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civil war guns
- Thread starter shamrock1
- Start date
There are appraisal services, but they charge for their expertise and certification. If there are not too many guns, how about taking a good picture of each side, crop and reduce the pixel count to something we poor dial-up users can download in less than half a day, and let us take a look. If they are in the stratosphere price wise, then a pro appraiser would be better.
As a general comment, condition is all. The amount of original finish, whether the gun is intact or parts are broken/missing, whether it has been altered (like a musket with the barrel and stock cut down), all figure into value. So does any documented connection with a prominent person (a gun known to have been carried by Bobby Lee is worth a lot more than of unknown history). Age alone means little in regard to value.
Value enters into insurance as well. For average guns, unless there are a lot of them, your normal home insurance should cover them; if not, a policy rider would be best, or even keeping them in a bank vault. Talk to your insurance agent. There are insurance plans specifically for high-dollar collectibles, but they are pricey, premium-wise.
Jim
As a general comment, condition is all. The amount of original finish, whether the gun is intact or parts are broken/missing, whether it has been altered (like a musket with the barrel and stock cut down), all figure into value. So does any documented connection with a prominent person (a gun known to have been carried by Bobby Lee is worth a lot more than of unknown history). Age alone means little in regard to value.
Value enters into insurance as well. For average guns, unless there are a lot of them, your normal home insurance should cover them; if not, a policy rider would be best, or even keeping them in a bank vault. Talk to your insurance agent. There are insurance plans specifically for high-dollar collectibles, but they are pricey, premium-wise.
Jim
Mike Irwin
Staff
Wow. I missed this.
There's a great source that you can use to learn more about your guns and maybe get at least ballpark vaues, called Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms.
Get it on the web, or get it from a well-stocked local book store.
There's a great source that you can use to learn more about your guns and maybe get at least ballpark vaues, called Flayderman's Guide to Antique Firearms.
Get it on the web, or get it from a well-stocked local book store.