A Colt Collection question?

[Doc Sunrise]

I recently was able to obtain a collection of second generation Black Powder Colt Handguns from an Estate sale.  I was very sad to see that an old gentleman's collection of over 275 firearms was placed up for sale by his daughters and their rather weasily husbands after his passing away.  It took some haggeling, but I was able to obtain his John Wayne collectibles, and a set of Colt Black Powder handguns. 

The 2nd generation Colt Black Powders, which were all wrapped in their original plastic bags inside their original boxes, were never touched.  The set includes an 1847 Walker, 1st Model, 2nd Model, and 3rd Model Dragoons, 1848 Baby Dragoon, 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, 1860 Army Fluted, 1861 Navy, 1862 Pocket Navy, and 1862 Pocket Police.  What was a little different or unique was, they were still in the original brown boxes with shipping labels from the Colt Factory dated in 1981, and all 11 came with Colt Custom Shop presentation cases, and all 11 have the same serial number, which was the old gentleman's personal Colt number. 

My question is this, does this unique set of circumstances make this set worth anymore than the values listed in the Blue Book.  Not that it would change anything for me as I intend to pass my collection to my son someday, but I was curious.  To be honest, they are absolutely beautiful, and that Walker is unbelievably heavy.  I can't imagine trying to carry that beast around all day.

[St. George]

If his collection hadn't been placed up for sale - you wouldn't own them, now - would you...?

Sometimes, circumstances contrive to work out for the best - and you'll take good care of 'your' Colt Collection, now.

As to values - an 'intact' collection of the eleven 2d Generation Black Powder Colts -  untouched - will by all means have a higher value as it sits - but the trick is to leave them untouched and un-cycled.

That 'may' prove somewhat difficult to do, and therin lies the dilemma.

Shooting/handling will diminish their value instantaneously - but these are weapons who, by their very nature, almost 'demand' to be handled.

Resist the impulse...

If you want them to retain their value and grow - about all you can do is to just look at them in their cases  - and no more.

Look at some guns whose descriptions indicate 'NIB - but turned' as opposed to 'NIB' - there's a difference...

As to the 'amount' of difference - hard to say - but you have all the associated paperwork and their display cases as well as their boxes and that adds quite a bit to their current value.

You might think of contacting Colt and have them re-register them by serial number in 'your' name - since that's a service they can provide - but I'd certainly get a price on doing that.

As to the Walker's weight - beyond Augustus MacRae, no one really carried them - their horse did...

Congratulations on your find.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!