resale value

[leviathan]

 before building my gun I would like to ask you gus a question. I cant decide on flint or percussion. So,what I am thinking is that I might sale it sometimes down the road. Which has more resale value-flint or percussion?  Happy New Year to all you muzzleloaders out there hank you

[Shreckmeister]

I would prefer flint. Good luck with your build

[rich pierce]

A nicely made percussion Hawken rifle would have resale value. But used muzzleloader lose a fair bit of value. You might get parts money out of it.

[oldtravler61]

No expert but I beg to differ. It all depends on alot of things. One how well the gun maker is known,the condition of the firearm, the area or location of where your buying or selling it. Where I'm from flint an percussions are not very popular so the chances of getting a good price is at best questionable. Also when you look on some of the antique gun selling sites the flintlocks generally draw the bigger bucks.  Just my two cents

[Lucky R A]

     I live in Pennsylvania, we have a one week early anything that loads from the muzzle season (doe only) and a late three week flintlock only season (buck or doe).   Locally I sell 85% flintlocks, there is little demand for percussion.  Even on a national basis the strong preference is for flintlocks.    On most ranges you will get ragged on for shooting a percussion--some even think it is cheating.  The club I regularly shoot at imposes a 10 point handicap on percussion shooters.  So for initial preference and resale preference, play the percentages and go flintlock.
     

[Eric Krewson]

Here in N/W Alabama it would be really hard to sell a side lock rifle, doubly hard to sell a flintlock even though there is a huge management area near by that only allows bows and flintlocks.

All the guys I know who build and own flintlocks get out their percussion guns when they go hunting. I am the only strictly flint shooter around.

The rifles I make would sell for parts cost if I was lucky enough to find a buyer.

[moleeyes36]

Here in N/W Alabama it would be really hard to sell a side lock rifle, doubly hard to sell a flintlock even though there is a huge management area near by that only allows bows and flintlocks.

All the guys I know who build and own flintlocks get out their percussion guns when they go hunting. I am the only strictly flint shooter around.

The rifles I make would sell for parts cost if I was lucky enough to find a buyer.

Eric,

Unfortunately it's pretty much the same in FL.  Some of my Field Reps and I have bought tables representing the NMLRA at gun shows and set up some pretty nice displays of MLs.  However, the majority (but not all) of people at FL gun shows are the ammo, camo, biker, and high capacity mag crowd.  Selling a sidelock muzzle loader here is much the same as you experienced in AL. 

If you look at the list in Muzzle Blasts that shows NMLRA membership by state you'll see why ease in selling a sidelock muzzle loader depends a lot on where you are in the country.  As shown by the number of us Southerners on the ALR, there are indeed many of us down here that are dedicated BP shooters.  Although the number of shooters in the South is very high, the percentage of those shooters that have interest in traditional muzzle loaders is not high, especially in the deep South.

Mole Eyes

[Joe S.]

I'm with Mike on this one.You may build a perfect gun,flint of percussion but without a repretation for doing quality builds your chances of getting back what you have in it is small let alone a profit.The hours invested alone probably put you at a loss.I would like to think your first build might have a little sentimental value anyway,something to pass down to your kids,ect.

[Molly]

Or, you can build one which has the ability to be both.  I know of some and they can be done very nicely although price is greater due to the need for two locks.  Personally flint is the only way to go.  Cap locks are for kids!  Flintlocks are for real men....and women!

But I'll actually say that it is a matter of individual preference.  And to that I suppose how one plans to use it figures in.  Almost a guarantee that whatever one may build when the time to sell it happens it will have some feature(s) that some buyers just won't want or like.

"yeah, I'd consider it if it was/was not __________________"  (fill in the blank)

[Mikeh]

   
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy shooting both flint and percussion. But I will say this, I have shot "mule ears" or side locks for some 40 years and never had a misfire as of yet unless I had a bad cap, some cheapo. I can't say that about a flint and mine are all silers. Hand made mule ears by the way. As far as resale value, I would say they are about equal in this particular area. Just my thoughts. Mikeh

[Old Ford2]

As the saying goes " Your mileage may vary"
For every 10,000 shooters there is one (1) muzzle loader, and that is divided in two, with the fact of in---e ( unmentionable ) shooters.
Obtaining( for a bargain price ) a muzzle loader by a well known maker, can be an edge on resale. But often times the new byer does not know who Joe Smuck is, and they don't care. "Cuz" they can buy one just like it at Walmart for $200. And it is new!
Making one for yourself is self rewarding in it's self, if it is better than Taylor's, Rich's, or Jim's, premium.
I'm sure the next pair of socks that I knit won't be worth much ( I don't knit ), but they will be keepers since "I" made them.
And that is the attitude you must have.
Just to note, there have been some new students ( here )of the art of making traditional muzzle loading rifles that are amazing.
So what is holding you back?
Fred

[Don Steele]

Fred...(and All..)
The comment about some folks preferring to buy their rifle NEW at Wal Mart brought back a funny memory about living in the South.
For those who might not know...within the City of Nashville, TN in Centennial Park there is a FULL size replica of the Parthenon...the Temple of Athena, the original of which of course is on Mt. Olympus in Greece.
A lot of Nashvillians ( always known to be true patrons of the arts... ..) considered OUR Parthenon to be much better than "that other one over in Greece", 'cause their's was all broke down.
   

[Old Ford2]

'cause their's was all broke down.
   

Did they ever find the vandals what broke it down?  
Fred

[JCKelly]

Long time ago the late Phil Cravener voiced his rifle-building philosophy.

That is, only build what you yourself want to have.
Never build something you don't personally like.
You may have to live with it for a long while.

If you build rifles hoping to make some manner of wage you will be disappointed and put off of the whole subject.

Build what YOU like. Customers may or may not come.

[Boompa]

Long time ago the late Phil Cravener voiced his rifle-building philosophy.

That is, only build what you yourself want to have.
Never build something you don't personally like.
You may have to live with it for a long while.

If you build rifles hoping to make some manner of wage you will be disappointed and put off of the whole subject.

Build what YOU like. Customers may or may not come.

   All so very true. I don't build a rifle intending to sell it but I so enjoy the building that I often sell the last build to fund the next. I'm no artist and many on this forum have already forgotten more than I'll ever know about building LRs. Having said that, I do a decent, above average job IMO and in the opinion of others I sell to.  Rarely do I get a big return when I sell, usually the cost of parts plus maybe, 25%.  So I work 80-some hours for around $300, It's a good thing I enjoy building so much.

[bones92]

If I ever get around to building my own, it will probably be something that I would never sell, but pass down to a son or daughter. 

That said, I'd build what I like.

[frogwalking]

I give the ones I build to sons, daughter, grandsons, and now, a grand daughter.  She killed the coon who was marauding the chicken house; with a crossbow, no less.  I too, build what I like.  As slow as I am, it is cheaper than playing golf.

Here is my oldest grandson, Grayson, shooting the Tennessee rifle I made for him.  As much work as it takes me, I don't think I would build one to sell, even if some poor soul wanted to buy it.

[Molly]

frog:  Will you adopt me?

[retired fella]

Build what makes you happy.  Chances are you won't sell it.  It would be like selling one of the kids.

[Boompa]

  As a hobby builder I usually get little more than parts. Fancy wood seems to bring the price but then again it costs more to begin with so not a lot is gained in dollars.

[Mark Elliott]

 A flint is worth more to be because I like flints.   However,  I consider it more trouble to build a percussion than a flint although I don't charge more for it.   I would say the ignition system is a wash as to value with other things being more important to value.

[David Rase]

  As a hobby builder I usually get little more than parts. Fancy wood seems to bring the price but then again it costs more to begin with so not a lot is gained in dollars.

Boompa,
You are right about the wood.  About 10+ years ago I had two flintlock rifles on my table for sale.  I was asking $4,200.00 for one of the rifles and $3,500.00 for the other.  One guy was making his 3rd trip to my table looking at the two rifles.  He finally made a comment that if the $3,500.00 rifle had the same wood that the $4,200.00 rifle had he would buy it.  I told him if that gun had the same wood on it as the other one, it would be the same price as the other one.
David

[kaintuck]

Dave.......I always like a 'wannabe'......I have had the comment 'wish I had the time to make rifles'.....but they say it in a snide way......so I don't share my builds with folks anymore. Me and tomtom just work on them when we want.......WE enjoy it......
Marc n tomtom

[oldtravler61]

Now that I have built a few . Have a couple of people who want me to build them one. Mostly southern, Tennessee style. Told them to buy a kibler kit (order)  Because to  make it from scratch. I couldn't do it for the same price. Most people don't have a grasp on how much labor there is involved in building from a blank.An hand making all the other parts.