GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Vintage Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: 45flint on June 13, 2018, 09:25:50 AM
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I have become totally bitten by the collecting bug. I still only want to buy shooters and I shoot regularly in my backyard, but it is thrill of bagging a cool collectable at the right price that is really driving my Airgun hobby. Yes my favorite TV show is antiques roadshow. As I become more knowledgeable about vintage airguns I find there is much opportunity to find Airgun treasure. Few people are into it, ironically gunstores are some of the best hunting grounds. They look at airguns as toys and don’t know what they have, they just want to sell it and move on to real guns.
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ironically gunstores are some of the best hunting grounds. They look at airguns as toys and don’t know what they have, they just want to sell it and move on to real guns.
Nailed it Steve. My best deals were in these shops. Air rifles in NM aren't sought after & gun shops know that. I start very low & go lower. ;D
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Hard to stop once you start. My first airgun as an adult was an RWS24, to keep the birds out of the fruit tree. And now I'm buying collections of airguns and doing repairs. And the birds still come around after the fruit.
Part of what I enjoy is saving some old guns that might otherwise go to the dump. Enjoy getting them even if in bad shape, since I can fix them or pass on to others who can.
Spot on about gun shops. And if you can find one thats been in business a long time with an old owner, it's often a gold mine. They won't or can't fix the air gun that a gun customer brings in, so the customer just leaves it as theres no use in keeping it. And since the gunsmith can't ever throw anything away because they might just need it some day, they set these airguns in a spot along the back wall and there they remain until you walk in asking about if they have any old airguns that they want to get rid of. That was how I made my first airgun score, with the grandson taking over the gun shop from the old man and wanting to clear all the old junk out and I happen to come along at that very moment. Gave me 12 or 13 old benji's and crosmans, asked me to bring him back one that worked. That really set the hook with me, been at it ever since.
Rural gun shops are best, I suspect rent is too high for urban gun shops to give up space for storage of broken airguns. But you never know.
The internet, the blue book of airguns and eBay have made it harder to find that kind of store, but I suspect there are still a few around.
The old paper classifieds, like the 'Lil Trader' or Nickel Trader or even the AgNews here in rural NorCal used to be good sources as I placed 'wanted' ads and got a lot of calls from it. Now with the internet and CL, 'wanted' ads don't seem to generate as many responses. And people seem to think grandpas pellet gun is worth a lot now, used to be they were glad to get rid of it somewhere besides the dump.
I don't recall who it was, but I recall that one of the old collector types used to have a sign that he would put in his car window every place he stopped. "I buy used pellet and bb guns" or something like that. Low effort way to get some attention.
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It is a fun hobby and as you know something you can enjoy on the range after you get it home.
You can find lots of bargins but the competition has really gone up in the last few decades.
Enjoy!
Gary
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Can't help thinking we're so alike all us collectors,
Roadshow, Pickers, Pawn Stars, American Restoration etc are on my list as well for favorite TV viewing, so much to learn and enjoy learning it too.
Is it an age thing?
Cause when I was in my 20's I only wanted the latest and greatest of whatever it was, now in my 50's I so much appreciate the things of yesteryear.
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Somehow it’s in my DNA that I can really enjoy the gun much more if I happen to get a great deal.
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Don't forget "garage sales". Especially in older neighborhoods.
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Even being under the "sell one to buy one" rule I still can't pass up an honest to goodness vintage gun. I'm a sucker for vintage wood and metal.
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Somehow it’s in my DNA that I can really enjoy the gun much more if I happen to get a great deal.
And a great plan too. If it just does not live up to your expectations it is easy to recover your investment.
And no mater how much or how little you have to spend on airguns, the less you spend on each individual gun the more you can buy.
Can also give you a reserve to draw on when that really rare/desirable one comes along that you know may be your only chance to grab one.
Gary