Canadian Airgun Forum

This summer I bought a crosman mark 1 from an old fella’s garage sale for $15. He said he’s been shooting grouse with it every year since the 70’s and when the season’s over it goes back into the gun safe in it’s original box. His caveat in selling me the pistol was that I don’t just sell it on the internet as he’d like to think that someone’s still taking grouse every year with it. The box and original papers went into my safe when I bought it and this is hands down my favourite air gun- I’m not planning on ever selling it.

Would fixing the worn or chipped bluing diminish it’s historical value or authenticity? Is it like the patina on a vintage guitar where the wear and imperfections are valued?

Your opinions would be appreciated!

They are really nice pistols arent they?
If the paint is chipped and worn, it only takes away from the collectors value. I'm guessing you'll find 1 out of 100 mk1s with really nice paint. But it is original and therefore authentic.

It wouldn't hurt to strip it down and repaint it, if that's what you want to do. Considering you plan to keep it forever. Sometimes you'll see one that has no paint at all. It doesn't look terrible.

Decisions decisions

An "as new in box" Mark I is collectible in the sense that there are not very many that survived the rigours of time and remained in pristine condition.
The Crosman Mark I and II pistols were made in huge quantities, thus only one in very special condition will attract the attention of a serious collector.
Once they have reached the point where they are in need of a re-paint, they are really no longer collectible, although they are still an incredibly great gun.
I have refinished a lot of Mark I and II pistols over the years and they do not suffer from that facelift. In fact, they will benefit from a proper re-paint.

A truly collectible airgun, such as a Brown Pneumatic Pistol, or a Westley Richards Highest Possible Pistol, or similar, are a very different story.
Most serious collectors will pay a premium for an unaltered version of these pistols, and often, rebluing will diminish their collector value to serious collectors.

So, go ahead and freshen up your Mark I and enjoy it to the fullest.

If you are not planning on selling...
- Who cares about re-sale value?
- We're talking about a $15 Crossman Mark 1, unless you do one heck of a crappy job, it's not going to lose any more value...

Thanks for the replies! I’m definitely gonna redo the bluing. It is fast becoming my favourite pistol and I like the idea of it looking slick.

If I were to get ahold of an actual collectable air gun that I may want to sell, I should keep it as original as possible. Good to know!