Most of my guns are either not particularly expensive or they are not in good enough condition to warrant high values. The guns I own that would be considered pricey are mostly so simply due to inflation. I have had them long enough for the monetary values to rise. Like my Colt Gov't Model with ivory stocks. The gun was $135 new in 1973 and the stocks were $32.50. Would likely sell now for $1,300 or so.
Well, since we're (mostly) being honest here, my most valuable gun is a Cogswell & Harrison double rifle. I paid $1,800 for it in the 1970s. Not sure of current value, but about 8 years ago I saw an identical rifle offered by a specialty seller at $6,000. That rifle had been refinished and mine is still untouched. Plus mine is documented as formerly owned by the prince of Afghanistan and Ian Flemming's father in law (tenuous celebrity connection, I know). Trust me when I say that at the time I got it, that $1,800 was a fortune to me.
The most I actually paid for a gun was the $3,000 I spent for my RM about 6 years ago. After I got it I realized that I over paid by at least $500 partly due to the incorrect replacement hammer (that was not disclosed by the seller). It was a bad combination of the fact that I wanted it very badly and I knew I had enough money in the bank to write a check. You can imagine my dismay a year or so ago when forum members told me it was worth maybe $1,500. I still can't believe it's worth that little but I know I overpaid at the time. It now has the correct hammer, BTW.
