Will antique guns become less desirable

[ngoforth]

I was talking with my dad who is in his mid 70's and wondering will the collectible guns of his generation be collectible to my generation, I'am 40. He grew up on western tv shows and movies, while the younger crowd grows up on video games and tacticool. So will civil war guns and and other firearms just fade away? Will the value go down since the people that wanted them are dying? I would think the guns that have other collectibility due to who owned them and other traits such as engraving will always be desired.

 

[watercam]

Excellent question that many are asking. My brother has been collecting since High School in the '70s. Hard to tell is money has dried up or interest has waned. Wait for a better economy and we'll find out!

 

[gary0529]

If they are anything like high end cars (have friends who do frame up restorations on Ferrari, Maserati, Cobra, -you get the drift- and they are crying the blues--cars that went for 500k and up are now fetching high 100's to mid 200's. Seems that the age group that has the money and desire for such items is getting older and older and far fewer younger folks with the itch.
I suspect the trend to continue into other collectibles.
Hell, given the political trends we may be lucky if they are not all banned and confiscated (or buried)

 

[JSH]

Collect ability is up to the collector what they will pay.

I know the shotgun market for early examples in great shape has suffered here. Milsurps have slipped from what they were, but still high in my mind.

Anything with Winchester on it will be collectable for eons.
I have seen collections and I have seen accumulations, there is a difference.

 

[ngoforth]

Collect ability is up to the collector what they will pay.

I know the shotgun market for early examples in great shape has suffered here. Milsurps have slipped from what they were, but still high in my mind.

Anything with Winchester on it will be collectable for eons.
I have seen collections and I have seen accumulations, there is a difference.

I am not an expert in anything but I think the people buying those winchesters and colts are not going to be around much longer. If its not something thats tacticool or in pop culture is it selling? Are that many 20 somethings really into the history of the gun or just the performance of the latest and greatest thing?

 

[Gappmast]

The younger generation will be collecting vintage Apple computers

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/23/vin...0000-you-might-have-one-in-your-basement.html

 

[Downhill]

I believe the interest of the collector drives prices. An example is I do not find any interest in high end shotguns (it is a smooth tube with a buttstock, no interest here). However if I see an original all correct M1 Garand, I am all over it and will pay a premium price to obtain it. I find anything with U.S. property marks on it very collectable. As far as interest waning in a particular field, it might just be a matter of locating the collectors.

 

[butchlambert]

I believe the interest of the collector drives prices. An example is I do not find any interest in high end shotguns (it is a smooth tube with a buttstock, no interest here). However if I see an original all correct M1 Garand, I am all over it and will pay a premium price to obtain it. I find anything with U.S. property marks on it very collectable. As far as interest waning in a particular field, it might just be a matter of locating the collectors.

A Garand over a smoke pole?

 

[MatthewsCarbineCo]

Being in the business. The latest generation seems to care only about guns they see in video games, absolutely does not value the effort or man hours involved in intricate engraving, value laser engraved nonsense movie inspired or themed machine engraving.

 

[joshb]

The antique furniture and custom furniture businesses are dying, also. The kids go to pottery barn or just live in their parents basements.

 

[Falfan2017]

I’m pretty young as far as the forum goes. I don’t see the collectible older stuff maintaining its premium. My generation either isn’t into guns or is into the tacticool. Plus we are broke.

 

[Tim a]

being only 22 there are certain things Look for or that catch my interest. i like Springfield trapdoors but i'm not into flintlock or percussion guns i like the ability to drop a cartridge in and shoot it and not worry about the black powder fouling. I see old colts that are going for thousands of dollars and i think i could buy a Ruger and not go nuts if i drop it or that I'll damage it buy shooting it. the guns i want to add to my collection will have a purpose they wont sit and gather dust one thing that i find interesting is the Mauser action but i wouldn't buy a ww1 or ww2 Mauser i would be happy with a ruger m77 or a win 70. do i see certain things going down yes i go to a gun show towards the eastern end of mass and every time the same guy is there selling antique target rifles and ever my mentor who is 65 said at some point those guns will be sold at fraction of the price will it be in five years will it be when the seller dies no clue but like anything there are times to buy and there are times to sell.

 

[dcali]

Some will, some won't. I think a lot is driven by the bank accounts of people looking for nostalgia. People who are at their peak earning years in their 40s and 50s will be looking to buy what was cool when they were kids (right now, and example would be an MP5). That said, some stuff will always be desirable and cool if it has major historical signficance (WWII stuff, for example).

 

[hoz53]

I was talking with my dad who is in his mid 70's and wondering will the collectible guns of his generation be collectible to my generation, I'am 40. He grew up on western tv shows and movies, while the younger crowd grows up on video games and tacticool. So will civil war guns and and other firearms just fade away? Will the value go down since the people that wanted them are dying? I would think the guns that have other collectibility due to who owned them and other traits such as engraving will always be desired.

I think it’s already happening. Guys in the business tell me guns like the older M70s don’t have near the value now. It could come back. This stuff goes in cycles.

 

[dolek]

Here we go blaming the youngsters again , ever think maybe they can make up their own minds ? Miserable old men are only interesting to other miserable old men . I often wonder if it's guilt brought on by poor parenting that makes grown men despise younger men,even their own children ? I turn 60 next month,my oldest Son turns 33 tomorrow...I feel very fortunate to call him a friend . His younger brother and myself have shot together since he could hold a gun safely, oldest son just started shooting 3 months ago . He shot when he was younger but took a 20 year break,nothing wrong with being your own person .

PS... Not more than one hour ago my son sold a Garand and a Mauser at twice the price he could have just 1 year ago . He was just telling me the buyer was a nice older gentleman that really knew his milsurp, and was nice enough to pass some knowledge along because my son showed a genuine interest in learning more about what he was selling and collecting...maybe we need more conversations like that ?

 

[Evan]

I have seen collections and I have seen accumulations, there is a difference.

HAHA. Yes. There's a huge difference between a junkyard and Jay Leno's garage! A wall of old military rifles, none of which are in very good condition or have any historical significance beyond simply existing in a time period, is hardly a collection and the owner shouldn't be surprised when no one else shares their vision of the "collection" value.

I’m pretty young as far as the forum goes. I don’t see the collectible older stuff maintaining its premium. My generation either isn’t into guns or is into the tacticool. Plus we are broke.

I'm quite young as the forum goes too. I'm not sure the old guard realize just how gapped the younger generation is due to entering the workforce around the 2008 crash and now the current crash taking the wind out of their sails. Some studies are suggesting that the "millenial" generation is the first generation set to be poorer than their parents.

The antique furniture and custom furniture businesses are dying, also. The kids go to pottery barn or just live in their parents basements.

Fine furniture is still valued and collectible among the younger generations, it's just not affordable for most. Try getting a married couple in their early 30s, making a total household income of 60k, renting their living space for 2k/mo (24k/yr), to pay 5k for a lovely dresser and you'll see the problem. If it's very important to them and they desire it, they will sacrifice to make it happen but it doesn't actually fit in their budget. Many decide they want to save for a house instead, that they can look at pictures of pretty dressers whenever they want, and instead spend 200 bucks at IKEA to get a functional dresser.

Just my person observation, the younger generation has limited nostalgia or interest in WW2, Korean, or Vietnam war memorabilia. I feel like I've met more people in my generation that are interested in the civil war through the booming 20s era. A lot of "hipsters" are quite strongly drawn to 20s era items.

 

[SEM]

My old crap is worth LOTS ! to no one any longer, Quality stuff I bought my own kids don't want either, Spoiled them on 200.00 dollar plus fishing rod and reel combos from 20 some years ago real nice top end stuff, cant even get half for them now, My 50 plus year old high quality wood working tools some real antiques are just scrap now. To bad we did not know this was coming just think of all the antiques you could buy now CHEAP
Not really complaining but would of been nice to cash in on some of those bargains from yester year

 

[Falfan2017]

As people age and have more disposable money they typically collect what was popular while they were teenagers and young adults. Cars and trucks from the 80s and 90s are becoming more collectible now and the older ones are getting cheaper as that generation ages and dies. I suspect guns will be the same.

 

[1K6BRA]

I will with a sad heart but a sound mind unburden you from all your undesirable pre-64 Winchester’s.

 

[hogpatrol]

Demographics will eventually kill the market for what the boomers accumulated. Who wants a shotgun that doesn't have removable chokes? In my neck of the woods, you can buy them for a song. A buddy of mine disposed of all of his antique firearms and taxidermy. That auction would make you cry. One rifle he paid 10K for a couple years ago went for 3K. In the coming years as the boomers die, I see a huge amount guns, boats, motorcycles, coins and other collectibles going to auction.