Economy is a complicated thing, so I'll leave that alone. Is it me, or are more people holding on to their money right now? Guns I want here I must pass on, unless there is a trade option. I just don't have the extra money right now. Maybe I'm just reading it wrong.

People control spending, not governments. A few people could destroy the market and guess what? The rich get to buy things cheaper for later. I'm thankful it isn't everywhere, but the forum has become a really tough place for sales. At least it seems that way to me.

Can't the people accidentally hold onto too much and cause ripples in the water? We need to control this thing if we can. Too much negative talk can ruin a lot of things.

If guns have hit a high now,perhaps the prices will lower (some). If we could actually SEE that it would be fantastic.

And it's very true that hanging on to money stagnates the economy. If people hang on to their money it means that products aren't selling and business is bad. At least for a time. Just hope that the economy stabilizes itself and it doesn't turn into something more than that.

If that IS an indicator it means that I'm buying guns at peak prices cause I have a couple I'm bidding on and there are no counter bids for a few days now. I guess that is why all of the vendors call me "Top Dollar Smith'.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

This post baffles me. Do I understand that neither the OP or other sellers are getting bites on what they want to sell? If so, that can indicate that the stuff is priced too high or that things are slow because it's summer.

One more thing. Who is we? Also, who died so "we" could be appointed us as market controllers?

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Release the Kraken

Not a thing, commodity, or man made product that doesn't have it's ups & downs.

Smiths are soft right now. I'm paying what I paid two years ago and often less. That might not be a good thing since I think Smiths peaked in price two years ago. Long guns are really dead. With some exceptions, you can hardly give them away. One exception would be any 410 double. Summer does have a lot to with it seasonally. People think they need vacations and next comes back to school. I still spend on Smiths anytime I find one I don't have, but I sure don't pay the prices that everyone else pays.

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Dr. B

Weak gun prices would be welcome news to me. I'd buy more guns that I don't need.

I would have to disagree.

Prices on SBRs are at probably an 10 year low. Most SBRs that I am interested in buying are lower than ever. The last SBR I purchased was a Colt LE6933. I paid under $1000 for it. Less than 5 years ago it was selling at over $1500 and you were lucky to find it at that.

Granted some things have escalated in price. I think S & W 3rd gennies have risen in price simply because they are developing a cult following similar in fashion to the Colt Python and associated revolvers. Also keep in mind these are in FINITE supply. With the exception of the new Colt snubby, these pistols are generally speaking, out of production.

I have also noticed prices on what I would call "legacy" semi auto sporting rifles have stabilized if not receded. For example, Beretta AR 70s which peaked at around $2700-$3000 are selling for around $1500-$2000. Same for the FN FNC. Values for the HK 91 & 93 series are holding constant and not increasing.

At a glance, prices on new Glocks are fairly stable. Same for M & Ps and most modern service type automatics.

Remember, the gun industry as a whole is struggling right now, primarily due to the election of Trump. Companies are lowering, or at best not increasing, prices in order to liquidate idle stock.

If prices are rising where you are that is unfortunate. Last time I checked, you can purchase an entry level S & W AR style rifle for around $499 and that's the best price I've ever seen for a quality entry level rifle.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

I guess I can in my small way help control the economy. Here is how I do it. Ya want to see prices of vintage Smith and Wesson revolvers drop like a rock, just let me offer one of the ones I have for sale. If ya want to see prices go up, just wait until I get ready to buy a new to me revolver. I got it covered both ways

On a more serious note. I try and mall walk 5 or 6 days a week, and it's surprising how empty the mall can be at times. I've also noted that many of the folks in the mall are not carrying shopping bags, and those who are generally don't have more than one bag.
I've also noticed that the ads for sales or special deals have dropped TV and in the print media. I think folks are holding to what extra money they have, and that is not always a bad thing.

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Always Stay Strong!

I think everybody's shopping at Amazon these days. My neighborhood is swarmed with their delivery drivers...even on Sundays. Some of my neighbors get deliveries every day, or at least every other day. Most families have both Mom and Dad working, so online shopping just makes sense. Like someone else said in another thread..."times are a changin."

My wife and I went to Stateline (OK, Primm for those who haven't lived here for 20+ years) yesterday and had a look in the outlet mall there. The place was pretty sad. LOTS of closed up stores, more than half the food court stalls were empty and not a lot of customers. When it opened that place was a zoo.

How much is down to online shopping and how much is due to shoppers lacking confidence and being cautious with their money I cannot say. What I have noticed is that the car dealers are quiet and I'm seeing the same used cars on lots for months, not weeks. Some of that may be due to the recent spike in home prices and rent in S NV. The casinos have really cut their staff to the bone and there is quite a lot of "gig economy" going on, leading to underemployment and low wages. Can't spend what you don't have.

Somebody made the point in another thread that the jobs aren't coming back, regardless of what government says. Looking at the amount of empty commercial property in this valley and number of apparently busy restaurants that have disappeared, I believe it. There seems to be a new reality setting in, and much of America and pretty much everybody here is not going to like it much.

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Release the Kraken

If people are anything like me, they're probably spending most of their money on food. IDK when it happened or why, but all of a sudden everything at the grocery store is expensive. Meanwhile, the portions keep shrinking. I bought a can of beans the other day and, after I drained off all the water the can was only 1/2 full of beans. Same for the big bag of tortilla chips which cost over $2. Opened it up and it was only half full, the rest being inflated with air. I keep forking out more and more $$ at the grocery, yet my stomach is always growling and I never feel full. Yeah, that's why people aren't buying luxury goods and spending on entertainment. All their money is going towards putting meat and potatoes on the table.

The LGS is still betting on someone paying a grand for this 28-2 that’s been in the case for months.

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Cautious with their money? Naw J6Pk has maxed out the credit cards.


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Yeah, a 28-2 for $1K when I'm paying $360 for anything from a nice shooter to a 95% gun. These gun stores haven't gotten over the overly inflated prices on Smiths from two years ago. The funny thing is that they really don't like selling on Gun Broker unless they have something really special and rare. Remove Gun Broker from the equation, and you have a lot of older common Smiths just sitting in the stores. There are sooooo many 28-2's for sale on-line right now that I can't even count them. This reminds me of EBAY which I have followed since 1998. All the dealers put everything on EBAY and got fast over priced sales. Then it fell apart from a high-price perspective. Then the dealers all went out of business. I have to admit that I did pay $550 for a stone cold mint 28-2 at my LGS last year, but $1K!!! Somebody is smoking something besides cigarettes.

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Dr. B

Taxes especially State and Local Taxes are eating up discretionary income. And I consider Obama care a Tax.

I see prices here on newly manufactured guns declining, the Old Smiths - not so much.

Without mentioning prices, I recently bought a 4" and 6 in 28-2, and I bought them from good guys selling out of their private collections for much less that 1K. If I have to pay 1K for a 28, I would put a couple dollars with it and buy a 27. Having said that , Guns International has 28's from 700 to 1250. I love 28's. The only thing with a 27 is features and barrels, and finish
No paper 25 yard target will ever know the difference between a 27 and 28. I will buy all I could get at 360. Won't happen here. I have not even seen one in an LGS, or just about anything else for that matter

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

AR-15 & AR-10 prices seem to be really low right now. I've bought several AR-15s for $325-$375 & AR-10s for $600-$650. And to think what you used to have to pay for them!

Thing is, are there enough S&W collectors or future collectors to maintain those prices in the face of so many reasonably priced, reliable, modern guns? Time will tell, I guess.

I do agree that there are a LOT of dealers sitting on a lot of stock like that $1k Model 28 on which they expect to make a killing. I suspect I will see much of it during their online bankruptcy sales if they don't grasp the new reality soon.

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Release the Kraken

The $3k Colt next to it has been there a long time too. The used revolver case has plenty of room.

This is a very good point. There are lots and lots of modern guns at reasonable prices that work very well.

For a vintage gun to sell at a premium price you need a premium vintage gun and a motivated buyer. There is a fixed supply of premium vintage guns. The number of motivated buyers in the future, and their degree of motivation, will determine the direction of future prices. I expect and hope to be able to get back most of what I put into my vintage guns over the past ten years. I continue to enjoy owning and shooting these relics of a bygone era and I will not be at all disappointed if I am able to get back 90% of my "investment."

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

[QUOTE=LVSteve;140102232]Thing is, are there enough S&W collectors or future collectors to maintain those prices in the face of so many reasonably priced, reliable, modern guns? Time will tell, I guess.[QUOTE]

Short of raising our own, how can we go about bringing into the fold future collectors who will appreciate something like the vintage N frame S &W revolvers or World War II military arms? I'll talk to anybody about such things, but how can we get together so that people of my vintage can get a chance to interest those who might be anywhere from 25 to 40 years younger than I am?

I bought a prewar 38/44 Outdoorsman about 6 months ago on GB and picked it up a my LGS. A shop that has been around a very long time.
Upon taking it out no one could tell me what it was. Best they could do is tell me it was an N frame.

Things like that make me nervous about the future value on some of my prewar collection.

About ten years ago there was an online estate auction that would have had you screaming. Poor pictures, pictures with the wrong descriptions, no pictures to confirm details of vital collector interest, descriptions that were hugely incomplete, you name it, this auction house fouled it up. As a result, what I thought was a Russian capture Mauser 98K turned out to be a very rare variant of Yugoslav rebuild. Oh well.

Auction houses are still doing it. Picked this up last year just listed as "Enfield rifle". WWII Unicorn rifle

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Release the Kraken

Yes it can be grim out there for the future but at my age I don’t have but another 10 maybe 15 years to fret about it.....you younger whipper snappers might be looking at another 30-40 years of bleakness.......

I've been patient on Gun Broker and went to a gun show Saturday, 7-14. The best deal at the show was $10 admission with free parking. I was there from 11:30 AM until 2:00 PM. I got front row parking from early arrivals leaving. Parking lot was less than one-half full, when there are usually vehicles parked on the grass everywhere.

Used S&W revolvers were more expensive than new models and there were not more than a dozen in the show. A well used Winchester 1904 single shot rifle with no finish, dented stock with shiny varnish finish was clearance priced at $375. Mine is in better shape that I got from my grandfather but it has a badly pitted bore and is reblued. Reasonably accurate with an almost invisible U-notch rear sight and standard post front sight. Time to buy a new rear sight?

I found a M12 and M36, both snub nose & blued finish 38 Spl at reasonable prices. M36 came home on the credit card.

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S&WHF 366

Past government administration sold guns to people who don’t like guns and now the market has to normalize. Some bargains will come as this happens.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

While gun sales are "soft" and they have some time, the Company's (especially S&W) should restructure their work ethics, employee training, quality control and over-all quality so when times improve (they always do) they will be ready and able to make quality products!!

For clarity, "we" has meant "we, the people" since school.

Glad it isn't just me that has noticed a change. Seems like it is different across the nation. That expensive, good for your dogs, can of dog food we mix with the other has 1/5 less in it. I thought my wife was eating a lot of potato chips when she opened a fresh bag. There are a few things at the stores they haven't wrecked the prices on yet, but I'm not saying what they are.

Churches seem to die off when there are no children and new families. Our DNR is sponsoring free shooting classes, but nowadays they are more interested in self defense.

I purchased my first gun in 1968 for $85, a Colt Cobra (still have it) for off duty b/c my duty weapon was a Colt 4”. That represented about one percent of my income then so, according to the economies of scale theory, that’s how we should view this. A small Glock runs about $400 and starting salaries for police run about $50K so viewed through this lens not much has changed.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Today's plastic gun consumers will get bored with their tupperware and some will discover "real" guns, keeping demand and prices up.

I stop by a lot of Pawn Shops and recently one had a sign that they will no longer accept AR's and Ryobi tools.

Well, I was at one point trying to buy a finish worn but good condition shooter grade 28 from a dealer, but he would not budge on a ridiculous price for a shooter. Finally, I told him, I have money, and with that money I can buy food, and I do not care how long you boil that 28, it will never get soft enough to eat. That ended the negotiations. I mean I do not care about a few dollars one way or the other, and I know people are in business to make money. There is no other reason, but you have to be reasonable IMO

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I really like that sign that says they will no longer accept AR's. The shops around here have them stacked to the ceiling and they don't sell. I remember when the sign said, we will no longer accept VCR's. Time changes everything.

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Dr. B

I remember a no VCR sign in a pawnshop.
So I kidded the owners, why no VCRs?
They said, walk this way.
We go into the back storage room.
There sits a huge pile of VCRs, about 5-6 feet tall!
Now I get it!
I wish they had a pile of Smith Revolvers that big!
The only time I ever saw a ‘pile’ of Smith’s was long ago and far away-
KMart in Ft. Collins, CO.
These were WWII Brit Victories converted to 38 Special.
Didn’t buy any.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I have only sold four guns in my life.

I made my money and then some.

Never lost. I would not sell if I was expecting a -10% return.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

Remember the Elmer Fudd (mel blanch) cartoon- "be quite, be very, very quite?" That's me, be quite people, I left my local gun show yesterday, all mad, I left with two new S&W pre lock pistols. First off, I have to give a guy $ 400 for a 65-3 that was probably a 90 % gun. This was ok to add to my new collection you guys have awakened a desire within me that was suppose to be dormant. Then I had to give this guy $550 for an almost mint 19 no dash from 1959 to get it out the door. Never before have I purchase two guns in one day. Falling prices, woo hoo, keep it up economy. One day, I may be like the rest of the guys on the S&W forum and have more that two or three pre lock guns. Be very, very quite while we sneak up on the rabbit ( or the next seller of pre lock pistols)

I want that Model 19!!!

That’s my birth-year, and everyone seems to think no-dashes are gold-plated.

You suck!!!

Consumer spending has been trending up...

Consumer Spending Trends and Current Statistics