Gun aficionado - 'investing' in a SIG 551...

[nsxotic911]

Well you may not "lose" money per se, but if it doesn't appreciate then you are losing money in opportunity lost. Would you really want to tie up money in a non-appreciating asset. I think if you want it because it is your hobbie, knock yourself out and consider it a sunk cost. But if you are looking at it as an investment, I think you'll have better opportunities elsewhere.

Given the way the markets have gone, and the way they did in early 200s, I have learned that it would have been better burning the money than watching it sink in the last few months

I guess I'm growing old and becoming risk-averse, or want to "feel" what my money is into.. ya know? If I lose money, I'd rather know I had some enjoyment out of it than being like "OH *** there goes my 401k"

 

[808NA1]

I'd love to see that 12grand semi auto.:smile: It must be nice.

I'm guessing he bought a Barrett?

 

[Tanto2]

The whole investment thing scares me as Obama could go wild in his second term and do something that could make all this stuff pretty worthless (like ban all transfers on the "black" stuff). And guns just don't go up much until we get one of these frenzys anyway. If you haven't already join gunbroker forum and ask what these guns are? Parts kits or original? If they are original that price is fair. Even though original 551 semi's would be very rare, most guns seem to top out and the SIG nut community in the US is probably very small. I assume you cannot get ANY parts in the US, thats bad! The early writeups on them were glowing, it's a great gun, but that doesn't mean you will like it, you need to heft one. David- sear gun MP5's still go for around 17-20k. Obama could ban NFA transfers too. That would be REAL expensive for some of us. Ironically my town banned semi's, but my machine guns were still legal! He-he. These laws often get written so they don't make sense, so they get warped in implementation, although since Shumer wrote the Clinton ban, they could do a job on us. We've got to get someone at the NRA to replace Heston. Those other guys just don't have their shit together. The only 12k semi I can think of is an HK PSG-1. They go for 12-19k and damn would I love to have one (the gun Mel Gibson had in lethal weapon), but way way over priced. It's really just an HK-91 with a super barrell, set trigger, target stock and bipod. Gun design is SO far behind technology, but of course thats good for us because most of the new stuff is off limits.

 

[DocL]

The whole investment thing scares me as Obama could go wild in his second term and do something that could make all this stuff pretty worthless (like ban all transfers on the "black" stuff)...

Slow down there a minute. He hasn't even been sworn in as President yet and you have him winning a second term. Give the country a chance to see what he is all about before the next presidental election.

 

[JeffShoots]

:smile:

 

[Tanto2]

I was a dealer (of the kitchen table variety) during the 84 ban. All my engineer/designer friends started buying up the "black" stuff like crazy, to make an "investment" killing (wall streeters did this too). Most all those guns are only going for about $400 more right now, 24 years later. And you GOTTA SHOOT EM! At least once. Please? Sorry, but Rich collectors piss me off, they always snap up the best stuff at the shows just before you get there, and then you find out they already own 14 of the same items. And then we have wait clear until they die (he-he). What a waste. I think my best friend is thinking this same thought right now about my NSX.

 

[808NA1]

I can't imagine what guns you're talking about only appreciating $400 in over 24 years. Care to name a few?

Yes, if you buy a gun, you must shoot it. I buy guns to shoot, not to look at.

 

[SWIFTVISION]

So your going to shoot the GUN

A used gun = 40% loss...........rarely an "investment" :redface:

On short run guns the ONLY way to keep it's value is as pictured. NEW IN BOX W/ all papers :smile:

Thats a lot of bullshit.

NEW vs. USED guns is a VERY small margin esp. in military weapons.

A brand new Steyr AUG vs a used one might be only $500. It doesn't matter. The are a few weird collectors who like brand new but 99.9% of the time they are NOT into military weapons.

 

[SWIFTVISION]

I was a dealer (of the kitchen table variety) during the 84 ban. All my engineer/designer friends started buying up the "black" stuff like crazy, to make an "investment" killing (wall streeters did this too). Most all those guns are only going for about $400 more right now, 24 years later. And you GOTTA SHOOT EM! At least once. Please? Sorry, but Rich collectors piss me off, they always snap up the best stuff at the shows just before you get there, and then you find out they already own 14 of the same items. And then we have wait clear until they die (he-he). What a waste. I think my best friend is thinking this same thought right now about my NSX.

DAMN more BS!

It amazes me how little people know about firearms.

Lets see...my M16 was $800 in 84, I paid 12K 2 years ago for it and it's worth 14K now....

And mr. 40%...LOL....I shoot it!!! And guess what!!!! NO ONE cares that it's used! Still worth every bit of 14K! If it was brand new....MIGHT be worth 16K...and thats a big MIGHT.

People who bought a lot of class III stuff in 84 are now using it to retire. HK auto sears were $10 each in 1984.....They are 12K now.....

 

[JeffShoots]

Thats a lot of bullshit.

NEW vs. USED guns is a VERY small margin esp. in military weapons.

A brand new Steyr AUG vs a used one might be only $500. It doesn't matter. The are a few weird collectors who like brand new but 99.9% of the time they are NOT into military weapons.

Your right sorry I don't know shit just posting from an 8600 sq/ft facility (I own) and 1 of only 4 fully lic. class 3 dealers left in Ca. :tongue:

Funny you list Steyr look under dealers/distributors.

 

[Tanto2]

Wow, what a shit storm! Don't know anything about guns! Even though I was a humble small dealer, I was the NFA national submachine gun champion one year. First, my rise in value comment was relating to semi weapons, only. Around the ban time, AR's were going for around $800. That same pre ban weapon is going for around $1300-1400, been buying and selling them like crazy lately. I'm trying to sell a pre-ban IMI Gahlil right now. I paid $1440 for it wholesale way back when, and that was the going price. It's now worth around $1800-2000. M1A's are almost exactly $400 more than they were back then. Yes there are a lot of guns that have appreciated more than that, so I shouldn't have made such a general statement. Not long ago before a bunch of fake receivers came out, my Gahlil would have fetched around $2800. OVERALL, guns are a lousy investment. NFA weapons: The cheapest HK registered sears of QUALITY went for around $600 is my recollection, and I was all over em. As I'm an HK nut, I've owned them all-S&H, Fleming, Qualified. They currently go for 12k. Frankly I'm not comfortable getting into what i currently own on a forum, but the VERY high end machine guns have gone up about 15K. Dealer samples much less. Even that is not much appreciation considering the time. Yes I see MP5's advertised for 10K more than the going price, but those are people that probably don't really want to sell. And FEW are selling the good stuff. I know I won't. Again not an investment. And Obama or my state attorney general could ban transfers pretty easily and make this stuff almost worthless overnight. I sold over 60 NFA items for mostly meager profits (most gun people are cheap!). The only real money I ever made was on close-outs like the time I bought 5 belgium FN's for $880 dollars each when they quit making them (eat you heart out). Right now a lot of folks are buying AR receivers for $100-200 dollars thinking they will build them up and sell for a good profit when the clinton ban comes back. I just picked up another colt, a cmmg, and two rock river arms. I'll probably keep all mine though. Not that I love them that much, but you Gotta have ar in every size, shape and color! They will fit nicely in the NSX trunk. Or maybe a throwdown!