collector or accumulator ??? fun question

[Trapper406]

So I have never considered myself a collector. I shoot what I have and enjoy the pride of ownership. I love a gun with a story and search for used guns and old police pistols.

Now to my question:
I was looking for something in my safe tonight. After going through the lot I have the following

Model 27 3.5
1905 pre M&P
Model 15 x2
Model 10 4in
Model 36
Model 641
Model 686
5906
6906 personally built in armorers school
29 4inch
1917 Brazilian
model 10 2 nickel

So accumulator or collector???? either way, I like what I have

I grew up when a revolver was an S&W, auto was a Colt 1911 a shotgun was the Remington 870.

the only two S&W that I wished I had was the Model 19 I carried to the Police Academy and my late father's model 36.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Welcome aboard from Wyoming.

Your thread resonates with me. I don't consider myself a collector, but I've accumulated a number of 32 HEs and RPs, I'm filling in my "collection" of Chiefs Specials, another "area" I consider myself a specialist of is postwar 38 M&Ps, and I just closed the deal on my fifth Centennial -- a mid-'50s Model 40. I have a few other bits and bobs but only because I find them interesting. Here are a few images; please post some of yours.

Enjoy your accumulation.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[1-1917]

My personal take on the collector/accumulator issue:

I've always separated collectors from accumulators based more on "product knowledge" than anything else. I know a lot of people that consider themselves to be collectors that aren't and I know a few people that consider themselves accumulators that aren't. With time and knowledge an accumulator can become a collector. Collectors are more interested in quality than quantity.

A collector may have only one piece but it is going to be a good one and they will know EVERYTHING about that piece. Accumulators buy anything they see and focus more on quantity than quality. I seldom see collectors give inventories of their collections while most accumulators do. The collectors really don't need to, they are like a gunfighter that is past notching his grips.

Collectors also tend to spend a lot of resources on the supporting accouterments (and they have knowledge of them as well). Accumulators have a bunch of guns in gun rags stuffed into a safe waiting for a day at the range. Collectors may only have a few pieces but they are probably not going to be stuffed into a gun rag because they most likely stay in their original boxes (which the accumulators don't have). Collectors often have guns that are simply too valuable to shoot (they may handle them with cotton gloves). Accumulators are going to shoot anything that lands in their hands.

Collectors seem to mostly be older than accumulators. It simply takes time to acquire a collection and learn everything about it. Also as we get older I think we find more pleasure in the aesthetics and less in showing our friends we can handle the recoil of a .500 wrist buster. That is often a reflection of that aging process.

Accumulators ask a lot of questions so they can be more like the collectors that answer their questions.

Collectors are more passionate about the piece than actually using it but they certainly can and maybe have used it. Use just isn't the driving force for a collection, that's what accumulations are for.

Accumulators may own rare pieces that "fell into their laps", collectors actively seek and hunt out those rare items and they know one when they see it. They won't have to ask any questions when they find it.

Collectors are much less concerned with "value", they don't care. They will never ask what something is worth. They already know that. Accumulators always want a "bargain" and always want to know what their latest find is worth.

Accumulators wives at least have an idea of how much they spend on their accumulation. Collectors wives don't have a clue or they are already divorced.

Then there are a lot of people in transition, I call them "enthusiasts"..

There are exceptions to everything.

 

[Ashlander]

You need a 19 and/or a 66 (or a 13 or 65 if you prefer fixed sights) to round out that accumulation.

 

[GerSan69]

Well said, 1917.
I'm an accumulator. The "exceptions" I'd add to describe myself start with that I don't go for quantity. I just look for something I like or something interesting, like the 1954 Masterpiece with a 4" cut-down(?) barrel.
I don't shoot a lot of what I have, even though most are used. I like a bargain, but I seldom worry about what it's worth to anyone but me.
I also don't follow any theme or try to gather all variations of a certain model. I have a few non-Smiths, too, and I don't hide them or consider them less worthy than my favorites. A few are models I traded off years ago and was lucky enough to find another. Those are the ones that won't get away a second time.
Most of all, I appreciate a beautifully-crafted firearm, whether it's mine or someone else's. Some of the folks on here have mind-boggling collections, Like Allen-Frame or rkmesa. No envy, just appreciation on my end.
Finally, I hit the forum daily. Love to see what folks are posting about their latest acquisitions and to add a comment or two when the mood strikes.

 

[1-1917]

I'm totally in accumulator category.. I think of the collectors as more purists, more focused and passionate about their collection be it Smith and Wesson or beer cans..

 

[jughed440]

Being an impulse or 'spur of the moment' buyer makes me an accumulator, but i do collect (and shoot) early PCs

 

[g8rb8]

I was an accumulator who thought I was becoming a collector when I bought a single line K-22 Masterpiece but it has a flaw so now I'm back to accumulator status.

Accumulators collect ... and collectors accumulate.

 

[steelslaver]

I am an accumulator. Have to many guns that are not above 95% and a bunch of them are not original. I have collected a nice accumulation as apposed to accumulation a nice collection.

 

[AveragEd]

I don't consider myself qualified to be referred to as a collector so I guess I'm an accumulator. Thus far, I've accumulated most of the pre-MIM, pre-IL S&W revolvers I want - three Model 66s, four 686s including a National Match and three 629s including a five-inch DX - but a five-inch 627-0 has always been appealing...

Ed

 

[TTSH]

In my experience, very often an "accumulator" is really a collector who, for whatever personal reason, is uncomfortable using the "gun collector" label. Here in the open forums, it is almost considered a social faux pas to call yourself a collector even if you are one. It's like an "I'm not worthy" sort of thing.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXN1yxax448"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXN1yxax448[/ame]

For the record, I consider myself a "gun collector" despite the fact that the average value of the guns in my collection is not much more than $500. Yes, I am a poor man gun collector for sure but a gun collector nonetheless.

I only learned the term "gun accumulator" when I came to this forum... and yes, I recognize that there are true gun accumulators with no theme, purpose, historical or technical interest beyond the random, opportunistic accumulation of guns. But I suspect there are a lot more gun collectors here than are willing to admit it. It's a forum-speak kind of thing.

 

[H Richard]

I don't consider myself a Collector, as I don't have a bucket list of a specific model I'm always chasing. Also, I shoot nearly all my handguns, (except my early ones)

 

[TTSH]

I always wanted to ask: For members of the Smith &Wesson Collectors Association who do not consider themselves to be collectors... how do you explain that apparent contradiction?

 

[Brianbasic]

I'm definitely not a collector. As I don't care about rarity and will not buy a gun I cant shoot. However I mainly go for military and LE along with store brand guns. To add to I've been keeping my eye out a S&W revolver with extensive finish wear, but in otherwise good condition. So I can remove the remaining finish and have it parkertized. So all in all, I think I'm somewhere in the middle.

 

[Arik]

On the face of it youre an accumulator (random guns) however, if you collect S&W or S&W police guns then you're a collector.

I am an accumulator. I buy police guns because they are a good value not because they fill a specific hole. I bought a model 36 because it was a good gun to throw in a pocket for a quick trip but then I realized that the hammer get caught on everything so I bought a 642. So I accumulated those guns. Bought a model 13 because I wanted a 357. Accumulator again! Other guns I've bought because they were quality and at a good price and I thought maybe this one would work better as a carry gun. So far none have proved to be better for carry although they are quality guns. They all remained because selling them back to the store would mean I'd loose money. So here they sit, accumulating until someone shows interest or something worth trading in comes along

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Tyrod]

I'm both. I accumulate ARs & S&W autoloaders. I collect S&W revolvers.

 

[Old Corp]

No, I'm definitely an accumulator.
I've been acquainted with some true collectors - guys who're all about either Lugers, or Pre-64 Winchesters by the dozens, or US martial arms, or 1st Gen Colts, Parkers, Foxes, etc. Most I met while working p/t in a couple of well-stocked, busy LGS's.
And while I really knew nothing of their personal finances - for all intents and purposes it appeared they honestly had NO BUDGET. Period.
One criteria existed as to whether they would buy and acquire, and that was if they wanted it.
Happy for'em, but that concept is as foreign to me as walking on Mars.
Oh - none of'em were retired LEO's.

 

[03hemi]

You either have a gun collection or a collection of guns, you have a gun collection, they have value.

 

[bamabiker]

I'm a collector, I collect shooters.

 

[Engineer1911]

Enthusiastic Accumulator

I continue to find "good deals" (at least in my mind) that I want to own. How else do you explain 18 S&W 357 magnums, 15 1911 semi-autos in 45 ACP (three are Colt Gold Cups, or 9 S&W 44 magnums?

I don't know a lot of details about any of them, but they all go to the range for shooting practice. Ultimately the accumulation becomes the retirement fund as they are sold off. At the end, my wife has her guns, enough ammo for years of shooting, and I'm shooting 22 LR without worrying about picking up the brass.

EDIT: There are not multiples of a particular gun, M19 w/4" barrel, but sets, blue M586 in 2", 4" 6", 8-3/8" barrels without regard to dash numbers, same for M686. M19 (hers) is blue and nickel in 3 barrel lengths. And then there are the strays: 4" M28, 5" M27-2, 4" M681 with an Aristocrat rib.