Collections should have a Theme.

[Bubba-7]

Since it has been slow lately, here goes.
At one time, I was told collections should have a theme. Then you get the best examples of that theme. Don't make your collection too broad or you can run out of money before you are satisfied.
This happened to me. I thought what could I do a little different than most carbine collectors?
Answer, get a carbine from each 100,000 numbers. Of course, that would be over 70 carbines. No problem for a big time collector, I wanted to be. Yea, wishful thinking, right.
Well I had a bunch of carbines at the time and only a few from the same 100K. So here I went buying any junker carbine for a number I did not have. I was 90% there when I realized all I had was JUNK. That was fifteen years ago now and I want to think the real "Big Time" collectors for showing me the light and what collector grade carbines are supposed to look like. Marcus, BQ (when he posts pictures) Paul LaV. Ed B.,
Chris A. and many other members of the Carbine Club. Many have sold me some of their "Private Stock".
Thank-You.
I have learned it is better to have three carbines from the same maker, All original early, transition and late, than any ten junkers.

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[wtmr]

Simple solution. Sell 2 shooters buy one collector . Then as you have less wife will be happier! After about 10 yrs of selling two shooters a month and buying 1 collector a month you can then retire from collecting and then sell one collector a month. That will make this last another 15-20 yrs for you!

[mpd1978]

I think we all evolve through collecting phases and themes. I went through a quick phase while the CMP had carbines(I live way to close to Camp Perry). It was fun sorting through all the carbines while it lasted. In the end I ended up with nothing more than a bunch of parts assembled into carbines. Now that I have a nice collection of original guns, its hard to get excited about parts guns, rebuilds etc. I dont shoot them anyway, carbine ammo is too exspensive to be fun. As for where I am now, I like any gun that I can consider to be in its original state, no matter what make or vintage-I like them all. It would be nice to have one of each variation, from each maker in really nice original condition. It will be a long road......But its the journey that counts, not the destination, right?

[Dave-In-Maine]

I can kind of get behind this!!
I have had a cherry 1943 Underwood for many years (all original, early features, as-issued). I was content with one. THEN, I found a classmate if it from the same serial number block, but with all post-war rebuild features, and added it to my collection (anything more than 1 is a collection). I was now content with two. THEN, I started thinking.........."hmm....maybe it would be really cool to have an Underwood from each serial number block in both as-manufactured and as-rebuilt condition." So, in the blink of a single gun-show purchase (and some time in my chair thinking), I went from being perfectly content with ONE Underwood, to the proud owner of TWO Underwoods, to then deciding that I really "need" at least SIX.....................
I am Dave-In-Maine, and I need more Underwoods......................

[Bubba-7]

Dave,
No Underwood E's? They are very common.
You do have an original Underwood/ W, T, S, and B, Right?

[feets]

It sounds like some of you collectors with "junk" need to flip a receiver my way so I can play with a "real" carbine instead of my commercial toy.

[Mikey51]

I would very much like to thank Bubba, Wtmr, dbarn and Chris A for the time they have spent teaching me "How to start learning about Carbines". It's a long slow road ! I'm still a Newbie, got about 20, but common sense now prevails, thinking of cutting down to five corrects, happier girlfriend, happier police, more safe space etc. A well thought out post Bubba. Mikey. N.Z.

[Dave-In-Maine]

Dave,
No Underwood E's? They are very common.
You do have an original Underwood/ W, T, S, and B, Right?

Baby steps.....baby steps. I would kind of look at the receiver variations as a subset of the overall serial number block collection. So, this is slowly evolving from being happy with 1, to happier with 2 to kind of thinking I'd be even happier with about 6, to maybe I'd be really really happy with...............................
For the record, I do have a "B" code--my first one.

[topaz]

COLLECTOR GRADE: (Excellent)
Collector Grade Rifles have 95% or better overall original metal finish. Rifle bores are excellent with throat erosion under 3 and muzzle wear of 2 or less. Collector Grade rifles have all original parts as they came from the manufacturer. Wood will have a few handling marks and minor dings and scratches. Stocks have the appropriate inspector's cartouche. I never liked a trailer queen, it's almost like a GI saying 'I was in the war', meanwhile he was back in the states. A carbine to me should have wear and dings and battle scars, barrel is good not perfect, no junk mind you, but honest wear and being correct. Being in the dirt, the beaches, behind stone walls. A good number of years of hard work (Two in a half wars). And that's how a carbine talks to me. When I have to start wearing white gloves its not fun.. Different strokes for different folks.... OK I know I`m going to get it.

[DaveHH]

Introduction, learning, gathering, total immersion, then thinning. After a person has learned as much as they can about the subject, interest wanes and thinning occurs. At that point a person considers themselves well schooled on that subject and they move on to something else. Do this several times in your life and you become an interesting person. Better yet, do it your whole life and you become a very interesting person.

I owned and used a Winchester for 30+ years and happened upon these sites. With a lot of help and direction, I found out that the Win is probably completely original and very valuable. So I got an NPM as a shooter and that is another direction to go. After reading "War Baby" I have a renewed interest in these weapons and find all of them, mixmasters whatever, very interesting. I would never change any part on any of them unless it broke, which is why I have the NPM as a shooter. They are what they have become and changing them into something else isn't respectful to each weapon. That is important to me.