Has anyone ever seen a Winchester 94 in .45 Colt that has been done up as "American Firefighter"?  They were a commemorative limited run post-9/11.  They are 24k gold plated, and the receiver/barrel and the wood stocks are engraved.  They look pretty nice, though I've never really been big into BBQ guns or collectors you can't shoot.  I seem to be able to find very little out there for these.  There were several made for each state, but what I can infer, but this particular one was apparently the "proof" that all the others were patterned after.

What kind of value and collectibility/resale would something like this have?  It seems like a pretty niche item.  It is part of a package deal I'm looking at going in on with my dad, but I'd have to pay out quite a bit of money to get my part of the package and I'm a little uncertain whether I want to spend that much (on anything) right now.

It has some relevance, because I am a fire fighter, but not like big-city NYPD or anything.  I'm state-certified with a low volume industrial-oriented department as part of work, and mostly play engineer.  

The commemorative market flourished in the sixties.  It's been dead for years.  For the most part today's commemoratives aren't worth the money.

This is what I was afraid of.  He's got a couple Garands I am interested in, and there's one or two pieces my dad is looking at, but I'm hard pressed to see the future value of this particular one.  They really want me to buy this as part of a set though.  

In general, anything made to be collectible, isn't.

Truer words have never been spoken.



 

It looks like it's probably an Investment Arms, very similar to this image I stole off Google:



A site I found one:
http://archives.collectorsfirearms.com/?category=915&subcategory=983&page=2&category=&product=COM1484

Prices are all over.  Found these two "proof" guns on Gunbroker right now, one for $2800, one for $6k Buy It Now for $9500!:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=525016731
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=523459571

My part of the package deal would make this around $2k, maybe a little less.

I appreciate your input!  It looks like I will probably have to pass on this as well (I asked about another piece my dad was interested elsewhere that is part of this collection).  I kinda think I'd rather have a SCAR-H...

Of course, what matters is not really what people are asking for them (unless you are desperate to acquire one quickly), but what they have actually sold for, and even then, they are unlikely to appreciate in value any more than any other unfired regular version of the  gun would.  In fact, they are more likely to loose value.

Despite what many here may say, in general, guns aren't good investments.  Don't buy it if your intention is to lock it up and not even look at it until you try turn a profit on it some day.  Put your cash in an exchange traded index fund if you want to invest your money.  Buy a gun if you want to own a gun.

Yeah, I'd be surprised if they even sold, really.  I can't imagine anyone would give $9500 for that one.  I found a couple that looked like they didn't sell, and a few on Armslist that were expired so who knows if they sold.  The guy brought it over to my dad's house and he sent me some pictures he took of it.  It's really nice, but I can't justify that for a wall hanger.  Maybe if I had more money than I knew what to do with, or if he was interested in selling it for a slight premium over a standard 94.

I don't generally buy to collect, if I can't shoot it I'm not terribly interested.  I once was in the process of buying a NIB HK P7.  The dealer was stressing that I need to leave it unfired, so I ended up buying an Expert instead.  The only firearm I'd like to collect a couple of are Garands, but even those I don't think I would buy one that I can't shoot.

The only thing I have on my list for that kind of money is a SCAR-H, and I'm not even considering that right now.

I just don't like commemoratives.  I think they are garish.  They made too many.  I'd rather have a plain one to shoot or maybe color cased, that's about it.

I think there is a high probability you will regret buying it.