in the classifieds. I see certain Colts, S&W's, and many other highly valued items selling cheap all of a sudden. A year ago you couldn't get a S&W 52-2 for under $1000.00 and I see them getting through for 8-900 bucks recently. Things like SAA's popping up for bargain prices when someone needs money and everyone is focused on potential ban items. I have been on a ten year gun buying spree but I must admit I have bought 6 guns in the last few weeks as things just keep popping up at great prices and I happened to have some jingle in the pocket. These kinds of firearms will regain value once the market regains its senses and then you are sitting pretty.

 

[h bone]

Collecting is one thing. Making a profit is another thing. You must decide early on if you intend to collect or buy and sell for profit. I think I can speak for many Ruger collectors as well as myself. We do not collect Rugers to make a profit, we collect them for many reasons, i.e., history, beauty, variety, rarity, the hunt and on and on, but a true collector does not collect Rugers for profit. In regards to your other comments. When I was young I could'nt afford to pay attention much less buy something of value. Most collectors are people that have aged and they have extra money to spend on things other than their childrens needs, mortgages, credit cards etc. Also as we grow older we tend to appriciate the finer things in life and we invest in things we enjoy such as collecting. If you intend to collect Rugers or any thing else, always buy the best you can afford, and always buy with the intention of keeping it forever. Henry







a

 

[8pointer]

"Looking for justification/rationalization to continue what I fear has become an irrational obsession."

In my opinion, it simply boils down to are you enjoying the collection/hobby part of it or not? Does your heart still beat just a little faster when you find that speacial gun that you have been looking for? Do you still enjoy the interaction, information exchange, and negotiating with other collectors? When you step back and look at your collection, does it make you smile (I've seen your collection and it sure makes me smile ). I think if the answers are yes, and you are not going broke as a result of the spending on your collection, then keep it going and enjoy it. Investment? For me, that makes it sound too much like business and takes part of the fun out of it. That said, over the long run, I doubt that many of will lose significant money or make massive gains through Ruger collecting.

 

[radicalrod]

Hey Jerry, man I like the way you said that.....I love that feeling when you find a good gun.....even with all the guns I have I still get excited about the next one :lol: :lol: :lol: once I lose that excitement I would guess it would be time to sell :wink: :wink: :wink: I need not "rationalize or justify" my choices to anyone....that is what makes this a great country....

I know I joke about buying high and selling low but I can't remember a single gun that I have lost money on when I have sold or traded.....many I didn't make money but I didn't lose either....as long as you don't count owning it for a long time :roll: :roll: :roll:

I agree that it may be a good time to buy some good guns at great prices....(cost averaging is a wondrous accounting method)......and get that tingle all over feeling :!: :!: :!: JMO....YMMV...RR.

 

[Mikela]

I started collecting firearms 7 years ago, as a hobby and as an investment. I was talking to my accountant and financial advisor last week and after that discussion I am now starting on my second million dollar investment in firearms. I am giving up on the first. :roll: :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[Johnnu2]

"In my opinion, it simply boils down to are you enjoying the collection/hobby part of it or not? Does your heart still beat just a little faster when you find that special gun that you have been looking for? Do you still enjoy the interaction, information exchange, and negotiating with other collectors? When you step back and look at your collection, does it make you smile (I've seen your collection and it sure makes me smile ). I think if the answers are yes, and you are not going broke as a result of the spending on your collection, then keep it going and enjoy it. Investment? For me, that makes it sound too much like business and takes part of the fun out of it."
I don't post much, but I have to say that I've never heard it said better than 8pointer. FWIW, I've never invested in anything; I made my money the old fashioned way (I worked for it and saved it). I have, however, purchased just about everything I've ever wanted just by WAITING and jumping on ridiculously low prices. In this manner, I've built a very small 'group' of firearms that I shoot and, most importantly, 'step back and look at my goodies and smile'. P.S. I am personally convinced that the stuff that we love will be totally ignored by the next generations. So if you are counting on 'investment value' you better continue selling to each other until there's no one left. ))p.p.s. this is the BEST forum with the BEST group of gun-nuts there is.