Gun Collecting: Hobby or Compulsion?

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  • 1nderbeard

    Master
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    Apr 3, 2017
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    Don't know why it could be called a "sickness" unless the purchase of firearms cause an issue with the family finances. I know of fishermen who have spent many 10's of thousands in tackle, boats etc., Golfers that have spent far more than their incomes affords. Not to mention Hot rod lovers, Harley riders, etc. .

    My youngest Son (near 50 yo) and I collect all types of handguns, Rifles, shotguns etc. Even have some black powder. When I have and still purchase firearms, it doesn't affect my finances. I own my home, cars, have zero recurrent bills, pay all credit card bills in full when due. I will be 80 in May and my retirement income exceeds our normal living expenses.

    I have many firearms with really no real use, several Mosin's, SKS's, also WW1 and WW2 rifles as well as many modern firearms like Garands, M1 carbine, Ruger Mini, Colts, Winchesters, Remington, Browning, Kimber, Swiss, Swedish, Mauser's, AR's LR-308, AK-47, 50BMG, Savage, Mossberg's etc. .

    I used to shoot every firearm I purchased shortly after purchase and inspection (and repair / cleaning / tuning), however since covid and other issues there are a few I haven't shot yet.

    My firearms have really turned into a good investment although I have no interest in selling or trading any. They will all be passed on to my son's.
    Good for you.
    I agree with your analysis. I wouldn't call it a sickness unless you do it under some kind of compulsion, or it causes your finances to be stressed.
    In our consumer culture there's a bunch of other stuff that can stress finances.
    I've slowed down on my purchasing for now (mid 30s) because I just don't have the time to enjoy what I have and I don't really want to add more calibers to keep around with ammo. But I can easily see me getting back into it when I'm able to shoot more. Hopefully in 10 or so years I'll be able to slow down with my business.

    I'd also add I'd much rather be spending disposable income on guns and hunting supplies than TV's or video games. I'm trying to fight that battle early with my sons. I'll buy them 2-3 firearms if that will get them off of the video game system that they've been asking for.
     

    IUKalash429

    Bullet Hose
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    Apr 6, 2019
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    There's a guy in my neighborhood with a three-car garage. Only time I've seen it open in the year+ since I've lived here was once last summer. I didn't think my jaw could drop as far as it did. The garage was literally, absolutely packed to the brim, front to back and side to side and top to bottom, with collapsed water-stained boxes, piles of newspapers, never-ending Tupperware bins, plastic grocery bags of God knows what, and other crap. He was trying, and failing miserably, to carve out a space and free a wedged dirtbike from the abyss. All I could think about was thank goodness we live so close to a fire station in case that mess every caught a spark.

    OCD, compulsion, hoarding, etc. - while there are some clear definitions of these issues, there is also plenty of room (puns!) for subjectivity. When it comes to this particular discussion on INGO, it's worth noting these aren't buttons or buffalo nickels we're talking about - a gun, ammo, mag, milsurp, etc. collection can take up quite a bit of space depending on the size of your collection (and the size of your particular space).

    A few general questions to ask yourself:
    • Am I personally embarrassed/ashamed/concerned about the size of my collection?
      • No, not what your wife/friend/neighbor who might not be into guns thinks about it.
    • Is my collection organized and easily accessible, or is it a total piled up mess with no discernible beginning or end?
    • Do I constantly find stuff I totally forgot I had in the first place, or can't remember where it came from or what it goes to?
    • Do I have seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. etc. of the same thing, but feel an urge to keep buying more?
      • No, I'm not talking about a baggie of extractors or other helpful replacements. But if you have 38 identical Flecktarn jackets and live alone, who exactly are you holding onto these for?
    • Do I have an abject unwillingness to let anything go for any price?
    • Do I struggle to manage other household financial duties - bills, groceries, savings/investments, etc. - because so much of my income goes toward my collection?
    If you can answer "yes" to more than one of these, you might be teetering on or beyond the balance of collection and compulsion. And if that's the case, PM me if you have any cool eastern bloc stuff to get rid of :)
     

    dekeshooter

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    Mar 8, 2010
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    I've never considered myself a "collector". To me a collection of firearms should have a focus of some sort, something like Lugers, Colt revolvers, Winchester lever guns, etc.

    Me? I'm an accumulator. I'll buy whatever catches my eye on any given day.
     

    88E30M50

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    12   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
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    I’ve danced around the compulsion side a bit from time to time over the years. Occasionally, I’ll happen across something that I really like and will buy multiples but never to the point of stretching finances. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a third of any one thing (1911s don’t count) but I’ve often bought an identical 2nd.

    Surplus pre-B CZs were the closest I came to buying through compulsion
     

    92FSTech

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    Dec 24, 2020
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    I think a lot of it depends on whether or not you are over-extending your finances, or storage capacity, and what your motivation is behind buying something.

    I like to think that every gun I own fulfills some specific purpose that the others do not. Yes, I have a variety of .357 revolvers, but they are different weights and barrel lengths, and serve different purposes. Same with 9mm semi-automatics. I have several rifles built on the same platform, but each of them is customized towards a different goal. An option for every occasion, if you will.

    I did just order my first true duplicate of something I already own, and I had to ask myself this very question, and it troubled me briefly. But the item in question is something they don't make any more, the new one should be in more collectible condition than my other one, and not knowing what the political future holds...I had to give it a go.

    The flip side of this whole issue is that you can't use it all at once, and you can't take it with you when you go. I'm good with leaving quality stuff behind for my kids to enjoy, but there comes a point where you know that if your house caught fire and you had to evacuate, or the zombie apocalypse came upon you and you had to flee for the hills, you couldn't transport it all. That's when it starts to feel like it may be too much.
     

    Mongo59

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    Jul 30, 2018
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    I am not a collector, I am an accumulator!

    Swore to myself I had all the Garand's I needed and yet I bought another. Had to sell some of my other guns to be able to purchase it, so does that mean the therapy is working?
     

    MCgrease08

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    Mar 14, 2013
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    Earth
    To borrow a phrase from Warrior Poet John Lovell, I am a protector, not a collector. All of the guns I currently own are tools and have a specific role to play. Most are for the defense of me, my family and my home. Some have a SHTF / survival role.

    I don't own anything that anyone would would consider collectable other than maybe a hex receiver Mosin Nagant and even that has a place in an EOTWAWKI scenario. Nothing I own is off limits for shooting. And I have even sold off a few over the past year to focus on quality over quantity.

    All that said, as I get older this approach may change as finances allow. If I'm in a situation to spend more frivolously on something pretty and less practical I won't be opposed to doing so. But for me right now, owning firearms is much more a part of my day-to-day lifestyle than it is about being a hobby.
     
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    I am 50% Shooter 50% collector. I only have one I dont plan to shoot. A S&W 39 That is in 99% condition in the box with papers. 50 years old and like new. But to the question...I seem to always think that that if I have that one more it will make the collection complete and I will be happy. Right now thats a S&W model 41 .22. Then a few months later another "one" pops into my head. Then another then another. This has been going on for years. It's not a sickness but it is definitely a obsession. As long as the bills are paid and food is in the fridge and something is saved for retirement I do not see anything wrong with it.
     

    WebSnyper

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    I don’t think I’ve ever bought a third of any one thing (1911s don’t count) but I’ve often bought an identical 2nd.
    Hopefully having a third of any one thing is not the definition of issue... As I might just have a condition. 3 deep seems to be my magic number these days for some reason.
     

    Winamac

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    I am infected with Marlinitis. No known cure? I buy a Marlin rifle and the symptoms lessen for awhile, than come back with a vengeance when I see another Marlin rifle.
     

    Poncho53

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    Dec 5, 2013
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    Somehow I contracted Rugeritis. Had to adopt every older wheel gun I came across. I rarely drink, I don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't have kids.... I see it as speculation and investment.
     

    Poncho53

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    Dec 5, 2013
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    I have to admit that I'm a bit weird about it, too (you're shocked, I know). For me to desire a gun, no matter how well it is purported to shoot, I have to like the way it looks. It's why I don't like Glocks or M&Ps very much but am very fond of FNPs, my CZ40B and my witnesses/tanfoglios and why I always liked Mausers (and especially swedes) the best. It is why all my bolt rifles are wood and metal rather than synthetic stocked, and it is a very personal trait. I can't necessarily explain why I like a particular firearm, I just know when I do
    All I can think of right now is the ol Spanish FR8....
     

    OneBadV8

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    Aug 7, 2008
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    All that said, as I get older this approach may change as finances allow. If I'm in a situation to spend more frivolously on something pretty and less practical I won't be opposed to doing so. But for me right now, owning firearms is much more a part of my day-to-day lifestyle than it is about being a hobby.
    This is where I'm kind of at, I don't own any safe queens. However, I do have my eyes on a few things that seem slightly less practical. If I find them for a good price, I'll definitely pick them up. :):

    I used to be a collector, but then I sold about 15 C&R guns (WWII Collection) to fund modern practical guns that I wanted to shoot all the time. I don't regret it and would do it again.
     

    flightsimmer

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    Dec 27, 2008
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    I don't want every gun I see, it has to have a special interest and I'm not limited to one particular type, I have a variety of rifles, military or not, handguns, revolvers and autos, shotguns with special purpose in mind.

    Now I do favor S&W stainless revolvers, I have at least one in each frame size but I also have one blued model 10 that is a keeper for sure, but again, I also have a stainless S&W 1006, but not to be out done I have a stainless Colt, Delta Elite to match it.

    I took a liking to the Star, light weight autos like the PD 45's and the BKM 9mm's.
    I had some Colt revolvers but could never warm up to them so I traded them off. Not sorry.

    That's all I can think of right now, I'll have to get out my inventory list to see if I missed anything. It's been a fun journey through the years, ah, the memory's.
     

    Whisk604

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    Feb 21, 2017
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    I'm the type of person that needs a busy mind to keep from going insane. Firearms have always had my attention. Reloading, although frustrating at times has increased my firearms interest and my obsession with accuracy. Trying to hit targets from crazy distances in different weather conditions, my mind stays busy all the time. It's a healthy hobby for me.
     

    Kirk Freeman

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    Mar 9, 2008
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    But I guess it comes down to this: When does collecting become an illness or compulsion?

    When it interferes with life--ability to pay bills, hygiene, enjoyment of family, inter alia.

    Really like any other compulsion that manifests itself as dysfunction. The problem is when the compulsion becomes a substitute for human connection.
     
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