I looked at a 4" Pre-10 in the gold box yesterday that was priced way too high (IMHO).... but can't stop thinking about it. My intention is to go back and discuss the gun with the owner and see if he'll deal. I rarely see any old S&W's in this shop and looked closely at this one. He admits that he knows nothing about it and he's using a blue book to price it at $800.
Serial number C146xxx put's it shipped in 1950 per the database. Grips are perfect and the only mark on the gun is a very light rub on both sides of the muzzle. Otherwise, the finish is near perfect. Box is excellent as well.

Am I wrong in thinking this nice old gun should be in the $300-500 range on the high end? Or...am I missing something? I've.....hmmmmm.....been wrong before!

I think your price evaluation is more along the lines. Maybe closer to $500 if the box is numbered to the gun.

Thanks for the confirmation Daniel....
I still can't figure out why the blue book put's the value so high. I have a hunch that he'll be pretty hard to convince otherwise because of it.
Craig...

I'd put little faith in Blue Book values concerning S&W revolvers. I think $500.00 (if the box is numbered) for the condition you describe is acceptable. $800.00 sounds ridiculous.

Cheers;
Lefty

The "Blue Book" is way too high on the M&P models, if you want a real shock look at the values they place on the pre-war guns. Perhaps you could go to GunBroker and print out some of the completed auctions to indicate actual value.

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John. SWCA #1586

Spot on!

Where is he finding this $800 price in the BB?

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Dick

Some day that will be worth $800, but not today.

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Dom

I just bought one a week ago that sounds like the same condition for $420. It had no box. I don't think the box is worth $380.

The Blue Book is usually way off on older revolvers and especially in pre model 10's and Colt Police Positive revolvers . I sold a Colt Police Positive in 32-20 a few years ago and the Blue Book put it's value at $600 and I had a hard time selling it for $300.

At guns shows a dealer will pull out a blue book and qoute me the price on a gun I'm looking for and have researched and when he's way to high I tell them "I've never seen a Blue Book buy a gun yet" and my research shows that it's only worth this much and I qoute Gun Broker item sold prices to them for that gun. Then they either lower the price to close to what I said it was worth or I keep looking longer to find one somehwere else.

Items that have actually sold on Gunbroker is the new current standard for pricing by many dealers including the one I use locally. If I buy or sell a gun through him we look at the Gunbroker prices of the guns sold and then we agree on a price and it's usually very close to the Gun Broker price.

I've had several long time dealers that I'm friends with that have told me that the internet and especially Gun Broker has killed them because they used to use Blue Book and people would pay the inflated prices because of for lack of better pricing information.

It's hard to stop thinking about nice S&W's in the boxes that we all see from time to time, but when they are priced at $800 for a $400-$500 gun I just walk as the dealer already thinks it a $800 gun and what he will come down to will still be way too high. My local dealer has a 99.9% 3" Mod 36 in the orig box that I would love to have but it is priced at $600 now add tax and other fees it not even worth it, he says make a offer but what I would offer would be a insult to him so I just say it;s a nice gun but way overpriced. Once they sit there for months they will realize they are not worth what they are asking. Now if you brang in that gun to sell it the blue book would be $200.

I especially love the dealers with two Blue Books under the table. A new one they break out to show you their "legitimate" selling price for their gun and 5-6 year old one to show you the buying price for your gun, minus the 40% they will offer you "because I need to make a profit". No gaming there.

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Dick