Question for S&W collectors

[Carcassonne]

First of all these are NOT for sale. Do NOT PM me asking.

I have three unfired S&W pistols I bought in 1998. I bought them as an investment because I felt my money was more secure in S&W than a 401K.

Is there any significantly higher value in these guns to a collector if they are unfired?

I really want to shoot them, but if there is a big difference in value between a fired gun and an unfired gun I will just leave them in the safe for another 20 years.

I think the titanium and Lady Smith were purchased the first year they came out and were available in California. I think it took between 6 months and a year from when they first appeared in the magazines until they were seen on the shelves in California.

Black gun is a Model 37, 38-spl, 2", rubber grip, black finish
Ti gun is a Model 337, 38-spl, 2", rubber grip, titanium cylinder
Lady Smith model 60, 357, 2-1/8, stainless, wood grip





Thanks for your help.


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[mtenenhaus]

It has been my experience that an unfired example will prove more highly valued. So if your intent truly remains in maintaining their value i would advocate your not shooting them.

For myself, perhaps because i'm getting older, i prefer to enjoy my pistols by shooting them and if they're worth a bit less when i pass on...so be it.

[highpower]

I agree with mtenenhaus, if your intent is to keep them as investments, then they will retain greater value as unfired examples. Once you shoot them, no matter how little, they are no linger virgins and the value will be reduced.

The easy solution is to find a used Smith and shoot that instead. I am not one of theose that feels that just because I have a gun, I have to shoot it. Many of the guns I own are high condition firearms and I bought them specifically as investments. I certainly could shoot them, I just chose not to.

[Carcassonne]

It has been my experience that an unfired example will prove more highly valued. So if your intent truly remains in maintaining their value i would advocate your not shooting them.

For myself, perhaps because i'm getting older, i prefer to enjoy my pistols by shooting them and if they're worth a bit less when i pass on...so be it.

That is what I was thinking.

I looked on the S&W website, and they still make the Lady Smith. The other two are not being made, so I might just fire the Lady Smith and keep the other two unfired.



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[003]

While I am certainly no expert when it comes to investing, (although my 401 has done well) I do not believe that buying guns and holding them for a few years is the best or a particularly wise way to make money. You may of course be able to sell them for a bit more than you paid, but I suspect you could find a number of other investment vehicles that would do better. A simple test, what did you pay for them in 1998, and what are they worth today? Factor in the rate of inflation and then decide if you made money.

I do have a couple of guns that I have never shot, but that is only because I have yet to get around to them. I am of the old school and believe that guns should be used, shot and appreciated for their practical use. I suspect if you do shoot them, some collectors will feel the value is reduced to some extent. So, I think you have to answer the question yourself. Did you buy them as an investment and hope they appreciate, or did you buy them to use, shoot and enjoy.

[Dvrjon]

That is what I was thinking.

I looked on the S&W website, and they still make the Lady Smith. The other two are not being made, so I might just fire the Lady Smith and keep the other two unfired.

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If it's also a pre-lock, I'd not fire it.

If you are going to keep these as "investments", I'd recommend a zip tie through the frame and around the hammer to keep the trigger from being pulled. Pulling the trigger/cocking the hammer rotates the cylinder which will leave a scoring mark and will impact the future value.

.357 will often command a higher price than .38 Special.

Nice guns.

[shooting4life]

Unfired will bring a slight premium to like new in box but fired in guns that were purchased with the intent on shooting and just just collecting like the three examples above. I would shoot each one because the enjoyment of shooting them is worth more than the $50 drop in value for the particular models.

Where you find the big money I unfired is pre 1964 s&w's since very few are left unfired and not many were produced compared to today's market.

[ap3572001]

I have been collecting S&W's since the 1980's. Unfired and boxed common guns will be worth a premium. I express more interest in a good condition revolvers that are actually rare. For example S&W K-32, 16-2 and -3 , 16-4 . Transitional guns made between 1946-49. Etc.

[rm1911]

Guns only "go up in value" because the dollar keeps falling in value. A collector firearm will do exactly, for the most part, what a non collector firearm will do. Put a round in the chamber, pull the trigger, and hopefully it goes bang. And hopefully it will do it repeatedly and accurately. Had we real money and not the fake stuff the government forces us to use, as real money requires no force nor legal tender laws, then one would simply put money away in savings. And over time real money only increases in purchasing power. But alas we use fake money, are forced to use fake money, and thus cannot save because saving is punished by the cruelest and most evil act, short of genocide that governments can inflict on people: inflation.

As for guns, we buy them now as insurance against tyrannical laws that will prohibit us in the future from acquiring them. In that sense, yes, laws of supply and demand will of course favor the owner and it will appear that one made a wise investment.

JB Say was most prescient over 200 years ago when he wrote that value is based solely on utility. We're no better off by affixing a higher ratio upon something. The fact is you own them and I'm sure they're wonderful shooters. Your use will not lessen their utility and thus not lessen their true value. As it stands they're safe queens and really ought be held by someone who will shoot them.

My guess is if you'd have purchased an equivalent dollar amount of gold instead of the guns you'd have made a better "investment". Because gold holds its exchange value far better than a firearm simply because the "value" will be highly subjective.

Shoot them or sell them.

[003]

Did a bit on on liine research. Found it very interesting.

The gold spot price on 12-1-98 was $293.30

The gold spot price today is $1,288.32

[2761377]

it is important to understand those revolvers are not unfired. they were test-fired at the factory, with at least one full cylinder. you could fire another 5 rounds through each to satisfy your curiosity and no one would know you had except you.

[erik_26]

Just think OP.

This whole time you could have enjoyed them, kept them clean and still sell the in today's market for more than what you paid.

Maybe you could get a little more today NIB vs. LNIB. But you would have gotten more than the difference worth of fun out of them over the years.

Maybe in 50+ years those guns if still NIB and properly preserve could fetch a premium, if guns are even still legal for private citizens to own then.

As others said, other investments would have been better. Then again, hind sight is always 20/20. Had you not saved them like you intended, you could have been kicking yourself today had the economy completely collapsed and firearms were worth 100x their weight in gold.

Nice pictures and thanks for sharing. Those are nice guns and it is a glimpse back in time.