As long as collectors value firearms with original finish, they will command higher prices. The more original finish the firearm retains, the higher the price. The rarer the firearm which retains a high percentage of it's original finish, the higher the firearm will be. A refinished firearm retains 0% original finish, and no matter how well refinished, will never command anywhere near the price of an original finish firearm in the same original condition. A restoration of a badly worn firearm will improve it's value if the firearm is not rare and desireable. A refinished Colt Patterson or Colt Walker would be worth much less than a pistol of the same model with no finish. A restoration by Del Greco on a rare grade of Parker shotgun will not be worth the same as a Parker of the same grade in original unblemished condition. Firearms collectors prize original finish, and the more the better. Condition/rarity/condition drives the firearms collecting market.
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