Am I getting wise or just slowing down

[bushmaster1313]

I recently sold three very nice examples of relatively hard to find guns that I acquired over several years. Feeling flush with hobby cash burning a hole in my pocket and long needed space in the safe I thought I might be in the market for one or maybe two relatively pricey guns.

Instead I got one one good but not spectacular gun for less than the price of each of the three guns I sold.

So am I getting smarter or just slowing down?

 

[Whitwabit]

Maybe your more selective then you were before ..

 

[H Richard]

Wisdom comes with age & experience. I've been finding myself doing the same thing.

 

[walkin jack]

As we age and acquire knowledge, wisdom and experience some things change: perspective, judgment, opinion and perception. I'd say you are on the path you should be on.

 

[Telecaster]

I'm not getting wise, I still buy guns I end up not liking very much.

I just went through my inventory and selected 18 specimens I could part with. A couple of them I probably won't, for emotional reasons (they're just too good to part with), but I may start unloading them.

The ones that won't appreciate in value (plastic guns) will go first. I just don't see any point to having a pile of stuff I'll never use.

 

[rog8732]

There may be a country song lyric that says: "It's easier to grow old and wise if you started out young and stupid";....and if it ain't it oughta be.

I've pretty much adhered to those sentiments most of my life, and at age 77 come next May, the "Y" and "S" parts still pop up from time to time.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Details man, we need details! What did you sell? What did you
buy? Then, maybe we can help you.

 

[jtcarm]

Both.

Youth is completely wasted on the young.

 

[kraynky]

Details man, we need details! What did you sell? What did you
buy? Then, maybe we can help you.

Yeah, what He ^ said! The suspense is killing me here!

I've been slowly parting ways with most of my plastic guns lately, and generally replacing them with S&W revolvers and 3rd generation (mostly) semi-autos.

I've even considered doing something along the lines of bushmaster1313, and just turning 2-3 so-so firearms into a higher end 1911, or a spectacular "something". But not for "collecting" per say, but for shooting and caressing. The only plastics left in my safe are an FNX 40, a Beretta PX4 Storm 9, my EDC Shield 9 and a Glock 19 I traded into (to try one out, but haven't yet). Oh yeah, I almost forgot my plastic rifle, the CX4 Storm, but it's a great truck gun, so I'll probably keep it and the Beretta 92 that shares mags with it.

I used to shoot all of my guns pretty regularly, but now I have a few of them I've owned for a year or more, that I've never fired. So I guess it would make more sense to do as the OP said, because there's nothing wrong with slowing down a bit. I still enjoy my firearms and much as ever, probably even more than ever. However I don't have the urges to jump out and buy the newest and latest one to hit the market. It could just be, they just don't make nearly as many "Purty guns" as they used to.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Details man, we need details! What did you sell? What did you
buy? Then, maybe we can help you.

None were Smiths so I can't discuss details on this subforum

Suffice it to say the three sold and the one bought were wood and steel and the one bought was from 1924 and older than each of the other three

 

[Jack Flash]

One of my favorite sayings, seems appropriate here:
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.

 

[bushmaster1313]

I just edited my OP

The gun I got cost less than each of the three guns I sold

In fact, it was less than $600. Still real money, but not expensive by today's standard.

 

[model70hunter]

Broke the code, you sold 3 W M21's and bought a W M12 I. 28 ga.

You drive hard bargains.

Must be good, you sound happy.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Broke the code, you sold 3 W M21's and bought a W M12 I. 28 ga.

You drive hard bargains.

Must be good, you sound happy.

Three Sold: Winchester Model 70, Ruger No. 1 RSI, and Baker Batavia Leader

One Bought: Remington 17

 

[petepeterson]

I have a similar outlook. I shoot more now than I ever did, but I shoot fewer guns.
I've sold a few over the last year, and for the 1st time ever, did not immediately replace them.
There's actually not much out there that gets my attention, other than some almost-unobtainable items.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Broke the code, you sold 3 W M21's

If I had enough disposable cash to own three Model 21's I would be in Maui

 

[nachogrande]

ONE KINDA FORCES THE OTHER

The older/slower you get, the projects stay the same, SO it's either work slower/smarter, or pay someone else to do a job you could have done better yourself. I can't tell you how many chores the wife said "you can't do that anymore", I even said it myself a few times UNTIL you come up with a S L O W E R /SMARTER way to do it.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I used to only buy guns and never sell them. Somewhere along the line as I got older (and maybe a little wiser), that changed. I now routinely sell a few off that are either "under loved" or too rarely used. ( Read: Guns that I don't really care if I own them or not any more.) That cash often turns into some other gun/ toy along the way. (All the while maintaining my "never sell "list.)

What I've learned along the way of 40+ years of gun collecting is that:
a) I'm not married to any of them so there is no point keeping what I don't like anymore.
b) I'm running out of time to enjoy them all.

 

[Golddollar]

Even at retirement age, I am hesitant to let go of any of my guns because back during the Recession I was laid off and ended up selling a boatload of guns and ammunition to keep from losing my house. Actually, since I retired one of my new hobbies is cruising all over the place during the week to find gun shops that I had rarely or never been in before. I am probably being a little more selective about what I buy now but I am really enjoying having the quality guns I used to see but never thought before that I would own.

 

[Abbynormal]

Sounds like your interests are changing.