Rewards of collecting

[Charlie1022]

When I started collecting back in the late 80's I had little idea of what I wanted or how to do it. I just knew that I liked the few Rugers that I had. I started going to the NRA annual convention in St Louis and listened to a seminar on collecting. There were speakers on Colts, Winchesters, Iver Johnsons and then a big guy from Alaska got up and spoke on why he collected Ruger 10/22's. He said that he was not a rich person but with the current price of a 10/22 most people could afford them and that the price was bound to go up. He told about the different models and since I already had a 10/22 and loved to shoot it I was hooked.

It was at this show that I first meet Chief AJ who had set a new world record using 10/22's and we soon became friends and I had a couple guns tuned up by him. This just added to my love of 10/22's. He has been to my house twice and set up at a local gun show with me and put on shooting demonstrations at a local gun club. Now that was a fun time!

I also got to meet and talk to Ruger factory reps over the years at the NRA convention and at the Grand American Trap Shoot and got to be good friends with several of them which added to my knowledge of Ruger firearms and the people that made them. Those friendships even made it possible for my wife and I to be invited to a personal factory tour years ago which they do not normally give factory tours. I was so honored to get to see just what goes into building the different Rugers.

I have also had the privilege to meet many of the well known Ruger collectors from around the country as well as some new collectors and learn more about them and the guns they collect and display.

Over the years of going to the NRA conventions I got to talk to Kelly Glenn Kimbro and a few years ago got invited out to her ranch for a visit. My wife and I had a great time visit and learned a lot about life on a working cattle ranch in the southwest as well as the mountain loin hunts that she and her dad offer.

I could go on and on about the many interesting people that I have meet over the years and have enjoyed talking Ruger where ever I go. So lets here your story about the joys of collecting and maybe some of the people who made collecting fun for you!

[Charlie1022]

Surely someone has some type of reward by collecting! Have you made a special friend through collecting that helped you find a gun you could just not find on your own or you helped someone else find something they needed for their collection.

What makes collecting fun for you?

Charlie1022

[gunman42782]

Great story! I, myself, do not consider myself a collector. I won't have it if I won't shoot it! But, I, too have met some fine folks in the shooting world over the years. Met Rob Leatham several years ago in Idaho. While working at Knob Creek Gun Range I met Michael Bane and Hickock 45, among others. The shooting world is full of great folks.

[RoninPA]

I think I see a slight problem here. People seem to equate "collecting" with never shooting the guns they "collect". That might give people that have some great guns (Ruger or otherwise) the wrong impression in that guns that have been shot can't be a collectible or in a "collection". Sure they can, they don't have to be NIB to be a collectible (look at the old Colt SAA's - very collectible but also very fired).

A lot of my Six series guns have probably been shot but they ARE part of my collection. The "collection" of the different models of the Six series guns is in itself is, to me, a reward. I can show/display them and explain to the uninitiated the differences that they may not see. The other reward I have received is meeting all the great Ruger owners out there and listening to all the stories during lull times, the banquet, the banquet auction, and just sitting around with the other like minded people. Also, to me, I really like the interaction with the public who may not be aware of what Ruger truly did to/for the firearms industry. I have had some old timers come to my display and tell me that "Hey that was the gun I was issued when I became a policeman." Many times, I'll take the gun off the display and let them hold it and that gives me a chance to ask them a lot of questions about their experiences, which in turn expands my general knowledge and how can that not be a reward.