doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Investing in "best" guns?

I'm thinking it might be nice to diversify my investments, particularly as i don't think I have the stomach to stay 100% in the stock market much longer. Also, reading the article in the Winter DGJ makes me think that investing in best English guns might be enjoyable.

I know almost very little - does anyone have any advice regardintg where to start? As a novice, it seems like it might make most sense to start with the big names: Purdey, H&H, Boss and maybe even to buy used from them but I imagine I'll take it in the shorts. Buying elsewhere has risks; I don't know a good gunsmith who could check over potential purchases and I'm not sure which dealers would be trustworthy.

If anyone could point me at a book, website, etc. anything that could help me start learning I would be much obliged.

Thanks,
David

You are a dealer's dream.

Don't walk into a shop and repeat what you've posted here. If they have any investment-grade guns, they've already invested in them and they're looking for a guy like you so they can make their money. Chances are, the profit will be long gone by the time you buy from them.

The big makers in London charge absolute top dollar, top dollar plus, really.

You can buy stuff at auction, but you really have to know what you're doing before you jump into that game.

Where in the US are you located?

OWD

If you do not know what you are doing in buying Best guns, your money is safer in the market. The world is full of tired, worn out, Best guns that have been dressed up to look better than they are. Easy to buy a gun for 20K which is worth half that much at best. A good gunsmith may be able to prevent many mistakes like this but every evaluation you get will cost you more money in your Best education.

Best guns are not investments any more than breast implants are in a wife or girl friend. They are nice to look at and to hold but will only cost you more money in the end. Plus the return on investment will not grow over time, if you add in inflation. If Best guns were such a great investment every high grade dealer would be swimming in cash.

Boy you guys are discouraging.

Ney, ney !!
They tell truth.

No one can learn enough to sniff out the sleepers in less than several years. Lots of tuition in mistakes will be made, also.

But--If you decide to do it anyway, pick one marque and one only. Study and handle many, many of them. Make the first purchase when you know that you are expert on them.

Best,
John

This one will have plenty of answers !
Here's my opinion on guns as investments:
I wouldn't do it. I love guns, best guns even more, but there are other things that are easier to evaluate, trade, sell and make a profit than best guns.
If you are going for this, absolutely follow OWD advice , and forget about buying in the makers. They often advertise as buyers, have some work done, and sell with a big premium. There's no way you can get a decent profit buying from them.

Good luck
HM

They know better than to buy sleevers, though.

Guns aren't an investment, anymore than a car is. Do some cars turn out to be worth more money than they cost? Sure. So do some guns. The trick is, which ones?

If you win on a gun, it is likely because you held on to it for a long time. The guy in the DGJ has been in the game for a long time, and bought his guns when they were much cheaper to get into, and, importantly, repair at the factory. I've got a hunch the rebarreled/rewooded guns (Langs?) he had photos of aren't worth as much as he seems to believe they are. No proof yet, since, they aren't for sale, but, time will tell. At his age, they shouldn't lose much more condition, anyway. If he keeps them too long, it won't matter if they went up or down, since, getting rid of them will be someone else's problem.

Like the investment brokers say, "Buy low, sell high". Like Sponge Bob says, "Good luck with that".

Best,
Ted

Tough to make any significant money when you are buying at retail and selling wholesale. Particularly true if you were to pass away suddenly, and the Little Lady has to sell your stuff. She can sell those stocks at full market value. Not so with the guns. People who hold guns for a long period and sell them for a bunch more than they paid may find they could have done as well putting the money in a passbook savings account

You dont make your money selling a gun,you make it when you buy it.
Buy it right.

David JMHO but you must like guns or you would not be thinking about it. And just like when you started in the stock market. You got advice etc,??? Same here there are several great honest people on this site who could help you make the right decisions to help you get started. As They can't buy them all themselves. People Like Michael Petrov,Terry Buffum etc,etc.They are honest people to deal with.At least you should talk to them and others.
And no matter what I would rather have a gun in the closet that I paid too much for than a piece of paper that is even too hard to use in the bath room.Smile Like I said just my HO as I have also been there done that. Whitey

By the time you insure, maintain, repair, index for inflation, securely store, deal with poor liquidity come sale time etc a non-income producing "asset" will need to work pretty hard to beat conventional investments.
Guns of most sorts make crappy investments.
If you know your field really well, and you know the market, sometimes you'll turn up some really good buys, or you'll get in on the ground floor of a field that takes off. Don't count on it to make you a lot of money though.
RG

yobyllib and John Mann have said it all. yobllib implies that almost all profit on a gun deal is made by buying it at half what it is worth. The biggest profit is made if you sell it the next day for 100% appreciation. John says you have to be in the game a long time to recognize a sleeper. Those two guys have told you everything you need to know about investing in guns. A newby does not invest in guns.

The one wonderful thing about guns is that you can use them while they are appreciating in value(if they do). You can't use the money in a CD or the stock market while you're waiting to get rich. To buy guns strictly as an investment and salt them away is not a good investment, IMO.

David: You have gotten a lot of good advice here, but I'm going to give you my two cents anyway. I love my guns. To me they are works of art and if they could tell their story you could be entertained for as long as you live. I had my romance with the stock market years ago. I was a broker as well as an investor. I finally figured out that investing in the market was a lot like going to Las Vegas except you didn't get free drinks and a floor show while you were losing your money. With the stock broker like Vegas, THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS.

Now I invest in land and guns because I have never lost money with either. You have to be smart when you're buying especially in something like Best English SxSs. Read a lot about them, talk with knowledgeable dealers. One that comes to mind is Diggory Hadoke who posts on here as "smallbore". Check the auction sites such as Holts, Bonhams & Gavin Gardiner and see what kind of appreciation various makers have had over time. In other words, become a student.

Best Regards, George

If you REALLY want to invest in firearms, the only decent choice is Class III (fully automatic). They aren't making any more that are available to the public, and prices have gone up a lot in recent years, with no ceiling in sight.

I have a number of different instruments in my portfolio. Guns are a part of it. You have high risk (high return) and low risk (low return) . Guns will most likely average out as low rate of return but i get the use out of them and enjoy taking them hunting, shooting and pride of ownership. Cant do that with sticks!! And, when I am old and crotchety, I get to take them one at a time to gunshows, walk around and make the dealers drool all over themselevs hoping to steal it from me!! LOL. really, no capital gains tax, no income tax, just pocket the money and walk away when I have to liquidate part of it.

just my .02.

Tip....don't buy a Darne.


(They're not worth sleeving)

David,the best thing for you to do is build a time machine,go back 40 years buy all the London Best guns you can and return to the present. Barring that, buy guns you can afford,shoot them for fun,read everything you can about these guns. Talk to everyone you can about them and in about 10 years you'll be glad you didn't invest in the "Best Gun" market.
Justin

Actually the market for Class III has softened over the last year and prices in most instances have declined. I still think long term they are a good investment as the supply is capped.
Jim

David nobody says you have to buy English DB's etc. There is a lot of old time custom rifle makers stuff that is becoming great possibilities etc. Again talk to the right people and check around.And you might think about the fact you don't have to buy a ten thousand dollar gun. But 10 thousand dollar guns might make you more money.And be much easier to sell in the future. You might also want to consider some of the people telling you not to. Don't want the increase in competition. Smile Human nature.Whitey

Too true... A newby invests in mistakes.

I've done OK on MY Darnes, jOe. I got about $750 into my R10, that has an outrageous piece of French walnut, stocked to fit me. Pretty sure I could get close to 2 large for it, except I hit a lot of things I shoot at with it. No hacksaw is needed with a Darne, however-it's a monoblock.
I know that is a multi-syllable word, and frightens you, but, you need to learn to use a few.
Otherwise, you look stupid.


Best,
Ted

I prefer to think of it as making payments on the learning curve.

Best,

Mike

I would not look this way as far as investments or a way to make money either fast or slow, buy a few guns that you like. BUT FIRST BUY A WHOLE LOT OF BOOKS and study yer arse off.

higher end english or continental guns are not something you get into without a good basic knowledge base, helps to have a genuine interest in the manufacture / history of them, as most on this site do. there are alot of student of all kinds of guns and makers on this board and it is a good resource to learn from.

Just my two cents and that is almost what it's worth.

H&H

Worth a little more than that.

Best,
Ted