Owners and Collectors

[radicalrod]

I know things have changed...........Guess I was just talking a walk down memory lane of the 80's. I took a little hiatus, 'bout 18 years, until I started back at Harrisburg in 2008..........did all those shows till the last one there.......haven't made OGCA or Tulsa yet, too many things on my plate....................Next OGCA looks promising. I don't know if I can take another auction though, the Radical one got me into some GJ and I bought things at the auction I didn't know I bought until I got home Sunday night! Coogs.

Heck I tried to keep your arm down by filling your glass Jack...it didn't work very well....I may have to try another tactic at OGCA this July...we did have a lot of fun though...RR

[Coogs]

RR...................at least that's what people told us!

[Fox Mike]

I can't say when I went from a Ruger owner to a Ruger collector. Like Big Old Boy, I just had guns to shoot and hunt with. Then I needed a specific gun to hunt a specific animal or for a specific situation. Excuses to not to have to face up to the truth. However, once the gun safe was full and I still kept getting more and more Rugers, I finally had to start to being honest and admit my addiction as a collector.

This is more or less what happened to me. It started with one old Bearcat I saw at a show. As I wrote in the Journal; it was like rabbits. One turned into two and so it went. Now I am still filling the shelves and looking for the next 'special' one. I haven't made a show yet, as a combination of my health and the distances required to travel have kept me home, but I still have the 'collector' habit.

[Charlie1022]

I had a great time at the show last weekend and it was refreshing to see Big Old Boys display of his Rugers that he likes to shot. He had two rifles and two handguns in his display. These were just normal production guns that he enjoyed to shot and I think that this is something that we need to promote if we want to grow our interest as owners and collectors.

Yes it is great to see guns owned by someone famous but are we missing the target of promoting our passion for Rugers if we place all the importance on who owned the gun or if it is a prototype gun. If that is the direction we chose then it will be the ones with the most money and the best connections that receive awards for the displayed guns.

This brings up my question of how do we get more new and possibly younger people involved in showing of the Rugers that they like? What do you think of adding another judging category for either newer guns or guns with famous owners to get more interest in displaying? With the next scheduled show being in July at the OGCA show lets hear your ideas on how to grow interest in our hobby of owning and collection Rugers!!

Charlie1022

[Big Old Boy]

Charlie it was great meeting you and your wife and everyone else at the show I really had a great time. If I'm able to make the Ohio show the guns I bring will all be made in the last three years and have plastic stocks. You are on the money with your statement to get new interest from younger folks we will need new categories. I would like to see ROCS continue to grow and prosper the fact is most of us are in our sixties or older and will not be able to continue forever new blood and category will keep this alive when we are long gone.

[RoninPA]

Just my 2 cents worth.

I'm a pretty new displayer (about 4 years now) but I don't know that we need more categories, just more people showing what they own no matter how new/old/rare/famous. The old/rare/famous are great to look at and get the history of them, but those that have just started into the Ruger owning family (not necessarily collectors) may not have anything but the newer models. I think that they might be a bit intimidated by some of the displays. I know I was when I first started and before I started meeting the individuals that make up this great group. We need to remember that our name is OWNERS and COLLECTORS so we need to make sure that we welcome anyone's display with open arms (which I sure we do).

Personally, anyone that comes into my shop and mentions that they own Rugers, I talk up ROCS and show them the Journals and explain that it IS NOT just for collectors, it is for anyone who owns Rugers and likes to talk Ruger guns. I told several owners that if they had one or two Rugers to display that maybe they could go in with one or two other Ruger owners with small displays and just get one table for them all to start out (Hope I'm not out of line with suggesting that ). That way, if we got 3 owners to a show, and they have fun, then maybe they'll also spread the word that "Hey, those ROCS guys are alright, they don't care if I only have 3 NMBH's to show, they are interested in ME being a Ruger owner." That may lead them in getting more involved/have a bigger display/bringing friends/etc.

I really don't know the answer to how to get more Ruger OWNERS involved other than word of mouth. I show them the things that ROCS has given me for doing shows/displays, the ROCS Journal, give them the forum address and how easy it is to become a member and generally tell them about the good times we have at shows.

I guess I'm going to need to think more about this.