Firearms as Christmas gifts - and as a store of value

The previous post showed some yesteryear Christmas ads for firearms.

Often the gift of a gun was seen as a rite of passage. Others were given knowing they would be a gift that would last a lifetime. Chances are, most the firearms given as gifts in the last century are still around. Many continue to be passed down from one generation to the next.

And those guns given as gifts decades ago likely have resale value today that's far higher than their original purchase price. Firearms have a reputation as a store of value.

Ad from the 1937 Sears Christmas Book

The rifle shown above appears to be a Winchester Model 60 or Model 60-A, and it sold for $5.25 in the 1937 Sears Christmas catalog. Scouting the Internet, I see these vintage single-shot 22s now appraise for between $100 and $400 depending on condition (Here's one that apparently sold for $197).