Hi Guys?
Today I committed the cardinal sin of my marrige, I purchased a 686-5 with a 6" barrel, six round cylinder without first consulting my spoose unit. It is in almost new condition, no scratches or dings and no turn line. It came with a plastic clam shell box that has seen better days and booklet with warrenty card. I doubt that it has ever had more than a cylender worth of rounds fired through it. I paid $375 out the door. When I told the wife about it she went ballistic, She made me feel like a total piece of ****. When she finally calmed down enough to speak to me again and look at it she stated "they saw you comming from a mile off".
The question is how much is what is a revolver like this worth in your neck of the woods? Should I concider selling it or keep it. If I sell it what should I ask for it? I would also entertain sugestions as to how I might smooth things over with the spouse.

Any dealer locally where I do business would charge $600 for a nice one....and not blink an eye while doing it. That particular gun wouldn't lay in the case long either.

$375 for a 686-5 around here would be a screaming deal.

It sounds like it was a screaming deal where you live too, irregardless of the price.

Perhaps conduct a guns/ladies shoes comparison inventory (or) claim/fein sullen sadness that she "discovered" her new M-686 gift from you before you had a chance to wrap same...

(you got it for a very good price)Mike

A nice 6" 686 round these parts is a $500 minimum but generally they go more like $600. $375 is is what a very rough one would sell for in my neck of the woods.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Glad to hear about such a nice revolver you got...
Sorry to hear about your wife not being happy with it..

Perhaps you could point out that it is worth at least 550 to 600 dollars...and that you plan on selling it for a profit?

Woops, can't seem to find a buyer just yet....have to keep it for now...

As long as you are already in trouble..how about some pics?

My divorce was finalized back in February of this year...I since added a 686-1 and a 629-1...just sayin'

Save your lives with it someday and it will be priceless...

Marc

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Marc

Looks like the rest of us have been paying too much for our guns. If I saw a 686 at under $400 I'd probably dislocate something trying to get my wallet out fast enough.

I like the gun, or I wouldn't have bought it. Likewise I love my wife, if I didn't I wouldn't have married her. I just picked a really bad time to drop $375 out of my account, I guess you can't guess when you might come across a jewl. I married a smart woman who is fiscally brilliant. Unfortunatly that brilliance does not mean she appreciates a fine revolver. She'll be fine with my purchase eventually, probably when I'm dead and she's selling my guns for top dollar.
I guess that I just want some assurance that I didn't get screwed. I haven't bought a S&W for a couple of years and thought that I might have lost my edge.

Sunfang,
I can tell you that you definitely did NOT get screwed. Anything like this under $500 is a fair deal, anything under $400 would be a great deal for a 686 in that condition. You should point out to your wife that it is worth much more than what you paid for it. Congratulations!

Sounds like you might not be getting screwed for some time to come, either...

Well, you didn't get screwed on the 686 at least. In my neck of the woods they run $550-$625 or so for nice ones depending on barrel length and overall condition.

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Ban lunatics and criminals

You might have started the conversation wrong. You should start off by saying" Honey, I saved $225.00 dollars today!" Then go on to explain that this revolver costs $600.00 but due to your shrewd bargaining and keen eye you were able to purchase it for a meer $375.

I used to teach folks who have financial difficulty - not that y'all do.

One thing that works very well with couples and disagreements on money is for each spouse to have their own allowance. It's their money to do with as they please, no objections from the spouse.

My wife and I do the same. Works great. I see something I want, it's mine so long as I have the funds.

Screaming is right

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Always Stay Strong!

Sir, $375 OTD will not even get me a sniff of a 686. That's the price I could pick up a nice J frame for, and would have to look hard to find one for that. A nice 686 is a $500+ firearm all day long down this way, even if revolvers are an old timer's gun. Very good catch sir.
Now, the wife will get over it, but don't talk about the gun in front of her unless it is when you are turning down a $500 offer. Then don't brag just be cool. She will finally forgive you. And I am speaking from first hand experience.

Best to you and the Ms.,

Threads like this make me so happy to be single...

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Benefactor Member, NRA

You did good on the gun...you can always get a new wife. NEXT!

My divorce was final in Oct. 2007. I never knew I had so much money. Turned out that I was supporting my MIL too! Needless to say, I have increased the S&W herd by several since then and have never had to say, "Honey, it's a GREATY deal!"
Fast forward. My fiancee and I were at the LGS this past weekend. I was inspecting a .32 HE. She asked, "is it a good price?" I nodded without looking at her. The next thing I knew, she was peeling C notes out of her wallet.
I didn't end up getting the HE.
I'm keeping the girl.
I think she likes me.

You got a great deal on that 686. Enjoy it.

Like other members said, it's quite rare to find one under 500.

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27-2, 66-1, 640 Pro, 10-5

Just think...you'll get the last laugh when you're dead and she starts selling off your stuff for big $...then she'll be sorry!

Seriously, I've been through the same thing and still have the wife and the guns. It all works out over time.

Good luck!

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Joe

Let me assure you a L frame in average condition would bring about $600 in my neck of the woods. But, that said I think guns are kinda high here in Northcentral AZ =/ Apparently the demand outweighs the supply? I would have jumped at under $400 to own a L frame in the condition you described. Worse case scenario you end up having to sell it for a profit (but I would not encourage said behavior).

Enjoy it, life is too damn short not to.

Bflobill69

If you put 375.00 into a savings account and try to keep it there for 5 years to see how much interest it gains chances are it won't be very much.If what you say about the gun is true you have just turned 375.00
into at least 500.00.That's a very quick and good return on your investment.I would also say that the 375.00 in your savings would be slowly withdrawn and spent,leaving nothing.If you took money that was earmarked for bills or groceries and spent it on a gun then I could see a problem if not then I don't believe there is any harm.I do not advocate keeping secrets fom your spouse but sometimes I live by the philosophy of "What she doesn't know won't hurt me."When I am in the ground and she is selling off my guns she will realize that I was right.There isn't really any sense in arguing the point right now cause it's a no win situation.

Hey guys, here are some pics of the new gun. Wife is still a bit ill, but she helped me post these pics, so she can't be too mad.

Hi, it is the wife. I told him that the only way to keep the gun was if he bought it for me. So, here are the pics of MY new gun!

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DITTO ! ! ! That revolver is an investment at that price. When the economy totally tanks, your wife will be glad you can trade it for stuff you need or defend yourselves with it. MAKE SURE that she reads these responses. She has NO CLUE how well you did.......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

You can't turn those deals down, I can't anyway. You could flip it today for more $$ that your savings account will turn in interest all year.

Hey keep it you got a great pistol. My wife divorced me in 1989 because I bought a Nintendo for 125.00 with out talking to her. Still got it Duck hunt rules

LOL enjoy you new gun Mrs. Sunfang, but let him shoot it every now and then.

It is like buying a $350.00 pocket book for $75.00 and the older it gets more it is going to be worth. And it could save your life one day.

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May God Bless The USA

You obviously made a horrible mistake, out of the goodness of my heart if you will send it to me I will give you your money back, I'm not this kind most of the time but for you I will make an exception....... 308

Well guys and gals, I kind of have the same story in reverse. I bought a 686-5 6" some years ago (would have liked an earlier one better or course) and about three weeks ago I saw it's twin only in 4"; it, like the 6" I had earlier, seemed like new in the original box w/all etc. It was priced at $600. I took a couple of my guns down to see if a trade could be worked but it was a consignment gun so no trades possible. I told my dear wife about it and it's value; $600 for a seemingly NIB 686 is a pretty good deal it seems; and my dear wife said, that being the case I'll front you the money you can sell the guns you wanted to trade and pay me back. So that's what happened; one gun is sold the other on GB; hoping for a new home. I picked up the 4" today and offered her the chance to shoot it first since it was her $ that brought it home but she demurred. I think I'm a pretty lucky fellow.

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Regards;

David Jackson