The more I look on gunbroker and and in local shops and see the prices of these firearms approaching "new" costs the more I want to freak out and yell at the people Pricing these things. Let me ask this, do you see the price of a 15 year old Camaro even in the same ballpark as a new one? No, you don't. Jeesh. Is just like to find a really clean 5906 with its original stuff for around 400 bucks. What am I on mars and asking for a mcdonalds around every boulder?

I do understand your frustration. We are witnessing these 3rd gen guns transitioning from duty/commercial use to the collectible phase of their lives. A clean 3rd gen's value is magnified because so many of these guns started out their lives as LE guns. There are not too many out there that escaped heavy use.

I know that's a big part of the problem, but when I see a 15 year old gun that's mechanically sound but the finish is worn all to dog snot, and they are asking a price of almost near, say a new ruger 1911 it boggles my mind a wee bit

I understand your frustration, but the pistols are listed for that much because people buy them. It's that simple.

FWell then they're nuts! Lol! I've seen 3 TSWs locally for 559 to 650 and they have been sitting there since january

Prices are terrible. McDonalds adds $2.59 to add egg to a $1.00 breakfast sandwich. Birdseye white corn is $3.29 for a pound. That was the bushell price a few years back.

When it comes to gun prices,a lot of factors come into play.

One is local availibility.A 5906 is a great gun,but you can't buy what isn't available for sale.As common as those types of guns are,some places-like my state of residence-there's just no way you'd ever see one come up for sale that often.I've NEVER seen more than one 3rd gen on sale in the same store since moving here.If I want a 3rd Gen before the end of the year gun show,I have to go online.

Conversely,I've seen 3 S&Ws on sale at a gunstore in Illinois once.They wanted $550 for a lightly used 5903 w/adjustible sights.They weren't there the next time I came to that shop 4 months later,which brings me to the topic of local prices.Some places have different laws than others.A 5903 which sells for 450 in your neck of the woods might go for $600 in a place like California or Mass. where a 3rd Gen can't be sold to a citizen outside of a face to face transaction due to roster restrictions.I've heard anecdotally that a used 5906 in CA can go for $550 and up because the only way to own one is a face to face sale by someone who moved in out of state.

Gunbroker can be a wonky site to judge prices because pf those factors and more.A guy in Georgia logs on and thinks $499 for a 5906 is nuts;he knows Joe can hook him up with one OTD for $300.Conversely a guy logging on from Lincolnshire Illinois thinks $499 is a bargain of the year,since the only 5906 he's seen in his area for the last 2 years went out the door for $600.

Personally,id say that the day of the collectable 3rd Gen is upon us when variants like the 5943 start creeping up in price.Right now only the well known 3rd Gens like the 1006,4506,and 5906 are pricing mid to high.

Yeah, and how do we know that's even an egg

That's all basically commen sense, what I'm saying is all the ones I see that are overpriced Wether it be on gunbroker or a LGS are just sitting there. Example, a 4003 tsw right here in my town in pretty good shape with a price tag of 650 isn't going anywhere, and probably won't for some time. That's not a firearm the general public is looking for anymore, that's why they stopped making them. I'm probably the only person in my town that buys 3rd gens from that store and collects them. But I will say this this, I bought a month 439 from there for 300 and I was happy with my purchase

1800ktpguns. they have 5906's with original pacakaging for around $375-$410.

i see the same on uncle henrys that you see on gunbroker. 6906 going for over $650!? nuh uh. i paid $335 for mine 5 years ago...........how does it tripple. people are dumb haha

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6906,6904,g23,g21,RIA1911,40c

I like 3rd Gens, what I've found works for me, unless you are talking the really unusual variations like CS9's, 908S's or 1006 is give it 30-45 days and go back to the LGS, about 60-75% of the time the gun is still there. The LGS may look at GB etc to sell, but most aren't putting big dollars in them on trade. As you said, 3rd Gen buyers are, while not rare, not a large percentage of the market. After a month or so the LGS gets frustrated and will take realistic money to turn inventory, at least in my area of the world. YMMV.

Well,a sucker truly is born every minute.

Here's how people change-& sell- 3rd Gens for that much.Think for a minute like the uninformed buyer.You're used to paying $550 for a Glock 22 and $700 for a Springfield XDm.All of a sudden you encounter a lightly used metal fram S&W with better craftsmanship than some 1911s.To a customer like that $650 doesn't seem unreasonable.

Its the same reason Sig charges $900 for a gun that's built just like our 3rd gens.Its what the market can bear.I've heard on a different forum how a guy with a polished stainless PT100 .40 S&W Taurus sold his gun when an onlooker noticed the holstered piece and offered to buy it on the spot.When the owner initially rebuffed the first offers to buy,the onlooker offered $1000 cash on the spot for it.The gun's only worth $500 new.According to the author,they did the deal right then and there,and the buyer was allegedly quite happy with his $1000 pearl griped PT100.

We might call the guy a sucker,but as long as the buyer and seller are happy who minds?

Thanks for sharing my philosiphy of ignorance! Haha

I think this is all our fault. We are creating a collector's market by letting everyone who has one know what a great gun he's got. If we want to score deals on these, we need to start griping about them like they are Llama and Jennings guns. Once we get the word out, the uninitiated will think that they're outdated garbage and we'll be able to steal 'em!

Hahahaha good call dude

We may not want to complain too much- if the govt hears the complaints they may want to regulate gun prices...or worse yet, make the sellers tell us all the ingredients- like McDs....

(said with tongue in cheek)

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No work? No eat. 2 Thes

I have no problem paying the same price for a LNIB 3rd gen as I would for a new M&P. They are much better guns. Hands down.
Now if they are beat to snot then that's different.
Recently purchased 3rd gens: Last 3 months
5906 Excellent condition no box $425 OTD
3913 Excellent condition no box $350 OTD
4506-1 LNIB unfired with box and papers $550 (Actually traded my .45 M&P) + $50
59 Nickel NIB with goodies unfired $525
39-2 NIB with goodies unfired $425
I don't see any problem with these prices.
I would rather own these well made pieces than the polymer stuff S&W keeps producing.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Those are all quite reasonable prices imho

I fear the prices will continue to increase as we get closer to the election. Buy'em now.

To me, it simply comes down to "what is it worth for me, personally?". At least, this goes for things that I really can relate to, like house, car, gun. I spend 510 Euros for my unfired 1006 recently (see unboxed 1006 thread), and this is above what is listed for that gun in german price guide catalog. But did I bother? No. I just wanted THAT gun, and I feared I will never come over a second example in that nice condition. Stupid approach? Probably. But true happiness this way lies...
I would have spend a 100 more and would be just as happy now. And I would still have considered it a reasonable price, since a new Beretta or a Colt 1911 would cost much more in our local shops.

Would I buy a new Glock just because I can get it 30% below list price? No way, cause it's not my kind of gun.

Just seen a 3913 tactical @ gander 699.99$ in decent cond.
Wpb fl
Wowzers

Everybody thinks prices are too high. Unless they happen to be selling. Then it's a different story.

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John 3:16 .

Here's my particular take on the whole thing. I'm not a dumb dumb by any means. I've collected a lot of things over the years. Hotwheels cars beeing one of them. I recently just sold a two year old lot of 54 of them on eBay for 24 bucks. That means I got .44 cents a piece for them. I paid around a buck for each of them. That being said these were run of the mill mass produced cars. They sold a whole lot of each of them. Now, just because you can't go to Walmart and find any of them now, and chances are you won't find any of them anywhere doesn't make them worth .90 cents each. There is no demand for 3rd gen guns. Mainly only to us people that buy and collect them. Every LGS in my state has atleast one at any given time, and if it just sits there shouldn't that be an eye opener to the sellers that something is wrong?

The nice thing about markets is that supply and demand will level it out. Always. That is unless government or whoever is manipulating it.
The fact that you are not willing to pay a certain price does not mean the item is overpriced. Only if _nobody_ is willing to pay that price. Than price goes down or item is not sold. Simple truth.

Everything is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it.

Would I pay $650 for a 3913? No. Will someone? Yes. What's it worth then?

I can guarantee you if the seller is asking $350 he's not going to get $600, so he starts high and waits.

I'm also not going to pay $4,000 for a Cabbage Patch Doll or $1500 for a first run McDonald's Happy Meal Beany Baby.

(Although my dad did have the foresight to collect thousands of the McDonald's Beany Baby dolls and has them stored along with the original paper bags the meal came in. He thought the bags may end up being worth more than the toys some day.... Still waiting for the demand for those to happen....)

This is an interesting thread.

Back in the 1990s I owned a couple of 3rd generation pistols. They ended up with my brother as I went on to other things (Glocks, Sigs and other European pistols). In December 2006, I received one of my old 3rd gens back from my brother in a multi-handgun trade. That got me back into 3rd gens . . . in a big way. I believed that they were way undervalued at the time. Between 2007 and early 2010, I found that I could locate them in 99%+ condition, many with original boxes, at what I felt were very good prices.

At one point I had 24 3rd gens. I've now peared that down to a collection of 19. All but 4 are in 99% or better condition, and those 4 are at least 95%. As BLUEBELLYYANKEE noted below, I felt that 3rd gens in this type of condition might actually become collectable in the future.

One of my best deals came in January 2008 on a 3913 on consignment at Turners Outdoorsman in West Covina, CA. It appeared what I was buying was the pistol in 99%+ condition with night sights and one magzine for $350, which I thought was a really good deal. However, after the 10 day wait when I went to pick it up, they brought it out of the back in the original box with original paperwork and a total of 3 magazines (1-flat base and 2-finger support).

I also found similar deals while hunting for 3rd genes between 2007 and 2009. However, during 2010, it seemed to me, at least in the case of high grade 3rd gens, that prices were beginning to rise while availability was shrinking.

Here they are:

My only 2nd generation (100% condition):



My big boys (10mm & .45):



My service pistols (med. frame)



The single-stack compact kids (9mm, .40 and .45):




. . . and the high-cap compact kids:

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Someone else mentioned the election coming up, that is one reason but shooting in general has exploded lately and there are a LOT more customers out there, more un-informed customers, who will pay more just to have something.

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This Signature is too Short!

So Denver Dick, in conclusion you've decided to list me as sole beneficiary of those fine firearms in your will.

Well being I have a MINT 5946 that is lettered as a original NYPD test gun shipped to Rodmans Neck for evaluation when the NYPD was looking to transition from Revolvers to Semi Automatics I will have to post it for 1000.00, its a steal only cause I do not have the original box and papers!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, as Frustraiting as it can be the guns are worth what people are willing to pay, always have been always will be.

I think we would all admit that after handling a brand new Plastic Glock, Springfield XD, M&P or whatever, that is priced at $550, it is compelling to pay $550 or more for a nice condition 3rd gen gun. Maybe it is the cheap-feeling new plastic guns that are actually driving up the value of the 3rd gens.

Imagine taking somebody that knows nothing about guns and get them to hold a brand new plastic gun and then hand them a 22 year old 5906 and then ask them which one they would pay more for.

Enough said.

There all so expensive because Denver Dick has the market cornered.

A very nice collection you have there. Thanks for sharing.

To the OP, I see what you are saying. And it's funny because the overpriced ones are always the worst looking ones out there with ratty finishes and completely polished slides and frames as if someone was trying to make them aesthetically improved. All the 3rd gens I have picked up that have been high quality finishes were also the ones I paid the least for. I think it goes to say that people are gnerally confused about how to price these guns. As another poster said, they are entering the collectible years and I think we are seeing how the price starts to mature. Because of this, I think there are still great deals to be had.

Over the last year I've bought a few guns to fill in gaps in my collection, a new Glock 23 ($500), a used Glock 27 ($350), a Walther P1 ($350), a Walther P38 (post war) ($300) and a 5906 ($340). I won't compare the 5906 to the Glocks, they each have their own place but I sure wish I'd got two 3rd gens instead of two Walthers! The 5906 is a lot of gun for the money.

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US Army 1966-69, VFW Member

That's like comparing apples and pees...

If you got the right name on your 4th gen Camaro it's even more worth

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Jorge

That's nice, but im third gen guy

Looks nice.

The Dick Harrell is not mine btw. I wish... gotta wipe off the drool on my keyboard

But btt: What is value? Value is only what somebody is willing to pay for it. It was always like that and will ever be.

Look what a Yeko cost btw. I cannot even afford a rusty fender of a Yenko Camaro...

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Jorge

What I'm saying is yeah, there might be that one person out there that is willing to overpay for something, but finding them is a different matter

Personally, I'd rather have a restored '70 Cuda than any of the new ones Chrysler's come out with. It was pure sex, IMHO(had one). I just bought a 4516-1 sans the box for $499 plus 25 shipping. That's $524 for a well maintained, reliable compact 45 and I'd rather have spent that on on all steel S&W that the same amount of money on a G30SF...or any other Glock for that matter.

It all boils down to what you want, how bad and what are you willing to spend. Look at the tremendous prices a Colt Python cost. I couldn't afford one back in 1978 much less now that they've skyrocketed.

BTW, Denver-If ever you decide to sell any more of those, drop me a pm.

Now I gotta go and get the roll of Bounty paper towels...

A '70 Cuda with the 426ci Hemi.... :droooooool:

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Jorge

HAH, you got that right, glad someone said it. When people try to low ball me, I ask them "would you sell that item for the same amount you offered me?"............there's usually silence after that.

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Sure you did

Ok, your all stupid. Lol

Im in Ky.6906 local gun show Non le excellent safe queen.with box and all the goodies inside was 340.00 Local Gunshop 5906 very nice with out box 310.00 Alaska state police DPS with the bear on the slide with box very nice with some wear off Gunbrooker for 400 plus shipping to the house. All bought by me with in the last 3 months

McDonald's took a sandwich that was over $2 and reduced it to $1 as a single cheap alternative...they could have left it priced as it was and had no alternative! Glass half full I think.

Thanks for the positive comments about my S&W 3rd Gens.

I think one has to keep in mind that not all 3rds are the same. In the first photo, that 645 (I bought in late 2009) was the first I had run across in as-new-in-the-box condition while hunting for S&W autos. The pistol is basically perfect. So, I paid the asking $650 price.

In the "big boys" photo, the three on the right are 10mm pistols. They were only made for a year or two. Thus, the production figures are limited. Now, the 4576 (bottom, left) was around 97% condition without a box. I found it on consignment in early 2007. It was around $600. I thought that was a little high, but I had never seen or even heard of one. I bought it. According to the factory letter I obtained on it, only 1,386 of these were made. They are hard to come by.

In the fourth photo, (single-stack compacts), the blue pistol is a 4014. I found it listed at a store quite a distance from my home. The price was around $400 in 99%, no box. Again, I had never seen one of these and figured not many had been made. I was correct; the factory letter states there were only 550 made. Because it has a black alloy frame, it's very hard to find in 99% condition.

My point here is that there is big difference between these 3rd gens and the ubiquitous 5906, 4006, 4506 or 6906. The latter were used by many, many LE agencies around the U.S. They are found almost everywhere in condition ranging from trashed to NIB. They are not hard to find. While I do have one of each of those, I do not seek them out nor do I pay much for them.

The 3913 is a market unto itself. There were a whole lot of these made and should be relatively cheap. However, they're also sought out by whole lot of guys. In other words, they have a very, very strong following. I have three myself, an early one (1992), a late one with night sights (1996), and a TSW pre-rail (1999). Note the pre-rail was only offered for two years and is harder to find then the ones with the rail.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. The 6904 (fifth photo) is the blue version of the 6906. The blue 3rd gens were not nearly as popular as the silvers pistols. There are far fewer blues around; next time you're at a gun show keep count of how many blues you see. In addition, the blues, with their black alloy frames, show every nick and scratch. So, finding one in 99%+ condition becomes problematic. Assuming both pistols are 99% condition, I would pay more (probably 20% or so) for the blue.

Another example, I sold my 99% 5906, but kept my 99% 5903 and 99% 915. Why did I keep the ones I did? During my years of looking, the 5903 (alloy frame 5906) that I bought without box was the only one I'd seen in that condition. The 915 I purchased was the only one of those in that condition I'd seen. On the other hand, I'd seen many, many 5906 pistols ranging from 95% to NIB.

Final example, I had two 4006 pistols, both in 99% condition. The one I kept was the only one I'd seen with factory adjustable sights. The one I sold was one of many, many I'd seen over the years.

IMHO, as these pistols become more collectable, these are the things that will make a difference in pricing.

FWIW

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Okay, buddy, I'll consider putting you right there on list after my wife, brother, nephew, grand-nephew, niece, grand-niece, sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Good write up Denver Dick. Your exactly right. In reality I'm searching out the more common ones. Example, at this point I own a 4006, 5946, 3904, 4013, and, well a 745. With the exception of the 745 I paid around 400 for each of them, usually less, and they are all in really great condition but came without boxes. I want to add a 5906, 4506, and a 1006. And later on a couple older ones like a 645 and a 659. I have no problem paying a fair price for any one of these that's in really good condition. What I can't stand is when I see a 1006 at cabeles for $800 that looks like it was used as a hammer to build someone's house. I'm just saying I'm not unreasonable or looking for "the best deal", I'm saying I think people forgot about overall gun condition when they do they're pricing. Example, locally there is a 5906 that is completely tore up for $525 no box. I wouldnt bat an eyelash if it was LNIB, and it would already be in my safe. I would even pay close to 600. I just think people that are doing the pricing arent taking into account the actual condtion of the gun they are selling.

Ad leest wi cann spel

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Sure you did

I looked at that one also but around the corner from there at a LGS I got a 3913 with box and three mags in better condition for 475.
BTW they have a 1006 for about 500 in good condition don't know if they have the box or not and prices there are negotiable
if you are interested where just PM me and I'll give you directions.

Interesting read. As I see it I really think that this board is responsible for the prices. It goes in waves. I can remember the 520 craze, then the 27 craze, the model 10 craze, and more recently the model 17/18 craze-with each driving up the prices. Now it seems we have moved into the semi auto phrase and at present are dealing with the third generation-specificallt the 39 series and the Chief Special series. The trick it seems is to be able to guess which area will become hot next. Before the 38-44 HD's took off, I bought what could best be describes as a mint near new example 4" for $300 at a local show. I sold it a few months later to a forum member for $500 and was quite happy as was the forum member. I doubt that he would sell it today for less than $1000 and it would probably get a bit more given the outstanding condition. Should I have held on to it???? Maybe-but I almost doubled my money and when he gets around to selling it, he will double his money. Or if the market tanks on the 38-44HD's he will no doubt be able to sell it for what he has in it. It is the market place at work-capitalism at it's raw pure unbridled best.

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Forum consigliere

I think.your completely right. Forums, eBay, etc creates crazes within themselves then they spill out into the real world. I just hope the one store in my area with reasonable used prices don't read this forum!

I got curious and dug out my old original box the 4506 came in and the sticker price was $509.95. That was back in late 1990. I'd gladly pay that again. This is the only pistol I've never even considered trading/selling.(My avatar)