New collector pitfalls

[John D.]

your position (as well as the way you are presenting it) And debates like this are both informative and healthy - and I appreciate a Forum such as this to openly discuss these same issues...


BUT (you just knew I was going to say something - heh, heh, heh...) your comment of "Your Luger is as close to original as itâ??s ever going to be right now" - is correct, but my position is that why shouldn't I, or others - strive to make it "closer" to original with the addition of a numbered part - if one would be available? In other words - yes, neither are "original to manufacture" - severely impacting, in my view - "collect-ability" and "value".. Notwithstanding, and in my view - I think it comes down to "intent" of what the present owner intends to do with that pistol?


I think your point is well taken when you said "But can you guarantee all future owners be as honest or as knowledgeable as yourself.." Unfortunately - no. All I can do - is maintain records of what I change. For example, all my collection is logged per BATF requirements - but in addition - a sheet is maintained for each Luger with a description, condition purchased, and what parts I have replaced (I have only two "non-matching"/"incomplete" Lugers right - so these records are easy to maintain). To your point more specifically - it's a broader issue whether I do these changes and record the same - or whether another individual does it to commit fraud. No - I cannot guarantee that in the future owners will be as honest - and I would be a fool to think so - however, I think all who are advocates of this hobby do keep records similar to mine. What the next owner chooses to do with those documents are would be their decision - just as they are faced with decisions on their current Lugers - and whether to interchange parts or not. Therefore, again - I do not see the harm if I do it for personal reasons - and try to protect within my best ability, to maintain accurate records of those same changes...


At the root of all this, I think your comment of "the creation of a faked Luger. And that Luger that will rob future Luger collectors regardless of how innocently it was produced..." - unfortunately - is exactly on target, and point well taken. There is no concrete answer - either practically nor fundementally - and personally, it is an esoteric debate. In other words - for each one of us whose does this for our own personal reasons, be encumbered with a responsibility that extends beyond our own control of that weapon? I'm not sure how? For example - if we change non-original parts for a closer serialized version - are we responsible to be sure future owners are as honest? If so - how/what should each of us do who practice this, short of defacing that "non original" serialized version or the weapon itself? If yes, we should do that - then we are decreasing our own personal "value" in that weapon. If not - we open up that same weapon to be tendered as "original" by others less scrupulous...


Hmmm - this is an interesting debate - as I know we both respect and understand each other's position...


My Best to you always Kyrie!!