Devaluing a NIB gun?

[Camster]

No my intention to be curt or insulting.I apologize. As others have suggested, there is no clear cut formula for such a thing.
Personally however, I don't understand the importance that some place on gun valuations. It's a commodity to be used and enjoyed(and if enjoyment is derived from keeping it unfired,that's fine too) Whatever that value is when its time to go,whatever my luck is in finding a buyer, that's what it is.The same applies to countless other items.I'm not going to worry about now,and my estate will just drop off the stuff at the LGS,and we know how that can go at times.I also don't apply the word "investment", or +-%, to items in the price range of most post war Smiths.It can get to be a discussion over the value of a dinner,some gas for the car,etc.
Back to your example, I figure that I had the fun of shooting my 19-3 for several years,and the hit that I took for doing so,over keeping it unfired, was in the neighborhood of $50...maybe 7-8%. Not worth thinking about,and both fortunately and unfortunately, I have bigger things on my plate.To me,condition trumps fired vs unfired. I'll take a pristine fired gun any day over a NIB that has picked some marks.
I also don't see rigid values to any gun. You could take 10 identical NIB guns,(or 10 identical fired)place them one at a time on a sales site and not realize the same price for any of them. The fluctuation could be just as great as the fired/unfired thing, with perhaps a fired gun even fetching more than an unfired example..

 

[Badgerboy1]

If I had an unfired gun of that age, I would leave it that way...for me, there is a sentimental or intangible value to NIB for so long...and there are so many other guns in my collection to shoot...or good cheap guns you can buy so you can keep the virgin intact...

 

[Sevens]

So all of you non-shooting owners, please use your guns as they were made to be used. I'd bet you will learn to enjoy it.

I wonder if we could agree that if I suggested that you absolutely STOP shooting all of your guns... it would be ludicrous for me to do that.

In my opinion (of course) it is just as silly for you to suggest I shoot the few of mine that I specifically choose to not shoot.

This isn't black & white here, this is one man's values applied to a completely different person.

Also, please consider with all due respect -- you are wholly mistaken on why most guns were built, and in this discussion the example is a post-war commercial K-frame:

There was quite literally only one true reason this revolver was considered, designed, mocked up, tested, developed, produced, assembled, finished, proof tested, packaged, advertised, ship and then delivered:

It was made to be SOLD, pure, plain amd simply. Horace & D.B. or God or Allah or the ghost of John Browning or Rollin White or deep self reflection while sippin' whiskey cannot alter the fact with emotion... this revolver was produced and exists NOT to be shot, but to be sold as a for-profit venture.

Apologies if this is too deep in to a "soap box" style. Folks who shoot everything they own are doing it 100% correctly for themselves. It's nonsense to suggest to others that THEY are doing it wrong.

 

[TAROMAN]

A hypothetical answer to a hypothetical question:

It depends.

 

[bigggbbruce]

Any Pre lock gun I've had that is NIB factory fired only brought a premium over a pristine used gun.

 

[SLT223]

I buy used high condition duplicates for shooting enjoyment.

 

[jwk]

The only as new in box S&W older revolver I ever owned I traded because somewhere someone has to have a ANIB. I am a shooter not a collector and that revolver was easy to replace in a shooter grade. I got stupid trade value for it bc the other guy had to have it. If it bothers you to shoot it bc you might lose a buck shoot something else.

 

[ken158]

I have never heard a good reason for buying a gun and keeping it unfired for 25 years to gain let's say a 100% profit. Buy for $500, sell for $1000 and made enough profit for what, a one month car payment? $500 @ 4% for 25 years is $1355. Guns are not good investments, especially safe queens...

 

[Narragansett]

I have never heard a good reason for buying a gun and keeping it unfired for 25 years to gain let's say a 100% profit. Buy for $500, sell for $1000 and made enough profit for what, a one month car payment? $500 @ 4% for 25 years is $1355. Guns are not good investments, especially safe queens...

I agree, there are better investment vehicles. I presume your 4% model is pre tax?

 

[Robert L Wells]

I've always liked high condition Smith revolvers. But every time I have bought an ANIB gun I have regretted it. What am I supposed to do with it? I'm not a museum curator. I like the situation more when I'm a conservator -- cleaning and restoring a poorly kept example and bringing it back to as high a condition as I can.

Now, my interests have evolved. I recently bought a Model 10-8, circa 1984, that was an armored car company's service weapon. It has significant holster wear, and worn stocks (right side mostly). They tell the story of its life. But it locks up tight, and the action is smooth. I've beautified it a little bit, but it's best the way it is. It's on my lap right now, and I love it.

What's the moral of my story? Have it any way you want it, just be happy.

 

[GypsmJim]

Why have a safe queen? Investment? OK, so you keep it for x years and sell it for a 100% profit - so you make $500. Big deal. I spend more than that for beer.

Now if having a virgin makes you happy, then go for it. Its your gun and you can do as you like.

To answer the question though, I personally think that shooting, cleaning and reboxing the gun will have no significant affect on the value. How many people are looking for virgins and are willing to pay a premium?

 

[Muss Muggins]

How many people are looking for virgins and are willing to pay a premium?

Enough to drive the economy . . .

 

[Sevens]

I don't believe that most of us (maybe ANY OF US, EVER) are doing what you are suggesting. We did not and do not buy these new at retail and hold them hostage for four decades.

We hang out in a constantly active marketplace with opportunities and sometimes the unfired, mint, NIB guns present themselves, and we don't pay 3-4x of your shooter grade beater to get them.

But keeping throwing your rhetoric around, watching to see if it sticks.

 

[Chukar60]

I believe there is a larger than 5% difference between an unfired in the box with all the accompanying stuff over a fired and well maintained one.
I could be wrong, but there are enough hard core collectors of museum pieces that if it is something they need to fill a hole in a collection or just to scratch an itch, they will pay a premium for it.
I have owned several unfired guns over the years. I do not shoot them for one reason and that is because there are people in the market to whom a gun like that means a great deal. I can always get a shooter grade to scratch the itch to shoot it if I want to.
The number of unfired guns from the 60's and 70's is shrinking every year. Either because somebody shoots them or someone buys them and pigeon holes them for eternity in their collection.

 

[Bladeswitcher]

Point of order: The only seller who can possibly own a "NIB" gun is an FFL. Once a gun has been sold to an unlicensed person (a 4473 created), it is no longer "New". It can be LIKE-NEW, or AS-NEW but it can't be New.

Buy a pre-owned gun from another individual and then tell the manufacturer you have a "new" gun. See what they say. They may not care and may offer a warranty, but in there eyes, it's not a NEW gun.

 

[Laketime]

Some like preserving a gun that has never been fired.Some feel it's almost a sin to let a gun sit for decades without use.But many here are quick to hit the like button whenever a member post a NIB prestine revolver made decades ago.Just an observation I have witnessed over the years here.

 

[mod29]

Should you shoot the "unfired" safe queen or not?

It's a question that is debated without end on this site because there's no right or wrong answer to that question.

If you have a high-condition gun that looks unfired since it left the factory, how much does shooting it affect its value?

There's no right or wrong answer to that question, either.
Valuations fluctuate quite a bit, even on those high-condition guns.
It also depends on how often it's shot and with what ammo.
How it's cleaned and stored, how rare it is, etc.

However, condition is everything to a lot of buyers and it will affect value. How much is hard to say.

To many buyers, they're only interested in stock, 98 - 99% guns.
The LNIB type.

That's what I look for. And I'll pay a premium for them.

I've shot most of the ones I have purchased, with only a couple of exceptions.

These types of threads are fun. Almost as fun as bear threads!

 

[Narragansett]

I don't believe that most of us (maybe ANY OF US, EVER) are doing what you are suggesting. We did not and do not buy these new at retail and hold them hostage for four decades.

We hang out in a constantly active marketplace with opportunities and sometimes the unfired, mint, NIB guns present themselves, and we don't pay 3-4x of your shooter grade beater to get them.

But keeping throwing your rhetoric around, watching to see if it sticks.

Is my general question that difficult to understand, because this insulting answer is a clear misunderstanding of my original intent.

Did i say anything about running to the LGS and buying new guns at retail to stick in a safe for 4 decades? Well did I?

What I am trying to say here is, If you picked up a NIB gun from the WTS ads on THIS FORUM, how much do you devalue it ( if any) in terms of a percentage off of resale if you shoot the thing. Understand now? Just a general " what if" question.

"""But keeping throwing your rhetoric around, watching to see if it sticks.[/QUOTE]"''

Keep throwing rhetoric around to see if it sticks??? What kind of comment is that, you learn a new word? if you have some kind of a problem with me personally, I have an email address under my contact info. Feel free to use it. One could infer from your statement that you may not like some of my previous posts

 

[Narragansett]

Point of order: The only seller who can possibly own a "NIB" gun is an FFL. Once a gun has been sold to an unlicensed person (a 4473 created), it is no longer "New". It can be LIKE-NEW, or AS-NEW but it can't be New.

Buy a pre-owned gun from another individual and then tell the manufacturer you have a "new" gun. See what they say. They may not care and may offer a warranty, but in there eyes, it's not a NEW gun.

I see the unnecessary point, do you see mine?? i am talking about a gun that only the factory has fired. Isn't this just splitting hairs a bit? Who cares about a Form 4473?

 

[Narragansett]

I realize that everybody has an opinion, and that is why i started this thread. Simply to get peoples opinions, on a very general question.

Joining a forum such as this one is supposed to be fun, and the overall spirit of conversation is to have general respectful discussion , share information, and better our sport. as Captain Kirk would say, that is the " prime directive".

This is the last thread I will start, and i wish I never started this one !