doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Purdey or H&H Royal? Which is the best Investment?

shotguns are not good investments. good colts, winchesters and gold are.

I've put some money in shotguns recently because I don't know where else to put the $$. I realize guns are not a liquid asset, but investments that are (eg, the stock market) scares the heck out of me. Just look at how the DOW dropped 303 points the day after the election. Volatile for sure. At least with these guns, we can admire them, use them, and even though chances are we won't make a killing on these guns, they won't dissipate like a fart in the wind like some of my stocks in the market have done!! In terms of H and H vs Purdey.....I think most people put them on an equal scale. Both are great guns.....but not real liquid.

Cash, stocks, bonds, single family homes, commercial real estate, farms, ranches, art, all have been good investments or given severe whippings, time dependent. My best guess right now is farmland. But one of the Federal Reserve governors tried to make the case several months ago that there was a bubble developing in farmland in his home state (Indiana?).

Would much prefer to lose money on my gun collection sitting quietly in my closet than losing capital on farmland while dealing with CRP inspections, allotments, tenants, fencing, etc...

A generation has grown up without seeing a double. Buying guns to me is feeding a weakness. I'm past investing in anything except a couple Canadian banks among the top in the world with great dividends. There's no way I would consider guns although I've always been ahead when I sold one. My dear mother told me 60 years ago if I were to invest to invest in land. Particularly bold and wild land along any coast. Best payoff was $700,000 for a $5,500 investment. I borrowed to buy it, a ne'er-do-well reporter at the time.

I would stick with what you know and are comfortable buying. Last good second-hand London-made SLE sxs I examined was 30k and O/U 55K. How many people you know wear Franck Muller or write with gold Cartier pen.......? Even for fine samples the market is very limited.

I'll second Kings suggestion. They're not making dirt anymore,particularly waterfront dirt....

I don't think there's a straightforward answer to this.
I'd guess the best grade of any model would be the one to go for, but the most important issue would be mechanical condition. Good wall thickness,
tight action, good working locks , ejectors and, well, plenty of life left an all of the above. It could make or break a good deal.
The smallest of jobs on a high end gun could seriously eat into your profit margin very quickly.
It's not all bad news tho, as was already said. The gun may well hold it's value rather than depreciate. Certainly not a bad thing, especially if you've had years of fun shooting the thing in the meantime.
Dealers. A good dealer should have inspected the gun before you buy it and give some kind of warranty with it. Buying private is far more risky. I think the people in the know will spot any problems/defects and use them as a bargaining chip or just simply walk away.
If it was straightforward, we'd all be doing it.
I don't mean to sound pessimistic as there are gems out there, and what better pleasure than being able to take one out and use it.
I wish you good luck in your search.

As mentioned above unless one can find one in original shape at good price it isn't worth getting into. How many walk into fine jewelry store and ask for Patek Philippe?

I cant speak to the investment potential on H&H guns but here is a hypothetical case study on a Purdey.
In 1968 I received a quote from Purdey of 1100 pounds for a new 12G sidelock ejector,28 inch barrels,2 3/4 chambers.Rose and Scroll engraved.
According to current published British statistics,100 Pounds in 1968 equates to 1500; 2012 pounds! In other words by conversion of the the 1968 price using the 15 x multiplier, we have a "present value" of 16500 pounds!
Earlier this year a leading British auctioneer sold a similar Purdey of the same vintage described as;"Very little used," The hammer price was 16000 pounds. The vendor would have paid a 25% sellers Commission leaving him/her with 12000 pounds net!
Which in terms of "present value" was 4500 pounds less than than the initial investment
To me, pride of ownership and the enjoyment of 42 years of use far outways the financial considerations described above.

Who charges 25% sellers commission at auction. I seen figures of only a portion of that.