[Johnny Peppers]

That is certainly not the case in the US and if you will pick up any copy of the Gun List you will find that it bears out my statement. Quality factory original pieces bring substantially more than redone pieces. One of the few accepted refinished guns was the Parker shotguns refinished by Del Greco, and even these in the high grade guns would not come close to the value a factory original Parker. You have to remember that a refinished gun has 0% original finish. Doug Turnbull does a wonderful job of refinishing vintage Colts and Winchesters and his quality probably exceeds the original finish on these guns, but they will not bring anywhere near the money that a factory original piece will. At a recent Tulsa show there was a display of original Model 1874 Sharps rifles. There was a consecutive numbered pair shipped to Ft. Griffin, Texas which was in the heart of the buffalo country in the early 1870's. These rifles had zero finish and were virtually worn out, but the value on the pair was estimated at close to $100,000. If these rifles had been refinished they would have some value for where they were shipped, but all their history and most of their value would have been buffed away.