doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Depressed prices?

I know that 12-bore double guns are becoming fairly inexpensive, and that's nothing new anymore. That market is fairly saturated now because the primary aficionados (the Boomers) are headed for the exits and the generations behind them either don't know or don't care about them. You can argue why until the cows come home, but those are the facts as I see them.

What I ran across yesterday, however, was a lovely sub-gauge gun (cased 16 British BLE, 28 tubes, 5lbs10, in lovely shape) that is shockingly cheap ($1,500, and is still for sale today). Makes me a little sad, but it also confirms my approach to this game. I only own what I use (and am interested in). As investments, these guns are now a dead-end game. It's been a good run (for almost all of my life) but as society evolves they have become something of a liability, at least in the eyes of the younger generations. Own them purely for your own pleasure, but don't be fooled into thinking they're treasures anymore. They certainly are to you (because you're here, reading this) but world has changed, and remarkably so...

+1

Spot on! Not an investment. Decent pair of H&H Royals sold for 12k couple days ago.

A major part of the problem is that way too much stuff is coming on the market at the same time. Nothing is rare any more, nothing is even hard to find any more. I see dozens of guns on the internet every day, guns that I would have bought a few years ago, but not now. In my case, deaths among my friends means that even more guns are available to me. Unfortunately, I am in sell mode and can't buy any of them.

If anyone wants to offer me a few nice doubles at depressed prices, please let me know. I don't disagree with the trend, but I am still willing to help!

It's the same for high-end fishing tackle ( i.e., bamboo rods). The dealers are flooded with them. The party is mostly over for lots of folks anymore. We'll see what this next election brings but...we're clearly in to a "4th turning" now.

Exactly the same situation in the U.K. Lagopus.....

Lagopus, I think the UK situation is many times worse for doubles. Box locks have been bargains for several years and now I am seeing side plates at prices I could not dream of just a couple years. Short barrels, 25-26”, seem to be very hard to sell at any prices. I looked a a pair with 28” barrels that ten years ago would have been three times the current asking price. There is solid values with only the very nicest or best commanding real money. It may be a combination of aging out owners along with the end of lead shot in many venues.

The economy is worse than the media is reporting. I am a manager of a used car dealership and last year we could easily sell a $20,000 car. This year everyone wants a $10,000 car or less and we can't give away a more expensive car. I too once thought my double guns were an investment but I realized years ago that this is definitely not the case. My guns are for me to enjoy while I am alive. After I'm gone it really doesn't matter.

Interestingly people are still making new custom ones for sale and holding workshops. The last one I tried was made by some fella in WY and it was very nice. I would have a hard time buying a "collectable" bamboo rod when I could get a new bespoke one for less $.