My perspective on "Guns dont lose money"

I hear this all the time from behind the counter. "Guns are an investment". often times its someone trying to psyche themselves up, or justify to a spouse, and pretty much everyone believes it. But in reality, its total hogwash. Firearms are a tool that depreciate quite harshly as nobody in their right mind, or who is legally able to do so, would pay full price or close to it for a used item. The amount of use, and how well one cared for it will have an impact, but nothing is going to stop it. Id wager 99% of firearms bought today will be sold for a loss, given depreciation and inflation. Even if unused NIB

Its a montly occurrence where family come in with their grandparents firearms collection thinking they just inherited a mortgage payoff or European vacation, but the firearms themselves more often than not wind up being old sears single shot shotguns that are looser than a politicains morals, or marlin .22s that havent been cleaned since the 2nd great war. I dont delight in telling them that the guns they are sitting on arent the answer to their prayers and dreams just because of age, and theyll get seventyfive bucks for that sears on the open market. The real depressing ones are the dads selling their savage model 110 hunting rifle to keep the lights on because they fell on hard times. Sure it was 600 new, but in the open market a used one goes for a flat 350 or so. Expectations are that theyll get a solid 500 and "leave some meat on the bones" for the shop selling it. But in reality, I have to give them 225-250 to make it worth the shops time. If selling private, theyd realistically only get that 350. It breaks my heart as Ive absolutely been there. It was tough, and I really wish I didnt have to deliver that news. But too many folks buy guns thinking they are a sound investment, so I have to.

they arent.

Guns arent gold, silver, stocks, or realestate.(All real investments) They are tools.

There are rare exceptions, that would be the missing 1% from my first statment. But thats the extreme exception, not the rule. Buy your guns, shoot them, enjoy your hobby. That ducks unlimited turk shotgun you won at a raffle years back will be worth far more in happyness and experience than it ever will in dollars. So go, take your friend, kid, spouse out for a round of trap and enjoy it!