Colt SAA pair value help from the guru's

john442

john442

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Hi all,
I got a chance to pick up a set(2) of 3rd generation colt SAA's( nickle plated .
4-3/4"/ .45) that are consecutive serial numbered and factory "B" engraved. they are brand new in the boxes and unturned . They really get my heart racing, wanted a set since i was a kid and frankly the vaquero's i have dont excite me the way the colts do. What would they be worth ?would they be a good investment to put away and just admire. THOUGHTS

THANKS
JOHN
 
Right now, they're worth whatever you're prepared to pay for them. That may sound flippant, but what I mean to say is, the market for these custom shop Colts is narrow. Anyone in his/her right mind would give you $2K each for them, and the number of takers diminish each time you add $100 to the price. By the time you get to $3K each, you're down to about a handfull of potential buyers, and you'd best not be in a hurry to sell.

This all changes if there's something of historic value in the piece(s) or you find the one collector who really appreciates them. For example, if you have a factory letter from the Historic Department at Colt attesting to the fact that these two consecutively serial numbered SAA's were presented to Ronald Regan by the President of Colt, you can double (and some) any figure you might have received for the same piece without the provenance.

As 3rd generation, these are unlikely to involve such a rich heritage. Do you know if the seller has factory letters for them? If not, you should know that you can request them from Colt at a cost of approximately $300 USD or less, if they are deemed to be of a more moderate grade. The funny thing is they price the research and certificate based on their estimate of it's value when you describe it over the phone. In a sense, they're giving you a ballpark valuation when they quote the price for the search. Still, the Historical Departrment could find something about those serial numbers that would not be evident from your phone description. Plus, the certificate is well worth having. There are forgeries out there and the letter does buy peace of mind. Keep that value in mind when you decide how much you'd be prepared to pay for these (with or without the certs.)

Are they a good investment? I sure hope so, because I've got some of my hard-earned after tax dollars invested in a couple of similar pieces. But, anybody who pretends to tell you whether they'll make a good investment or not is blowing smoke up your backside. You may have to forfeit them to the government for $500 (IF the lieberals ever get elected again and the antis get their total ban). Or, you could get lucky and sell them to a Colt collector in the U.S. or elsewhere and profit handsomely. Guns of any description are a risky investment. Having said that, it's a risk I'm personally prepared to take - partly because I expect to profit, partly because I'm prepared to fight for my property rights for my own benefit and for the benefit of society as a whole, and partly because I'm honoured to be the custodian of some of the fine pieces that I protect from the elements, the antis, the hackers, and obscurity.
 
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Colt Pair

THANKS STRAIGHTSHOOTER,
that was a very insightfull reply and really brought alot to mind.
The set doesnt have the letters but comes with a coupon from the colt shop to get letters for $50 each. I would have to outlay about $6000.00 for the pair. sure is a hard pill to swallow, but man they are pretty! do you think in the future they might be worth $10-20,000 being consecutive & engraved,,,say .....put away for 20 years or so???
gonna really have to sleep on this one. here is a pic of them
john

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straightshooter said:
Right now, they're worth whatever you're prepared to pay for them. That may sound flippant, but what I mean to say is, the market for these custom shop Colts is narrow. Anyone in his/her right mind would give you $2K each for them, and the number of takers diminish each time you add $100 to the price. By the time you get to $3K each, you're down to about a handfull of potential buyers, and you'd best not be in a hurry to sell.
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john442 said:
THANKS STRAIGHTSHOOTER,
that was a very insightfull reply and really brought alot to mind.
The set doesnt have the letters but comes with a coupon from the colt shop to get letters for $50 each. I would have to outlay about $6000.00 for the pair. sure is a hard pill to swallow, but man they are pretty! do you think in the future they might be worth $10-20,000 being consecutive & engraved,,,say .....put away for 20 years or so???
gonna really have to sleep on this one. here is a pic of them
john

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Click to expand...

Very nice Colts indeed. But as you've stated $6K for the pair, or ~ $3K each, as 'straightshooter' says they're worth whatever you're prepared to pay for them... if you want them bad enough.

Kinda been down that road before with Colt 1911's myself... Funny how top dollar for interesting pieces like engraved Colt SAA's differs north & south of the border, though. Who knows what they may be 'worth' or sell for here in 20 years. A lot depends on if we're left further unmolested by subsequent gun legislation/regulations in the future, I suppose.

But beautiful Colts. I can see why you want them...
 
john442 said:
do you think in the future they might be worth $10-20,000 being consecutive & engraved,,,say .....put away for 20 years or so???
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Wish I could see your pics (blocked site from here at work - I'll have to wait until tonight).

If you mean $10 - 20K for the pair, I would expect that they would easily fall in that range for the two of them by 2027 - assuming the firearms market doesn't change too drasticly in the meantime. For that matter $6K invested in a guaranteed certificate would be worth $20K by that time. I wouldn't advise buying investment grade guns, if you're weighing them against other forms of investments - the risks are generally higher than conventional forms of investments, but the potential returns aren't necessarily correspondingly higher. My personal approach to buying guns as investments is to buy pieces that are undervalued in today's market, IMO. The idea being that, if you bought them for less than they're worth today, you should be able to sell them for a profit in a matter of months or a couple of years. Even if you only make 20% on your initial outlay, if you get that kind of appreciation in 12 months or less, that's a pretty decent ROI.

The longer the term you have to hold the item for, the higher the risk and the harder it becomes to average even 5% over the whole term (over and above inflation).

I should also admit that I've been known to get attached to guns I initially bought to resell :bigHug:. That can be an expensive proposition considering you don't generally take an unturned SAA and shoot it just because you decided not to part with it. You only have to look at the average collector's estate sale to see what ends up happening with those.

Taking all I've said here and distilling it down to its essence, I would say:

- if you see yourself buying these two Colts primarily as an investment, make sure you get them for at least 25% less than you consider current market value and take the necessary steps to try to sell them in the next year or two.
- if you really think you will keep them for 20 years, you might consider shooting them. Can't believe I said that but, how much does the average buyer really pay extra for an unturned one (or pair) over a well maintained identical pair?

SS
 
john442 said:
do you think in the future they might be worth $10-20,000 being consecutive & engraved,,,say .....put away for 20 years or so???
Click to expand...
In 20 years they will almost certainly be worth more than $10 for reasons of inflation alone. Take a look at the across the board price of firearms 20 years ago - they were much cheaper back then.
 
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