Well, Thorny, I'm curious, because it is one thing to buy a Spanish gun (or, a Brit for that matter) and lock it away, and expect, for some reason, it to be worth more than what you paid in a few business quarters. I've always felt that was unrealistic.
But, the very, very great majority of us don't do that. We buy them to use. And a sad fact of life is we only get so much time to use them. Hence, I've always made it a point to separate the idea of a gun, and an investment. Sometimes we get a pleasant surprise, but, in my case, that has always been tempered by the fact that the time it took to get that surprise was time I was never going to get back.
Larry Brown is a great one for pointing up what a great deal used guns are (and you, by the way.) And they can be a great deal, just like a used car, IF you accept that the thing wasn't built for you, to meet your needs. Hence, it will never be quite exactly what you would have ordered. There may be exceptions, but, the sheer volume of used good guns out there leads me to believe otherwise.
I like to believe that the British liason that was going to spend a few years in India, or the French rubber plantation owner in Viet Nam didn't concern themselves with what the return factor was going to be on the guns they bought themselves to use during the free time they had on their assignments. Maybe they thought about it, but it sure doesn't matter today.
If I was to be offered the time back it took for a few of my motley collection of guns to be worth more than I paid, I promise you, I'd take the time and not the money. If you are honest, you will admit the same.
So, buy a gun. Spend enough time and money to make it exactly what you want and need, so you don't have to do it again. And then, use it every single chance you get. Travel with it, enjoy it, and do the very best you can to wear it out. Because nobody will be thinking about how much their gun is worth on their deathbed.
Not even you, Thorny.
Best,
Ted
