For me as a collector/shooter, the value of a restored gun is substantially reduced but with the advent of the Internet and the increase in the amount of wealth available for such purchases, the value will be determined when the buyer decides to purchase and the seller decides to sell and money chnages hands. I am often surprised today by what others will pay for refinished or substandard goods. Some of this is lack of knowledge, experience and some is "I have to have it. I don't care what it costs!'.
As others have said, without an iron clad provenance treat the gun as an ordinary refinish on its own merits.
One last thought, if the customer has to ask for an opinion, he probably should not be purchasing until he has enough experience to make his own judgement. I am seeing in every area of collecting, faked/poorly refinished goods sold to individuals with the money but not the experience and invariable all those involved in the purchase/sale suffer in the long run when the true nature of the goods is revealed. For a truly extraordinary look at what can happen, read 'The Billionaires Vinegar' How Forbes purchased a bottle of wine that almost assuredly is now considered fake and how the Rare Wine Trade is just crooks making money.-Dick
Last edited by Dick_dup1; 06/14/08 09:46 AM.
