Opportunity?

[mrerick]

I think it would also be difficult to act as a proxy for another collector. Even two experienced collectors have different levels of opinion and understanding.

It would be possible to be a purely financial broker. Accepting both party's asset (money, gun, etc) and then ensuring delivery of the acquired item to the buyer. This involves only taking responsibility for the physical shipment, tracking and delivery of the asset.

If you really want professional analysis of the item, we already have that in the high quality retail sales taking place from trusted business FFLs that focus on C&R firearms. It is entirely appropriate that these professionals be compensated for their knowledge.

The forum also has the secondary function of helping buyers understand which C&R dealers are honest and professional, and which ones are manipulators and fakers. Because of liable laws you often cannot name the individual dealers associated with dishonest practices, but a little study helps anyone getting into things know how satisfied members have been dealing with them, and finding a record of the past of (particularly high value) firearms.

Several years ago, I though of creating a true online database of C&R firearms which would voluntarily track their history as collectibles. This would allow online inquiry, but maintain the privacy of owners and those examining the firearms. Things like photos, descriptions, characteristics, last sale dates and (privately) ownership could be helpful. The problem is, of course, that this ends up being something of a gun registery which could be seized or stolen and misused.