To Shoot, or not to shoot? THAT is the question

Mauser720 · 11-07-2007, 10:48 AM

Zamo -

I do not think there is a "right" or "wrong" answer to your question about whether to shoot or not shoot a valuable Luger. It is a matter of personal preference and has a lot to do with the level of tolerence for risk that the individual shooter is willing to accept. If a shooter is not concerned about breaking a serially numbered part on a valuable Luger, they shoot it. However, there is nothing "wrong" with someone deciding that they do not want to risk breaking something on a valuable Luger by shooting it. And you can see elsewhere on this forum that someone has already done a survey of parts that have broken on Lugers. And it probably is true that if you break a serially numbered part on a valuable Luger, it probably will reduce its value by at least 50% or more.

But what about this statement that you make: "There is no such thing as a valuable Luger. The true value of any and all Lugers is exactly the same as a shooter."

The "true value" of anything is actually what someone is willing to pay for it. It makes no difference whether you collect antiques, or paintings, or coins. In every collecting activity, the value of an object is what the collectors are willing to pay for it. I personally would never pay a lot of money for an oil painting. But there are people out there who will pay huge sums for such paintings. It's not worth it to me, but it is worth it to them. And while the prices for old paintings may seem ridiculous to me, such prices do not seem ridiculous to the people who collect them. So I think it is important to recognize that in any collecting endeavor, it is the price that someone is willing to pay for an object that actually determines its value. In other words, as individuals, you and I do not determine what something is actually worth.

Some collectors have a higher tolerence for risk than others. So the decision whether to shoot or not to shoot is an individual choice. However, if any novice asks the question "Should I shoot it?" it is still better to error on the side of caution and let the novice know what risks are involved.

Mauser720 - Ron

11-07-2007, 10:48 AM	#29
Mauser720 User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 535 Thanks: 18 Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts	Zamo - I do not think there is a "right" or "wrong" answer to your question about whether to shoot or not shoot a valuable Luger. It is a matter of personal preference and has a lot to do with the level of tolerence for risk that the individual shooter is willing to accept. If a shooter is not concerned about breaking a serially numbered part on a valuable Luger, they shoot it. However, there is nothing "wrong" with someone deciding that they do not want to risk breaking something on a valuable Luger by shooting it. And you can see elsewhere on this forum that someone has already done a survey of parts that have broken on Lugers. And it probably is true that if you break a serially numbered part on a valuable Luger, it probably will reduce its value by at least 50% or more. But what about this statement that you make: "There is no such thing as a valuable Luger. The true value of any and all Lugers is exactly the same as a shooter." The "true value" of anything is actually what someone is willing to pay for it. It makes no difference whether you collect antiques, or paintings, or coins. In every collecting activity, the value of an object is what the collectors are willing to pay for it. I personally would never pay a lot of money for an oil painting. But there are people out there who will pay huge sums for such paintings. It's not worth it to me, but it is worth it to them. And while the prices for old paintings may seem ridiculous to me, such prices do not seem ridiculous to the people who collect them. So I think it is important to recognize that in any collecting endeavor, it is the price that someone is willing to pay for an object that actually determines its value. In other words, as individuals, you and I do not determine what something is actually worth. Some collectors have a higher tolerence for risk than others. So the decision whether to shoot or not to shoot is an individual choice. However, if any novice asks the question "Should I shoot it?" it is still better to error on the side of caution and let the novice know what risks are involved. Mauser720 - Ron __________________ Mauser720 - Ron "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."