George - you use an interesting term "over valued" when it comes to collector guns. I have seen a recent phenomenum where I can no longer buy S&Ws at auctions at the prices I paid just last year. Time after time, I will go to my limit, which used to buy the gun and am outbid by a large margin.

Could this mean that demand is rising and collector gun values are on the increase? Are we seeing an improving market? Value is what people will pay for something and I thought lots of guns went too high at auctions, but maybe it is a sign of the times. I might have to start raising my bids if I want to add to my collection.

I know that you will always have the sellers on gun websites that price everything sky high, but they do not sell their stuff. Same with high priced sellers at gun shows, but watch to see if those over valued guns actually sell and you might see that some of these higher priced guns are actually selling.

In the early 60's, you could buy an American for $40 - $50. I started collecting Americans and Russians in the early 80's and could buy a good working condition speciman for $400 - $600. By the 90's, they were priced beyond what I would pay. You may not be able to find these for under $2000 today. Moral to the story is to buy wisely and quickly before the prices go higher!