How much can previous ownership affect value?

woodsrunner

If a gun was previously owned by someone famous, how much does it add to it's value?

www.gunbroker.com/auction/viewitem.asp?item=3717507

Woods

How big a boy are ya?

Edited by - woodsrunner on 04/23/2002 03:13:59

thunderbolt

Depends on the gun and the famous person. An engraved S&W owned by
John Wayne would fetch a premium, while a Jennings 9mm owned by Vanilla Ice would be worth the going rate of a Jennings 9mm. Lots of
fakes are out there, so buyer beware.

thunderbolt

Let me add that Skeeter Skelton was one of my favorite gun writers and
any firearm he owned would be a welcome addition to any collection. It would be worth the asking price just to say, "Why don't I shoot
that new in the box Colt? Let me tell ya fella, that gun,
that Police Positive, was owned by none other than the late, great
Skeeter Skelton. That's why!"

salzo

Thunderbolt- I would pay a hefty price for a Jennings owned by 'nilla ice(LOL).

Happiness is a warm gun

turbo

I don't know about famous previous ownership, but anything previously owned by the governemnt, is worthless since they always, only pay $50.00 in their buy back programs.

And they do only buy back "Junk"..at tax payors expense, of course.



.

"The great object is that every man.... everyone who is able may have a gun." Patrick Henry

He Dog

I would not pay an extra penny for a firearm once owned by someone famous. They put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. Oh! The one exception, naturally, would be a .218 Bee previously owned by the illustrious Lord BeeKeeper, now that would be a treasure!

William81

Gary Gilmore ?

offeror

It's true that guns owned by or attached in some way to the famous may bring more money, but it's purely a buyer's market. Even antique dealers go by whether there's a market for something or not when they appraise.

I believe there was a small run on .44 Bulldogs just because that's what Son of Sam used in New York, but I'm sure their price didn't go up. On the other hand, there are those collectors who would pay handsomely for the actual weapon used by somebody like Son of Sam, Oswald, Warnos, Dillinger, etc., just as there are those who would pay for guns once owned by John Wayne, Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. Even fake guns used in a movie can bring a good price. But the documentation had better be solid -- it can't be all rumors and second-hand talk.

-- Life NRA Member
"If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

DaRoosta

I don't think Vanilla Ice can own firearms...there's background checks.