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Spurs! Are they simply a tool used as a signal between horse and rider? Are they cowboy bling to be shown off and collected? Or perhaps instruments of torture? Depending on how they are used—and who you talk to—they can be all three.

The history and lineage of spurs is an important place to start—and it looks a bit like this: People have been using spurs just about as long as they have been riding. We know there are examples from the Celts and Romans. European horsemen used them widely in the middle ages. Pretty much every horse culture, who also had knowledge of forging metal, used them. They first came across the Atlantic Ocean into the North American continent in two ways; with the British, who brought them to the Northeastern part of what is now the United States, and with the Spaniards, who brought them into “New Spain” or what is now Mexico.

The Spanish style spur was much larger and more ornate than those used by other Europeans, and the lineage of today’s Western style spur follows more closely with the Spaniard’s version. The Spanish-style spur made it's way north into the American Southwest with the Conquistadores and other explorers. These expeditions then left behind herdsmen to establish settlements and tend to livestock all across what is now northern Mexico and the American southwest. These herdsmen transitioned over time into what eventually became known as the Mexican vaqueros. The descendants of these early settlers were already tending to livestock when the first Americans came along and started learning how to ranch on open ranges during the infancy of the cowboy era in the 1800s. History tells us the Vaquero had a lot of influence over early cowboy gear—and the spur is no exception.

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The most iconic and collectible firearms in history have arguably been Colt pistols. Samuel Colt made his first firearm in 1836 and a long-lasting legacy was born. A famous saying from the 1800s was, “God made all men, but Sam Colt made all men equal.”

The Colt Single Action Army (AKA the Colt SAA, manufactured 1873 to present) is an obvious standout in the field, but pretty much any old Colt is desirable somewhere in the collector world. There are hundreds of different models and versions to go after. But no matter which version you are focusing on, savvy collectors tend to put value on certain things. Here are the top 5 things to consider when valuing a collectible firearm.

First would be rarity and popularity. It takes a combination of both because not all rare models are popular—and not all popular models are rare. An example of a rare and desirable handgun would be the Colt Walker Revolver. These were made in 1847 and only about 1100 of them were ever made. To this date, the most expensive firearm sold was a Colt Walker which brought 1.8 million at auction (even a worn out one can bring 50k or more). On the other hand, there were also only about 1000 of the Model 1855 Colt Revolving Rifles ever made, but they do not command anywhere near the price of a Colt Walker—they are just not as desirable to collectors. When collecting for investment, savvy collectors search out rarity, while keeping in mind desirability at the same time.

Next would be condition. There is a saying which goes, “condition is everything.” This is especially true when dealing with older and collectible items. Old Colts that remain in good condition are highly desirable. A few things to consider which can affect a condition score are: Is it original or has it been restored or tampered with? If original, how much finish is left? Is it mechanically sound and tight? In the “Blue Book of Gun Values” an early black powder model 1873 Colt SAA (under serial number 22,000) in excellent condition books at $35,000 while one in poor condition is worth only a couple thousand dollars. As you can see, condition makes a huge difference in value.

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The reason why older Native American jewelry is sometimes a warm grey color is because silver starts to tarnish. It gets a "patina" on it as it starts to age. It gets this amazing patina actually, which is very sought after by certain collectors. 

Like here in  our store, people want to see pieces that have this great patina to it. It is something that helps show age. Even though people try to (and do to a certain extent) replicate it, a trained eye can still spot the difference. The experienced collector knows how to spot it and they appreciate it for what it represents.

The best thing to do is just to wear it; wear it with love and pride. It will naturally keep from getting too dark on its own and will shine up just right (not to dark but not real shiny like new). 

If the patina drives you crazy, the best thing to do is to get a jewelry polishing cloth. We do polish some really dark pieces just a little bit. We just wipe things off once in a while if it has gotten to the point where it is almost black. 

But all you want to do is just gently clean the piece up with your jewelry polishing cloth, not rub it till it is all shiny like new. Whatever you do, don't dip it. Also, don't get it wet if it has turquoise settings. Because what we found out is underneath the stones, they generally used some sort of packing, and if they have that under there, it could swell and pop the stones out. 

So, first, I would recommend just wearing it, loving it, and enjoying it. If it drives you absolutely crazy because it is so dark, then just wipe it off gently with a jewelry cleaning cloth. And enjoy it. It took years to get that nice warm patina!