justin, I provide a look-up table based on three factors. The factors are simple enough to extract from a description and/or photograph. Obviously, the more accurate the description and the better the photos, the more accurate the selection of loo-up point. With good descriptions and photos, I am sometimes able to even shade the look-up numbers. There is, of course, nothing better than to have the gun in hand for an extended time to discover all its warts and hidden jewels. I would quite agree that there may be intangible value such as provenince, but that is quite rare. My table is not the price of the gun, rather a starting place to determine its price. What is your difference in "value" and "price?"
There are some people who handle enough guns annually to have good intuition as to gun prices. I don't suppose to know their various thought processes. However, I have stood by enough and compared their intuitive price to my look-up price and am satisfied with the results. There are a lot of people who don't, per your definition, understand what a gun "is about."
I provide a jump-start to understanding and knowing. The process is structured, so it is easier to learn. There is still plenty of homework for those who wish to know. The difference is to sudy a structure as opposed to handle thousands of gun and hope it comes to you. You can easily do your homework on auction sites. Simply go through and price a series of guns. After the auction, score your results and look for where you may have missed on a factor's rating.
