I am not a gun dealer. I do not look at paying a lot for a gun that I am not going to use. When I buy a gun, I consider it much like buying a house. Pay less than the going market, hold on to it until natural inflation brings the price of new ones up and then sell the old one at a fair profit.

Giving the preacher $750 for the gun means the scope is worth half what I give for the gun. An upper end Browning is going to be more difficult to locate in the future and the Browning gun of the future will cost more than today. Saying I get $150 profit out of the gun in two years, I have done a lot better than I would have in the stock market and did not have to pay taxes on it, nor have any overhead expenses.

Now for a real world experience. I bought a Model 25-5 in unfired condition from a man a few yrs back. Gave him $175 for it. I just turned down $650 for it. Had I taken the latest offer, I would have quadrupled my money in less than five years. I bought a .270 Sako with the nice stock and scope for $500 from a relative needing quick cash in 2009 at the end of deer season. I sold it for $900 this year just before the season began.

I might not make much money on a gun or I may do well but I am not in the gun selling business. I enjoy having the guns and if I decide to sell one or all, I figure I will make a profit. It is sort of like buying a new Model 36 in 1974 for $137. The new models today is a lot more than that so I will let the market make me money as the new prices go up or the model goes out of production. If I were a dealer, I would not be making any money.