Collecting question

[JackADriscoll]

I'm notoriously frugal. However, what one is item you would pay full price for? I'll start. I've never seen a Spencer in the wild but I don't generally go to places where there would be one. If I saw one I'd pay full price. What's yours?

 

[Michael W.]

Identified artifacts are my weakness. Especially if there is a story behind them. Let's take your Spencer's, for example. Any old Spencer rifle I would never want to pay "full" price for. But a "Navy" issued Spencer? (750 approximate with the sword bayonet attachment) Yes, I would and have paid through the nose for one. Positive ID'd Wilder's Brigade Spencer? Same thing.

 

[JackADriscoll]

Wilders Spencer is the dream

 

[R. Porter]

Really you have to establish what you mean by full price and then you have to come to an understanding about budget and interest. If you have a very limited budget you may never consider items where the "full price" is above, say, $200.00. Then you might specialize in bullets or relic items that fall below that amount, even if you really want to collect weapons or uniforms. If you do want to collect bullets as opposed to anything else, you might spend a lot on each item and be willing to spend "full price" every time. What about condition of the item? You might be willing to pay full price for a relic or a fixer-upper but not for one in pristine condition. You might pay "full price" for a weapon that has been restored to like new or you may feel that has ruined its integrity and feel that "full price" should be next to nothing.

There are so many factors involved in answering the question posed that maybe you need to reframe your question. What is it you are really asking. Are you looking for a hierarchy of value for collectible items with modifiers that add or remove values? Are you looking for what types of items people on CWT value the most? Any of these questions might be interesting and might have already been answered on CWT, have you checked? Now, if your question has already been answered, this might be your opportunity to see if the answer is still the same or has changed; and if changed, why?

But first you need to focus and come up with a clear question that everyone will interpret in the same way.

 

[JackADriscoll]

Really you have to establish what you mean by full price and then you have to come to an understanding about budget and interest. If you have a very limited budget you may never consider items where the "full price" is above, say, $200.00. Then you might specialize in bullets or relic items that fall below that amount, even if you really want to collect weapons or uniforms. If you do want to collect bullets as opposed to anything else, you might spend a lot on each item and be willing to spend "full price" every time. What about condition of the item? You might be willing to pay full price for a relic or a fixer-upper but not for one in pristine condition. You might pay "full price" for a weapon that has been restored to like new or you may feel that has ruined its integrity and feel that "full price" should be next to nothing.

There are so many factors involved in answering the question posed that maybe you need to reframe your question. What is it you are really asking. Are you looking for a hierarchy of value for collectible items with modifiers that add or remove values? Are you looking for what types of items people on CWT value the most? Any of these questions might be interesting and might have already been answered on CWT, have you checked? Now, if your question has already been answered, this might be your opportunity to see if the answer is still the same or has changed; and if changed, why?

But first you need to focus and come up with a clear question that everyone will interpret in the same way.

Here I'll help. If you're a bullet collector what's your white whale that you'd pay full price for. You're a shoulder board collector same. Rifle same. Not that complex. Look again? We have new members regularly and this is something that morphs over the years for all members

 

[Old Soldier]

The 'price' is what you can afford. I collect old issue rifles and pistols (classed as 'obsolete caliber' here). A GOOD rifle costs thousands, a rare pistol, tens of thousands! I can afford a thousand on a good month, otherwise I am paying a few hundred. Most of my collection are hardly 'collectable', but I learn a lot as I restore, and in come cases, rebuild, them. Some are excellent - my new Swiss Schmidt-Rubin 1889 was a gem for £400 ($510) which only required a little work, yet the same cannot be said about the ex-Chile Mannlicher M1886 or the two Sniders I have which cost more! So I have one 'excellent' rifle that is shootable (but I cannot shoot it here) and a few I would not dare to shoot, even if I could!

It is pointless me arguing about market prices here as I buy from a different market and have no access to yours - no exports allowed!

 

[JackADriscoll]

The 'price' is what you can afford. I collect old issue rifles and pistols (classed as 'obsolete caliber' here). A GOOD rifle costs thousands, a rare pistol, tens of thousands! I can afford a thousand on a good month, otherwise I am paying a few hundred. Most of my collection are hardly 'collectable', but I learn a lot as I restore, and in come cases, rebuild, them. Some are excellent - my new Swiss Schmidt-Rubin 1889 was a gem for £400 ($510) which only required a little work, yet the same cannot be said about the ex-Chile Mannlicher M1886 or the two Sniders I have which cost more! So I have one 'excellent' rifle that is shootable (but I cannot shoot it here) and a few I would not dare to shoot, even if I could!

It is pointless me arguing about market prices here as I buy from a different market and have no access to yours - no exports allowed!

That's interesting. What era in UK history collecting seems to be most popular? In the states at the moment I think its ww2

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

what's your white whale that you'd pay full price

Just remember what that white whale actually did!

 

[Old Soldier]

That's interesting. What era in UK history collecting seems to be most popular? In the states at the moment I think its ww2

Hard to say, but unlike the USA, we are not allowed to collect firearms without a firearms certificate unless they are antique muzzle-loaders or 'obsolete caliber' (no ammunition commercially available) and for collecting/display only - so no Lee-Enfields or Mausers. (If you intend to shoot your old Brown Bess or P53, it classes as a firearm and you would also need an explosives cert for the black powder!) We can buy deactivated ones which, in the worst case, does not allow 'dry firing'. Uniforms, bayonets and equipment are all available for British, German and US WW2 soldiers.
It depends on the person, of course, but the main collecting seems to revolve around British military items. Trouble is, the older it is, and the better condition it is in, usually demands the best price. Having said that, there is a LeMat revolver of 'Civil War Era' advertised for £18,500 (reasonable condition, but definitely 'used') = $23,568 and a better one for - wait for it - £34,995 ($45,855)

 

[steamboater]

Just remember what that white whale actually did!

Aye, do just remember what that white whale did to Eldred Peck, or (swiss cheese of my aged cranium) was it Ahab, the Arab, the sheik of the burnin' sand???

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

As you get older what you can afford changes. The amount of disposable income you have at age twenty is probably less than what you have at age fifty. I've been a serious collector since the 1960's and while I've acquired many outstanding items at below market value, others I paid more than full price for.

If you have to bleed through the nose for an item you will never be able to enjoy it.

 

[JackADriscoll]

As you get older what you can afford changes. The amount of disposable income you have at age twenty is probably less than what you have at age fifty. I've been a serious collector since the 1960's and while I've acquired many outstanding items at below market value, others I paid more than full price for.

If you have to bleed through the nose for an item you will never be able to enjoy it.

That's an excellent point. Like ahab the hunt can be more than the getting. Hey civil war gal did you know ahab was my father? I'm going to be auctioning off some of his stuff on eBay.

 

[Salterr]

I'm notoriously frugal. However, what one is item you would pay full price for? I'll start. I've never seen a Spencer in the wild but I don't generally go to places where there would be one. If I saw one I'd pay full price. What's yours?

I pay top dollar for anything insignia based. It doesn't come around often so I don't go back and forth over it usually. Just picked up some more of my favorite pieces yesterday, identified to an Iowa captain

 

[JackADriscoll]

I pay top dollar for anything insignia based. It doesn't come around often so I don't go back and forth over it usually. Just picked up some more of my favorite pieces yesterday, identified to an Iowa captain

Please feel free to post pictures of it

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

That's an excellent point. Like ahab the hunt can be more than the getting. Hey civil war gal did you know ahab was my father? I'm going to be auctioning off some of his stuff on eBay.

Do you have the original tooth of Moby Dick? With the light on it? As one of his most "treasured pieces"? PLEASE give me first dibs, please, please, please! But I remember you can't afford to include the stand!

 

[Joe Whitworth]

Being a fairly successful relic hunter for 25+ years in a good relic yielding area I don't buy relics. The lone exception is the fired Whitworth bolt from Gettysburg in my avatar.

 

[jack1492]

Currently I am looking for a 12 pdr sponge/rammer. I would pay full price for that.

 

[jack1492]

Oh, also, war logs are really neat. .

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

As you get older what you can afford changes. The amount of disposable income you have at age twenty is probably less than what you have at age fifty.

And 60 is probably less than 50 lol.
I'm glad to have what I already have in my collection. When I go up a CW show these day I mostly drool. If I buy online through one of the trusted sellers I deal with, 9 times out of 10 it will bought on layaway.

 

[Cornpone and Molasses]

Do you have the original tooth of Moby Dick? With the light on it? As one of his most "treasured pieces"? PLEASE give me first dibs, please, please, please! But I remember you can't afford to include the stand!

Don't forget to ask for the crumpled up receipt!