In 1999 I bought my first pistol, an authentic 1945 Colt USGI 1911A1 "US Army" .45 calibre pistol from a local dealer for $250.00. It was really tight and seemed to have spent almost all of its life NOT being fired. Cosmetically it was near perfect.
Back then, I didn't really think much of it. To me it was some old army gun in really great shape that appeared to have never been used, and thereby worth the money I was paying.
I took meticulous care of that gun, as I do all of my guns. I shot it only a handful of times in 1999-2000, after which it sat in my safe until 2008 when I became aware of how collectible these guns had become.
My Colt had all of the original parts in it except for the firing pin (it came to me with a titanium pin in it) and the barrel, which was chrome lined and installed by the US military during the Vietnman War era, years before the gun was released to the public. Every little part was clearly hand finished and all of the requisite marking were everywhere.
At this point I made a somewhat difficult decision to not shoot the gun anymore, in light of its collectible status. I also somewhat reluctantly decided that it was time to let someone else enjoy owning it, factoring in that there were guys out there who appreciated it even more than I did and who would pay a decent price for it.
So, in the spring of 2008 I sold that Colt .45 to a collector who already had several such pistols, including ones from 1943 and 1944. He wanted a 1945 and he got it.
I started my asking price higher, but received no responses until I hit $1,100.00. I had posted that price and the next day found 5 emails from 5 separate buyers all wanting it.
The buyer reported back to me that he was completely pleased, with even his expectations having been exceeded.
I funnelled the proceeds of this sale, along with a similarly profitable sale that I made involving a mint S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum (8-3/8" barrel), back into my pistol collection, ending up with two new guns that I like more and enjoy actually shooting. Thus, I bought a stainless Dan Wesson Commander Classic bobtail .45 and a Dlask Custom 1911 stainless, with all of the options just as I wanted them. I also got a full realoading kit for .45 ACP.
Below is a picture of my first gun, the old Colt. Below that is a picture of my best gun, the Dlask.
I enjoyed sharing this story and hoped you enjoyed it as well.
