doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com William Powell SLE value

This is the system I worked out for myself. I've shared it over the last few years, but havenot yet put it into published print.

Dig and similar guys handle enough guns and see enough commerce to develop an intuitive knowledge of "whazit worth?" Those of us who are mere mortals need a "jump start" value guide to get into the ball park on values.

Brand Value must, I say, must be separated from the issue of quality. Trying to associate quality with a name is a dead end. BV1 Makers� Names � Price Factor = 8

Boss, Holland & Holland, Purdey, and Woodward


BV2 Makers� Names � Price Factor = 6

Westley Ricahrds, Dickson, Rigby, Grant , Beesley, Powell, Atkin, Churchill, Henry, Lancaster, Evans, Watson, Wilks, Greener, Boswell, Gibbs, and Lang


BV3 Makers� Names � Price Factor = 4

Rest of the British Trade and top Continental (Bury, LeBeau, Masquelier, Francotte, Brancquart, Le Page, Gastine Renatte, etc.)


BV4 Makers� Names � Price Factor = 2

Lesser known Continental names or names largely associated with low OQ grades


BV5 Makers� Names � Price Factor = 1

Unknown names or unnamed


Post back if you wish to discuss further. Hope this helps some.

I'd argue Hussey in all his iterations, Webley, and Cogswell & Harrison all belong in BV2 under your system.

Overall, I like where you are headed.

Keep in mind that this is a data based system, not my opinion. So, can you present sales data to show that the names you mentioned will sell for BV2 prices across the spectrums of Original Quality and Current Condition. Note that we must have very close similarity in combinations of OQ and CC for several guns and matching BV2 guns.

Are you keeping name separate from original quality grade in your thinking? For example, the name Purdey does not invariably associate with best work guns nor does the name Midland invariably associate with low grade guns.

Perhaps a Webley Premier and certain Greeners and Westley's would be BV1*
Note * denotes exceptional examples of the gunmakers craft.
IMO of course, each to his own.
Don,
I think it would be really useful if you printed your value structure in full.
We could all print it off and use it along with all the other paraphinalia we haul along to auctions. Micrometers, bore guages, thickness guages, 4 issues of Nigel Brown's tomes Dig's encyclopedia and all Boothroyds writings. Then none of us would make a mistake all guns would be correctly valued, we would all be content and busy reworking our new finds. And this board would be VERY quiet.

Salopian, agreed. What about provenance also? Adds value, cased, labels, etc etc...I don't think one can stick to the BV rule alone.

T

Don was kind enough to email me a working version of his spreadsheet some years ago; I tend to find it quite reliable.
Things like matched pairs or cases with or without accessories may be reasonably predictable, but provenance can be a bit of a wildcard - not very predictable.
RG

I don't include provenance as it is highly variable person-to-person. Each buyer is, of course, free to tack on any premium he/she likes for any particular provenance; much as we do for small bore guns and rifles. When you are considering a high OQ grade gun, you rather expect it to be cased and will give price a ding if it isn't. Conversely, you don't expect lower OQ grade guns to be cased and will add some small premium for a good case.

BV is for brand value and has little meaning as to a gun's value until coupled with OQ (original quality grade) and CC (current condition level). A BV-OQ-CC series is required to indicate a value.

OK cheers, it's a sensible system by all accounts.

T

I did forget to mention that for data taken from UK auction houses the buyer's premium (typically in the range of 20%) and shipping/export/import (currently in the range of $500) is included. That is to say, the values assume USA retail for a SXS 12 bore gun of 1890ish-1960ish manufacture. Rifles, small bore, and extra finish command a premium.