Author Topic: Commemoratives (Read 464 times)

Swamp Yankee · « **on:** November 06, 2005, 11:43:16 AM »

This is just a topic for discussion.
A few years ago I bought a Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial in unfired condition up in Kittery Maine It was a real good deal that I couldn't walk away from. The first thing I did the next day was to go out and shoot it. A few of my friends couldn't belive that I would shoot a commemorative and ruin it's value as a colectable. It's a fun gun and I have enjoyed shooting it and to be honest I'm not sorry that I did. So as a topic for discussion: What would you have done?.............Jim

Gregory · « **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2005, 12:19:23 PM »

Quote from: Swamp Yankee

This is just a topic for discussion.
A few years ago I bought a Winchester 94 Canadian Centennial in unfired condition up in Kittery Maine It was a real good deal that I couldn't walk away from. The first thing I did the next day was to go out and shoot it. A few of my friends couldn't belive that I would shoot a commemorative and ruin it's value as a colectable. It's a fun gun and I have enjoyed shooting it and to be honest I'm not sorry that I did. So as a topic for discussion: What would you have done?.............Jim

Jim
There are over 20 Winchester commemoratives listed in my Gun Traders. From what I see if you paid $300 or less for yours....go ahead and shoot the heck out of it. If you paid $400 to $500 for it you just dropped the value significantly. The question is...did you buy it as an investment or a shooter.
I guess you've already answered that question.

rvtrav · « **Reply #2 on:** November 06, 2005, 03:42:17 PM »

From what I've noticed, there are just so many "commemeratives" out there that they have never gained any significant value.
Today I was a a gun show and I've always been looking for a good lever action. The '70s winchester commemeratives are still cheaper than buying a new gun as a shooter. They compare price wise with used contemperary guns, so what did hiding them in a safe for thirty+ years get anyone?

I do shoot a '71 vintage win 64 NRA commemerative in 30/30, it was used when I got it, but hey, I've really enjoyed it as a shooter, and I'm sure that the previous owner did too.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** November 06, 2005, 05:37:04 PM »

Winchester glutted the market with them. Just too many different ones and too many of each. They hold very little more value as commemoratives than as shooters. Oh a few do but most don't. I'd have done like you and shot it.

Bullseye · « **Reply #4 on:** November 07, 2005, 06:43:10 AM »

I shot the last one I had. It hurt the value a little but it was worth it. Like Graybeard said, most of them do not have a high collecters value anyway. The guy I sold it to just wanted a pretty gun to hunt with!

victorcharlie · « **Reply #5 on:** November 07, 2005, 07:39:08 AM »

Having watched the value of "commeratives" over the years, most do not increase significantly in value........there are a few, like the eagle scout that have done well.........what makes one more valuble than others as far as collectors go, I have no clue.......I say shoot em!