I Can't Afford My Passion!!! RANT!

[HoleCarder]

To be without some of the things we want is an indispensable part of happiness.

 

[rags]

To be without some of the things we want is an indispensable part of happiness.

Now you went and injected some very profound words of wisdom to the thread! That's not fair!

 

[chud333]

Hey Bob, I'm just trying to be happy with what I already have. The problem is it don't help much when I see one I'd really like to have but don't have the scratch or I'm not willing to pay the price.
I thought about selling body parts but with this worn body that would probably only get me high point money.

I hear ya' on this brother.

Way i feel some days i might only bring a Raven .25

The better guns are out there. Sometimes the gun you been
looking for has a way of turning up when you least expect.
And usually, (with me) when my pockets are empty.

I still see an occasional "deal" at a small gun show (25-35)
tables.
Keep up the Good Hunt. That's the fun for me these days.

Chuck

 

[Zebadiah]

It sounds as though a re-think of your collection may be in order - sell or trade some you have (the ones that made the largest value gains, or you no longer want?) for others you want. Of course, current values are high, but who knows where the top of the market will be? Or was?

Been there, done that. The major problem with that theory is once you've gotten rid of some of your collection, those are going to be even higher priced by the time you discovered you screwed up deleting them from your possession. Unless you really just don't care about some you have already, keep what you got, and add others as you are fiscally able.

 

[Zebadiah]

I've been buying S&Ws for close to 40 years now. On the positive side, many of the guns I bought years ago are now worth 2, 3 and for a select few, even 4 times what I paid for them.
But also bear in mind that I paid top dollar for those guns back then. S&Ws were expensive even then. So its never been cheap to build a nice collection. More often than not, it was necessary to sell one in order to buy one.
The only real difference between what I paid back then and what they're worth now has been the passage of time and the changing value of the dollar.
I'm fortunate enough to have most of the guns I want. My current wish list is relatively short. However, I have had to concede the fact that at today's prices, I'll likely never get those last few on my list.
That's just the way it is.

Because of a major change in their gun laws, the last time I went to serve in Germany I had to dispose my collection of 55 firearms. I was truly shocked to find the prices of the five Pythons I sold had tripled in value--Smith & Wessons not so much.

 

[Zebadiah]

Marry a wife who enjoys revolvers. I married such aa wonderful woman. She passed away 3 yrs ago. I am still discovering guns that she did not tell me about. It's like living in a candy store.

I'm so sorry for your loss. A wonderful woman warms your heart and makes life worth living.

 

[Stan O]

Same boat

I too can no longer afford older Smiths and Colts. I've given up even looking as prices are insane. I'll just be thankful for what I have.

 

[boykinlp]

Found out I can't afford my passion anymore! I've just realized that most of the S&W Models I've collected over the years, are being priced anywhere from 50% more to over 200+% more than I ever paid!

I feel your pain! I have been in your same boat for a while now. BTW, the boat is getting really crowded!! When I got priced out of the gun market, I went to holsters. When I got priced out of the holster market, I went to grips. Well..........

Somebody mentioned Pythons earlier. Did you see the auction for: Pair of Wilkerson 3" Python STS & BSTS NIB that ended last week? The bids reached $100,000 and did not even meet the reserve!!!

 

[rags]

I feel your pain! I have been in your same boat for a while now. BTW, the boat is getting really crowded!! When I got priced out of the gun market, I went to holsters. When I got priced out of the holster market, I went to grips. Well..........

Somebody mentioned Pythons earlier. Did you see the auction for: Pair of Wilkerson 3" Python STS & BSTS NIB that ended last week? The bids reached $100,000 and did not even meet the reserve!!!

 

[Grayfox]

Just to put it in perspective, those "cheap" S&Ws of the 70s & 80s were generally the equivalent of two or three weeks pay for many of us. Sometimes a whole month or more.
The advantage we had then was that they were regular catalog items and you could take the time to save up or lay-away the gun you wanted. Once you had the money, the gun would be available.
If you want one today, you have to have money in hand and be ready to jump when the one you want just happens to pop up. That's a big difference.

 

[GyMac]

It's ironic that the guns that we cherish and want so much are the ones they are not making.

 

[Old Corp]

Understand. And - the ONLY reason I have accumulated so many fairly neat S&W's was because I played the part of a lowly p/t LGS employee at a couple of shops that handled alot of estate liquidations.

Other than that, I'd have never had a chance, and this site would not even be on my laptop toolbar.
Actually, have most of what I really wanted, albeit most are 'shooter grade' models, which bothers me none.

 

[TTSH]

Just to put it in perspective, those "cheap" S&Ws of the 70s & 80s were generally the equivalent of two or three weeks pay for many of us. Sometimes a whole month or more.

Back in the good old days (35-40 years ago!), I would save up and buy a new (or slightly used) S&W revolver every quarter. It would cost me roughly the equivalent of one week's gross salary on average... and Lord knows I wasn't buying the premium N-frames or specialty guns. That's for sure.

The advantage we had then was that they were regular catalog items and you could take the time to save up or lay-away the gun you wanted. Once you had the money, the gun would be available.

If you want one today, you have to have money in hand and be ready to jump when the one you want just happens to pop up. That's a big difference.

I still use lay-way all the time. It doesn't work for consignment guns or at the shows... but around here some dealers still have decent, workable lay-away programs for shop-owned guns.

As I've said before, if it weren't for credit cards and lay-away programs, I'd have to drop gun collecting and take up bird watching like the good wife keeps suggesting!

 

[jsfricks]

I'm in the same boat, usually have to sell one to buy another. But every once in a while a good one will go unnoticed on GB because it wasn't list right or something. That's about my only hope in getting something at a good deal nowadays.

 

[44wheelman]

Rags, your "Honey Hole" turned into alot of people's honey hole, until, it became more of a molasses hole. There's the increase of licensed dealers at OGCA (like the Fugates); so the truly collectible disappear & end up on Gunbroker for the highest bidder. Cabela's had a table there a year ago or so. Ultimately, skyrocketing internet prices are the real reason, but I like to have a scapegoat.

 

[GF]

" The bids reached $100,000 and did not even meet the reserve!!!"

And you know, when I hit that "BID" icon & sent it I said to myself, " Now that ought to get 'em bought! "

Next time.

GF

 

[heron163]

the last Python I bought was an Ultimate stainless 6"... in unfired condition... the kid inherited it from his gramps but he wanted to sell it so he could buy a "deagle"... I tried to talk him out of it but he wanted nothing to do with some old time gun... so I finally gave in... $700.

the reality is that a lot of these wonderful old guns will be coming on the market in the near future as the collectors pass on and the heirs sell...