Help me understand what to expect regarding current pricing on revovlers?!

[MajorD]

Good day all!

A little background- I have been shooting S&W revolvers all my life, and they still are my favorite handgun type. Lots have come and gone over the years, but I am looking to add a couple to my inventory

I am not a dinosaur, but it seems to me not too long ago revovlers we’re pretty inexpensive in the grand scope of things.

For instance I bought a used police trade in model 15 about 8 years ago for $300.

Five years before that ( same shop) I could choose any 4” model 10 out of a bin I wanted for $165!

Time marches on I guess.

I see a lot of posts/ discussions about mint collector grade guns and values, but I am honestly more interested in utility grade guns. Like the old finish worn dinged up but functionally good cop trade in guns of decades past ( I know that era is long gone)

It seems to me these days people are pricing beater guns the same that mint in box was running just 5-10 years ago.

My current wants are a utility grade model 10 standard barrel, and an airweight J ( 37,38,42) As long as mechanics are solid don’t care what it looks like

Are these all 300-500 dollar guns now?

Used revolvers seem scarce around here. I did find a shop with a very nice condition 37 for $495- is this what I can expect in 2023?
I haven’t seen a model 10 standard weight barrel for sale locally in years.

I figure I am just lamenting over the good old days, but kindly provide some input on what “beater gun” pricing runs in your neck of the woods

 

[bigmtnman]

"My current wants are a utility grade model 10 standard barrel, and an airweight J ( 37,38,42) As long as mechanics are solid don’t care what it looks like. Are these all 300-500 dollar guns now?"

Nope --- $400 to $600 is what I would expect in my area these days.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I got a reasonably clean, straight Model 60 a few months back for just under $600 OTD and considered that to be a VERY good deal.

 

[tlawler]

Good deals are out there, just fewer and farther between. I’d say be patient, keep looking, and keep a few Benjamins at the ready for when those deals pop up. My last good deal was a very nice 1969 Model 49 that I picked up at a local gun show for $450. I went to the show with a bit of disposable income and no expectations, but got lucky. And always negotiate!

 

[raljr1]

I think the days of decent $300 S&W revolvers are over for good. I spoke with a local shop owner a month or so ago and he told me that they have seen prices retreat a bit on items they sell on GB compared to a year ago. That said, the online community still seems to expect pretty high prices for run of the mill stuff. A local pawn shop I walked into a week ago had a beat up model 10 for $900. I think deals are still out there, just farther between. Small gun shows, local ads, that sort of thing is where you might find them, and occasionally on the auction sites when poor photos or bad descriptions leave a gun wanting bids.

$495 for a decent model 37 is a good price today. A model 10 will be in the same neighborhood, not likely for less.

 

[Retired W4]

For informational purposes, last weekend I sold an excellent 10-5, shipped 1964, for $600. No box, just the gun. Ten years ago, here in Atlanta, the same gun might have sold for $350-$400.

 

[jeffrefrig]

In '98 I bought a used 1988-born Model 10-8, no box, etc., for $225, I believe OTD. It was not pristine, but had honest holster wear and speckling on the side plates under the target stocks. This past month I traded it in and got $250 for it, minus the targets; I had put Hogue rubbers on it. So I assume they put it up for $4-500. I recently bought a 1948 born M&P .38 Spl. for I think around $500. I think this was described as a Pre-model 10.
I'm in Pittsburgh and there are a bunch of gun shops around, some seem high on their prices, some seem average, and for revolvers some are pretty reasonable. (Used ones, I mean.) So, yes, I suppose around here anyhow, you'd be closer to that $500 range. That 10-8 I traded in would be exactly what you may be talking about: great mechanics and honest wear. Too bad you missed that run of $2-300 surplus M10s that came into the US from somewhere, was that 2-3 years ago?

 

[series guy]

Everything has three values. A value dictated by the current market, the value the seller places on it and the value to the buyer. No matter how good the price if you as a buyer don’t see that same value in it you aren’t going to buy it. I have a few collector type guns but most are what I would call above average shooter grade guns. As a result I don’t pay artificially inflated prices but I have paid up for something that appeals to me.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Deals still exist........ around here they are in the few remaining small rural Mom & Pop shops.

A while back someone here said "any S&W revolver in decent condition is at least a $500 gun"....... today's that $600+

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

My last three used J frames were purchased in 2014. All in good mechanical shape and all worn a little with no boxes, papers or tools. Cheapest was $500 plus shipping and FFL fees.

While traveling during Christmas I paid $10 - $12 for burger, fries and drink. Prices are up on everything including old revolver, built by old craftsman. I’d have a hard time finding these now and would expect to pay a premium for them.

1960 M36

1957 M38

1967 M40

 

[Chukar60]

Keep looking

And looking and looking and looking for that great deal and you will have managed to cheat yourself out of all the time you could have been enjoying.
Yes a great deal is a satisfaction, but what is your time worth and what is the time you could be spending with a gun you want worth?
I am not opposed to good deals but if that is the primary criteria for buying a gun you could achieve the same thing buying a used lawn mower on the cheap.

 

[ken158]

Nothing changed in the value of guns when they were new but only as time passes and owners price to profit. Of course, nothing is worth more than what someone will give you regardless of the value you set. In wandering around shops and gun shows, you see reasonable to crazy prices being asked and none of the high priced guns being sold. Owners want a big profit and buyers want a deal. Stick it out and you will find what you seek at a price you are willing to pay. Don’t fall into the trap of a seller telling you :”that’s what they are going for”…

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I'm always struck by these conversations.

We remember what we paid for revolver X, Y or Z ten years or more ago. We probably wrote it down some place, right?

What did we pay for a gallon of milk then? How 'bout a dozen eggs? Do you even remember? Now you better "cry over spilt milk!"

$6 for a dozen eggs just before Christmas, if you could find them. What, did the chickens go on strike?

How 'bout that new truck? Oy vey!

Sure there's the occasional "good gun deal" some brag about here, but they're not the "norm."

The market for any commodity is "the market." What have you seen go down in price in the last decade?

 

[MajorD]

Thanks for all the input folks!
I guess I do have to reset my financial calculator a bit. As we age, we tend to recall “ not too long ago” and then realize we are talking 15-20 years!

A local pawn shop has 4 J frames I might be interested in. I guess his prices are pretty fair:
A new in box 638 and new in box 642 ( both internal lock models ) for $450 each
A probably 1980’s era 37 in nickel that looks to be excellent for 495, and a much older blued 37 flat latch in VG condition for 595.

I will keep my eyes open for more.

Yes I am a little late to the party on that batch of import 10’s that were about 3-5 years ago for around $300.

Another shop has an older model 12 for $650

A couple years back a local shop had a couple of mint 10’s in box papers tools etc for $400, should have pulled the trigger then I guess.

I do enjoy the hunt more than the harvest sometimes ( finding a great deal) but someone made the valid point get it and enjoy it while you still can, and that makes a lot of sense. None of us are getting any younger!

 

[glowe]

Unless one has a special arrangement with LGSs, they are a place you will typically find high asking prices. Today's bargain is indeed $300 to $500 and not often found for those prices in a LGS.

There are almost 500 Model 10 S&Ws for sale online today and on any given day you search just on Gunbroker. Some are asking way too much, while others start their auctions at anywhere from a penny to a reasonable starting price. If one is truly looking just for a shooter, I give you 5 examples of what these guns are actually selling for right now. They were found with a quick search of ended auctions for Model 10s and 38 M&Ps under $500 today. Two did not sell and closed without a minimum bid, while 3 others sold.

1. Did not sell for asking price of $399
2. Sold for $425
3. Sold for $324
4. Did not sell for asking price of $449
5. Sold for $385

 

[MajorD]

Yes Gary, I keep tabs on gun broker pretty much daily, and my watchlist currently has about 20 revolvers on it. Unless it is C&R and the seller will accept a C&R without charging additional shipping ( I do have a C&R) when you look at say a 1970’s era non C&R 10 selling for what sounds to be a reasonable $325, then add the $50 for shipping and an FFL on my end, plus the obligatory sales tax, you end up in the $400 range, which is about where people are saying these shooter grade guns are these days

 

[mrcvs]

Unless one has a special arrangement with LGSs, they are a place you will typically find high asking prices. Today's bargain is indeed $300 to $500 and not often found for those prices in a LGS.

There are almost 500 Model 10 S&Ws for sale online today and on any given day you search just on Gunbroker. Some are asking way too much, while others start their auctions at anywhere from a penny to a reasonable starting price. If one is truly looking just for a shooter, I give you 5 examples of what these guns are actually selling for right now. They were found with a quick search of ended auctions for Model 10s and 38 M&Ps under $500 today. Two did not sell and closed without a minimum bid, while 3 others sold.

1. Did not sell for asking price of $399
2. Sold for $425
3. Sold for $324
4. Did not sell for asking price of $449
5. Sold for $385

Friends don’t let friends buy on Gunbroker.

 

[epj]

$10-12 hamburger! Wow. My first memory of a McDonald’s hamburger was about 1965. I was a freshman at the university of Tennessee in Knoxville. Burgers were $0.15, and French fries were $0.10. Drinks were no more than a dime, might have been a nickel.
Todays’ prices:
Regular hamburger $1.49
French fries. $1.39
Small Coke. $2.29
Very few will order this small meal. A more common order would likely entail a $5 burger, $1.89 fries, and a large coke for $2.50. With sales tax, that gets you north of $10.
Hint: many fast food joints offer a senior drink at a reduced price, but you have to ask for it. Get enough of those and you will have extra money for ammo.
Now, I picked McDonald’s because they remain one of the most popular and widely available chains. Some of the others such as Wendy’s and Burger King are more expensive. Even Krystal is getting a bit pricey.

 

[pantannojack]

I'm just a past working class revolver lover. I'd say 800$ for any un molested pre 80 blue revolver. Other than that I don't understand why anybody would want one.

 

[H Richard]

Just a recent example, at a gun show this morning I watched a person purchase a Mod 63-1 4" in the box, was priced at $1300. Some negotiation , but he laid out 12 Benjamin's to complete the purchase. That dealer also had a fairly nice 1917, but with stag grips priced at $850, which didn't seem to far out of line. I saw several Mod 10's (10-6 and 10-7) priced at $700.

They also had some primers at $125 Win, and $150 for some CCI, with $50 and $60 prices on powder.

I left with no purchases.