Collectors - how do you feel about ..

[JcMack]

As I recall Smith produced some tastefully done mod 66 & 19 4" guns representing police depts.. Chicago and Texas Rangers are the only ones I've seen in the flesh. A fellow from the gun library at Cabelas took me aside the other day and said he just took in a beauty. He brought out a heavily laser etched gold filled Colt 1911 commemorating the invention of chicken soup or something. "My eyes!" Take it away.

 

[Smith357]

I'm bought a commemorative Winchester 94 .35-55 years ago for the same amount of money that a regular .30-30 would have cost. It was better finished and had much nicer wood than the stock offering, case colored receiver and fore end tip and I shot the heck out of it. The only downer was the gold coin in the butt stock.

My take is that the contrived collectibles are not very collectible, but if you can deal with look you can get a custom shop gun at a regular price.

 

[Bat Guano]

The verdict has been in for a long time now. Most of them look like cap guns, commemorate incredibly obscure things, and depreciate like Chrysler products.

The money would be better spent on ammo or a really good custom gun that is put to honest use.

 

[mountaingun629]

How about a nice Remington "Sam Walton" commemorative special edition? (GAG!).
The Richard Petty special looked almost as bad.
I have seen them both sell for less than a regular one and also for more money. Guess there are a few suckers that like them.

Myron

 

[mike from st pete]

Collectables?

To me they seem like Franklin Mint plates. Manufactured collectors items seldom increase in value. Most of them are sold at too high a price to start with. It takes more years than I'll be alive to get a return on the investment.
And they have to be kept in their as purchased condition. If I have a gun it is going to get shot and that will ruin the value.

 

[gunsmith11]

i have bought two commemoratives,,lost my ass on both of them

 

[JcMack]

i have bought two commemoratives,,lost my ass on both of them

An ass is a terrible thing to loose. At 63 mine seems to be slowly disappearing. The only commemerative I ever bought was a brass frame WIN 24". It was a 100 yr. WIN anniversary. It was only $300 and I eventually sold it for same.

 

[Andy Griffith]

A person should only buy a commemorative if he likes it, and if he knows he has no way of ever coming out ahead on it.

I have a couple of T.R. model 94 rifles that I bought as shooters because they have long, 26" octagon barrels on them- and they were far less expensive than anything else Winchester was offering at the time, and in a barrel length that was no longer offered. These rifles do exceptionally well at the range, and turn heads when I pull them out.

So in essence, I'm actually going to come out ahead- but not enough to count.

 

[Joe in SC]

Didn't Smith and Wesson make some revolvers for purchase by The Smith and Wesson Collectors Club, members only? Seems like I recall something like that being mentioned here and perhaps a photo or two.

 

[Andy Griffith]

The only one I'm aware of, was a reincarnation of the model of 1899.

However, it wasn't sold through the SWCA, and sometime later it was sold out through Lew Horton, IIRC.

I only have one of them. Some folks on here have/had a whole bunch.