Custom Revolver ‘value’ into the future

[Badubet69]

I know I’m gonna catch the usual flack for a post referring to owning a custom revolver and attaching an investment value to it. But here you go.
1st let me say I shoot every gun I have. Some maybe safe queens but they’ve seen their share of lead and powder. With the death and retirement of many of the top pistolsmiths in recent times; values have soared of late. I know pistols are tools but they are an investment based on the money they cost to acquire.
Examples of customs built by Linebaugh, Bowen, Clements, Harton, Gallagher, Huntington, Harton, and Stroh to name a few are difficult to find and even more difficult to afford.
My question is : Will these guns continue to grow in value, hold their value, or fall out of favor and lose value as we ‘collectors/ owners’ die off? I really don’t see people younger than 50 years of age interested in wheel guns. Seems like black- plastic guns are the direction people’s interest are headed.

 

[Johnnu2]

TIME WILL TELL...........
Personally, I don't 'invest' in anything... I keep my life SIMPLE..... like me.
I chute'm all, clean them, look at them; never even consider tomorrow....

J.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I'd think the difficulty would be agreeing on a general price range for certain custom work. Everyone appreciates certain features while others don't, so it would be a matter of finding the exact right customer for your exact custom gun. How much? The buyer sets the price. ;)

 

[GunnyGene]

What counts in things like this is not so much engraving and the like, but who owned it and is there any significant history attached to it. Common guns used by Bonnie and Clyde for example, or owned by notable historical people, fetch very good offers from collectors. Rarity, condition, etc. also help, but not as much as you might think.

 

[TheTexasRAT]

My question is : Will these guns continue to grow in value, hold their value, or fall out of favor and lose value as we 'collectors/ owners' die off? I really don't see people younger than 50 years of age interested in wheel guns. Seems like black- plastic guns are the direction people's interest are headed.

If they engrave them with their name on it, I wouldn't even want it. I saw a really nice custom Ruger Redhawk cut down to a 3 1/2" barrel but the guy had his name engraved on it so I passed.

 

[Cholo]

I'd say they lose value, and sometimes a lot of value. I've watched the sales on the Forum with a spec sheet showing the total the gunsmith charged in addition to the gun itself and every single time the selling price is hundred$ less that they had in it.

 

[pawncop]

I also seem to notice when people rebuild, restore, or customize an item, gun, car, house etc, they rarely get the amount they put into the project, especially when it is customized for them.

 

[Dan in MI]

Just like custom cars you may or may not get out equal or ahead of the game.

 

[Kevin]

TIME WILL TELL...........
Personally, I don't 'invest' in anything... I keep my life SIMPLE..... like me.
I chute'm all, clean them, look at them; never even consider tomorrow....

J.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Simple terminology.

 

[eveled]

The value of a custom gun cannot be denied. Having a master gunsmith make a gun exactly as you want it to your specifications and taste. You pay a premium for this experience.

The second owner is buying a gun made for someone else. To me it is not worth as much

 

[fwb124]

I also seem to notice when people rebuild, restore, or customize an item, gun, car, house etc, they rarely get the amount they put into the project, especially when it is customized for them.

I've long seen this in the area of precision adult and classic airguns. You're almost always better off selling accessories separately as opposed to including them as part of a package. Similarly, I've bought several highly tricked out gun/accessory packages because (1) the package put the gun in a form I really liked, and (2) the price I paid for that packages I liked, while not low, were indeed considerably lower than what my cost would have been to duplicate them

One example is a $598-final-price-to-my-hands Ruger Mark II Competition Target package I recently bought on GunBroker. No box or papers, but the gun was _mint_ original with one magazine, had the original (no longer included and highly sought-after) Ruger steel scope base and rings unique to the Competition Target Model, and came with a mint condition Leupold 2x M8 EER silver pistol scope mounted on the gun in the rings. The last time I saw that scope advertised new was at ~$350, and in excellent used condition they can bring ~$200-225 even today. I've never spent more on a Mark II, but I got a great deal for the quality and capability of what I received.

Now, if I can just force myself to shoot and fine tune my KMK/MK-678G Government Target Models and KMK-10's instead of looking for more of them....

 

[GunnyGene]

Don't forget to factor in inflation when selling or buying.

 

[JiminMaine]

I know I'm gonna catch the usual flack for a post referring to owning a custom revolver and attaching an investment value to it. But here you go.
1st let me say I shoot every gun I have. Some maybe safe queens but they've seen their share of lead and powder. With the death and retirement of many of the top pistolsmiths in recent times; values have soared of late. I know pistols are tools but they are an investment based on the money they cost to acquire.
Examples of customs built by Linebaugh, Bowen, Clements, Harton, Gallagher, Huntington, Harton, and Stroh to name a few are difficult to find and even more difficult to afford.
My question is : Will these guns continue to grow in value, hold their value, or fall out of favor and lose value as we 'collectors/ owners' die off? I really don't see people younger than 50 years of age interested in wheel guns. Seems like black- plastic guns are the direction people's interest are headed.

I have had a couple of custom guns built for me, just what I wanted. I don't think I could ever sell them for what I have into them, unless I found somebody else who wanted just the same things.

Do I think they will ever go up in value? Probably not. I think gun values only go up if they are extremely rare, have some historic ownership or some movie comes our where one like it is used and it become the flavor of the day for a year or two.

 

[WanderLust]

A friend invests in engraved firearms from only well-known engravers. The plus side of engraved guns is they are normally in excellent condition and usually have upgrades done prior to the engraving. That makes them even more desirable. He followed the numbers for years before buying and said that he expected to double his value every 8-10 years. He schooled me a bit on the difference between ‘custom work’ and engraving itself. Custom work means building a gun exactly how a person has dreamed it, so it may be rare to find another buyer with the same vision. That makes the value iffy. Engraving is a different animal; gun guys like it, historians like it, artists like it, investors like it. At the end of the day, it’s still a working firearm that can still be shot, which gives it a minimum value at its worst.
Doubt it? Try looking up gun values from master engravers, or just well-known workers from recent years. It’s rare that firearms (of any kind) are appreciated outside the shooting world, but engraved guns easily cross that threshold. I’m not an expert by any means, and the market changes over time, yet the values tend to rise very well.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

What counts in things like this is not so much engraving and the like, but who owned it and is there any significant history attached to it. Common guns used by Bonnie and Clyde for example, or owned by notable historical people, fetch very good offers from collectors. Rarity, condition, etc. also help, but not as much as you might think.

I think there's a difference. Any old gun with spectacular provenance will bring big bucks for those into that aspect of collecting or perhaps collectors of guns once owned by a certain individual. For instance, a typical-condition Colt SAA with provenance to Elmer Keith will bring certain big bucks, whereas one of his own actual #5 specials would bring even bigger bucks. Any firearm associated with Keith would draw interest. It all depends on what someone is interested in. Given adequate provenance on the piece, engraving may or may not affect the price depending on the buyer's specific interest.

Again, the buyer determines the price. ;)

 

[jav]

I love older smith revolvers it’s definitely my favorite thing to collect

 

[turd]

I just got my NM Blackhawk back from Tyler Gun Works. It is just what I wanted. Will someone else want the same thing? Doubtful, but that isn't why I had it built. I am happy with what I paid for, that's what matters to me. My special firearm. I have others that I have customized to a degree, but this one goes beyond that and works for me. Who cares what it is worth when I pass (I'll never sell it)?

 

[jav]

I just got my NM Blackhawk back from Tyler Gun Works. It is just what I wanted. Will someone else want the same thing? Doubtful, but that isn't why I had it built. I am happy with what I paid for, that's what matters to me. My special firearm. I have others that I have customized to a degree, but this one goes beyond that and works for me. Who cares what it is worth when I pass (I'll never sell it)?

Exactly

 

[davevabch]

Custom guns? Do not own any. What guns I do have will outlive me.. (And will be worth more when I am long gone)

 

[jav]

Custom guns? Do not own any. What guns I do have will outlive me.. (And will be worth more when I am long gone)

I also don’t own any custom guns I don’t see the need

 

[DGW1949]

Don't forget to factor in inflation when selling or buying.

Good point, and one that a lot of folks can't seem to understand....An example of this is the somewhat lowly Mini-14. Back in 1974 a NIB Mini-14 was about $200....In today's currency, that amounts to around $1250 or so, which is about what Ruger advertises a new one for today . Given that, it should be obvious that what at first glance looks like a $1100 increase in price really is not...it is simply inflation at work, which has to do with the buying power of our so-called "dollar" going down over time, not the "value" of the item going up....The same thing applies to any other gun, custom or otherwise. Yeah, one could theoretically realize a profit when selling "this or that" firearm somewhere down the road...but...first inflation has to be factored in before a price is agreed on or the seller could actually "loose money" while raking in more....Some folks can't seem to wrap their head around such a simple concept. Regardless though, it is very real.

DGW

 

[KS25-06]

Selling custom guns is about like selling custom cars. You have to find someone that really likes what you had done if you are going to get your money back, if you get it back at all. In my opinion, you will be very lucky to recoup your money.

 

[kmoore]

Checking my crystal ball and looking into the future. It's saying the same thing about the future. It says risk and speculation. Since you are asking about buying these guns as an investment it's your money. Your risk and speculation with your money not mine. If you really have the money and desire to buy any you mention, do so.
Maybe treat the gun like stock. Watch the market daily, weekly, yearly and sell when you feel it's peaked for you. The "for you" part has to do with your need for money, your health, your age in the future. That's all speculation that your belief in the future will come true.
The past can be a marker for future investments, but many things we can't ever foresee happening do and blow up our plans.

 

[Badubet69]

I have a friend that Amish. He didn’t see the need for a truck

 

[rugerguy]

yes good points above and bottom line it is ONLY for YOU, and no way to speculate as to the future, not everyone wants white wall tires........:unsure::rolleyes:

 

[gnappi]

An old quote from an Indiana Jones movie... "Look at this. [holds out a pocket watch] It's worthless. Ten dollars from a vendor in the street. But I take it, I bury it in the sand for a thousand years, it becomes priceless!"

Firearms just about always appreciate in value, the more unusual it is the more likely someone will want it down the road.

 

[GunnyGene]

Good point, and one that a lot of folks can't seem to understand....An example of this is the somewhat lowly Mini-14. Back in 1974 a NIB Mini-14 was about $200....In today's currency, that amounts to around $1250 or so, which is about what Ruger advertises a new one for today . Given that, it should be obvious that what at first glance looks like a $1100 increase in price really is not...it is simply inflation at work, which has to do with the buying power of our so-called "dollar" going down over time, not the "value" of the item going up....The same thing applies to any other gun, custom or otherwise. Yeah, one could theoretically realize a profit when selling "this or that" firearm somewhere down the road...but...first inflation has to be factored in before a price is agreed on or the seller could actually "loose money" while raking in more....Some folks can't seem to wrap their head around such a simple concept. Regardless though, it is very real.

DGW

About 3 years ago I sold a 1973 Win 9422M in excellent condition with fancy walnut furniture, that I'd bought new for under $200, Got $1200 for it. So figuring inflation I made about $200. Investment wise, it sucked.

 

[otis24]

I just watched a video from a couple of years ago that said revolvers are making a comeback. Sales up significantly in 2024 vs 2023. Stated that one in four handgun sales is a revolver. Partly due to more women shooters. They prefer the simplicity. Partly due to aging shooters who may have trouble racking a slide.