doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com effect of a re-stock on value?

Makes sense to me Small Bore. Holy cow, there are so many English guns out there with short stocks, mainly sub-gauge but plenty of 12's too. I have heard the reason being many of these guns are long-lived, passed from generation to generation with alterations, usually more than once and the sub-gauges were meant for women or children. I once had an Arthur Howell 20b with the safety way posterior on the top tang. It was terribly awkward. I finally decided this gun must have been made for a woman or child with very small hands. I couldn't handle that safety and traded that gun off...and don't miss it a bit.

That's the way I look at it Dig. Every gun I look at is personal. If I like it and I think re-stock I don't give two hoots about what anyone else thinks. It's for me. Usually I get it right, people buy my guns, although it was NEVER my intension to sell some of the ones I hav but as you know circumstances change and Marie doesn't want 15 Vintage Shotguns sitting around!
T

Maybe too little too late, but if done right I don't think it matters on British and Continental guns.

On American guns originality is everything.

But you knew that...

A useful distinction to make though Rob.

It indicates the difference between shooters and collectors nicely. A collector will be happy with a totally original, near mint gun, which does not fit, as he won't shoot it. a shooter will pay for a beautiful gun, which he can shoot, even if some finish/parts are not original.

It appears that the American gun market if far more collector focussed than the British gun market.

What I know about American guns and the collecting scene regarding them is almost nothing (I'm just reflecting on what I have learned here).

I wonder if there are more Americans that own British guns than British?

That's a really interesting question to ponder, Chuck; I know in my part of the world a lot of fine British guns were bought new by colonial settlers with money from gold and wool; other parts of the Empire like India and southern Africa would have had a lot too; many have been hoovered up and sold overseas by dealers, but many remain.

Or perhaps the American market is less impressed by big names and fancy lineages and more concerned with quality and value.

I'm a hunter, not a shooter. I only pursue wild game (really wild, never released). I value a gun that fits me (although I think fit is a bit over rated).

Because I need to be very smart with my money (I'm a working Joe), I need to make sure that I stretch my dollars as far as they'll go.

I can't afford to lose money on guns, and I don't want to be throwing cash down money pits (aka "restorations" and "projects"). Consequently, I'm acutely aware of what holds its value and what appreciates.

That why I insist on all original. I've watched the markets on both side of the pond long enough to know that nice, all original guns always bring the best money.

I've been tempted to restock/rebbl guns, but every time I do the numbers I realize it's smarter to wait for a gun with better dimensions and more original condition. They cost more up front and they're harder to find, but in the long run they're be worth more dough.

OWD

Original condition guns, as a religious value is like virginity, overrated.
While I cannot and do not encourage immorality, if the gun as is, is unusable it is reasonable to make it right. While some changes to original condition take away from a gun. Done right I encourage anyone thinking of changing a gun to carefully consider the effects. Yes one of the effects is resale, another of the effects, which I value most, is utility. Can I shoot the gun well or not.
The question of spending money that cannot be recovered at resale is a tough one. You seldom get what you don�t pay for, and often failed to receive what you did pay for. The value lost by changing the �original� gun is part of the cost of gaining performance. Only the buyer can determine how much they are willing to pay for increased performance.
I believe that guns are meant to be used. For some the use is holding them in a nice gun room and looking at them. For some it is on a range. For some it is in the field. For the latter two, gun fit may or may not matter. A poorly fitted gun might only cost you a few birds out of 50, or it may make a gun unshootable. It is a personal choice as to how much you can afford to spend and not recover.
As for buying guns that are not original, it is a matter of taste and what you value.

Given the obsession of consumers with brand name in America, as well as many other markets, I highly doubt the accuracy of that inference.

Given the number of new clients from the US who ask for a 'Holland, Boss or Purdey" in their first contact, I'd say the average US buyer is very much wedded to brand value.

Until they learn a bit more.