I wouldn't really call a Colt SAA an odd gun. I would say that you have brought up an example of a very popular gun, but with very few ropers ever made for it. That pony tax has been crazy for a long time now. It has kept me almost entirely out of the Colt market, outside of the "wrong" guns I've bought (such as those defiled by D.W. King or the Colt Service Department with icky icky modifications). I just look at good examples and think...thats just way too much money. Let some guy who has a big pension and grew up watching Gunsmoke as a child fight a guy who sold the Bay area house he paid 22,000 dollars for in 1980 for 73 million fight the guy who's favorite show was Rawhide for it. I can't compete against them.

When I mean odd gun I'm thinking mostly sets for Automatics. I've seen a couple sets go by that the seller couldn't figure out what they went on, and I couldn't either. I got a pretty good price on a set for a New Model 3. If a set for something like a broomhandle mauser, which does exist, would I think, sell for less then a set for an N frame. At least based on what I have observed.

I think the thing about the Roper market is that the high prices are for the stocks that people have a gun that needs them. I know I have had my fair share of great old Smiths...that came with some completely wrong modern rubber grips on there. It feels like the gun deserves a set of appropriate target stocks, especially with a fine old Smith. With the small number of them out there, and an increasing number of folks seeing all the great ones that folks post on the internet, the price is bound to climb.

I don't know that Roper Collecting proper is going to be the thing. When a market has so few examples it kind of chokes it off, ad makes it inaccessible. But given their fine craftsmanship, historical interest, and general attractiveness I expect their price will just continue to climb.