Am I better off buying guns, or gold for long term? I know this sounds silly, but gold fluctuates, guns seem to only go up in price...what am I missing here? Example: new 686+ was in the $500 range just a couple of years ago - now they are asking $600 plus - used 3913 as new in the box was $300 plus or minus few years back and now they run in the mid $400 range if you can find them. Seems to me that firearms are going to be coveted down the road and as such will probably worth their weight in gold?

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Don't tread on me

full auto guns would be your best bet, they really can ONLY go up in price, supply and demand principals. since they dont make em anymore, the price will NEVER go down. but you are looking at $20k for an m16, $6k for a m11, and so on, very pricey investment, but will never lose value, only go up.


regular guns, well, not so easy to guess, but yes they are going up, just like the tough times and bad economy, but like everything else, once you are accustomed to buying an AR at $700, are they really gonna sell em for cheaper? or gas, they get $3-4 a gallon, you think you will see $2 ever again?

everything only goes up.

full auto is the way to gaurantee it though.

Well, you can't defend youself with gold, and you can't use it to get you food. I'm not sure that you can use it to buy anything if the world goes to pot.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Appreciation is better than bank interest but you won't get rich without a BIG collection, IMO.

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Bob

Pete,

Guns are a very bad investment.

They even cause the value of your other holdings to depreciate. Get out while you still can.

Because you seem like such a nice guy I will take your guns off your hands and will not charge you much.

Actually gold is a good long term investment because there are a billion people in China and another billion in India who look at gold the way we look at mutual funds and 401k's.

But all investments fluctuate, especially ones that have made a heady run in the recent past.
Expect silver to nose dive and gold to head down to $1,500 as soon as peple realize it's not going up any more in the near future.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

How about a gold-plated gun?



This one belonged to Saddam Hussein.

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'Merica!

Ahhh - there is always one guy willing to help out - eh?

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Don't tread on me

Next week on GB $1 start - no reserve!!

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Don't tread on me

Sure some will go up, some wont. You definetly have to have a feel for whats going to go up. In my lifetime I seemed to have had the nose for it, but unfortunately I didnt have the money to put it in practice.
It seemed every gun, car, motorcycle I liked turned out to be a "classic". Problem was I might have made money on them alright, but didnt hang on to them long enough to really make out.
What I call "christmass tree guns", you wont make out. Those seem to be the type that walmart or cost to coast sells.
Back in the 50s, 60s they were iver johnson single shots, marlin bolts, nobel pumps, H&R`s etc. Up through the late 50s any colt, winchester or smith you bought, even used, if you took care of it, you made out.
But not the christmass tree guns! If you bought a 55,56 or 57 chev coupe you made out, but not with a 4 door plymouth! I bought old used harleys, I made out. People that bought new jap bikes lost.
This is the long way of saying it depends on what you buy, not just every or any gun.

All true, I wish I would have kept my Olds '66 442 but I didn't - I just notice that the guns that we all consider "within my price range" have been going up fairly fast - I don't know about the more expensive ones - I'm sure they are as well. But the ones I notice are the mid range priced guns - the ones that are under $1,200 new - even the Kel Tec's have gone from $225 to pushing over $300 for a P11 or a P9 - that's amazing.

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Don't tread on me

Have they gone up or is your money worth less?

Both - inflation is here for some time - govt. is in debt and has printed many dollars and put them into the system. Not coming down anytime soon. Thing is - guns don't seem to depreciate in value - the only thing I can see doing that would be if everyone decided to sell at the same time. That would bring the prices down. Even if you don't have any disposable income to spend on guns - you need to own some for all the standard reasons. Gold may or may not get you groceries - if you own guns you can always hunt to feed your family if things get bad.

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Don't tread on me

Well now investing can be viewed differently by us all.
First invest in education, learn survival skills and obtain tools necessary to succeed. Mel Tappin was the Guru back in the 80's.
Firearms are good if you buy quality. Second guessing what will be in demand can be a **** shoot since it varies from region to region.
Double barrel shotguns were suggested to me in 1972. I didn't listen then.
I believe in investing in guns I can use or pass down to my kids. That way if the economy tightens belts then at least I have a useful tool.
Gold is so high now I would never think about it. Silver is about as crazy too. Copper may be an option. I was once told to invest in collectors silver coins. They don't fluctuate as much as rounds and bars.
If you can swing the cash it looks like hand engraved guns are sleepers today. The etched mass produced ones are a fad in my opinion.

Ammo can always be sold or bartered as well as magazines. Unless you bought when Bill and Hillary caused the jump in hi cap mags. I still have some Browning HP $55 magazines.
Well you never really know so diverseness is the key.
Good luck,
Bull

I suppose if we knew what the future would be like, we would all be wealthy. If I had became a surgeon, I would be a millionnire now.

I invest in guns. Many people put money into 401K, IRAs or whatever plan they chose. How did the 401 K plans do lately? Guns have gone up in value. I have a spreadsheet that allows me to track my gun collection in value. So far, I only lost money on a couple but then I seldom sell a gun.

Gold may be a good investment for a short time but I have seen the price of gold drop. I never have in my long life seen the price of guns drop.

Yet guns may be declared illegal one day and those selling them may go to prison. Gold may become the new currancy. We never know until it happens.

Short term?

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In a real inflation gone mad reality I just don't see gold being a usable currency the way it once was. Maybe, maybe not. But guns will always have a use and a place.

Maybe the gold would make good cast bullets.

Would you consider Zimbabwe's inflation bad? Google Zimbabwe gold.

The biggest loss I ever took was buying silver on margin in the early 80s. When it got over $50s a ounce with the hunt brothers driveing the price up. I lost close to $15,000s at the most critical time of my life.
Way back everyone thought a good investment was farm land, it dropped huge when everyone got in the act. For many years everyone was buying exspendsive houses thinking if they could just hang on they were going to make $30,000 a year. It got insane and worked for the lucky ones that sold and got out. Look at it now. Those $400,000 houses in the big citys dropped back to their true worth, $150,000s or so!
Yes, the stock market and houses are down now meaning if you have some money, now is the time to buy! Gold? Yes it WAS good, odds are if you buy now you are buying close to the top of the market like I did when silver reached that $50s a ounce in the 80s. That was my biggest investing mistake of my lifetime!

Yep, people have been calling for a top since the Hunt Bro. fiasco.

I've heard a top called at $800, $900, $1K, $1,100, $1,200, $1,300 yada yada yada. All the guys calling tops were saying the same thing hundreds of dollars an ounce ago. Of course, they'll all deny it now.

Truth is, until we get our fiscal house in order no one can call a top. You think we're gonna get our affairs in order in the next year or two?

I read this article yesterday, good read.

Wikileaks Discloses The Reason(s) Behind China's Shadow Gold Buying Spree | ZeroHedge

Just remember, whether gold or guns or real estate, you need buyers to make it work and they need $.

I invest in precious metals of my choice... good ole carbon steel, stainless, brass, copper and lead. Like a buddy of mine says, given my collectibles, when the SHTF, all of my neighbors will suddenly become my best friends!

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

If we were to sink that low you know it would be guns before gold. I'm not saying inflation couldn't happen but here it would be diaper change time in DC long before we reached Zimbabwe level. That's one of the perks of the Constitution.

Let me guess; Never fired, Dropped once at surrender, Right???

I to am aquiring Presious Metal. Lead, Copper Jacketed Lead, Brass, etc...

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Rick
American Blacksmith

Nothing is a sure bet. The government could confiscate your gold at any time and pay you whatever amount of worthless paper they choose. Or ban the transfer of guns, or certain types of guns, then you're stuck with them.

If you want a fool proof investment for SHTF learn how to grow food, fix engines, weld, build, etc. Those trivial skills are going to pay, whatever the current currency is, big time. IMO.

Well, the slightly scruffy original 1851 Navy Colt I bought just off campus in 1963 for $35 is allegedly now worth $1200 or so. That's about a 3400% jump in value.

The GI 1911 I paid $45 for not long afterward would be worth about the same had I not modified it.

Glad I didn't spend all that money on textbooks like I was supposed to.

Gold is just another medium of exchange, like seashells or wampum. A gun is a lot more and sometimes ALL the difference.

For the coming shtf scenario to dwarf all shtf preparations nothing will be able to help you. Not food, not ammo, not gold, not friends or relatives, not anything mentioned here.

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Sure you did

Although I really dont want wifey to read this...guns are definately not a good investment. You always have to say "compared to what??" To put things in perspective take one of the most valuble guns out there, the Parker Bros. A-1 Special. In 1906 or so an A-1 special cost right at $1000.00. Remember, this was a time when $150.00 would buy you a 40 acre farm and most guys worked for 10 cents an hour!! If you had a rich relative that bought one and somehow you ended up with the gun today it would easily fetch somewhere around $200,000.00 to $250,000.00 at one of the big auction houses like Sotheby's. Take that same $1000.00 in 1906 and invest in Coca-Cola and today you would be a multi-billionaire...thats right, with a B. Guns a good investment, not by a longshot. Admitting that to my wife, an even longer shot...never. This is one time I really want her to stay stupid!!!

We are straying into thread closure territory and I didn't help above.

Gold has been recalled before and could/would be again. There are still massive gold mines here in the States and elsewhere that if mined would upset the price of gold. A much better and safer hedge would be to not just go out and vote but to encourage others who aren't to do so. Guns don't seem to drop much if any in price and for the most part only keep getting more expensive. Certain types like blued steel and walnut really seem to jump up in value. Or Park and walnut in the case of M1A's. The point is gold could take a deep fall in a year or it could still jump up some. I bought a little when it was in the $300 price range and I'm dumping it now instead of keeping it. But to beleive the end is near and stock up on gold now is just giving up. I complain real bad sometimes, but I'm not giving up. Buy guns. Buy American made guns. Buy them when you can afford them and not on credit you can't pay back without lots of interest payments.

Guns are like any other investment. To do OK (not well) you need to have some pretty good skills in buying them. First, you need to identify the rare or scarce models and then seek them. Common guns, those made in very large numbers don't do as well as the more rare ones. Then you need good negotiating skills. Its often said you make your money when you buy the gun. Then there's the issue of identifying modifications or refinish issues. Some craftsmen are pretty good at covering up flaws.

Next, you have the same problem as when you buy metals. Someone has to store them. You need to insure them, and somehow pay for a safe or secure storage place. Guns do rust or deteriorate if not cared for. In the past here we've gone to some detail about how we store them. At the very least they need an inspection once or twice a year.

Back in the 1930s, they confiscated all the gold. Coins, bullion, even some folks lost jewelry that was deemed more bulk than art. It could easily happen again. Just today I read an article where they're calling Liberty silver dollars to be contraband. If you've got them, hide them quick.

Guns can be outlawed at a whim of the president (no one challenges the ATF when they come to your door like Waco.) Sure, you might be right about trivial things like the 2A, but you'll lose everything fighting the government in court.

We've seen property and home values tank. No one can get a loan without jumping through hoops at a bank. The banks don't really want to loan money. Why buy land if you can't resell it? Until the housing market starts a long recovery, its just a shot in the dark.

Anything denominated in dollars will need to gain at a rate in excess of the inflation. I'm talking real inflation, not the bogus numbers the government itself publishes. I still use my own yardsticks, the price to fill my tank and the price to buy a "Big Boy and a Coke". For whatever reason, those seem to just continue to go up while they say my SS won't be adjusted because there is no inflation. Anything the government controls can be jimmyed with and distorted for their own benefit.

So yes, guns can be a good investment. Back about 10 years ago, RMs could be found under $1000. But then so were some early K22s. Try finding those today. I still remember the day I bought gold. A vendor I'd been teasing and heckling for a long time sold me a Kuggerrand for $300. My wife goes to yard sales with me. Back in the early 2000s, she'd find sterling silver spoons, often for 25 cents each.

Forget buying ammo to resell. With a stroke of the pen the government can make private sales of it illegal. But then I remember my old "Howie's" little store. There you could buy a single 22 caliber round, or a single cigarette from an already open pack. Both cost 2 cents, and it was conveniently the price of an empty pop bottle refund. How times have changed.

Its not really all that bleak. But the time for great bargains in the gun buying field are past. Some still score great deals, but they're rare. Probably underpriced stocks are a better buy today. Not all stocks, just those from sound companies that are down because everything is down. Good luck with it.

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Dick Burg

LONG term investment? Don't know how accurate it is, but I found this interesting...

http://www.sharelynx.com/chartsfixed/600yeargold.gif

(for some reason the link doesn't work. you might try googling "650 year gold price" or going to chartsrus.com)

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Jim Supica

Well.....they have been a great investment in my happiness.

Get into poverty, son. Thats where da money is!

Gold!! I've never heard of a government restricting gold due to drive by golding.