The Guns of August……Collecting firearms from the Great War

One question that we consistently get asked about from our clients is what historical eras are currently “hot” on the collecting market and what periods don’t seem to be moving.  The market can be a very fickle thing, and there are no easy answers to this question.  Usually a confluence of trends can affect peoples collecting tastes some are strictly economic and others are more cultural.  While there has been huge interest in Europe over World War One, especially since the centennial of the beginning in August  2014, that has not been so pronounced here in the states until recently.  While interest in these weapons is now picking up, one must understand that for most American collectors interest will peak in 2017 which is the 100th anniversary of our involvement “over there”  Right now, we see the trend moving in that direction and when we find nice WW1 firearms they tend to move out more quickly than they have in the past.

There is a veritable cornucopia of interests that one could explore in this field.  Allied service pistols is a huge field that can be researched, there were many types used or one could collect German Military issued pocket pistols.  The possibilities for exploration are nearly endless and the fascination that I have for these weapons is boundless.  We encourage you all to take a look at these areas of firearms history.

While most of our clients interests tend to be more WW2 related, we must be mindful of the fact that with few exceptions, almost every infantry weapon used in the Great War was used 20 years later when they made the sequel.  So please keep in mind when you buy a straight up Colt 1911 made in 1917, it was still being carried on some GI’s hip in 1945.