Quote:
Originally Posted by solomon
I'm not a huge fan of the .40S&W, so I would personally walk without blinking. If it's a gun you like though, check the box. A correct box will have a factory-printed sticker on the end whose serial number matches the gun.
It seems HIGHLY unlikely that anyone kept the original box, but only 1 of the 2 magazines the gun would have come with, so I'd bet $1 that it's just an S&W blue plastic box. (Which one can buy on eBay etc).
My Blue Book is a couple of years old, but it lists $600 @ 98% and $700 @ 100%.
I agree, that a small premium for F2F and handling the gun is well worth it, so if the gun is truly pristine and especially if it's the correct matching box, then you're probably not doing horribly at $650. Certainly try for less, *ESPECIALLY* if not matching box. FWIW, I got a 6906 on GB sold as "with box and papers" but it wasn't the right box. Seller & I agreed on 10% off ($40) in compensation. YMMV and all that.
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Good post on the topic of 3rd Gen boxes.
Without a matching intact S&W sticker, it is most likely
not the original box. I've been misled more times than I care to remember. You'd think I'd know better by now.
But that said, a correct period box,
sans label but in decent shape, is still better than nothing.
And it is true that a lot of uninformed or uncaring S&W buyers sometimes steam or "GooGone" the damn labels off the original plastic box to better use them for range transport or similar, particularly if the label is already dirty or damaged.
For my poor man's collection (accumulation), I do often pay a premium for an original matching labeled box... but no more than $20-$25 extra if the box is not properly matched to the gun.