doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rocket Man...makers tiers

Intuitively, we short-cut the quality factor of purchasing decisions by ascribing certain quality grades to brands. This eases the difficulty/complications in making a buy decision. Unfortunately, there is no long term assurance that the brand will uphold its quality or that all products of the brand will have equal quality. For example, a few years ago I'd have said Woodward sold nothing but best work SLE's. Now, I say, as the owner, proud owner, of three Woodward vended BLE of middlin' OQ, I would be in serious gastrointestinal distress if I'd have paid for the BLE's as I would have for a SLE.

DDA

I would submit too that part of the BV is the pride in owning a double with a certain name on it. For example, the Holland I just bought and is posted on here, I bought simply and only because it was a Holland and Holland. That name conjures up the Great Shots, of safaris like Teddy's, of India during the Empire, etc to my mind. It would not have the same effect if the name on the outside was "John Stanton", or any other name. And while it's rather prideful, the old timers a my club say it's the first time they've ever heard of a Holland coming through the doors. What owner doesn't like that sort of thing? My gun is of no better OQ than many other makes, and certainly would not be now considered a London Best, but that does not alter the famous name on it. And I happily shelled out more than I otherwise would have for her!

Don, anything I learned about astringent valuation of Euro guns, I learned from you. It wasn't a big step. It's quite similar to Weighted avg cost of capital, and capital budgeting in finance.

However, YOU did the work, and continue to do it. So, in my mind, You deserve to reap all of it's benefits.

It has not gone unnoticed by me that the derivation of certain factors continues to remain shrouded in mystery. As I hope it ever does.

That, in a nutshell, is why brand names are important in our free market system. They are simply "shortcuts" to an understanding of potential quality.

The value of brand names as guides was probably true when the clientele of the top tier was mostly shooting men. It is doubtful if these days they are shooting folk.

Brand names can also act as barriers to new, dynamic companies achieving their righful status, and naturally they carry a premium not realisable in actual use.

Personally I would rather have a Dominion bearing the original maker's name, rather than the Holland stamped one for a premium. The name game is no longer the thing once you get to the point where you can judge good gunmaking.

Shotgunlover. It all depends on why you buy them.
Which is a personal matter for every buyer.

Value, reflected in price, unconcerned with utility, is a community aggregate of all kinds of reasons.

Interesting question, why you buy them. Back in the 1900s, I think it would never have been asked, since the answer would have been obvious: to shoot. Ironic that in the golden age of gunmaking collecting was not a priority.

The Eric Clapton collection sale is indicative of today's market for the top names. Bought to be sold to fols who buy them to sell them on to folks who will.... you get the picture.

Is that a real market for any utilitarian object? I can't really tell. That kind of "market" can deflate pretty fast.

The market for psychic income is inexhaustable in humans, so yes, as long as someone wants them, the market exists.

Even though the late Stevie Ray Vaughn will always be my top rock/blues guitarist, I have read and followed Clapton's life and music career-he was not "to the manor born" and invites to high society Limey shooting parties are not given to the lower class folk-no matter their cheque book balance. Why did Eric Clapton order these expensive shotguns anyway? I like some of his stuff, but have zero respect for him as a man who follows the "Guy Code"--he stole Patty Boyd away from her beatles guitarist husband-George Harrison- then wrote the hit song Layla after the fact. He's a "Fuddy-Bucker" and a wanker-no matter his musical great talents..