I think you are a bit too categoric in this statement. As with anything bought for investment potential, you've got to "buy right"!

Consider the guy who paid $1800 thirty years ago for a .375 NE 21/2" Cogwell and Harrison double? Probably could have picked up a Holland, Purdey, Rigby, etc. best Sidelock in a really usefull calibre for less!

Too often, I have seen uninformed people hang on to notions of inflated values of their guns just on the basis that it is "old", "rare", "English", or whatever, in the hope that it represents a "nest egg" for retirement, or for his widow, only to find they have been sitting on a pile of junk for half a lifetime.

While there are still people with a lazy 50,000 pounds sterling to plonk down on a new London "Best", the market for good used sidelocks will hold up.

Ratty old English boxlocks (excluding Westley's of course!) are starting to look a doubtfull proposition though!(IMHO)