I bought a model 19 new in 1975 and paid about $140 for it. That's worth about $660 today so the price that you will be able to buy one of these new ones for really is not out of line. That 1975 model 19 turned out to be a piece of **** by the way. It just would not stay in time. I ended up trading it away. (I have had a couple of others from about that time period and they were fine.) What is the point? The point is that everything is relative. I think the new ones will be fine. I think the old ones are great too. I will say that I dislike the square grips on the round frame. It looks to me like someone took and old set of grips out of the draw and made them fit on a gun they were not made for. But that's just me and it wouldn't stop me from buying one if the price was right.