Fox Collectors

Hi gang,
So you've no doubt heard it before but here goes...
When you find a Fox gun you like and are looking for does it become a matter of what you are
willing to pay for it, what the market is like, or how badly you want it? How do you determine value?
I have no interest in collecting as an investment rather I want to gauge real value when making buying
decisions.
Jim

Then you don't want to play in classic American doubles. They all exceeded any actual value decades ago. Buy a new Remington Model 870 and be done with it.

We all have our own way to determine value. I look at each gun and try to guess as to how much use/enjoyment I'm going to get from it. That determination is an individual thing. As Researcher mentioned, if you are a totally practical and thrifty individual (re:my younger brother) then you'll want to steer clear of classic SxS shot guns and stick with the good ole 870. It is without a doubt a "best buy" in American scatter guns. Since I'm primarily a hunter, I prefer field grade guns and the number of available guns out there are pretty good. If a guy would find one in unused condition (a rarity) then the price will likely reflect that. Because the volume of guns is out there I can always find one in reasonable condition that suits my purpose at an affordable price. It also helps that I'm an average size and can shoot most standard production dimensions. I hope this helps to some small degree. FRED

.......some guys like Ramblers..... some guys like Eldorados..... they'll both get you to the same place.... some hold more value and escalate in value more than others.

tjw

I've been interested in double shotguns and Fox guns in particular since I was a young pup. To me they're time travel machines. Same with classic muscle cars like 442's, 409's, 427 Fords etc. How can I put a value on being able to step back to simpler times and treasured long ago vignettes when I'm hunting with, shooting, or just plain handling an old Fox? Let's consider the example of buying a SUV. You spend 45K or more for the machine, it loses 25% of value when you drive it from the lot, and 5 years later it will bring maybe 15K - but few even think about the negative ROI. In comparison, buying a good Fox or two, even at a little above what you might want to spend, is small potatoes. You got what you want and you have it NOW, and who knows how long before you would have found another one in the "right" price bracket. And if you decide to sell later and you lose a few bucks, so what? One of the regular vendors at SxS events here in the east, has this sign on his table ..... life is short, write the check. Silvers

Hey Guys,
Thanks all for the the response. It' s interesting to get varying points of view.
A friend of mine back in the day would drive us to bird cover in his dull green Rambler.
What a value to us that was. The first gun I purchased on my own was a plain barrel
870 12g, $160.00 new. Haven't shot it in a long time though thinking about it I feel as good about
owning it as I do the Sterlingworths I have. Unfortunately I don't get to play in the deep end yet.
Someday perhaps. Doesn't keep from wanting to learn about the guns though.
So back to my original post is , value different than worth ?
Jim

Value for some may indeed be different than worth, value being what it means to you to own it, worth being what you could get for it in dollars. I have some guns that are valued by me way above their worth, my Grandad's guns for example. I have others that are valued at no more than their worth. It is all subjective. That is what makes auctions work as well as they do.

SRH

Stan Hillis wrote:Value for some may indeed be different than worth, value being what it means to you to own it, worth being what you could get for it in dollars. I have some guns that are valued by me way above their worth, my Grandad's guns for example. I have others that are valued at no more than their worth. It is all subjective. That is what makes auctions work as well as they do.

SRH

Stan is right, My dad's Sterlingworth to me is priceless. He acquired it in the 1920"s and was the only gun that I remember he ever owned. He served in the Mexican Campaign, WW1 & WW2. Later he carried the Fox in the trunk of his car as he was always getting invitations to hunt. Before he passed in 1974 I had the gun restored to "as-new" and presented it back to him. He was not an emotional man but I could detect a tear in his eye as he remembered earlier times and hunts long past.

Best Regards, George

Frank brought up a good point about guns and cars. If I didn't have a wife, I would have way more cars and motorcycles. It's been decades since I haven't owned at least one vehicle with an engine bigger than 427 cubic inches and a HD. I'm down to one of each now and my wife is sick about it. She wants them gone.