Log In
Members
Home
Add Reply
Add Topic
Offline
On a more serious note, long spur hollow mentioned, as I did, times have changed. The other problem, which I also addressed, is pricing. I’ll bet none of you know but a very few under the age of 45, who have the interest or the money to invest in anything but average antique guns with little original finish. Whether we like it or not, “WE”, the old time collectors have no one to blame, but ourselves. We’ve paid up large for some of the high condition guns we have and we’ve also sold large on a lot of those guns. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy profit as much as the next guy, but if someone buys a great gun for $10,000 and sells it $16,500 to a collector, that gun may sit in that collection for 5 to 8 years, maybe longer. When it comes time to sell that gun and the price is now $20,000, what 45 year old will even look at it, let alone buy it. That is the age group we need and they’re the very ones we’ve lost.
Online
The problem with the under 45 crowd, in general, but especially those in their 20s and 30s, is that, IF you can even get them into antique firearms, they have much less disposable income than previous generations.
I hate to point fingers at other generations, but it is the grey haired folks who want to unload their special order Winchester at top dollar who are likely to blame for this. Sometimes, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too!
BUT, it was likely the Baby Boomers who told these folks to go to college, no matter the cost, because it will be worth it. Then these folks get out of college up to their eyeballs in debt and find wages have gone nowhere in a generation, despite steep increases in tuition. Then they find out their job has no pension and they have to save for their own retirement.
I am not trying to point fingers or place blame, but when previous generations can make it without a college degree or with a college degree that cost very little, invest in virtually anything in the 1970s and 1980s (real estate, stocks, gold, etc) and cash out with massive gains, whereas today, all of the above is more of a gamble and negative returns are common.
So, really, what do you expect?
Even to properly use a gun, it helps to have land. Or, maybe having land gets one interested in hunting and guns. The US is way too developed now. Most of these younger folks if they own anything have a small lot, lots of neighbors, etc. How can they get all that excited about guns? It doesn’t help that they spent their formative years being brainwashed relative to the second amendment by liberal educators.
I am Gen-X, so I experienced some of what the Millenials are facing, but nowhere near as bad. But, I never experienced the multiple windfalls previous generations did, either.
One thing I’ve noted is that, in the past, there seemed to be measures in place to prevent getting too much in debt at a young age before you know how much that debt really is. I mean, I got into some very expensive colleges and financial aid stated I needed to pay X dollars to attend the first semester, and, when I lacked X dollars, there went the ability to attend. End of conversation. Now, it seems any amount can be financed by virtually anyone. The end result, upon graduation, is pure disaster.
Again, not pointing fingers…just something to think about.
It used to be fun. Put the cash in your boot, a couple guns in a hard case, drive to the airport, check in your baggage, and no pat down. You got to Vegas, flagged a cab, walked through the lobby of a Casino carrying your hard case. One great gun after another on the tables, all you needed was money or something to trade. Guns were liquid. The world, the laws, and what people call fun has changed, never to return. If all these laws and politically correct behavior were in place then, I might not have started this hobby. This is not the only reason we have less young collectors, but it is one reason. T/R
1 Guest(s)
