Flaydermans Guide is a popular and readily available publication that covers most collector firearms.

For instance, certain manufacturers, like Colt and Winchester Repeating Arms Company, are highly sought after, which causes their values to rise.

As the amounts of interested collectors, values, and market research and publications grow, so too will this branch of collecting.

Not only is interest in collector firearms on the rise, antique firearms as an industry is on the rise.

Collector firearms are alternative investments to the market, and unlike a stock, you can take it out and admire it.

Collectors do not purchase muzzleloaders to fire them; instead, they are often more interested in their historic value or in putting them on display.

These pieces are more commonly collected with the intent of shooting.

The top factors that influence the value of an antique gun are listed below.

Buyers gravitate toward the quality of a makers products, the role a make or model has played in history, or the aura of romance surrounding a particular manufacturer.

The desirability of makes and models is very trend-reliant and is easily influenced by movies and the media.

There may be rust or light pits and its in good working order.

Its in fair working order or can be easily repaired to be in working order.

The metal is deeply pitted and its generally undesired as a collectors item.

A collection of five high condition guns is more impressive than a hundred of mediocre quality, says Thorngren.

At the same time, some collectors put less emphasis on condition than on a piece being in its original state.

For example, Wyatt Earp, an icon of the American West, had a Colt.45-caliber revolver that sold for 225,000 at an Arizona auction in 2014.

It fetched such a high price given that its likely the one he used in the most legendary gunfight in Wild West history, the O.K.

Corral shootout.

But the value of a given type of gun also depends on personal preference, and there is a lot of interest in and competition around rare versions of firearms within both emerging and established specializations.

There is a strong market for pieces engraved by famous 19th- and early 20th-century craftsmen during the Golden Age of firearms engraving.

The style used flowing scrollwork and is associated with Nimschke, or New York-style engraving.

This will also help you become an advanced collector more quickly.

Educate yourself on the subject matter so youll know what youre buying, if youre paying a reasonable price for it, and its being represented accurately, says Thorngren.

Antique Firearm Serial Numbers