Peashooter’s opinion: Modern commemoratives suck, I hate them and they are a bad investment!On

Peashooter’s opinion: Modern commemoratives suck, I hate them and they are a bad investment!One part of the collectors market that seems to be big business is the commemorative market.  Firearms can be decorated to commemorate anything; wars, presidents, actors, singers, military branches, cars, athletes, etc. etc.  As many followers have probably noticed it is a rare day that I ever post a commemorative firearm.  The reason; I hate commemorative firearms.  The cookie cutter engravings, the over the top gold plating, the goofy and cheesy cartoonish designs, I just hate it!  I would rather have a firearms with a nice artistic custom engraving than some quasi mass produced commemorative thing.While this may just be my opinion, there are many who may like the designs, or be interested in the subject that it commemorates.  That’s fine its just a matter of taste.  But I know a handful of people who have purchased one for the purpose of an investment.  If you fit into that category, I plead and beg of you to reconsider.  Commemoratives of anything, not just firearms, are a very niche market catered to a very select group of collectors.  Overall a lot of antique firearms buyers DO NOT LIKE commemoratives.  After many years of following auctions, attending antiques shows, and attending gunshows, I rarely see a commemorative sell for more than the gun itself is worth.  For example:This pair of consecutively numbered Klondike Gold Rush Replica Commemorative Winchester Model 94 rifles, made in 1975, sold at auction for $1,100.  That’s about $550 a piece.However this original 1942 production Winchester Model 1894 sold for $600, which is a reasonable price for such a gun. The kicker is that the commemorative rifle’s original retail price in 1975 was probably somewhere around $600, maybe a little less, maybe more.  But in 1975 what would you expect to pay for a stock Winchester 94? Probably around $100.  Of course I am making assumptions about the commemorative’s price in 1975, but I don’t think I am far off.  But I ask another question, if you are buying for an investment or as a serious collector, why would you spend $600 for the commemorative when you can spend the same amount of money and get the real authentic thing?The general rule of thumb when it comes to antiques collecting of any kind is the most valuable collectibles are items which were not meant to be collected in the first place. -- source link

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