I wouldnt be shocked at all on price as everything is going way up except my wage...haha..AYA No2 is showing over 10,000 euros on there website...what was your ugartechea quote if you dont mind posting it?
I know your chaseing a SxS 28 gauge...dads after a sxs 410 or even 28 gauge aswell....
In talking to Canvasback about Spanish guns, the current state of pricing and marketing, he made an interesting observation drawing from his sales experience imo. That is AYA would first identify a problem, that they aren’t earning enough money per gun, and they would need to adjust that immediately because it’s unavoidable. They would then deal with any readjustment in demand second.
Certainly an interesting perspective on why they are so expensive now and if they were concerned about what was going to happen to their sales, basically they didn’t have a choice.
The whole Spanish gun market seems a bit strange to me.
Armas Garbi, Arrieta, Arrizabalga, Aya, Grulla and Ugartechea, all seemingly utilizing the same actions made by Aya and in some cases even the exact same engraving!
You could literally get an Aya that looks exactly the same as an Armas Garbi, Arrieta or Grulla.
Different price points then assigned to those makers claiming to offer a higher degree of fit and finish.
It is confusing to me why there wasn’t more differentiation between the Spanish brands, more distinction to maintain individuality. I think the homogenization of it all was in part their downfall.
Today there are similarities with current Italian makers and the whole Rizzini group all they way through the family of brothers into Fausti and Caesar Guereni….well except Flli.Rizzini !
I love my Rizzini round body (and I think it’s the best iteration of the lot by far) but I’ve seen lots of really similar round bodies by other ‘makers’ and I wonder.
There does seem to be more differentiation with styling of finished product in the Italian guns.
Maybe like historical gun trades certain main factories produce much or most of the gun parts finished by others? Or will produce and make as much of a finished gun as any other ‘brand’ pays them to?
The thing that confuses me about the drastic change in price wrt an Aya is that the product hasn’t changed.
So one from 2004 that maybe cost what $4000-$4500 is now going to be like $15000, and the gun is exactly the same? I’m guessing prices off the top of my head but could check some old DoubleGunJournals to confirm the older retails.
So either we feel it was underpriced then, or is it over priced now for what it is?
Is there still value at the new price point?
I dunno and I suppose the market will decide.
Maybe 20yrs ago their sales of actions to the other companies subsidized the sales and pricing of their own guns?
It is a scary thought, the reintroduction of these fallen Spanish makers, like Arrieta and Ugartechea, because what market are they competing for at these new high price points, and what will distinguish their guns from those of their countrymen that are still making guns?
I certainly wouldn’t want to be investing in these businesses as an owner thinking of their financial future, that’s an uncertain venture for sure.
The gunmaking knowledge is present in Spain though, so I imagine that the guns will be of good/reasonable quality unto themselves.
But man if you had 15k-20k at your disposal today to buy a double gun there are A LOT of pretty awesome options out there in the used sxs marketplace.
Just some food for thought….
