Have you been thinking of starting your own gun collection?

Gun collecting, if approached in the right direction, can be very rewarding. To many who own firearms, they are simply a device to go out and hunt wild game. Whenever they turn from the hunt, they put the guns back wherever they are stored, never to be seen again until next year. Gun collecting can be a very sound investment for the future and enjoyed throughout the years of hunting and shooting with friends and family. If this is something that you have been giving some thought to, then there are some issues that you should consider.

Where do I start? Which guns should I collect? How much money will it cost me? These are all good questions that you should get straight in your own mind.

Lets look at a few things that you should look at before you go out and start randomly buying guns for your collection. The first thing to get straight from the start would be always go after the guns that are of the highest quality. There are many companies that produce top-quality guns, and companies that produce guns of lower quality. While the lower quality serve their purpose just fine, they usually never become valuable in the future as a collectible. The second thing I consider is how many were produced of that particular gun. There are guns that were dropped from production for several reasons. Many were simply too expensive to produce, and they didn’t sell good on the open market. These have become some of the most sought after guns out there. These guns are manufactured with all of the best materials and usually are hand-fitted and individually assembled. All of the extra care given these guns made production cost higher than guns that looked very close in appearance and cost half as much as the higher quality guns. These guns of higher cost and quality were many times dropped from production, making them more desirable to the collector.

The third thing I look for is what condition the gun is in, as new, excellent, good or poor. These factors greatly affect the value of the firearm you are collecting. The better condition gun bringing the higher resale value.

The fourth thing I look for is the gun’s original box or documents proving the gun was owned by a famous person. Anything that helps prove the originality of the gun is a plus.

Most of the gun owners and collectors who I have met over the years collect guns of one design. I know some owners who collect lever-action rifles only. I have met those that lean toward military weapons. The point here is it is easier to focus on a particular design or just what guns interest you. The important thing that goes with any collecting in your future is lots of reading. There are many magazine publications that can help speed you on your way to collecting the right guns.

There is no fast way to learn what gun values are. It takes time and staying up with current trends. In the present economic condition that our country is in, money is tight, so this affects gun values in a bad way. Gun values change constantly; the trick is finding out what conditions hurt or help values. Stay active and up to date.

I would always remind new owners of guns that they need a proper place to store their valuable guns. I would consider a safe place away from the small children who might be in your home. I would also remind them to be sure they clean their firearms on a regular basis. If you neglect them, you can expect a common reaction to take place: rust. I believe rust probably ruins gun values more than anything. I would not use guns that are very rare and parts are no longer available for them.

If properly taken care of, you can shoot the guns in your collection without hurting the value.

Roger Sherrill lives in Ringgold. He can be reached at tandemjumper@catt.com.