doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com newbie needs value help

OK, justin, how about a little more acrimonious banter. What is it you think to be low about the math?

If anything the math has been too high.

Rocketman, I used the term "low math" because there's no division or mutiplication involved. If it did I wouldn't have a clue about your figuring.
I'm uncomfortable with your formula because it provides a price before value,and the value of a gun can only be determined by personal knowledge of the gun,not only the physical aspects but historical and maybe personal aspects.
A person who understands what a gun "is about" will have a good idea of its price, and needs no formula.
Maybe your concept is what goes on in our minds while we appraise a gun;in the give and take of our decision process. Here is the true merit to your idea,not in finite figures but in describing how we think.
Make the people who want to know do there homework. Its not hard, its not expensive and its not even that time consuming.
The more you know the better it is.
Justin

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.

years ago i read in english magazine that when it comes to their guns in some cases the name used to account for about 80% of gun value.
it seems little has changed just compare new watson bros o/u to its purdey counterpart. purdey is like: patek philippe, cartier, rolls royce, gucci,.....my ole' pal used to buy fine italian shirts for $450 when they could be had for about $75. the difference is $75 one would not have gucci sticker on it. it's much the same with shotguns.

BV1 (Boss, H&H, Purdey, and Woodward) = 4/4, BV2 (Westley Ricahrds, Dickson, Rigby, Grant , Beesley, Powell, Atkin, Churchill, Henry, Lancaster, Evans, Watson, Wilks, Greener, Boswell, Gibbs, and Lang) = 3/4, and BV3 (all other Brit maker names) = 2/4. That is to say that a W&S Propritarity model with Woodward's name on it will sell for a third more than with a BV2 name and twice what a BV3 name will fetch. Sorry, Jm, it just is not 80%!

in the article englishman was comparing price of very rare best grade SLE from the 'demon works' of birmingham to londons best SLE made at that particular time. the 'demon works' is near or at bottom rung next to g.e.lewis in your "ladder" of english gunmakers, no?

Deamon Works was the factory of one of the major trade makers; sorry the owner has slipped my mind. Guns made in the DW could have wound up with a BV1, BV2, or BV3 name on them, depending on who bought and resold them. There are only three rungs in the ladder.

A best grade SLE from DW, and they were fully capable of getting them out, could have carried a BV2 or BV3 name and would be worth 1/2 to 3/4 the price of a BV1 best SLE in comparable Current Condition.

The owner was the Midland gun co. On one of their catalogue covers a small devil appears, its quite charming and anyone who sees one of these guns or reads about them gets a little chuckle.
Rocketman,your formula is somehing special and I'm sure it has proivided help and some comfort to those who ask for it. I'm sorry if I cast any negative connotations on it. I do believe it will calculate the price of a gun, but to me will not calculate its worth to the owner.
Justin

justin, I understand your point. I only try to give folks a junp-start in understanding the structure of Brit gun pricing. Of course, each owner must decide how much he will buy/sell a gun for on his own. He will get an "about $" from me that reflects current markets as I find them.