When I worked in retail one of my mentors in the gun trade once said: “The secret of selling at a good price is buying at a good price.” Like all the best advice, it is deceptively simple and rather obvious, but there are so many factors to consider when you are buying at auction that having them reduced to a simple sentence is a benefit.
With the economy in stasis while we ride out the storm of COVID-19, anyone claiming to know what a good investment at an auction will be in the short term is a fool. We will have to fall back on the simple principles of buying well.
Buying a new gun will give you a warranty from the maker and there should be a good after-sales service from your gun shop — if not, change your gun shop. But like buying a new car, you drop significant value as soon as you drive it off the forecourt or, in the case of a gun, fire a shot through it.
There are, however, some items that will almost always hold their value. These fall into the category of unusual and highly desirable. Though they may be a significant outlay, they will always have a market. As I write I am looking at a pair of 20-bore, round-action, trigger-plate side-by-sides built by David McKay Brown. These tick many of the boxes that, even in these uncertain times, we can say that if bought at the right price they will hold their money.
That is probably the best we can hope for as private individuals buying at auction. Very rarely can you buy at auction, include the buyer’s premium, then sell at a profit if you are not in the gun trade.
Denne historien er fra May 20, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra May 20, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside