Chuckster I think that the Shiloh forums are the real grouch central these days, although this place has it's nasty moments some times.

As far as the topic goes, if someone wants to collect any sort of gun that's good for all of us I think.   People collect all sorts of odd things.  My mother in-law used to collect spoons .   Whatever floats your boat is fine with me!

Chris.

They’re not exactly my cup o’ tea, but I could see people collecting today’s rifles after the passage of some amount of time.

As mentioned, once the historic or personal associations start to form, they begin to attract such things as mementos.  Also, the people who make or put together their own versions would have put enough of themselves in them to want to keep them around.  Or if Joe Doakes, Armourer to the Stars, put his chop on one, somebody out there would be hot to acquire it.

What collection would be complete without the version with the “Punisher” Skull repeated along the handguard, or the official MAGA Rifle?  Not to mention those with camo colors that range from jungle to desert to black&white to bright pink.

But seriously, I think Ruger, especially, is trying to establish an aesthetic within the context of the modern, ergonomic, polymer/aluminum/disassembly-without-tools rifle.  The Ruger Precision Rifle Just reviewed in the last Rifleman has a very businesslike look about it, is a marvelous piece of technology, and seems to shoot in a very “collectible” way.

I’m not so interested in all variations and models of a given brand of single shot as I am in the mechanical aspects of the different brands.  How the designers solved the same problems in different ways interests me and influences my collecting.  I could see somebody going for Black Rifles for the same reasons.

I’m not so interested in all variations and models of a given brand of single shot as I am in the mechanical aspects of the different brands.  How the designers solved the same problems in different ways interests me and influences my collecting.

I feel the same way.
I love looking at some of the ways mechanical problems were solved before computerized machinery also.
Cool mechanisms.

Aaron

I can't remember how many there are now, how many I sold, or even how many Ballards I sold to Westerner. Every time I start to answer,  I think of another one or 2.  Does that mean I have  or have had enough single shots? 

In some cases the younger generation might be more open to "crossing lines" than many of us older guys are. I talk to a lot of younger guys and gals at our local collector shows and they are often surprisingly interested in the guns I put out for display each month. They ask good questions, and seem genuinely interested in how the guns are fired, and whether they can still be safely fired. 
I think a lot of the younger gun owners are more interested in enjoying firearms by shooting them, so they might be more likely to buy old single shot rifles if they know they can shoot them, and collect them.
My son in law is career Navy, and with over 20 years in the Navy he's spent a lot of time in some pretty bad places. Never been stationed on a ship, as he is a combat classification. He's been on over a dozen missions into Afghanistan, about 10 missions into Iraq, a few into Kuwait, Libya, and some other nasty places too. 
He owns some black rifles, and some semiauto handguns, but has a big interest in single shot rifles and old lever guns. I gave him a Rolling Block for his birthday last year, and he's looking hard to purchase some lever action repeaters, and singles too. Fortunately my daughter is also a gun person, and she is 100% behind him investing money into a collection of old single shots.
He owns the black guns because he's familiar with them, and likes them. But he's confused with the older guns, and although very interested, he's been cautious about what to buy because of all the variants, and not knowing what is original, or a fair price to pay. I think he's like many younger folks. They feel comfortable buying brand new guns that they don't have to worry about, but would like to own old guns if they can get through the learning curve and figure out what's what.

My son in law answers generic questions about firearms he used, and missions. But he is still unable to discuss specifics of what missions were, or exactly where they took place beyond just the country. He doesn't offer up any information, but has no problem talking about general things related to his service. 
A few of their missions have been declassified and even posted on Youtube by their Commander, after the Navy considered them irrelevant, or no longer a security risk. I really enjoyed watching a few links my daughter sent me that show the precision and swiftness that the teams had during a pinpoint attack on a particular individual.

BobZ I have owned a few but I found for my purpose a few to many. I have always set some pretty high personal goals for myself to reach and the only way for me to get there was to stick with the one that shot the best. That's why my CPA 32-40 Schuetzen Jr. now has so many bullets down the bore and the others long since sold. Out of that lot non with the exception of the 33-47 Bresien would shoot the better and the only fault in it was I didn't know it as well as I did my CPA it had long been a  part of me the Bresien simply remained to be a bit of stranger and it too is long gone.